Then and Now // Robby Keene x Reader

Chapter 3: Miyagi-Do Karate

NOW

I sat at the table, aimlessly moving my breakfast around my plate in silence.

My mom eyed me suspiciously. "What's the matter?" she asked. I didn't realize she was talking to me until she called my name again. Now I looked up at her and straightened my posture.

"Oh, sorry. Nothing's the matter. I'm fine," I said, nodding my head with a quick smile. She narrowed her eyes. Jaxon chimed in now, looking at Mom, "She's probably tired from her wild adventure at Valley Fest."

Now he looked at me. "Which you have yet to tell us about..." He raised an eyebrow and smirked. I shrugged my shoulders and lifted my fork off the plate. "There's nothing to share. An old friend of mine was there, and we hung out."

"Ah, yes. The old friend," Jaxon teased.

"He's quite cute." My mom laughed lightly.

"Oh please." I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, little sister. Spill it. How long have you been seeing this guy?" Jaxon asked, trying to pry information out of me that wasn't even there in the first place.

"We aren't seeing each other. We never have. He was just a lab partner once, back at North Hills," I explained. Jaxon nodded his head, "Sure, sure. But remember—I'm a Stanford man. Chicks line up to be with me. I know what it looks like when you're seeing someone."

I stared at them in silence for a moment. Finally, I stood up from my chair and grabbed my plate. "You guys are insufferable, sometimes." I sighed and brought my plate to the kitchen while they all laughed at the table.

After cleaning my plate, I jogged up the stairs and into my room. I shut the door behind me and fell onto my bed. I propped up my head with my hands. I looked at the ceiling, finally being able to think.

For one, I had a good time with Robby last night. I didn't expect to. I was hesitant. I couldn't stop thinking about the way he left in the first place. How he left North Hills High. How he left me.

But Robby still had his usual charm, his usual wit. It didn't take long before I stopped thinking about it. I was so caught up in the moment. So caught up in him. Not in a romantic way, really, but more so his being. How could someone who had changed so much since I last saw him, still be almost the same person? Almost...

I felt bad when their demo got interrupted. That other group was full of a bunch of jerks; that much was clear. Especially after one of them almost ran into me.

When I looked back at the small stage, Robby was no where to be found. It was like how he left before. He was just... gone.

I can't decide whether to be mad at him or not. The whole night reminded me of the old us, just on a smaller scale.

Maybe I shouldn't worry, though. I don't have a way to contact Robby again, especially since he left so quickly. Who knows when or if I'll see him again.

I felt my phone vibrate once. It broke me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it and saw a text from Maya.

Maya <3

Maya <3: YOU HAVE TO WATCH
THIS VIDEO LMAO
       Video Link

I smiled looking at the text, because of how much I missed her already. I pressed on the link and YouTube opened on my phone. I rolled my eyes when an Ad started playing. I hovered my finger over the skip button, waiting for the moment I could skip.

The Ad had calming music playing, while pictures of waterfalls and forests were shown as a man talked in the background. I was just about to skip it, when the man showed up on the screen. He looked familiar. Then, his next sentence told me who he was instantly.