Robin, Boy Virgin: Original Series

On Wednesday, I was sitting in our practice room, fiddling with the guitar. Cora wasn't there, yet. And I don't know if she's coming, and frankly I don't want to see her. Well, I mean, I do, because I'm into her and all that stupid shit, but I don't because she was going to rip me to shreds about the Minnie thing.

The mocking. Oh the mocking. Can you imagine?

So when Cora came into the room, I didn't look up and kept playing the guitar. I was kind of pissed with her right now. She'd inadvertently made me into the terrible asshole that I was. Ok, no she hadn't, it was all me. But I had to displace some of that anger and shame back on her.

"Hey Boy Wonder," She said calmly. I nodded, and just kept playing the guitar.

"What's wrong?" Cora demanded. Hm. Let's see. I'm totally into you and you totally aren't into me and I'm going on a date with Minnie in an attempt to lie to you and to Minnie.

"Nothing," I lied, sparing her a glance.

"... I've been thinking," Cora said suddenly. I looked up, unintentionally glaring at her. Cora put her hands on her knees and inhaled carefully. I sensed... an apology. Suddenly, Cora was just beautiful again, and not evil.

"I realize that I may have... overreacted about drunk-car situation and, kind of, forced you to ask out Minnie," She said. I raised my eyebrows at her, my body language telling her "no shit Sherlock". Well, except for the overreacting part. Her reaction was fair enough since, ha, I'd meant what I said about liking her.

"And I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Friends shouldn't pressure each other like that," Cora said, sounding sooo damn mature. But so sweet, still. But, fuck the word "friends". Yes, I mean, we were friends and everything... but I didn't feel friend feelings toward Cora. But, you know, that's my inward crazy problem and Cora doesn't really know about that.

But who wouldn't forgive Cora? I know that I'm right ready to forgive her.

"... don't worry about it, Cora," I mumbled, but still meant it. Cora smiled, glad that she was forgiven. She's so pretty. Goddamn it.

"So. How do you think things will go with, Miss Minnie?" Cora asked curiously. I sighed.

"I really don't know. I've never really thought about her like that. You know... like, liking her. But I dunno," I said unintelligibly.

"Hm. Well I'm sure you'll sweep her off her feet," Cora pepped me, slapping my knee encouragingly. I grunted a laugh. If you're so sure that I can sweep her off her feet, why can't I sweep you off your feet?

"A regular prince charming," I muttered, playing some power chords.

"You are. You are!" Cora encouraged me. I started laughing at her. She sounded funny. And I am so not prince charming, it's retarded. Cora grinned and giggled. She turned to the top of the piano and dug around in her purse. She pulled out a digital camera.

"Oh... man. Cora, come on," I whined. Unless you're drop dead gorgeous, like Cora (damn her), you generally don't like having your picture taken.

"Oh come on. Hold your guitar in your lap and smiiile," Cora said, singing the 'smile'. I settled the guitar and smiled reluctantly. Cora took the picture. She looked at the preview.

"Awww! Robin you look so cute! Look," She said holding out the camera. I didn't really want to look and see myself looking "cute". But I looked and aw shit I did look cute. I had tilted my head and the guitar was a nice prop.

"Ok," Cora said, sliding her chair right next to me. Oh, whoa. She put her face next to mine and held the camera above us.

"Bffs foreva!" Cora cheered. I felt her eyelashes against my cheek. Cora took the picture and then looked at the preview, leaning away from my cheek. ... no Cora, come back. Oh Jesus do I ever like her.

"Ha! Robin you look so AWKWARD," She said, growling the word 'awkward' teasingly. Well, I am an awkward person. Cora showed me the picture. Oh- of course I look awkward next to her! She looks like she stepped out of an airbrushed magazine. But I also looked a little awkward because she captured the moment when I felt her eyelashes against my cheek. And that had made me want to kiss her, so.

Arrack!

