Despite All Obstacles Part V

Robyn

Saturday, October 27th

Three weeks later. This afternoon.

Today is the final championship game for Matt. We're playing against another private school, Rising Sun Baptist School, today at three to six PM. Parrots versus Roosters. A lot of private schools are religious. Both teams are undefeatable, and the band successfully marches to another pop song.

This evening.

The band happily plays its instruments during our victory. All thanks to Tyrone, Terrell, and Matt as the quarterbacks and James as the football captain of Palm Trees Sr. High. We score a hundred and five to ninety-eight (105 to 98).

I see both teams slapping fives, saying "Good game." No tension. No brawl.

After returning from the game, I'm usually the only one left, but this time, bro tells me to stay put because he has to tell me something. I say okay. He goes out to do something while I wait. I walk to the window and see the sun shining really bright outside, not a single cloud in the sky. It looks really nice outside.

I hear a quiet knock at the door. I turn around. It's Robyn again, with that smile. As always, I look around to see if anyone else is around. She walks into the music room for the first time. I'm not sure if she's going to kiss me again. Instead, she stands right in front of me, but not too close.

"Hey," I say, fighting my smile.

"Hey," she happily says.

I push my legs up. "Congratulations to us. We've finally made it."

She quietly laughs while blushing, "Yes, we have. We've made victory. Again," she says and touches my band outfit while still in her cheerleading outfit.

"Yes. Robyn. And I can't wait for next month for basketball season too," I shyly say. I peek at the door. Still no one. I look back at her.

"Me too, Patthew. Matthew is a great football quarterback."

"And Brandon is a great basketball captain," I add to see if she still has feelings left for Brandon.

She nods, stuffing her smile into her mouth, "Yes, he is. He makes victory for us, too."

I nod, noting to myself not to mention her ex again. I can tell she still feels bad for ending their relationship. I feel bad about that, too.

"Matthew was a football quarterback. The championship was his last game, for good," I sadly correct her. If only he'd calm down and not let some racist jerk get to him, he would still play. He's lucky he still has that football scholarship.

"Oh. Because of that dumb punk from Crenshaw Heights. I don't think public schools should play against private schools," she says, and I totally agree.

I'm looking at her now, holding on my shoulder, staring into my eyes, and looking happy. I stare into her eyes, too, feeling myself blush. "Robyn?"

"Yes?" She responds and giggles. She seems nothing like a mean girl.

I think I can ask her this, "What do you like about me?"

She lets go of my shoulder, looks down, fidgets, and looks at me with a nervous face. "I honestly don't know, Patthew. I just do. It's complicated," she tells me.

"Are you only mean because of Patricia?" I ask her. She nods.

"Yes. But it's because I was tired of being taken advantage of. I'm still seen as her sidekick since she's my best friend. She taught me how to toughen up and be assertive. Get what I want and not be afraid to get it. She gave me the courage to go out with Brandon after he asked me out. We worked out really well, and then a month later, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, because I loved him. Tricia was there for me and still is here for me. If it weren't for her, I would've resented everyone for getting what they wanted and not letting me do the same."