Change My Mind-- Chapter 4
Title: Change my Mind
Author: Sportafan
Rating: PG-13 for a bit of mild language and some possible innuendo, both of which will be in future chapters
Summary: Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place.
Author’s Notes: Hooray, no long wait this time! My biggest concern, again, is keeping Robbie in character. I also feel like I should apologize for the slowness of the story, but I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Here are links to the previous chapters:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Though he was trying his hardest not to show it, Robbie was nervous. He couldn’t understand why someone-especially one of the people he used to scheme against-would want a “polite conversation” with him. It had been so long since anyone had talked to him, he wasn’t even sure if he was capable of engaging in a conversation, let alone a polite one.
As he watched Stephanie poke around his home, he was acutely aware of how much of a dump it must seem to her. Never one for organization, Robbie was content to toss something over his shoulder and leave it wherever it landed. He could see now that this method was probably not the most ideal. Clothes, especially bits and pieces from costumes, were strewn all over the floor. A few ants were already in the process of carrying away chunks from the cake he’d dropped earlier. Just about everything was covered by a layer of dust, and his comfortable orange chair suddenly seemed incredibly tacky and ratty.
“I’m sorry for the mess,” Robbie finally said.
Stephanie looked over her shoulder and shrugged. “It’s better than some dorm rooms I’ve seen,” she replied.
“That’s probably not saying much,” Robbie said dryly.
Stephanie laughed. “No, not really,” she agreed.
She crossed the room to the area where he kept his disguises and hatched his plans. Robbie became even more self-conscious and he hurried over to her side.
“You don’t want to look at that stuff.”
“Are you kidding?” She grinned at him. “I’ve been curious about this ‘stuff’ ever since I was a little girl.”
Robbie sighed. “Would telling you it’s top-secret stop you from prying?”
“No,” Stephanie answered truthfully. She leaned forward to examine the pilgrim outfit that was on display in the first tube. “These are great! Do you make them yourself?”
Robbie snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m too busy doing nothing all day. Besides, I don’t even know how to thread a needle. The machine makes them somehow.”
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know how your own equipment works?”
He shrugged. “As long as it does what it’s supposed to do, I don’t question it.”
“Huh.” Stephanie straightened and walked past the other disguises. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the periscope. She started towards it, but Robbie stepped in front of her, spreading his arms wide.
“That really is secret,” he said quickly.
Stephanie tried to peer over his shoulder, but she was several inches shorter and could not get a good look. She shrugged. Robbie had been surprisingly patient while she explored his lair thus far; she didn’t want to ruin his mood by prying. “Alright,” she said, turning away. “Keep your secrets.”
Robbie relaxed. He wasn’t sure how Stephanie would react if she discovered he had been spying on the town this whole time.
Not, he added sternly to himself, that I actually care about her reactions. I just don’t want to explain myself to her.
But this was only part of the truth. Whether he realized it or not, Robbie was actually starting to warm up to the idea of having a visitor in his home. She might even come back-but not if she knew about the periscope.
“So what about that conversation?” Robbie asked, following her back to the main area of his lair.
“Oh, right.” Stephanie gnawed on her bottom lip. She still didn’t know what to talk about. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven’t seen you in a while.” Lame, she scolded herself.
Robbie was taken aback. She actually cared about how he was? Once again, his surprise quickly shifted to suspicion. Who ever asked the villain how he was doing? Did Batman visit The Joker to check up on his well-being? Preposterous. She had to have a hidden agenda, and he immediately knew what it was.
“Sportacus sent you, didn’t he?”
Stephanie looked shocked. “Excuse me?”
“He sent you to spy on me. See if you could sniff out my next plan. Catch a glimpse of my disguises.”
“That’s not it at all. I just-”
But he didn’t give her a change to explain herself. He knew he was right; he had to be. She couldn’t possibly be here of her own accord. He pursed his lips. “Get out."
Stephanie tried once more. “Robbie, please listen to me.”
Robbie pointed to the ladder. “Out,” he repeated, louder this time.
She cast about frantically in her mind, trying to find something that would make it better, but she was as helpless as she had been during her confrontation with Sportacus. She hated not being in control of a situation.
