It had been a few weeks since the whole New Years' event with Robin’s family and the winter term had since started. I found my way to the stairs of the apartment complex backpack hanging loosely from my shoulders swaying back and forth lightly as I climbed each stair. Robin wasn’t due to get out of class for another hour leaving the apartment to myself until then.

I should make dinner… I hummed softly to myself as I pulled the key from my coat pockets brushing my fingers tenderly over its smooth surface, what do we have…? “Huh?” I muttered audibly giving the blonde girl in front of the door a stare.

She was pacing in front of the apartment a desperate expression knotting her brow as she turned to me a slight hint of red spreading across her freckled cheeks as she brought a hand to her lips mumbling a bit incoherently, “I’m sorry, did Robin moved?” She asked in a hushed tone as a line of sweat trickled down her still creased brow, “Is this not his address?!?”

“Um…” My eyes froze on her face as I processed her hurried questions, “I’m his roommate, but he shouldn’t get back for another hour at least. You can come back after that if you want…?” Is she his friend…? He said that he never dated anyone besides me, but this feeling that she’s giving me… “I’ll let Robin know that you stopped by… What’s your name?”

“No…” She shook her head as she grabbed onto my jacket giving the material a tug as she looked at me with begging eyes, “Can’t… Can’t I come in and wait for him?”

Does she think she’s going to win me over making that face? “I’m sorry, but I’m really not comfortable letting someone I don’t know into the apartment.” She only gave an aggravated expression as I grabbed nervously for the strap of my backpack and removed her hand from my other arm with a small pull, “Just tell me your name and I’ll tell him that you stopped by.”

“How long have you been living together?”

“I don’t see where that matters, but if it’ll make you leave…” I sighed taking a slight step away from the girl, “I’ve been living with him since August.”

“That’s not that long.” She commented with a pout as she reclaimed the step away that I had taken, “I’ve known him since we were kids, so why won’t you just let it slide…?” She gave me those sad eyes again, “Please, I just really want to see him…!”

“That has nothing to do with me letting you in or not.” I stated calmly trying not to lose my nerve to her persuasive attitude, “You seem like a really nice girl, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know you. I’m not going to let you in just because you tell me that you know my boyfriend. If you tell me your name and leave, I’ll make sure that he gets back to you

She twitched at that but grumbled scribbling out her phone number on a pad of paper from her pocket before exasperatedly passing the sheet to me, “My name’s Scarlett.”

“Thank you…” She stomped away as I hesitantly unlocked the door before immediately relocking it behind me as I dropped the bag from my shoulders, “She was making me nervous there… It was like…I don’t know…” I shook my head as I wandered into the kitchen taking a teabag from the cupboard as I prepared a clean mug, “I hope she’s not trouble…”

. . .

“I’m back!” Robin called as the door opened with a light click, “Are you here, Sully?” The red-haired boy asked just as I poked my head out from the hallway, “You worried me…” He gave a relieved huff as he pulled away his bag and jacket, “I thought you didn’t come home…”

“Were you that worried about me?” I took a wary step towards him arms wrapped limply around myself. Something about that girl was still worrying me. If the two were supposedly so close, then why had Robin never mentioned her and why was she so desperate to see him, “How was class?” I tried to seem at least half-way normal.

“It was fine…” He stared at me curiously taking a long glance at the arms wrapped around me, “Did something happen today?” I gave a small nod as I reached into my pocket feeling the number that was still there. As much as I didn’t want to give it to him given the air that the girl had given me it was his decision whether he would speak to her, “Do you want to tell me?”

I grimaced finally pulling the crumbled sheet from my pocket, “A girl came by earlier looking for you…” He took it from me briefly looking over the numbers scrawled across it, “She wanted me to let her in, but since I didn’t know her, I wouldn’t let her. I hope that wasn’t wrong of me, but she was really giving me a hard time, so I made her leave…” His expression was nearly impossible to read as he sighed pushing the note into his own pocket, “She said her name was Scarlett. Did… Did she do something to hurt you, Robin?”

“Thank you…” Robin muttered into my shoulder as he brought his arms around me nearly sobbing as I brought my own hand to rest on his back, “I don’t want to see her… I don’t even want to think about her…” My heart throbbed as he stayed glued to me, “I’m glad you’re a far better judge of character than I am.”