Chapter 5 - Plumage and Paranoia

During lunch, Robbie can't stop herself from repeatedly looking over to Emilia and trying to catch her eyes and smile at her. She doesn't go so far as to wave at her, though. She can imagine Emilia not appreciating that.

When Izzy comes over to them, Robbie is worried that it was her glances over to Emilia's table that drew the bully's attention. She's initially not sure how to react but then she remembers her talk with Tyra the previous day and it emboldens her.
When Izzy taunts them, Robbie turns to Tanya and asks, "Did you hear something? I thought I heard something but it was probably just the wind."

She'd been trying to ignore Tanya and Robbie, try and not show she'd been talking to them, but through lunch she couldn't help but glance across occasionally. She hadn't even managed to thank Robbie yet for protecting her from the dog, unsure how to bring it up. At one point she catches Robbie doing the same and quickly looks down at her foodz, trying not to go red.

As the conversation turns and Izzy gets up a pit forms in her stomach. While everyone watches on she just stares at her food, hoping a hole will open and swallow her up.

She goes cold as several words her mother would be ashamed she knew go through her head as she's called out by Izzy.

She looks up but can't meet Tanya or Robbie eyes. 'I... Maybe... ' She goes to back Izzy up as usual. Izzy was her friend. She was popular. The others were outcasts. It was a clear choice... But then the image of Izzy just shrugging and walking away walks through her mind, followed by Robbie getting in front of her from the dog, and her gaze drops again.

'... They're not doing anyone any harm Izzy...we're the ones causing a scene... Let's just eat lunch... ' She half mumbles.

As Izzy walks away, Tanya makes an exaggerated TV presenter voice. "And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, was Izzy! she's so dumb, she makes you dizzy!"

Then turns to Robbie, "I saw Professor Hedstrom yesterday. He thinks we should research the chip we found at Gunnar's, at the library. There might be something we can find out, there. What do you say? You'll love it there... Maybe Emilia will want to come along too... Have you seen how she rebuked Izzy? I think she's ready to change sides..."

Robbie is watching Emilia, impressed by her standing up to Izzy. It may objectively not have been the most impressive of standing up, but to Robbie, it was pretty impressive. When Tanya speaks up, Robbie takes a moment to begin paying attention to her, but then she breaks into a giggle at Tanya's TV presenter joke. "That was a good one, Tanya!" she exclaims, though the comment feels a bit dorky once it's out of her mouth. Hopefully Emilia didn't hear it.

She nods to Tanya's library suggestion. "Let's ask Emilia," she suggests, then she looks around. "But maybe not in here. I bet she still doesn't want to be seen with us." That thought puts a bit of a damper on her admiration of Emilia's refusal of going along with Izzy this time. But overall, it was still a nice moment.

-- Lunch Room --

Once they're done with their lunch, Robbie takes out a block of paper from her backpack. She writes out a small note, then tears it out and folds it as small as she can make it before putting the rest of the block away.
Robbie and Tanya then put their trays away and head out. As they pass the table where Emilia is sitting next to Izzy, Robbie sneakily passes the note to Emilia before hurrying outside.

---

-- Stenhamra Library --

Seeing Oskar talk excitedly to Tanya, it takes Robbie a moment to interpret the expression on his face and his eagerness to appear smart and knowledgeable to her, but when she does, her eyes widen for a moment before she begins giggling.
She wonders whether Tanya is maybe also interested in Oskar and so she decides not to intervene and to instead just watch how Tanya will react.

"Oskar. Hi... And, hi Oskar's new bug, " she says.

God... Last thing I needed today. One part of her admires that Oskar is so passionate about something that isn't sports, unlike most boys at school. But she also finds him quite a handful. She knows Oskar doesn't have a lot of friends. Neither have you, stupid.
So she speaks to the boy politely, but doesn't want to encourage his... childish infatuation.

"this is my friend Robbie. Oskar is an insect expert. Say, Oskar are you also interested in birds, by any chance?"

"I have a bird," Robbie says, now that Tanya pulled her into the conversation. "A pigeon." Then she thinks for a moment before adding, "Well, technically I have a lot of birds. Chickens and geese who live on the farm with me."
She meets Tanya's eyes and nods to the library. "We were going to check the library," she reminds her. Then she giggles again briefly. "Or do you want me to go in and leave you two alone for a bit?"

The rest of lunch Emilia stays quiet just eating, paranoia already going through her mind as the conversation at their table is muted. As RObbie brushes past her and passes the note she tense it rapidly going in a pocket.

She doesn't dare open it for the rest of the day. In lessons every time she can hear the others whispering to each other she worries its about her, about her being seen with the others, or Izzy getting mad she stepped out of lie. She can barely focus on her lessons.

When she fine gets free of school and reads the note the paranoia she rapidly scrunches it up again. The paranoia is still there.. and the last bit wasn't helping things. It wasn't like she did much.. she could barely speak.

She could just ignore it. Go find out where others were hanging out, try and pretend everything was normal, return to the status quo, forget all about talking birds.

Robbie would disappointed. Tanya would probably just stay she had been proven right. She lets out a sigh and starts to head to the library, taken care to pick a less used route, not wanting to risk being seen. Hopefully none of their classmates would actually be there.

Once she gets inside to looks for a small corner to sequester herself away in surprised she's beaten the other two as she starts to look through books.