Page 106 of Something Rad
He goes quiet as he examines my eye. Several seconds go by before I ask, “What’s it look like?”
Robbie doesn’t answer at first, distracted.
“Robbie?” I say.
“Hmmm?”
“What’s it look like?” I ask. “My eye?”
“I don’t have a damn clue,” he breathes.
My brows try to pull together, but don’t have much luck with the way Robbie is currently manhandling the left one. “What?”
Robbie seems to suddenly snap out of whatever trance he went into, letting my face go and stepping back. He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, gonna be honest, Cooper. It doesn’t look great.”
“Well, great,” I murmur.
Robbie puts his hands on his hips, staring at the floor. He lets out a deep sigh, then reaches for my wrist. “Okay, let’s go,” he says.
My feet stay glued to the ground as he tries to pull me along with him. “Gowhere?”
Robbie shakes his head. “I can’t do anything else for you,” he mutters. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
My spine steels. “I don’t want to go to the doctor. I’m fine.”
Robbie tilts his head at me, giving me a pointed look. “Cooper, can you even open your left eye without crying right now?”
“Yes, totally,” I insist. “See?” I go all in, trying to force my eye open. I don’t even get halfway before I automatically wince in pain, a fat tear rolling out of the corner of my eye as if on command. “Shit,ow,” I cry, reaching up to wipe it away.
“We’re going,” Robbie says, turning to leave again.
“I don’t want to,” I grunt, yanking him back.
His tongue goes into the side of his cheek. “Would you rather stay here in the boys’ bathroom instead?”
“I–What?”
Theboys’bathroom?
I turn my head, needing my right eye to see the wall of urinals to my side. “Oh my God,Robbie!” I say, whacking at his shoulder with my other hand. “Why would you drag me in here?”
“Well, I couldn’t go into the girls’ bathroom,” Robbie says, a smirk on his face.
“You’re the worst,” I groan.
“You’re welcome,” Robbie nods. “Can we go to the doctor now?”
* * *
I’m resting my head against my passenger side window, swearing the pulse pounding in my eye is perfectly matching up with the beat of whatever song is playing on the radio. Atfull volume, I must add. It may be playing at full volume because I wouldn’t stop protesting about going to the doctor and Robbie decided to crank the radio up instead of continuing to argue with me, but I don’t think that’s an important detail.
I’m brought out of the daze of my pain when Robbie suddenly turns off the main road and I glance up to see that we’re pulling into the parking lot of Summers Optometry. I sit up straight in my seat, it for some reason not clicking in my brain until right now that he was bringing me here. I mean,of coursehe’s bringing me here. It’s the only eye doctor’s office in town. But still.
I’m about to meet Robbie’s family.
Like, all of them.
I sink back down into my seat as Robbie parks, taking the keys out of the ignition. “Uh, Robbie. I really think I’m okay–”
