THE BRIGHTSIDE, robby keene

009 - tory, the realtor

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CHAPTER NINE
TORY, THE REALTOR
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A FEW WEEKS PASSED AND MERCY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SHE ACTUALLY ENJOYS HAVING ROBBY AROUND.

Training is even more fun now. Although the Kata movements (that seem to be the fundamentals of Miyagi-Do) are still a little complicated to her.

But Robby is a great teacher, actually. He doesn't get annoyed when she still doesn't understand how exactly a particular block works.

She didn't say it to his face, though.

Saying that she doesn't dislike him is as close as they'll get to being affectionate towards each other. They have a mutual goal after all. (At least that is what she tells herself)

And she's painfully reminded of that goal whenever she walks through her school's hallways and sees Sam and Miguel holding hands.

School's been a pain in her ass for the past weeks. AP Physics is boring and sitting next to Hawk is excruciatingly painful, especially when Ms. Wong says something they'd usually turn into a joke.

She doesn't dare think about how her only company in school is the group of Kyler, Edwin, and Red — the three brain cells (trust her, she knows what she's talking about, the four of them are in the same trigonometry class).

And whenever she goes home, her mom loves to talk about Robby.

We should invite him again, mija.

Your grandmother wants to meet him, mija.

Your cousin Anabel wants to see a picture of him, mija.

First of all, her grandma doesn't even speak English and second of all, Cousin Anabel? She's seven!

What did her mother tell her family about Robby? That he's the nicest guy around because he brought them a box of chocolates?

(Which is pretty considerate, Mercy agrees.)

Did she even mention all the other stuff, like that he went to juvie for putting her ex in a coma?

And yes, Mercy might have forgiven him for that, considering that it was an accident and all, but that doesn't mean anything.

He can't buy her with a box of chocolates, unlike her mom. It takes more for Mercy to actually like and trust someone.

Good that that's not their plan.

"What are you thinking about?" Robby looks at her curiously.

She didn't even notice that she zoned out for a minute. But now being back in the dojo, stretching as a warm up exercise, she feels stupid for thinking about what her mom might've told her family about her fake boyfriend.

"The usual, you know," she replies.

Astronomy Club ran a little late today and she hates being behind her schedule.

"So you're on a different planet again?" He holds one hand towards her and pulls her up from the ground as she takes it.

"Yeah, that planet's called my little cousin wants to see a picture of you. My mom's obsessed with you for some reason." She flattens her white gi, avoiding to look at him.