In Their Minds

Chapter 3- The Story of Rex

After leaving Cat's house, Robbie began to walk home. He didn't have his own car, so he had been dropped off by his parents that evening. He had assumed that he could get a ride home from one of his friends the next day- of course, until Cat basically kicked him out. I can't believe Cat would do that. We've always got along so well... she's never had problems with Rex before...Instantly, Robbie was filled with guilt. He knew deep down that Cat was right. Rex was a puppet, and the things he was saying as Rex hurt Cat's feelings. He realized every time Rex spoke, Cat got this look on her face that he couldn't shake out of his mind. It was sort of a mix of fear and annoyance all rolled into one. Robbie hated guys who treated girls poorly and treated them like objects, yet the puppet he had sort of created had a habit of doing just that.

It had all started out as a comedy act when Robbie first started attending Hollywood Arts. Robbie was practicing ventriloquism- he was talented no doubt, but nobody really found him funny. Every joke he tried was extremely overused and boring- So he did a sort of comedy show. He made Rex out to be the type of person he hated- a parody, to bring attention to some bad behaviors. He had hoped people would see Rex and laugh, but also subconsciously take notes to not be like that. But Rex was cruel. He shouted out derogatory comments towards women- and pretty much everybody. However, People found it funny. After that show, he had people come up to him and tell him they liked his performance. It was the most validation Robbie had ever gotten. An instance that stuck with him was when Robbie tried to ask out a girl named Hallie. She was pretty, and she was in a lot of his classes. However, she replied, "your puppet has a better chance than you do." Without thinking twice, as Hallie was walking away, Robbie made the puppet say, "So, I've got a chance with you?" The girl found it funny and invited Robbie and Rex to eat lunch with her and her friends. The group found Rex fascinating. Ever since then, Rex seemed to be the only way he could get people to talk to him. If he did something stupid, he'd play it off as a joke to get Rex to speak and save the situation. He didn't really mind being known as "The Puppet Kid" if it meant he'd be known at all.

Andre was the first one Robbie met when they were partners on a project. Andre was nice, so he continued talking to Robbie- later introducing him to the rest of their friend group which of course was Jade, Cat, and Beck. Tori came along later, but Robbie knew of her right away. She was Trina Vega's sister. Robbie liked Trina. He had tried talking to her a couple times, which of course every time Trina had just brushed off his comments. So when Trina's pretty sister became a part of their friend group, Robbie was thrilled. However, he'd become the closest with Cat, and she was the girl he really fancied. She was sweet and simple. However, the Rex side of Robbie urged him to go after other girls. "The hot babes". Cat was pretty, but she didn't dress like the other girls did. She looked child- like, always wearing frilly dresses and skirts in bright colors. Shoes with bows on them and ruffled socks. She carried around a purple giraffe occasionally. She was pretty, and sweet, and Robbie liked her. Rex did not.

"Robbie?" He heard a familiar voice as he was walking. He turned around to face Andre and Beck.
"Jade kicked us out, too," Beck said. "We're going over to my RV, if you wanna come hang."
"Or we can at least give you a ride home." Andre offered.
Robbie reluctantly agreed, getting inside Beck's car. The three of them spoke nothing of what happened at the sleepover for a while, until Robbie reluctantly asked Beck a question.
"Beck, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"How were you able to get into a relationship with Jade? I mean, you seem so cool. And all these girls just surround you. And, you're dating one of the scariest girls at Hollywood arts."
"Well, for starters, I don't have a creepy puppet spewing insults," Beck said sarcastically. "But Jade was the one who wanted a relationship. She was pretty, so I wasn't going to turn her down. It's not easy. Every relationship has its obstacles. Sometimes I think Jade doesn't-" Beck cut himself off at the last sentence. Sometimes I think Jade doesn't love me. "Anyways, you like Cat, don't you?"
"I do," Robbie replied. "But every time I mention being her boyfriend she gets all weird. I don't think she likes me."
"She does," Andre cut in. "I see the way that girl looks at you. It's just, she's got this really strange home life. Her brother is fucked up. And, to be honest Rob, Rex is kinda freaky. It scares her."
"I didn't mean to scare Cat," Robbie admitted. "I just want her to think I'm cool."
"I think she does," Beck said. "But, you did scare her. I think she just needs some space. Give her some girl time with Jade, and you can talk to her on Monday."
"Do you really think I have a shot with her?" Robbie asked.
"If you have a shot with anyone, it's with her," Andre laughed. "But you have to be more careful with Rex."
"I know." Robbie said quietly.
They spent the rest of the night making small talk, until they had all fallen asleep. Robbie was woken up the next morning by the sound of his pear phone ringing, which woke up Andre and Beck as well.
"Who's calling?" Andre asked, his voice still drowsy from sleeping.
"It's Cat!" Robbie exclaimed with excitement. "Hello?" He answered the phone almost immediately after seeing it was her.
"Hi, Robbie, it's Cat."
"Hi, Cat."
"I wanted to say I'm sorry about last night. Rex just scared me a little." He could hear the pure sincerity in Cat's voice, and couldn't help but forgive her instantly.
"It's okay, Cat. I'm sorry I scared you." Robbie admitted. "Sometimes, I just get a little carried away with Rex."
"Yea." Cat agreed.
"So, are we cool?" Robbie asked.
"Yea. We're cool." Cat said back. He couldn't  see her but knew she was grinning when she said that. "See you Monday." Cat said, and hung up the phone.
"Good news I take it?" Andre asked.
"Maybe." Robbie replied, unable to contain his happiness.
"Did you make up with Cat?" Beck asked. He didn't even need to hear Robbie's answer, the smile on his face said it all.
"You know, Robbie, I think it would really impress Cat if you got rid of Rex altogether."
"I know, but I've tried, remember?" Robbie asked.
Beck turned to Andre and they exchanged a look. They knew Rex had the opportunity to die when Tori had accidentally sucked him up in their tornado machine for the school play. But she just had to bring him back to life. They all wondered if Tori had just let Rex go, would Robbie have moved on as Jade thought he would?
"That's why we're going to do this slowly," Andre said.
"What do you mean?" Robbie asked. Instantly he felt his stomach churn. The idea of letting go of Rex scared him.
"Well, you keep Rex for the weekend, and on Monday, I'm taking him." Beck said. He saw Robbie gasp, but continued talking so that Robbie wouldn't try to convince him otherwise. "Then you take him home, and on Tuesday, Andre gets him. And then, we're keeping him so you'll only see him at school. And then, next week, we'll eliminate that."
"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Robbie asked. "It sounds like you're trying to wean me off of drugs or something."
"Rob, c'mon, you know Rex is a problem," Andre explained. "But we also know you get all wonky when he's not there. Which is why we're eliminating him from home first, then school." 
"Alright," Robbie agreed reluctantly. "But Rex won't be too happy-"
"That's the problem, Robbie," Beck pointed out. "You spend too much of your time trying to please a puppet."