Sighing, Stephanie started towards the ladder, but it just didn’t feel right to leave this way. Robbie was wrong about her, and she wanted to prove it.
She spun around and found Robbie’s back turned to her; this did not dissuade her. “I really do like your costumes, Robbie” she told him. “And I think you’re a very clever man.” Then, as an afterthought, she added: “Though I wish you would use your talent for something more productive than simply trying to drive Sportacus out of town.”
Robbie didn’t respond, and Stephanie, having nothing more to say, started up the ladder.
~
Was I wrong?
The question nagged Robbie for the rest of the day, even after he had settled back into his chair with a fresh slice of cake. But there was no other reasonable explanation for Stephanie’s visit. She and Sportacus had been inseparable before Stephanie left for college; it only seemed right that they would pair up to bring Robbie down now that she had returned.
Still, what Stephanie had said before she left bothered him. Mere flattery-or the truth?
“Oh, it doesn’t matter!” Robbie said out loud. “She’s not coming back, and I don’t want her to.”
In the large room, his voice echoed slightly. He huddled into his chair and tried not to think about how big of a liar he was.
~
A spy? Really?
Stephanie was irritated. Only Robbie would come up with an explanation like that. She stormed back towards town, upset with the way things had turned out. Not that she could blame Robbie; she had just been using him, though not for the reason he’d accused her of.
“Like it even worked,” she muttered under her breath.
Then she paused. “Did it?”
Stephanie carefully reviewed her visit with Robbie, and realized that the whole time she’d been there-up until he’d charged her with spying for Sportacus, at least-she hadn’t once thought about the superhero, or her broken heart.
Suddenly, a ridiculous idea came to her. Why not try to befriend Robbie Rotten? Certainly, it would be hard work to win his trust, especially after today’s episode, but she needed someone who could take her mind off of Sportacus, and Robbie seemed desperately in need of a friend, even though he would never admit it himself.
What could it hurt? Stephanie thought.
She grinned and resumed her trek back home, not realizing that the plans she started hatching along the way completely removed Sportacus from her mind once more.
Author: Sportafan
Rating: PG-13 for a bit of mild language and some possible innuendo, both of which will be in future chapters
Summary: Stephanie has always admired Sportacus, but when she begins to develop a crush on him, Sportacus pushes her away. Hurt by the rejection, Stephanie is able to find comfort, and eventually, love in an unexpected place.
Author’s Notes: Hooray, no long wait this time! My biggest concern, again, is keeping Robbie in character. I also feel like I should apologize for the slowness of the story, but I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Here are links to the previous chapters:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Though he was trying his hardest not to show it, Robbie was nervous. He couldn’t understand why someone-especially one of the people he used to scheme against-would want a “polite conversation” with him. It had been so long since anyone had talked to him, he wasn’t even sure if he was capable of engaging in a conversation, let alone a polite one.
As he watched Stephanie poke around his home, he was acutely aware of how much of a dump it must seem to her. Never one for organization, Robbie was content to toss something over his shoulder and leave it wherever it landed. He could see now that this method was probably not the most ideal. Clothes, especially bits and pieces from costumes, were strewn all over the floor. A few ants were already in the process of carrying away chunks from the cake he’d dropped earlier. Just about everything was covered by a layer of dust, and his comfortable orange chair suddenly seemed incredibly tacky and ratty.
“I’m sorry for the mess,” Robbie finally said.
Stephanie looked over her shoulder and shrugged. “It’s better than some dorm rooms I’ve seen,” she replied.
“That’s probably not saying much,” Robbie said dryly.
Stephanie laughed. “No, not really,” she agreed.
She crossed the room to the area where he kept his disguises and hatched his plans. Robbie became even more self-conscious and he hurried over to her side.
“You don’t want to look at that stuff.”
“Are you kidding?” She grinned at him. “I’ve been curious about this ‘stuff’ ever since I was a little girl.”
Robbie sighed. “Would telling you it’s top-secret stop you from prying?”
“No,” Stephanie answered truthfully. She leaned forward to examine the pilgrim outfit that was on display in the first tube. “These are great! Do you make them yourself?”
Robbie snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m too busy doing nothing all day. Besides, I don’t even know how to thread a needle. The machine makes them somehow.”
