Page 39 of Something Rad
“Okay,” he says. “I’ll ask about something else instead.”
I let out a sigh.
Please, for the love of God, ask about anything other than–
“Have you decided to run for student body president?”
Dammit.
“The deadline to sign up is this Friday,” Mr. Hughes adds.
This Friday.
The day after tomorrow.
I resist the urge to groan. “Right, Friday,” I nod.
“So, is that a yes?” Mr. Hughes asks.
“I’m…still thinking about it.”
A frown pulls at Mr. Hughes’s face. He stares at me for a moment, sticking his hands into his pockets. “Well, I know you’ll make the right decision.”
I want to ask Mr. Hughes to define the wordright. To ask him ifrightis a new way of sayingriskyormost likely resulting in existential disappointment and pointless humiliation, but I refrain, just nodding at him in response instead.
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, Sara,” he says.
I nod again.
“Right, well, I’ll just, uh…let you get back to this.” He motions in the general direction of where I’m laid up against the vending machine.
“Thanks, Mr. Hughes,” I mutter, forcing the best smile I can manage at this moment on my face. I’m pretty sure it comes out as a mixed look of anxiety and pain, considering the speed with which he walks away from me.
The moment I see Mr. Hughes turn at the end of the hall, I continue my assault on the machine, slamming my knee against the glass. I only get three jabs in, however, before a very familiar voice distracts me.
“Denise!”
I whip my head to the side, seeing a heated and seemingly distressed Robbie Summers storming up the hallway in my direction after a tight faced Denise Davis. When Denise doesn’t respond, Robbie breaks into a jog until he’s right behind her.
“Denise, sweetheart,wait,” he seems to plead, reaching out for her shoulder.
Denise spins around the second he makes contact, her blonde ponytail nearly whipping Robbie in the face. “Save it, Robbie. I knew I never should have thought about giving you a second chance, and you standing me up just confirmed it.”
“Sweetheart, I’m trying to tell you,” Robbie says, running a hand through his hair, which I note is far messier and a few millimeters less voluminous than normal, and wonder if this means that the world might just be ending. “This is all a misunderstanding–” Robbie continues, but then cuts off suddenly. “Wait…did you say…a second chance?”
Denise looks off to the side, not answering his question.
“You…you said it was just as friends,” Robbie says, reaching out for her arm. She quickly shrugs him off, however, her gaze returning to his face.
“Yeah, well, I guess we’ll never know now,” Denise says, pursing her lips at him before taking off back the way her and Robbie came from, leaving him in the dust.
Robbie stares after her for a few seconds until she is out of sight and then doubles over, grabbing at his hair with both of his hands.
Things are eerily quiet for a stretch of time as he slowly stands back up straight and I find myself staring at the back of his head. Then, suddenly, Robbie breaks the silence.
“Dammit!” he grits, turning and kicking the blue and yellow set of lockers next to him. His hands go to rest on his hips, his chest rising and falling heavily. I haven’t moved a muscle, but, evidently, I’ve somehow managed to catch his attention.
“What, Cooper?” Robbie demands suddenly. My heart stutters momentarily in my chest, but I don’t let it show on the outside. “You got something to say?” He still hasn’t looked at me yet, his gaze staying on the locker in front of him.
