Robin's Song

Skipping Around Town

Eden

"This is our stop, correct?" I smile widely when the train begins to slow to a stop.

The surroundings outside have changed drastically. From the familiar oak tree lands back on the school grounds to the pine tree-filled forest we have arrived to. As gloomy as the scenery might be to some people, it's breathtaking to me. Fog from my breath spreads across the train window as I stare in awe at the tall, snow-capped mountains in the distance. So this is where Robin had lived all his life.

"Uhm," Robin's hesitant voice whispers from across the table. He's looking down at Fox, who has been sleeping on his lap for a good bit of our trip. Earlier, I had assured him that even though she's a deep sleeper, she should wake up before our stop. I guess I was wrong. Even with the noise of passengers getting off the train, she remains still.

Arlo suggests gently shaking her awake while standing up to grab our bags from up top. Robin gives a worried nod before placing his hand on Fox's shoulder. After a few attempts, Fox rises from her sleep. She sits up and rubs her tired eyes. My hand reaches across to help her tame the hair on her face.

"What happened?" Fox mutters out while lowering her head to fall back asleep on the table. Before she can, a loud train whistle sounds, indicating we don't have much time left to get off. Arlo and Robin offer to go get our luggage while I handle Fox. I slide out of my booth and basically drag Fox out of hers.

"Come on now, you can sleep later." Fox eventually gets up and moving. Once we get down the long hallway of escaping passengers, I take note that Fox still doesn't have shoes on. At least it only bothers me, because Fox doesn't notice until her feet hit the cold concrete once again. To help her, I offer a bench nearby while we wait for the boys to come back with our bags.

It's not long before Arlo and Robin find us. Quickly, after receiving my bag, I dig through it to find an extra pair of shoes. I'm still astonished that not only did Fox fail to find her shoes, but she also failed to pack extra. Although my shoe size is slightly smaller than hers, I lend her a pair that'll do for now.

Robin's laugh sounds from above. Both of our heads snap up to see him trying to hold back his laugh and Arlo glaring at him. Robin runs his hands through his newly cut hair before apologizing.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll be helpful for once and show you the best show shop in town before we go to my father's house. Sound like a plan?" Robin's eyebrow lifts, and we all nod in agreement. A stroll around town would be nice anyway.

"You being helpful? That would be a first," Fox deadpans as she stands up in my shoes. Robin gives Fox her bag before letting out a scoff.

"I've helped you many times," Robin informs her while we lead us out of the train station. "Like the time you got stuck in the shed." Fox cringes as she remembers. This time, I'm the one who is giggling at their conversation. Arlo brushes up against me and switches the bag in his hand to the other. Our fingers connect as we walk and observe the village we have traveled to.

"Robin also let you sleep on top of him the entire train ride," Arlo calls to Fox, who is walking with Robin in front of us. Her head snaps around, her eyes wide with surprise. She squeals about how Arlo is lying. I back him up and explain to Fox that it really happened. She looks up to Robin next, who is nodding slowly. Fox rushes out a quick apology to him, she's clearly embarrassed.

-

After a while of walking through Robin's beautiful hometown, we reach a show shop. The theme of this village has a natural dark color to it. The village shops are well-built with pine wood and the smell of fresh bread is in the air. The whole time we've been here so far, a small smile hasn't left Robin's face.

Robin has acted like a tour guide. He has shown all the shops he frequently shopped in and all the fun stories of him causing trouble to the shopkeeper sometimes. Occasionally, a local will stop us to greet Robin. At one point, Robin introduces us to an old lady working a clothing shop. She tells us how Robin would come into her shop just to play with her dog.

We don't stop to buy anything from these shops, except for the shoe shop we are almost at. Arlo asks Robin what makes this shoe shop the best in town, quoting what Robin said previously.

"Maybe it's just special to me because I used to get new shoes from here on my birthdays," Robin shrugs like that wasn't the cutest story I've heard of him all day. He quickly changes the subject by informing us the shop is just around the corner. Fox squeals in excitement as she fishes her coin bag out of her jacket.

The show shop is slightly bigger than the rest of the buildings here. Each wall is lined with different types of shoes in all shapes and colors. I depart from Arlo to go help Fox pick out of a pair to buy. We start by finding the woman's section and going from there.

It doesn't take long for Fox to find a beautiful black pair. She goes to the counter to pay for it, along with a new set of socks. The cashier wishes us a good rest of our day, and we find our way to the front of the store once again. Arlo is looking at some shoes on a stand, while Robin is nowhere in sight. I ask Arlo where he went, and he points to a window.

Robin is stiffly standing right outside the window. In front of him is a shorter girl with long blonde hair. Her bubbly body language contrasts with Robin's, who looks like he wants to leave the conversation he's having with the mystery girl. I can't hear what they are talking about, but it looks like Robin was simply recognized again. Fox gives me a confused look and I return it. We all turn away from the window to let Fox try on her new shoes. She gives mine back and sighs in relief as her new shoes slide effortlessly onto her feet.

"That was the best purchase I have ever made," She happily says before bouncing back onto her feet. The bell from the front door rings and Robin comes through the door. He looks dazed but tries to cover it up with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

"Are you good, bud?" Arlo asks Robin, who gives him a slight nod.

"Yeah, everything is good. Just ran into an old friend," Robin explains briefly before telling us he got a wagon to drive us to his house. We hurry out of the shop to greet the driver outside. We load ourselves into the vehicle, tucking our bags between our feet. Robin tips the driver handsomely before we move through the village. I try to take all the details of the village in. This might not be the most exciting trip, but spending this precious time with my friends is something I want to take in.

"So about that girl you were just talking to," Fox touches the subject once again. Robin shoots her a glare to not talk about it, but she chooses to ignore it. This'll be interesting. Thankfully, no one notices my smile that forming under my hand.

"Like I said, she's just an old friend," Robin repeats to Fox.

Fox lets out a huff. "It looked like you weren't happy to see her, what was that about?" Fox pokes at him with a sly smile. Robin's jaw slides to the side in annoyance. Maybe Fox is just trying to make fun conversation, but if she keeps annoying Robin, I'll probably would need to tell her to stop. Sometimes, I'm surprised that I'm not the older sibling.

"Alright, she is an ex-girlfriend of mine that I haven't even talked to since I was fourteen or something. I just found it weird that she would act like that." Robin doesn't meet our gazes as he confesses another part of himself.

My eyes went wide in shock, along with everyone else. We've all seen Robin attract girls occasionally, but I guess we all forgot that he could have been a big ladies man back at home. This is all none of my business, however. Robin is clearly uncomfortable, so I try to change the subject by talking about the weather. Arlo thankfully picks up on my attempts, but I notice that Fox and Robin share a silent glance at each other before turning back to the window.

"The, uh, grass. The grass is nice too," Arlo tries to carry on the awkward conversation. He's so adorable.