Robin Arellano

Denver, Colorado, 1978.

Did Robin Arellano, one of the toughest guys in school, like you? It seemed impossible. He could have anyone he wanted, but his attention was always on you. It was a strange thought, hard to believe, but the way his eyes rested on you made it undeniably real.

"You are so beautiful, my rose..."

He always said it, always found a way to remind you how beautiful and smart you were. But you couldn't believe him. Why would you? You'd been the victim of enough pranks to know that. Letting your guard down seemed dangerous, so you remained defensive, silently hoping he'd lose interest and leave you alone.

It was a boring Monday (because of course it had to be Monday) and you were finishing your math homework when your teacher called you.

Hey, Serena van der Woods, you're doing really well in class, and I've noticed how well you're doing on your homework. I've assigned you to help Mr. Arellano with his. I can't let him fail another test. I hope you understand...

You sighed as your teacher walked away, and your gaze fell on Robin. He was sitting at his desk, with that goofy grin that always appeared on his face as he stared at you.