𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃, Robin Arellano

9

A few months ago...

"Jesus, Robin-" Finney started, shuffling through the pile of papers that were sitting on top of Robin's bed. "Why didn't you get Y/N to help you with these?"

Robin shrugged, shaking his head as he collapsed into his bed. "I think she's mad at me."

"For not getting your work done?"

"No. For the fight earlier." Robin explained, bringing his wrapped knuckles up to examine them. He clenched his fists, grimacing when he felt the pain shoot through his hand.

"Did you try talking to her?" Finney asked, organizing the papers. He put the oldest papers on the bed, deciding that they needed to do those first before the quarter ended then work their way up to the most recent missing assignments.

"Well-" Robin grunted as he sat up. "I tried to but she was too busy with her bestfriend Bruce."

Finney gave him a knowing look, throwing the pile of papers on his lap. "You got a pencil?"

Robin pointed his backpack. "Front pocket." Finney shuffled towards the backpack, opening it and taking two pencils out.

"I don't understand. She's sort of hypocritical, she gets all jealous when I talk to a single girl but she can hang out with Bruce?"

Finney plopped himself next to Robin. "Girls."

He rolled his eyes, grabbing the pencil that Finney was offering him.

"I've only ever seen you with her."

"What?"

"You've only dated Y/N."

Robin furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong with that? You haven't had a single girlfriend, Finn."

"Hey! I'm just saying, maybe you need to branch out. Not necessarily date other girls but get friends.. that are girls. Like don't become all giddy with them cause that's weird, but like friends you can talk to in school. If she can have a guy bestfriend you can have a girl bestfriend.. or just friends that are girls." He explained.

"I have friends that are girls."

"Really? Name one."

Robin thought for a moment before smiling. "Gwen."

"Gwen? Seriously, someone else that isn't related to me."

"Okay.. uhm..." Robin thought. He thought real hard and he couldn't think of a single one. The only name that popped into his mind was yours. And Gwen's.

"See? Now what happens if you guys break up? What if you want to start dating someone? You're gonna have zero, zero! Experience with that because you've only had one girlfriend."

He was right. Robin really liked you, he really did. He would rather spend his entire life with you. But middle school relationships never lasted, he needed to branch out. He wouldn't say it was Finney's fault because at first, he totally thought Finney was stupid. He's the one who has zero experience with girls, but he was always the smarter one. That's how Finney had straight A's and Robin had straight D's.

If you were allowed to have a guy best friend, he can have a girl best friend.

And so after that day, he made it his goal to get at least one lady friend, whatever you want to call it, just a friend that wasn't a guy.

"Hey, Robin?" A-girl-he-had-no-idea-was-even-in-his-class asked him, tapping his shoulder lightly.

He offered her a polite smile.

"Do you wanna be partners?" She spoke.

And he said yes.

And he was quick to learn that her name was Diane. And that she was actually funny.

"Diane? Really?" You spoke harshly, leaning against the locker that was next to Robins. He looked at you with furrowed eyebrows.

There were a few advantages that came along with being friends with Bruce; one of them you may ask? Was getting all the tea. He knew everything. He told you about Robin and Diane, and here you were confronting him about it.

"What do you mean?" Robin spoke.

"Diane? The girl you're "partners" with in Biology?" You asked.

"Oh! Her? She's just a friend, you don't have to worry about her. She's act—"

"Just a friend?"

"Uh... yes? She's just a friend." He spoke, reaching out for you. You back away, your eyes lightening up when Bruce passes by. "I'm gonna go walk with Bruce. I'll see you later." You spoke before skipping off, playfully bumping shoulders with Bruce.

He slammed his locker shut, storming off to the next period. Gosh, he hated Bruce. It was like you always chose Bruce over him. Bruce this. Bruce that. Bruce wants me to hang out with him. Bruce wants to eat lunch with me. Bruce blah blah blah. Fuck Bruce.

And he thinks that moment where you ditched him for the ten thousandth time to hang out with your little gal pal, he started hanging out more with Diane. It was amazing— the not getting ditched for another dude. The not getting jealous because you ditched him for another dude— no, Diane gave him her full attention. Listening to him rant about whatever. Wether that be you, people he hated, teachers he hated, homework he missed. ANYTHING. And she listened.

If only Finney told him that he needed to branch out earlier. He thought. He also thinks that's when he thought he developed feelings for her. And so as soon as he broke up with you, he got together with her.

The good part happened for a week. Maybe a week and a half, then she just became worse than you. You weren't even bad. You guys had weekly movie nights, weekly dates, you guys hung out with it almost everyday. He just craved the feeling of being wanted.  He wanted you to treat him like he was your best friend. He wanted you to gossip to him about girls who just dumped their boyfriends or had mental breakdowns because there was lipstick on their teeth— he didn't care what.

He just wished you treated him like Bruce. Just with hugs and kisses.

And that's why he broke up with you.

He may have twisted it a bit when telling you "why" he broke up with you on his porch. He thought it was funny. He took advice from his friend that couldn't even talk to a girl, Finney's only friends were really Robin and Gwen.

And because he listened to that friend, he lost you.

But he's just like Finney. He couldn't even communicate to you about his problems and insecurities.