Page 92 of Something Rad
He stiffens, his face becoming serious again. “You won’t tell her?”
“I won’t tell her we’re not dating,” I confirm.
Robbie tilts his head, his eyes searching me.
I let out a sigh, turning to leave.
“Well, just in case you change your mind,” Robbie’s voice sounds from behind me.
“What?” I say, turning back around. I let out a gasp as I see Robbie charging for me. I don’t even get a chance to question him before he reaches up with his thumb, dragging it across my lips, smearing my lipstick.
My jaw falls open, time going in slow motion as I look up, seeing Robbie drag his same thumb across his own lips, transferring the red of my lipstick onto his mouth.
“Now she won’t believe you,” he grins.
I continue to stare at him, fire burning in my eyes as I clench my fists at my side. “Youdidn’t.”
Robbie puckers his lips, blowing a kiss in my direction.
“You’re free to go,” he says. And before I have time to process, he pushes the closet door open, shoving me out. I stumble, spinning around and coming face to face with Alice standing right outside the closet, her eyes wide.
“I–”
Her eyes flick upwards, and I turn to see Robbie stepping nonchalantly out of the closet, straightening his gray jacket. He slowly looks up at me and Alice, wiping at the corner of his lips with his thumb. “Sorry about that,” he says, flashing a grin and nodding at Alice. “She just gets me so worked up.”
I swallow hard, narrowing my eyes at him.
“See you later, baby,” he says, winking at me as he slips his headphones on and turns to walk down the hall, completely leaving me out to dry.
I turn slowly back to Alice, a rock in my throat. “Alice, I–”
“I can’t believe you.” Alice cuts me off.
I freeze in place, my heartbeat in my ears. “Alice, please, let me explain–”
“I freakingcalled it,” she squeals, grabbing me by the shoulders.
“...What?” I question, leaning back.
“All it takes is five days of me being out of commission and you totally fall for Robbie Summers!” she says.
I shake my head. “I wouldn’t say that’s what happened–”
“No, Sara, I totally get it. All those evenings in the library. Those close quarters. All that angst. All the banter. It was inevitable. Itoldyou. The movies get it right every time. You should know that better than anyone.”
I blink slowly at her. “Yeah…Yeah, I guess you were right.”
Alice jumps up and down, clapping. “Aren’t I always?”
She loops her arm through mine, walking us down the hall. “So, what else did I miss?”
I roll my lips into my mouth, trying to kill time as I process how that conversation was just so short and easy, then remember that my lipstick is smeared all over my face. As if reading my mind, Alice leads us into the restroom. I grab a few paper towels, wiping away the red stain and salvaging my lipstick the best I can.
I glance up at Alice in the mirror. “I’m running for student body president.”
Alice’s mouth falls open, a huge smile coming to her face. “Look at you go, Sara!” she says, hugging my shoulders from behind. “You’re transforming right before our eyes! I’m so proud.”
I chuckle, shaking my head.
