16 - Mustang Sally

The power had returned after three days. Much of the block was still under construction, so even though they had back their electricity and WiFi, it was spotty, coming in and out as of morning.

Staring at the grandfather clock, Robin slumped on the loveseat, bored out of her mind.

Tyler was working at the photography store, so she couldn't bug him. Mrs Simms was running errands, Mr Simms was locked inside his office working on a business deal, and Pat was playing by himself, his Thomas the Train set keeping him more than occupied.

Robin's mobile rang, so she picked it up. "Hello?" she said. Her voice was as flat as a deflated balloon.

"What's up, girl?"

"Sal?"

"Well duh."

"How did you get my number?"

"Tyler."

"You speak to Tyler?"

"Well yeah. He's in my grade after all, plus, we've known each other since...a long time." Sal laughed. "Besides, who else would it be?"

"I don't know. Some ad company?"

"Touché. But how are you? What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Yay! Can I come over?"

"Uh, I'll ask."

"Super! My parents already said yeah."

"Ok, I'll just ask Mr Simms. Call you in five minutes."

"No prob!" Sal said.

Robin dragged herself out of the living room and to the office next to the basement. She knocked on the door.

"Mr Simms?"

"Come in."

Enter she did. Her fingers played with themselves as she stood staring at the corners.

"What is it, Robin? Is there anything wrong?" The glasses on the tip of his nose moved to the top of his head.

"No. I was just wondering if Sal could come over?"

"Did you ask her if she had plans?"

"Actually, she called me."

"Okay, if it's alright with her parents."

"She said her parents already said okay."

"Well then, I don't see any problem. Have fun!"

"Thanks, Mr Simms." She waved as she jogged out the door. Robin rang Sal once she got back into the living room.

On the fourth ring, the girl picked up. "Quick, what colour is a banana?"

"What?" Robin asked, scrunching her nose.

"Yel-low!" Sal chirped.

Robin rolled her eyes and facepalmed. "Ha ha," she said not at the least amused.

"Well, I like it."

"Whatever. Mr Simms said it was okay for you to come over."

"Oh goody! I'll be there in ten!"

"Alright. See you soon."

"Yup!"

The call ended.

The television turned off long ago after Robin discovered nothing piqued her interest. The silence bugged Robin. It was too quiet.

There was always noise in her house. Even at 2 am in the morning something was happening. Her father would be working in the basement, her mother lounging in the living room, binge watching Hoarders, and Robin up in her room either nursing her newest bruise or reading. Before they moved, sometimes men came unannounced in the middle of the night - not as frequently as they did after the move however.

She sat up. Bookmarking page 72 of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, she pushed off her bed and peeked out the curtain. A car waited in front of the house.

She hopped downstairs. With a quick glance, she saw Teddy sleeping in front of the television and her mother sprawled out on the sofa. Her mouth was gaped open as she snored. One of her legs hung off the cushion and leaving her toe hovering over the linoleum.

"Momma?" Robin tapped the woman's shoulder. "Momma?"

"Hmm? What? Where are we? Is it eight am?"

"No, someone knocked on the door."

"Oh, okay." She shifted on the sofa. "Just get it for me?"

"Okay." Robin skipped to the door. Unlocking it, she pulled it open.

A man stood with a cigarette poking out from his lips. "Who the hell are you?" His raspy voice made Robin shudder.

"Mommy!"

"What?" she whined as she toddled to the door. "Oh. Chickadee, say hello to Will."

"Hi," she said. Scuttling around, she hid behind her mother.

"Oh, it's yours?"

"Yes, she's mine." Her Mother's face hardened. "Rob's in the basement."

"Thanks." He shoved past them.

"Momma, why is Will here? Is he another one of Daddy's friends?"

"Yeah."

"Daddy has lots of friends."

"He does. Now, come on, off to bed. You have school tomorrow."

A knock came from the door, effectively snapping Robin out of her memory. She was eight then.

Hopping to her feet she dawdled to the front door, her head spun with the memory. Checking the window, the blonde stood waving like a maniac. The door unlatched from the doorjamb.

"Hey Sal."

The storm door was next to unlock.

"Hey! How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

"The storm really messed up our backyard but get this!" She didn't wait for an answer. "Business at the café like skyrocketed!"

"You didn't lose power?"

"No, my dad has a generator. But anyway, you should've seen the line for coffee! I never saw so many people at once like that before. The line even went out the door!"

"Wow, really?"

"I'll tell ya, everyone's addicted to coffee!"

Robin chuckled. She didn't go near the stuff for that reason.

"So, what's up?"

"Ah, nothing much. Tyler's working and Pat's in his room."

"Where's Mrs Simms?" Her neck craned back.

"Grocery shopping. She'll be home soon."

"And Mr Simms?"

"Doing stuff in his office." They walked through the foyer.

"Wow, you got nice digs."