She kept taking pictures and eventually, I got into it. We did:

1.) The gangsta pose

2.) The peace sign.

3.) The ponder and point.

4.) The tongues sticking out.

5.) Cora kissing my cheek. Yep, that was one that made me crazy, yep.

6.) Cora sitting on the piano like a bar singer. A sexy freaking cigarettes and nylons type jazz singer.

7.) Me playing the guitar and pretending to be a rock star.

And so on and so on. And so on.

Cora kissed my cheek. She had nice lips. Soft, you know. Like... sensual.

Oh GOD.

When the bell rang, I kept sitting in my chair, since I was used to being stuck here for Jazz band.

"Whatcha doin' home skillet? Jazz band is cancelled," Cora reminded me. I blinked.

"Oh that's right!" I said, standing up, feeling much cheerier. I put my arm through Cora's, linking her arm through mine and escorted her out of the room. Yes, I actually did that. She might intimidate the crap out of me and make me want to rip off my clothes and jump on her... but we ARE friends.

"Wanna hang out? Since I'm freed from Jazz band?" I offered, exhilarated. Cora laughed as we walked out of the band room. Man it felt good to just walk out of the band room and not stay for Jazz band.

When we came out of the band room door, we ran into Bonnie who was on her way in.

"Oh Robin! Hey I was looking for you," She said, smiling. Oh ... crap.

"I heard Jazz band was cancelled. So I figured you'd be free to maybe check out LOVE club," Bonnie went on. No. No, no.

"Um, I actually-" I began to say that I had plans with Cora when Cora butt in.

"We'd love to, Bonnie," Cora said, betraying me. And taking her back to being beautiful, but evil. Cora grinned at me. I gave her a pathetic, glaring look. I hate how I'm complete putty in Cora's hands.

The LOVE club meet in the photography class room. I'm not a hundred percent sure why, since there's always artistic students hanging around there after school. Maybe the club hopes to peak the interests of the artists, who seem to be the type that would succumb to sin. Oh... LOVE club. This was going to an experience. Probably a shitty one, but we'll see.

The group sat around at the end of one of the long tables. There were five girls, and two boys. You want the names of the virgins? Well I'd like you to know them. There's:

1.) Bonnie. Obviously.

2.) Meaghan. Remember her?

3.) Hannah. She went to the Jew school and she and Max had a thing for awhile in grade eight. They didn't break up because she was a devout virgin, though. They just weren't super into each other.

4.) Carlie. She went to my elementary school. Ummm yep that's pretty much all I know about her.

5.) Danica. She's a granola girl, uber environmentalist type. I imagine she'd be attractive if she didn't dress like a homeless person.

The boys:

1.) Trevor. He and I are on ok terms. When we went to elementary school, we ran in the same group of friends and played cops and robbers together. I don't know why he's decided to be into the virgin thing.

2.) William. Don't know him that well, but I know he's one of those Super Christian kids. I mean, there had to be at least one in an abstinence club.

I blended in with these slightly odd, virginal people. Siigh. Cora, being sexy and hott, stuck out like a sore thumb.

Bonnie stood up and smiled.

"Ok, hi everyone!" She greeted. "Um, as you can see, we have two visitors in LOVE club today," She said. Cora was sitting behind me and I could feel her crossed leg against my back.

"You guys know Robin. Although you've had a tough time, Robin, with your virginity being so public and everything," She began. I swallowed. Great. Super. Thanks a lot. I think Bonnie wants me to be LOVE club's poster boy.

"We're really glad that you're sticking to your principles and saving your virginity," Bonnie finished. There must be a combination of words in the English language that express my virginity ideals and don't make me sound like a big, freaking loser. I won't give up until I figure it out.

"And this is Cora," Bonnie said simply. What else was there to say really? Cora was gorgeous and sexual so what can an abstinence group say about her? Behind me, Cora waved at the group. I imagined her giving everyone a pretty smile. The guys were staring at her and, even though I didn't blame them at all, I prickled the jealousy and protectiveness. I don't have any right to feel that way, but I felt it anyway.

