Page 165 of Something Rad
Robbie immediately turns it back down. “Cooper, I just don’t want you to think I would ever–”
Volume up.
Volume down.
“Cooper, I’m not interested–”
Up.
Down.
“Cooper–”
I reach for the volume control before he can stop me, firmly meeting Robbie’s eyes for the first time since we left the party. “No,” I say.
Volume back up.
Volume back down.
“Why not?” Robbie demands.
“Because,” I insist.
Up.
Down.
“Becausewhy?” Robbie questions me.
I turn the volume up so loud my ears hurt.
“Dammit, Sara!” Robbie fumes, peeling off to the side of the road and yanking his keys out of the ignition, effectively silencing the radio. It all happens so fast, and now my jaw is unhinged and I’m staring at Robbie in silence.
I reach out and jam my finger down on the radio’s power button in desperation.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna work,” Robbie says matter-of-factly.
I shoot him a glare, then lunge, trying to grab his keys from his hands.
He immediately catches on though, dropping them. I grapple for the keys in the air, but I’m too late. The keys land right between his legs, hitting the leather seat with a light thump and sliding down, settling perfectly in the apex of his thighs.
I shoot daggers at the keys, blowing out a frustrated breath. And then realize I’m staring right at Robbie’s crotch. Leaned over actually, getting a real good look.
My head snaps up, my eyes meeting his. He raises his eyebrows at me, and it takes me about two seconds to weigh my available options before I am turning around, whipping the car door open, and darting outside and into the roadside foliage.
I hear Robbie’s door fling open. “Are youinsane?” he calls after me. “Where are you going, Cooper?”
I don’t turn back, much less respond to him, scurrying down the short decline and weaving my way through the trees. I get just far enough into the brush that I’m convinced Robbie won’t be able to make out my figure in the dark, then duck behind the first shrub I see. I refuse to look down to see the damage to my white Keds as I hear the pounding of Robbie’s hurried footsteps following after me.
“Cooper?!” he calls out, just feet from me. I crouch down further, concealing myself. He curses under his breath and it sounds like he kicks at the ground in frustration. “You know, if I get attacked by a grizzly bear, you’re going to be riding the bus to school the rest of the year!”
I have to bite my tongue in an effort to not shout back at him that I’ve survived perfectly fine riding the bus to school for my entire life and that I don’t need him for car rides or anything else.
Ialsohave to resist the urge to inform him that if hewereto be attacked by a bear, it would be a black bear and not a grizzly bear as those haven’t existed in California, much less the Bay Area, in over half a century. But that’s much less important at the moment.
I hear the crunch of Robbie’s Converses against the ground and swear he sounds farther away now.
“Cooper, c’mon!” he bellows.
