Robbie Kay Short Stories

Chemistry

Chemistry

The hot coffee burns my tongue as I try to drink it quickly. I will not let a $4 venti go to waste; it’s against my religion. Mr. Robertson doesn’t allow us to bring food or drinks into the Chem Lab so I stand by the class’ doorway almost every day, finishing up the starbucks that my best friend picks up for me during her spare.  Maybe I should just ask for a tall, I think to myself as some classmates walk past me into class. “Almost done there, Y/N?” Sarah, a close friend of mine, asks me before stepping through the doorway. “Mmmhm” I mumble against the lid of the coffee cup. She shakes her head and continues on.

“Junkie.” Robbie breathes into my ear and I jump slightly, not realizing he was standing there. I watch as Robbie comes around from my side to face me, his hair still damp from his gym class.

 “You know, there is help out there. The first step is admitting you have a problem” he teases me with a playful smile. I roll my eyes in response. “Did you have your white mocha during 2nd or 3rd period?” I ask him, throwing my head back a little and savouring the last drop of the dark roast. “Touché” Robbie laughs and gestures for me to proceed in front of him.

We walk in together and take our seats near the back of the room, making small talk as we pull out our binders and text books.

 “I hear you’re binging out on Dr. Who” Robbie says, turning slightly in his stool towards me.  “Yes! I hate you for bringing that show into my life. It’s so addicting” I say, looking over at him now. “Nobody hates me” he says lightly. I laugh and shrug in finality, he was right- nobody hated him; especially not me.

Having Robbie assigned as my lab partner was by far the best thing that had happened to me this semester. During the past few months I had gotten to know Robbie as more than just the popular, cute jock everyone else knew him as; not that being popular or a jock was bad. It’s just that he was so much more than that.

Every day I spent with him in class revealed something new and exciting about him. His great sense of humor, his little quirks, even his ridiculous insecurities had me enthralled. I looked forward to falling for him a bit more every day. Of course, I knew my affection would never be reciprocated. Robbie would never regard me as anything more than a classmate or a lab partner, maybe a friend if I was lucky. Still, I enjoyed our time together. He was my favorite guilty pleasure.

I’m lost in thought when I feel a gentle pressure on my left wrist. I glance down and see Robbie examining one of my Alex and Ani bracelets.

“This one is new” Robbie observes, running his thumb over the feather wrap around my wrist.

“Yeah, I just got it last night” I say, trying to stifle my giddy smile at his attention.

“You’ve got quite a collection now, you won’t be able to lift up your arm soon.” He says, continuing to study the bangles. “Which one’s your favorite?” he asks, keeping my wrist in his hand.

“I don’t know, I love all of them. They’re all so different.”

“Come on, humor me. If you could keep only one, which would it be?” Robbie asks again, looking genuinely interested.

“Well, I guess it would have to be the Buddha one, then” I reach my hand over to my wrist and turn over the bangle that held the little guy. “It’s supposed to remind you that the way to joy and happiness is to keep things simple in your life” I say, immediately feeling silly. I’m such a nerd.

“I love it, that’s so you” Robbie smiles softly at me. I feel my face blush in response and look away quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

“Alright everyone, settle down!” Mr. Robertson calls out from the front of the class. Robbie releases his hold on my wrist and I see him straighten himself up out of the corner of my eye. I take a deep breath in and try to focus my attention on the lesson.