Turned Over

Robin: The Plan

All I ever wanted since I moved into this stupid neighborhood is for Emily Winston to back off and give me some space.

Emily didn't just enter my life. She BARGED and SHOVED and WEDGED and PUSHED all her way into my life! Did I permit her to do that? No! But being the Emily Winston that lives across your house, she would do anything to be with Robin Lachowski.

I don't think I went outside that whole first week. I helped unpack stuff and watched TV and stared at my phone and slept while my parents debated on where to put the maroon couch.

Truth be told, I was dying to go outside. Believe me, you would do the same because every time I checked through our window, I could see Emily peeking. Creepy as it sounds, but yeah. That's her everyday routine.

Still at seventh grade, the moment I walked into Mrs. Fickus' classroom I knew I was branded for life. There I saw the pig player sat on one of the chairs with her goo goo eyes.

Scary, creepy and disgusting!

Now I tell you, school wouldn't be a sanctum for me.

My first year in the town of Hertfordshire was a complete disaster and chaos.

Everyday wasn't much better. It kept getting worse and worse. But in eighth grade, I took action.

It started as an idea from my best friend James Arkwright. I was hesitant but the more I played with my best friend's idea, the more I thought, what a great way to tell Emily, "I hate you" or "Emily, you are not my type."

And so, my friend, I hatched the plan.

I asked Coleen Weathers to be my girlfriend.

Please appreciate the brilliance of this idea, which is not mine, because you have to fully know that Emily had some serious grudge against Coleen. It never beats me why. I didn't knew their history because I only came up here at seventh grade while those girls, no, the other is a crazy one, and Coleen is the pretty one, had been classmates for who knows how long. So, I thought that being with her would take Emily lose interest in me.

Coleen is very pretty and nice. So, what's not to like? She's even the most popular girl at Hertfordshire High. But much to my surprise, Emily hated her and I used that grudge the little solution to my problem.

Asking Coleen out wasn't so hard to be honest. She's easy to get. My plan was actually working out. Coleen would eat at our lunch table sitting beside me which Emily does everyday and would walk with me along the halls to get in to our next class.

One time while we were heading for Pre-Psychology class, I held Coleen's hand when I spotted Emily leaned on her locker. I sensed her annoyance and irritation. I was actually happy about it.

Now as time went by, Coleen being my girlfriend didn't actually work for some reasons.

I think the plan encouraged Emily to do better which I thought is a really bad thing. One time, she strangled Coleen at the halls and we got called at the principal's office. This girl seriously is a pain in the butt!

At Pre-Psychology class, 8th grade, Mrs. Fickus was the one to blame. She stucked me to Emily like glue! And so, Emily started with her goo goo eyes again. I'll tell you what's it like. Imagine me all eyes and ears lent to Mrs. Fickus, then this girl on my right just kept on staring at me like there's no tomorrow.

But despite being drawn all over me, I can't deny that Emily Winston is actually smart. And I hate it about her for I was always below, right next to her. In other words, I was always second.

She's so annoying because her hand is always the first one up, her answers are impossibly all correct, her projects are passed early, like a week before the due date and Mrs. Fickus would always let those irritable things about Emily Winston a weapon against the rest of the class, against me.

Teachers would always hold her project up and say, "This is what I totally want for a project, class. If you would ask me, this is already an A+ work."

I actually asked Mrs. Fickus to move me, but she wouldn't.

Whatever. I was stuck with her goo goo eyes forever.