When Friendship Becomes Forever

Chapter 8

Max

After a long half-hour of crying and talking, El and I finally emerged from the bathrooms, hand in hand.

We walked in near silence toward Scoops Ahoy where Robin and Steve sat in a booth, talking.

El and I exchanged a look before walking over.

"Hey," I said quietly and the two of them glanced up. Robin's eyes were glassed over red, her pale cheeks splotchy with tear stains. Steve was staring at the tablecloth, sadness in his expression.

"Hey," Robin replied with a sad smile.

"What...happened?" El asked tentatively and they both sighed.

Steve stood, allowing for both of us to take a seat in the booth with Robin.

"I'll mind the register," he said and Robin nodded.

Once we were both seated, Robin sighed heavily.

"Nancy... broke up with me."

My eyes widened.

"What?!" El and I exclaimed as one and she nodded, tears forming once again.

"You probably heard, but when we were in the bathrooms Nancy's old friend Carol found us and she was being a total bitch about... everything and then Nancy said she couldn't take it anymore. That she was breaking up with me,"

I sighed, reaching for her hand.

Robin smiled weakly through her tears and both El and I remained silent for a moment.

"She'll come back," I reassured her, my words more confident than that of my tone but Robin simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I really...don't know,"

I didn't know what to say.

Nancy and Robin were in love, the two of them seemingly destined for each other.

Before Robin met Nancy, she had been so lonely; closed off from the world, her only friend Steve and us younger teenagers.

Before Nancy met Robin, she had been a complete and utter priss. She was the kind of girl who would always hand her tests and homework in a week early and cared excessively about her grades. Popular though, somehow cheating the system.

But it came to light that neither of them were really like that.

Robin was an edgy, alternative, opiniated lesbian with a shy voice and a kind heart.

Nancy was a badass fighter girl, with a talent for journalism.

They were perfect for one another.

But...apparently not anymore.

"What do I do?" Robin asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I didn't know what to say, and judging by the look on El's face, she didn't either.

"I'm sorry," was all I managed, the silence threatening to engulf me, forcing me to make a sound.

Robin just nodded, and gave a small shrug.

"Don't give up on her. She loves you, you know she does," El said weakly.

Robin sighed heavily, replying without words.

"No. She does, Robin, she does. She's just scared. We just..."

"Need a plan," El finished and I nodded.

"Yeah,"

Robin didn't reply, simply slumping her head onto the table that sat in front of us.

"I don't know," she mumbled finally and I fought not to laugh.