𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃, Robin Arellano

2

"Would this schedule be better?" The principal asked you, handing you small piece of printed paper. You read through the list, the two classes you had with Robin were swapped, all your other classes stayed the same.

You nodded, handing him back the piece of paper. He placed it next to his notepad, writing something down before quickly looking up at you. "The counselor will call you up to their office later today, and they'll change your schedule."

"Okay, thank you." You grinned. You could finally move on. No staring at the back of Robin's head anymore.

The principal escorted you out, writing you a pass to get back to class. Robin was still in the same seat, the one he moved to, to talk to you. You simply trudged past him, keeping your eyes ahead as you went back to class.

The day went by normally. You hung out with your friends at lunch, attended the rest of your classes, got called up to the counselors office and officially got your schedule changed. Starting the next day, you won't have any classes with Robin.

"If you're not here tomorrow, I'm taking your seat." You spoke, following Bruce to his locker. He scrunched his face up before unlocking his locker, shoving his math book inside the small, messy area. There was so many papers, you've lost track of how many times you told Bruce to just throw away the papers, but he refused.

He shut the locker shut, walking besides you towards the doors leading to the outside while he carried his backpack in his arms— digging for the extra change threw in earlier. The two of you planned to go the diner around the block, getting milkshakes.

"I'm gonna be here, I'm not letting you take my seat." He playfully joked, pushing through the doors.

You and Bruce had been friends for a while now. The two of you met in kindergarten after you guys finished the whole container of paste— ending up with sick tummies and a week spent at home instead of school.

He had the best seat in class. It was the far corner seat in the back and whenever he was gone, it was like a competition to whoever would take it first. You could get away with anything in his seat, eating, chewing gum, sleeping, you name it, anything.

You never got it thought, you always walked in a few seconds before the bell rang and everybody was already in their seats. Including Bruce's.

Bruce grumbled, stopping as he dug further into his backpack. "I can't find i—"

"Hey Y/N..." Finney approached you, nodding towards Bruce as his eyes landed on him. "And Bruce?"

"Hi, Finney." You smiled at him, silently begging Bruce to hurry up and find his change or somehow make an excuse for the both of you to leave. It wasn't because you didn't like Finney, it was just awkward. You guys were only "friends" because of Robin, and now that the two of you are broken up, you didn't know what you and Finney were. Same thing with Gwen.

He gave you a tight-lipped smile, quickly looking between you and Bruce as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Am i uh, interrupting something?"

"Ye—" You started.

"No, just looking for something." Bruce kindly said, not looking at Finney as he finally found a quarter. Just a few more to go.

"Oh. Okay." Finney nodded, looking behind him. He looks back at you, with a look you couldn't quite decipher. "Do you wanna walk with us home?" He uses his thumb to point where Robin and Gwen stood 10 feet behind him, shamelessly staring at you guys.

Yes.

"No thanks. Me and Bruce are actually gonna go get milkshakes, thank you though." You said. Why would he even ask you that? He hasn't talked to you in weeks and he just randomly asks you to walk with him home?

He pursed his lips before quickly looking behind him again before looking back at you, nodding. He hesitantly looks at Bruce before saying a goodbye, walking towards Robin and Gwen. You watched as Finney marched up to them, about to tell them the ne—

"Hey! I finally found the change! Just enough for two milkshakes, we should go before it gets late. We can get good seats." Bruce says, smiling as he holds out the quarters in the palm of his hand. He zips up his backpack before putting it back on his shoulders.

You smiled, looking back at where Robin, Finney, and Gwen once stood but they were nowhere to be found. No trace left behind.

"Took you long enough."

"Haha, funny." He sarcastically remarked, shoving the quarters in his front pocket. "What was that about anyways? Isn't he friends with Rob—"

"I don't know." You cut him off, not really in the mood to talk about your ex. You did think it was odd though, his best friend asking you if you wanted to walk with them home. You were probably over thinking it— maybe Finney just didn't want you to think he didn't like you or something. Yeah, that's it.

Bruce nodded, reading your body language. He elbows you, "Well, let's go get some milkshakes. Yeah?"

"Okay."

-

You take a sip of your milkshake, slightly spinning from left to right on the bar stool that stood next to Bruce's, both of your guys' eyes focused on the small TV box at the end of counter.

The diner was nearly empty. It was usually busy around this time, but you and Bruce planned the perfect day to go. Smiled etched onto your guys' faces as the two of you took seats at the bar, close enough to watch TV and listen to the faint music coming from the kitchen.

"I changed my schedule." You finally announced to him, wiping your mouth with the small napkin that came with the milkshake.

He quirked his eyebrow up at you, urging you to continue.

"I changed it earlier today. Two periods. I couldn't focus in those two classes, I think this will really get my grades up." You lied, stopping your spinning as you turned to look at Bruce.

"You? Y/N Y/L/N, care about your grades?"

You feign offense, mouth agape. "Yes, actually."

"I don't believe that."

"And why not?"

"First off." He starts, lightly slapping his thighs. "You failed 6th grade year. You also failed the first quarter, and now all of the sudden you want to "get good grades" what happened to the Y/N I used to know?"

Frowning you look away. Probably because you were too focused on Robin to do any of your work, too busy playing out fake scenarios in class that you couldn't pay attention. Or maybe you were just too lazy.

But you wanted to be more motivated. More productive. And yeah, middle school grades don't matter but you're going to be in high school soon, and those are going to matter.

"Is it because of... Robin?"

"No!" You snapped, looking back at him.

The funniest thing is, you didn't even tell Bruce that you got dumped. When you asked him how he knew, he lied, telling you, you were acting different. But almost everybody was talking about it at school, and he heard it when a few of the boys on his team were talking about it in the dugout.

You sigh, rubbing the bridge of your nose as you stared forward. "I'm sorry. It's not because of him." You lied. "I'm just tired of people bringing him up."

"Okay... I wish you the best luck on getting those horrible grades up." He says, changing the subject.

"Shut up."