Robin was slow at learning Sal's language. Most of it was self-taught by inferencing. Digs apparently meant housing arrangement. "Yeah. I like it. Do you wanna go up to my room or whatever?"

"Why not!"

Sal gripped the banister as she walked up. "So, you'll be going to school this week!"

"Yeah, Mrs Simms is still filing all the documents. I had to get my shots yesterday."

"ICK!" Sal rubbed her shoulder. "I hate needles."

"Try getting like five in one day." Robin scoffed.

Sal visibly shuddered. "Stop! Ugh!" she whimpered.

Robin smirked. "So, what are you doing in the summer?"

"Eh, nothing much. Dad's teaching me the works of the café so I can actually get paid from the business instead of the tips."

"Well, that's good. Aren't you headed to college next year?"

"Naw. I don't got the money! That's why I have to work my ass off at the café! But I am going to visit some colleges."

"Oh. Which ones?"

"My parents are huge on Rowan University."

"Where's that?"

"Eh, 20-30 minutes away actually. It's in Glassboro. The school's alright, I went there for orientation in last year. I'm also looking at Wheaton College in Illinois, University of Tennessee or East Tennessee State...one of them we're visiting. Anyway, Stetson U in Florida, near Orlando and University of Michigan."

"That's a lot. Do you have a preference?"

"Michigan. I mean, it's far enough from my parents to give me space but close enough for them to visit within a day's travel.

"What do you wanna do?"

"Law."

"Law! You don't want to go into business?"

"Well, I mean, the café is cool, but I've always been like huge on law and all."

"What type of law do you want to do?" Robin asked as she pushed open her bedroom door.

"Thinking about criminal."

"So you're defending the guilty guys?"

Sal gave Robin a dirty look. "They're not all guilty just because they're being tried. Besides, I think everyone deserves fair representation." Her arms crossed over her chest.

Robin nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Oh my gosh!" Sal rushed to the bureau and picked up a stuffed animal. "It's soooo cute!" she squealed.

"Yeah." Robin's face flashed a plaintive smile. "It belonged to the girl I lived with before the Simms."

"Oh. Sorry." She set the cat down and it slouched.

"No, it's fine." Touching her collar, Robin's fingers felt the invisible chain hanging from her neck. "So uh, what do you wanna do?"

"Don't know. How about since you asked me stuff, I get to ask you stuff?"

"Sure." They sat on the bed.

"Hmm. What's your favourite school subject?"

"I don't know. I like reading, so I guess that."

"Okay. How about your favourite actor?"

"I don't have one, I don't think. I don't watch a lot of TV."

"What!"

Robin laughed. "I'm not too big on watching it. How about you? I suppose you like TV?"

"Duh! I love, love, love Shemar Moore! Oh my gawd, he's so hot" Sal fanned herself.

"I don't know him, what is he on your hot or not scale?"

"Like 100!" She flopped down on the covers. "He's so hot! Ahh!" She rolled.

"What does he look like?"

"Well, he has nice guns."

"Guns!"

"Yeah, they're huge."

"Like uh...sniper huge?"

"What?"

"You said he has big guns."

"Oh my gosh! Ha! You thought I met like the real thing!" She crackled. "No, I meant big muscles!"

A blush spread under Robin's cheeks. "Oh."

"Yeah. He has big muscles and his eyes are gorgeous!" Sal gushed.

"What colour are they?"

"Here, I'll show you!" She whipped out her Android phone.

"You don't have an iPhone?"

She scoffed. "No, my family is total Apple boycotters!"

"Ha! Why so?"

She stopped. "I dunno. We just are." A couple more taps on the screen and she shoved the phone into Robin's hands. "See! Look!"

"Yeah. He is good looking."

"Mhmm."

"So, do you have a favourite actress?"

"Eh. I don't know. Not really. You?"

"I don't know." Robin handed Sal her mobile which Sal tucked back into her pocket.

"Alright. How about..." Sal peered around the room. "Jeez girl, it's like barren in your room!"

"Well, I've only been here for a couple of weeks."

"I know, but still!" She paused. "If you could live anywhere in the US, where would it be?"

"I'm not sure."

"Do you like cold or warm weather better?"

"I don't really care."

"Just pick," Sal said.

"I guess I like being warm."

"Okay, so you probably wouldn't want to live North."

"I guess not."

"How about, would you rather live on the east or west coast?"

"I suppose East."

"So southern, east coast. That leaves Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and whatever else. So what state maybe?"

"Disney is in Florida."

"Yup! How many times have you been there?"

"Once, but I was too young to remember. My mother and birth father took me when I was four."

Sal went silent. "...What happened to them? I wont tell and you don't hafta answer if you don't want."

"No. Its fine. My biological father abandoned my mother after I was born, and my parents, uh, they died in a car crash."

