You Lie All The Time [S.Harrington]

chapter twelve

"And then, Vickie laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. it was like...It was a real, genuine laugh." Robin smiled as she told Susie and Steve about her interaction with Vickie last night at the game. As she spoke, she set down a few movies on the shelf.

She walked over to Susie and Steve, who were in the aisle behind her. They were also setting down more movies that were returned.

"Of course she laughed, Robin. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious." Steve replied. Susie huffed, then picked up one of the movies that Steve had set down in the wrong spot.

"My point is that Vickie laughed and everything was just like...it was perfect." Robin explained, following Steve and Susie as they walked into different sections. 

Susie picked up yet another misplaced movie, then turned to Robin. "That's awesome, Robin. I'm really happy for you." She smiled, then walked over to the right section and set down the movie.

"But?" Steve looked at Robin skeptically. 

"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and the words, they just keep spilling out, and it's like my...my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or...or rather my... my mouth is moving faster than my brain." Rambled robin. 

Susie and Steve listened in with a slight amount of confusion. 

"And it's like I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop digging, but I can't." Continued Robin. "And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?" She paced forward, then turned to face Steve and Susie.

"Yeah, you are." Steve confirmed. Susie nudged him, then held onto his arm. 

"Ow."

"It's fine, Robin. We don't mind." Assured Susie.

"Well..." Steve trailed off, Susie held his arm tighter. "Run over you with your own car." She reminded, speaking through gritted teeth.

Robin stood for a moment, then sighed. She backed away and leant up against a poster on the wall. "I'm hopeless."

"Aww, come on, dude. No one can be more hopeless than Steve." Susie let go of Steve and made her way towards another shelf, further away from Steve and Robin so that she could finish organizing the movies.

Steve joined Robin and leant up beside her against the poster. "If you're hopeless, that makes two of us." He commented. 

"If only we could just, like, combine." Robin began. Steve stared at her in confusion. 

"Combine?" Steve questioned.

"No, think about it." Continued Robin. "I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I just can't get the courage to ask her out."

Steve hummed in response as he stared ahead at Susie on the other side of the store. She was trying to place a movie on the top shelf, but eventually gave up and left the movie on the counter.

"Meanwhile, you go on, like, a million dates...And, you have no idea what you want." Added Robin.

Steve hummed once again, still not taking his eyes off of Susie. 

"So, if we just combined, all our problems would be solved. Because, I mean, alone, let's face it..." Robin chuckled.

"We totally suck." Concluded Steve. 

"Totally and utterly." Agreed Robin. She turned to Steve, finally noticing that his gaze remained ahead. "Hey, what are you staring at Susie for?" She inquired.