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know how your own equipment works?”
He shrugged. “As long as it does what it’s supposed to do, I don’t question it.”
“Huh.” Stephanie straightened and walked past the other disguises. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the periscope. She started towards it, but Robbie stepped in front of her, spreading his arms wide.
“That really is secret,” he said quickly.
Stephanie tried to peer over his shoulder, but she was several inches shorter and could not get a good look. She shrugged. Robbie had been surprisingly patient while she explored his lair thus far; she didn’t want to ruin his mood by prying. “Alright,” she said, turning away. “Keep your secrets.”
Robbie relaxed. He wasn’t sure how Stephanie would react if she discovered he had been spying on the town this whole time.
Not, he added sternly to himself, that I actually care about her reactions. I just don’t want to explain myself to her.
But this was only part of the truth. Whether he realized it or not, Robbie was actually starting to warm up to the idea of having a visitor in his home. She might even come back-but not if she knew about the periscope.
“So what about that conversation?” Robbie asked, following her back to the main area of his lair.
“Oh, right.” Stephanie gnawed on her bottom lip. She still didn’t know what to talk about. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven’t seen you in a while.” Lame, she scolded herself.
Robbie was taken aback. She actually cared about how he was? Once again, his surprise quickly shifted to suspicion. Who ever asked the villain how he was doing? Did Batman visit The Joker to check up on his well-being? Preposterous. She had to have a hidden agenda, and he immediately knew what it was.
“Sportacus sent you, didn’t he?”
Stephanie looked shocked. “Excuse me?”
“He sent you to spy on me. See if you could sniff out my next plan. Catch a glimpse of my disguises.”
“That’s not it at all. I just-”
But he didn’t give her a change to explain herself. He knew he was right; he had to be. She couldn’t possibly be here of her own accord. He pursed his lips. “Get out."
Stephanie tried once more. “Robbie, please listen to me.”
Robbie pointed to the ladder. “Out,” he repeated, louder this time.
She cast about frantically in her mind, trying to find something that would make it better, but she was as helpless as she had been during her confrontation with Sportacus. She hated not being in control of a situation.
Sighing, Stephanie started towards the ladder, but it just didn’t feel right to leave this way. Robbie was wrong about her, and she wanted to prove it.
She spun around and found Robbie’s back turned to her; this did not dissuade her. “I really do like your costumes, Robbie” she told him. “And I think you’re a very clever man.” Then, as an afterthought, she added: “Though I wish you would use your talent for something more productive than simply trying to drive Sportacus out of town.”
Robbie didn’t respond, and Stephanie, having nothing more to say, started up the ladder.
~
Was I wrong?
The question nagged Robbie for the rest of the day, even after he had settled back into his chair with a fresh slice of cake. But there was no other reasonable explanation for Stephanie’s visit. She and Sportacus had been inseparable before Stephanie left for college; it only seemed right that they would pair up to bring Robbie down now that she had returned.
Still, what Stephanie had said before she left bothered him. Mere flattery-or the truth?
“Oh, it doesn’t matter!” Robbie said out loud. “She’s not coming back, and I don’t want her to.”
In the large room, his voice echoed slightly. He huddled into his chair and tried not to think about how big of a liar he was.
~
A spy? Really?
Stephanie was irritated. Only Robbie would come up with an explanation like that. She stormed back towards town, upset with the way things had turned out. Not that she could blame Robbie; she had just been using him, though not for the reason he’d accused her of.
“Like it even worked,” she muttered under her breath.
Then she paused. “Did it?”
Stephanie carefully reviewed her visit with Robbie, and realized that the whole time she’d been there-up until he’d charged her with spying for Sportacus, at least-she hadn’t once thought about the superhero, or her broken heart.
Suddenly, a ridiculous idea came to her. Why not try to befriend Robbie Rotten? Certainly, it would be hard work to win his trust, especially after today’s episode, but she needed someone who could take her mind off of Sportacus, and Robbie seemed desperately in need of a friend, even though he would never admit it himself.
What could it hurt? Stephanie thought.
She grinned and resumed her trek back home, not realizing that the plans she started hatching along the way completely removed Sportacus from her mind once more.