4*TOWN

The Way It Was 2

Robaire, having changed his mind about talking to anyone else, decides to just go meet Z outside again. As he's dejectedly walking back to the door, he hears his name called from behind him.

"Robaire, wait!"

He turns around instinctively, although he recognizes the voice and definitely doesn't want to hear anything it has to say.

"There you are. Look, I think this all has gone way too far, I didn't think you guys would just break up like that-"

"Justin, stop. I know that's what you wanted, and you finally got it. Just leave me alone now. Please."

Justin's about to respond, but feels just a hint of guilt seeing the look in Robaire's eyes. His mind goes back to just earlier that night, remembering how Tae Young had that same look when he found him.

"Uh, right. Okay."

Robaire is already out the door, and Justin is finally starting to feel the weight of what he's done.

☆

When Z and Robaire get home, they don't get out of the car right away.

"I don't wanna go in there."

"Well, you're gonna have to at some point. We live here."

Robaire groans and throws his head back onto the seat's headrest.

"This sucks. So bad. How did I get myself into this..."

"Do you wanna talk some more about it? We have all night."

Z suggests, turning off the car. Robaire sighs heavily.

"I don't even know where to start."

"Alright, let's start with... Who were those girls at AJ's house? Do you even know them?"

Z asks, and Robaire hesitates to answer.

"Not really. I just... I said I was mad. I was just like, channeling... My anger?"

"Okay, you have to know that's not normal."

Robaire covers his face with his hand, embarrassed.

"I wish I hadn't done that."

The car is silent for a few moments as Z thinks about his response.

"You know, it kinda seems like- like you're... I don't know how to put this. You don't wanna seem vulnerable, so you act like you aren't hurt by all this."

"Yeah, I'm officially uncomfortable. I'd rather listen to Jesse than this."

Z looks at Robaire with his eyebrow raised.

"Okay, yeah. No I wouldn't."

Robaire sighs.

"...It's always like you think you have something to prove. I wish you could see that you don't."

"Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not me."

Robaire says, mumbling the last part and facing away from Z.

"Well, what's more important: the way we, your friends, see you, or how everyone else does?"

"You guys always try to do this to me. It's not working."