Robin, Boy Virgin: Original Series

On Wednesday morning, I woke up to my cell phone buzzing, alerting me that I had a text message. I rubbed my eyes with one hand and opened the phone with another. It was from Cora. I woke up instantly, like a jolt of caffeine had been shot intravenously into my body.

“Morning BW! Batmobile will pick u up for school,” She had said. Nice! A ride and it’s with Cora. I messaged her a ‘thanks I’ll be waitin’’ and gleefully got dressed and went downstairs. Linda was making a pot of coffee, and Glenn wasn’t around.

“Morning,” I said more just out loud than directly to her. I opened the fridge to get the carton of juice.

“Morning Robin,” Linda said cheerfully to me.

“Where’s dad?” I asked and then blinked at myself. I’d asked that question like she was my mother. Weird!

“He had to go to work early,” Linda answered, not noticing my tone. I took the juice out of the fridge and grabbed a glass. I poured the juice into the glass and then put the juice away. If I were alone, I probably would have just chugged it from the carton.

“Um, Robin, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Linda said. I was slamming back my glass of juice so I stopped drinking and painfully swallowed the huge mouthful of juice I had in my mouth.

“Next, next weekend, you have a short week, right? You have Friday off of school?” Linda checked. I nodded and gasped for air.

“My parents have invited Glenn and you to come out to New Hampshire for the long weekend,” Linda told me.

“Aw do I have to?” I whined automatically and then clamped my mouth shut, mortified. “I… sorry,” I apologized but Linda just chuckled.

“No, you don’t have to. I just thought I’d check, in case you wanted to come,” She said, letting me off the hook easy as anything.

“It’s not, like, I don’t, um, care or don’t, um,” I tried to assure her. But I was lying. Yes, I like Linda and I’m genuinely ok with her and Glenn getting hitched and living here. But… I can’t think of anything more awkward and boring than spending a weekend with her and my dad and her parents in New Hampshire.

“It’s ok, Robin. I understand,” She giggled at me. I don’t know Linda all that well, so I can’t read her subtexts, but she seemed to mean what she said.

I heard two short honks outside.

“K, thanks. I gotta go,” I said, completely distracted and hyper to see Cora.

“See ya. Have a good day!” She called after me as I went into the hallway and hiked my backpack up on my shoulder.

“Yeah, you too,” I called back as I raced out the door. I practically skipped down to the Charger. I slid into the passenger seat. Cora smiled at me and heart skipped a beat and then picked up again.

“Morning,” She greeted.

“Morning,” I said and, blindsided by happiness because I got to see her earlier than usual and I didn’t have to go to freaking New Hampshire, I leaned over and planted a smooch on Cora. She made a surprised, but pleased, noise in her throat when I did it.

“Good morning,” She chuckled at me and then took off for school. She drove like a speed demon to get to school and whipped her car into her parking spot.

“Who taught you how to drive??” I demanded as Cora and I climbed out of her car.

“My dad,” She said. Of course he did. I’m sure Johnny Cougar drives like maniac, too.

“Brandon’s not wearing a bandage on his nose,” I snickered, looking across the parking lot and watching as he and three of the popular evils climbed out of his shiny SUV like they were arriving at a freaking movie premiere. Cora looked over too.

“Hm. Amanda is looking at you,” Cora said. I whipped my head away the SUV’s direction, frowning.

“Do I have, like, a ‘kick me’ sign on my back?” I asked sarcastically, scuffing my shoe on the pavement as Cora and I walked up to the sidewalk.

“No,” Cora said melodically, touching my upper back as we stepped on to the sidewalk. I looked at her automatically out of the corner of my eyes, but she was looking over at the populars. Either Brandon or Amanda… I don’t know which. When I looked at her, though, she looked back at me and smiled beautifully. I smiled back and Cora patted my shoulder and then put her hand in the crook of my elbow. I straightened up, feeling better again since I was escorting her into the school and she was touching my arm. Take a picture Brandon and Amanda. It’ll last longer.

At my locker, I got out my Geography binder, feeling just a little antsy about the exam. Cora leaned against the other lockers, looking cool as frick.

“You have jazz band after school yeah?” Cora checked.

“Yep,” I sighed reluctantly. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I freaking hate jazz band. Even if I am friends with Minnie now.

“Mk. At least we have Music Comp,” Cora said. Oh she was talking about us hanging out. Well, I’d skip Jazz band in a heartbeat. I closed my locker.

“We can still hang out. I don’t absolutely have to go to Jazz band,” I said. Cora chuckled at me and we started walking down the hall.

“No, no. You should go. I’d feel bad for taking you away from it,” Cora said. She’s silly.

“I wouldn’t,” I said. Cora just shook her head, still smiling. When we got to the Geography classroom, I turned and looked at Cora.

“I have an exam,” I informed her unhappily, feeling kind of nervous. Cora raised her eyebrows.

“Did you study?” She wanted to know.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m ready. It’s just, you know, an exam and it’s, like, important, I guess,” I said, rolling my eyes. Cora smiled at me and I smiled back. She is so damn beautiful and I just… ugh! I love her, ugh.

Cora quickly kissed her fingers and then lightly smacked my forehead like we were in a V8 commercial.

“Kiss for good luck,” She explained, grinning that mercilessly teasing Cora grin.

“Thanks a lot,” I said sarcastically. Cora smiled beautifully again and then walked away to head to her class. I watched her walk away. ‘I love you’, I said to her in my mind. And in my head, she said ‘I love you’ back. Sigh. Cora turned around and grinned because I was still looking at her. I quickly gave her a short wave. She laughed and waved back.