"So, you guys," Bonnie said, addressing both Cora and me. "What happens is I invite everyone to first talk about any difficulties they faced during the week. You know, anything that might have tempted them or something they felt powerful enough to resist. And then we talk about ways to stay powerful and I reiterate our main message. Sometimes we set goals, depending," Bonnie said.

"What happens after that?" Cora asked curiously. I wanted to elbow her to shut her up. But I knew that wouldn't shut her up and I'd probably just get my arm slapped.

"Um... sometimes we go for sushi," Bonnie said with a shrug. How normal.

"So anyway. Let's, um, write down the challenges we faced," Bonnie said. Oh God. She reached around and grabbed a poster board.

"Oh, shoot. I forgot my sharpies," Bonnie mumbled. Her group looked around in their bags for sharpies. Cora and I didn't move. Neither of us had freakin' sharpies.

Bonnie looked over at another table.

"Um, Hayley?" She called. I looked over. This girl, Hayley, was sitting at another table, completely absorbed in her artwork. Like, some serious fucking art. A great big canvas with tons of swirly, complicated designs on it. It was incredible, no exaggeration. Her tools? Sharpies. More sharpie colours than I knew existed.

Hayley looked up at Bonnie, looking slightly peeved that she was being interrupted. I didn't blame her. That epic kind of art deserved focus, no distractions from a stupid abstinence club.

"Can I borrow a sharpie?" Bonnie requested, giving Hayley a grin. Hayley didn't say a word (which sucks cuz she's a transfer student from Britain, so every time she talks she makes me think of Keira Knightly, which is awesome) and she just lightly tossed a cotton candy pink sharpie at Bonnie. Trevor caught it for Bonnie.

"Thanks!" Bonnie said. Hayley went back to her fantastic art.

"Ok. Who feels they have something they want to say?" Bonnie offered.

"Um, well, I saw this pop music video and, first of all, it was awful music. But then it was also so sexual. Like this girl was just using her body and that was all. She couldn't even sing. It just... it was so degrading and gross. And, like, girls are supposed to watch that and think it's sexy and normal? And guys want that? Like the whole concept that sex is just so casual and pornographic and girls need to be hookers to get guys to sleep with them is disgusting," That was Danica. Chatty little virgin isn't she?

"Ok, so pressure from the media? From music videos," Bonnie said, making the note.

"... can I ask a question?" Cora spoke up hesitantly. They all looked at her, receptive.

"Um, I'm not trying to be like confrontational, I'm just curious. Um, what happens when a boyfriend and girlfriend love each other and they feel like they want to have sex? Like, not casual sex, you know, like, the real deal. What would you guys recommend they do?" Cora asked.

"Well. I think that we would tell them that if they waited until they got married, making love would be even sweeter," Bonnie answered.

"But what if the tension of not having sex makes them fight. And they love each other, but then they break up because they can't take the tension and denial of their feelings?" Cora asked, confused.

"Well, a relationship shouldn't be based on whether or not you have sex," Bonnie said.

"It's based on trust?" Cora clarified.

"And love," Bonnie added with a smile.

"... isn't having sex with someone you love the absolute declaration of that love and trust?" I asked, frowning. Bonnie opened her mouth but was stumped.

See, this is the problem with abstinence clubs. I am all for being a virgin and waiting until you're in love or, hell, until your married. But what happens when you're in love with someone now as a young adult? What happens when you have sex with your wife or husband for the first time and realize you aren't compatible? You're nervous, you're confused about your bodies... on your wedding night? I just... something doesn't add up for me there.

Bonnie gave me a quiet, short non-answer and went on with the meeting. Cora rested her chin on my shoulder and she and I remained quiet for the rest of the LOVE club meeting.

I think it was safe to say that I wasn't going to be invited back. Oh... darn.