Faking Robin

Chapter 17 - Uncoditional

Chapter 17 - Unconditional

“Don’t tell me his name is actually Ranthony,” I said to myself as I stared at the white ceiling. I was in relax-mode as I lay my body on the bouncy spring bed with a super soft and warm blanket covering my body. 

I couldn’t sleep. The white mark on Anthony’s cap made me like this. Many silly speculations came into my head, including the newest one, that his name was actually “Ranthony”. Okay, that was stupid.

I shifted my body, trying to find a better position. None of my assumptions were giving me an answer. Or, something that made sense. 

Actually, there was one, and it was an easy answer, that the cap was Reagan’s. Reagan’s name’s initials were R.H. after all. But then, Anthony had said clearly that these were his name initials. His name, not Reagan’s. He also didn’t deny or try to correct himself when I asked him about it. Instead he said he would explain later. What was there to explain?

Did he hide something from me? 

Well, of course everyone was hiding something, including me and him. But this was something different. This was something big (not that my secret wasn’t big as well). He was willing to explain, and all I needed to do was wait. But it’s bugging me!

His last name. What was his last name? I didn’t even know that. Something so basic about him.

Two knocks on the door drew me out of my thoughts and I assumed it to be Apple but since I came in to my room before he had gone out of the apartment I wasn’t sure. Knock, knock. The sound was heard once again. 

I decided to stand up and open the door. As expected, Apple stood in front of me, he had lost his ties and suit, having on only his inner white shirt that too crumpled. His expression told me he needed to say something important but no words were said as I followed him to the red couch in our living room.

We both took a seat. Apple looked me in the eye, telling me without words that he was here in hurry for something serious. Okay, what happen?

“So, Robin. I really just heard about this today, like, 20 minutes ago,” he started. I nodded, telling him to continue whatever he had to say. “Final stage is tomorrow,” he continued, his eyes still looking straight into mine. 

He then explained that it turned out tomorrow was the final day. Starting from 11 PM today, they had started a countdown that would end at 8 AM the next morning. And after that, after, 8 AM, would start the big day. The day when we would have to turn in the name of our suspects of The One and all the evidences we collected. It was actually a sudden change. Apple didn’t know about it either, and all game players were supposed to meet somewhere in the same building as Reagan’s party to turn in their answers.

“But I don’t even have a suspect anymore,” I said to Apple, beginning to panic. This was one of the rare chances that I could’ve used to give my family a better life and what had I done? I wasted the chance! I should have known the game would have a lot of surprises; I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I felt like somebody had drained my energy, all of it. My heart ached like something was stuck in there. I hated that feeling. “What to do?” I asked Apple in small voice. Apple leaned forward, his face a mix of sadness and worry. “It’s fine, we will sort this out! We can at least turn in a name. I heard there is a participation gift! You wouldn’t go home empty handed at least,” he tried to cheer me.  I smiled weakly. Go home. Those two words made my heart ache even more. I wanted to go home as much as I wanted to stay. I wanted to be back home where I could be myself, as much as I wanted to stay friends with the people I met here.