"Oh my goodness!" She gasped. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yeah. I am too." Robin stared at her lap. She clenched her teeth.

"Were you close?"

"Uh...not really," she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. We were when I was younger."

"What changed?"

Robin sighed. "They just started changing little by little. Like, it wasn't an overnight thing, but yeah. We moved and that's really when we weren't as close anymore."

"How old were you? Where did you move from?"

"We moved from Hartford, Connecticut. I was eleven."

"Wow. That's rough. Did you make any friends?"

"Not really."

"What about in school?"

"I didn't go. My mother taught me stuff at home." Robin didn't divulge. The only thing Robin really learnt at home schooling was how to clean her blood from the walls and vomit from the carpet.

"That's rough, man."

The door slammed downstairs causing Robin to flinch. "Pat! Robin?"

"That's Mrs Simms. I should go help her." Robin hopped off the queen-sized mattress, thankful for the reprieve.

"I'm coming too."

As they shuffled down, Mrs Simms greeted them.

"Oh! Hello girls! Sal, what a lovely surprise it is to see you here!"

"Hello, Mrs Simms," Sal said.

"We'll help you bring in the food."

"Oh no! You girls have fun, I'll just have Pat help me out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! You gals do what you wanna do!"

"Okay."

"Hey, you wanna watch some TV?" Sal asked.

"Why not."

The television went on.

The phone rang again.

"Hey, Robin, could you please answer that?" Mrs Simms asked as she juggled the plastic bags.

"No problem." Picking up the phone, she said, "Hello, this is the Simms's house."

"Hello. May I speak to Robin, please?"

"This is she. Who is this?"

"It's Molly, Erin's mom. I guess that cold hasn't gone away," Ms Collins said. Her voice was deeper.

"How are you?"

"I'm well, Erin's been bugging me to call you."

"How is she?"

"I'll let her tell you."

There was a brief pause and Robin moved into a quieter area.

"Hi, Robin!"

"Hey, Erin, how are you?"

"Good! I miss you! When are you coming to visit?"

"I uh, I'm not sure, and I've missed you too."

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"No! You haffa guess!"

Robin chuckled, she couldn't help bittersweetness of it. "Erin, you know I'm not good at guessing."

"Pwease?"

"You made some friends?"

"Well, yeah, but thawt's not what sit is. Two more."

"You like your new school?"

"Nope. Come on, you gotta guess sit!"

"Oh, Erin. Please, I give up."

Erin huffed. "I lost my fouwth twooth today!"

"Really? Well, make sure you put that under your pillow tonight."

"I'm gunna catch the twooth fairy!"

"But you need to fall asleep so she'll come. She's like Santa; she won't come until you're fast asleep."

"No! No! I wanna meet her!"

"How are you going to stay up all night?"

"I dunno." They laughed.

"So, who are your new friends? What are their names?"

"Pablo and Annie! They're really cool!"

"Did you meet them in school?" Robin asked.

"Yup! They're in my class."

"How old are they?"

"Same as me! Though, Annie's older than me and Pablo's birthday is a week after me."

"Oh."

"Hey, Robin?" Mrs Simms's voice came from behind her.

"Hold on for a sec, okay?" Robin said into the speaker. Pressing the landline against her shoulder, she turned around. "Yes, Mrs Simms?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Erin, I told you a bit about her before."

"Oh, good! Well, dinner's going to be in twenty-so minutes."

"Thanks."

Mrs Simms left, Sal entered the room.

"Hey, Er, I want you to meet a new friend of mine. Her name's Sal." She pulled the phone from her ear and handed it to Sal.

"Hello?" Sal said. "What's your name? Oh, I really like that! Yeah, I'm Robin's friend. Mhmm. Cool! Well, it's nice to meet you. Robin told me about you a little. Hey, I have to go to the bathroom, so I'm going to let you talk to Robin some more."

"Hey, Erin."

"Hi."

"My mommy says that we haffa eat now."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'll talk to you soon?"

"Yup. Bye!"

"See ya." With a click the phone went dead.

Sal walked in. "Hey, you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She forced a smile.

Sal sighed. "You know it's a sin to lie?"

"Look, I just miss her." Robin's lips quivered.

"That girl, Erin?"

"Yeah. She's the girl who gave me Serafina, the stuffed cat." Robin held the pink animal to her chest.

Word Count: 2540

A/N: I'm dedicating this chapter to KraftyGal and her story Bending Steele which is in the Wattys2015!

Adam Steele, a bad boy billionaire ceo, doesn't know why she intrigues him. Abby Lane, a woman running from her past, doesn't know why he intrigues her.  They run in completely separate circles until one night they meet by chance in a New York club. Join Mr Steele and Miss Lane as they bend and twist the rules with humour, mystery, hope, desire, passion, and of course love in this contemporary romance story.

A/N: When Roses Collide. Please check out her stories, they're definitely worth your time!