The Puppet Goes Back In It's Box.

Rating: T

Notes: Because honestly, who didn't think that Robbie had wanted to take her but chickened out? And that puppet needs to go.

Summary: Robbie apologises to Cat for bringing up the lack of a prom date. Cabbie (Cat x Robbie). Because doing the 1st Letter + rest of the other name gives us Cobbie or Rat. And they both suck. COBBIE ISN'T EVEN A WORD DUH. Drabblish type tag to Pilot.

Here he was, yet again. Sitting glumly in his bed, another day come on and gone.

"Cheer up Robbie, not the end of the world." The puppet spoke first.

"You're one to talk, you made her cry again." And this, whatever it was, it was shameful. Yet he never understood why no-one pointed it out. Letting his puppet talk for him. People acted like it wasn't him. His words.

But they were.

His words. His thoughts.

"You're just weak. We all know it. You talk through me, make gushing apologies seconds later, and everyone pretends like it's my fault." He hated when his own puppet psycho-analysed him. He forced the thoughts out of his head and tried to keep them clear. So not working. His mind kept drifting back to that one girl he'd made cry again.

His mother popped her head around the now open door, "Dinner will be ready soon."

"You're the greatest Mrs S!"

"Oh Robert, you know that how that puppet creeps me out."

"Sorry Mom." With that, Ms Shapiro trotted off back down the stairs to attend to the meal whose aroma was currently wafting up to the bedroom.

"Time to sleep Rex." His hand popped out the back, and he was gently placed into his carry box.

"Wait! I have to go to the bathroom!"

"No you don't. Goodnight." He closed the antique mahogany box with a slam.

*~*

Next morning, at school, he went straight up to her at her locker, first thing once he got in, "Hey Cat, can I speak to you for a moment."

"Sure Robbie, hey, where's Rex? I wasn't very happy with him yesterday."

"I didn't bring him. And that's kinda what I wanted to talk about." Cat looked him right in the eyes, and he could see her flicking back and forth from other interesting people or sights in the hallway.

He waited until he had her full attention, or as close as it could possibly get, "You're the first I'm telling you, but I'm putting the dummy away, and he won't be coming back unless I have a show or performance."

"Oh, poor guy, won't he be sad?"

"No Cat, he's just a dummy. He isn't real. When he speaks, I'm speaking for him." A flurry of horrible moments came flooding back. And stupid moments. And moments that weren't mean, but were just plain inappropriate or ill-timed. He'd have alot of people to apologise to, but right now his mind and heart were focused on just one of them. The most important one.

"Then why would you say mean things about me?" Her eyes dropped, her face downcast, and his heart broke for her. How couldn't it? She was this sweet, special, amazing, talented, beautiful girl and had never done anything wrong to him (or anyone), and he'd hurt her. Then came the voice. 'You wanted to take her but you were scared.' Stupid puppet.

"I wasn't scared." Cat looked at him like he was insane.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. I'm really so sorry about what I said. You don't deserve that." Instantly her face brightened, her mouth twisted into a smile, her eyes lit up with happiness.

"That's cool." She tucked a strand of her hair (he loved her hair, and if he were willing to admit it to himself, he loved way more than just her hair) back behind her ear.

"Look, it's not cool," He shifted on the balls of his feet, gathering the courage to overcome the fear that had paralysed him, kept his mouth closed and silent in the past, "So.. um. I was thinking kinda, maybe we could go out sometime, you know, to make up for me being mean to you and all."

"That would be so awesome. We could get Tori, and Andre and you could bring Rex and-"

"Cat." She stopped, and looked up at me again. "I meant just us. You and me. On.. a date. Together. Alone." There. He'd said it. It was out there. Out of his mouth. Not the 'mouth' of his puppet. He couldn't take this back, blame it on his jerky alter-ego or act indignant and shocked that his 'puppet' had blurted it out.

Cat's face took on in his opinion, a very flattering pink blush, as she thought about his invitation, "Okay," came the response.

Then she turned and walked off. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded at her exit, then quickly ran after her.

"So does this mean.." he called out, but as her turned the corner, he saw no sign of her.

"I'll call you!" He yelled to no-one in particular. A kid walking past gave him crazy eyes, but it didn't matter.

'You did good kid.'

AN: So there we have it. Cabbie. I don't know if Robbie was short for anything at all, but I decided to have his mom call him Robert anyway. I've only seen the pilot, so if stuff doesn't match well, I can't be held responsible.