Because Trina is the smartest girl in the world, she touches her fingernails up in between monthly manicures during lunchtime. Because Robbie is the most graceful person in the whole world, he decides to come up and talk to her about something he completely forgets about when he places his hand by the bottle and accidentally knocks the whole thing down, red nail polish spilling all over Trina's fancy skirt.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Robbie apologizes. He grabs the napkins from the center of the table and just sort of throws them into her lap.

Trina wastes no time in talking, just hisses and bolts out of the chair. She grabs Robbie's hair by the fistfuls and tugs as hard as she possibly can. He doesn't want to hit her, and she knows this, she exploits this, tugging on the strands so far he feels like she's going to scalp him. When she lets go of his hair, she sashays away screaming obscenities. And Robbie has nothing to do but pick a complaining Rex off the floor and clean up what's left behind of the nail polish. Including the bottle, which he pockets. When everything is clean, he goes to throw the napkins away and sticks his hands into his pocket, rubbing the cap of the nail polish and trying to figure out if tugging hair can make your scalp bleed.

(Tori's lingering by the trashcan, texting somebody, and asks Robbie what happened, since red nail polish on brown napkins looks a surprising amount like blood. Robbie says Trina, and Tori is not shocked, not in the least bit.)

.

Robbie had to give Trina his number, because they had leading parts in a play together a while back, and it was important for them to practice. Now, he is regretting that decision.

Trina (8:08 P.M.)
ur gonna giv me a mani this weekend

Robbie (8:13 P.M.)
what? why?

Trina (8:15 P.M.)
because ur a selfish dick who spilled my nail polish.

Trina (8:20 P.M.)
also if you get me a new skirt i might consider feeding you

Trina (8:30 P.M.)
and don't bring your stupid puppet

Robbie (8:35 P.M.)
don't worry, Rex is being punished and i'm not taking him anywhere for a day

.

"Beck."

Robbie squeezes his cell phone between his shoulder and ear why examining two different skirts from the rack at some fancy chick store Tori once mentioned Trina liked (and Tori hated).

"Yes?" Beck's voice on the other line is smooth and suave, even though he doesn't have anybody to impress. Robbie wonders how he can get his voice to do that.

"Help."

"With what?"

"Do you think Trina would look better in dark blue or light green?"

"What?"

"It's a long story."

"Neither."

"Okay."

Robbie hangs up and groans.

.

Then, he realizes he can eat at home and sees no reason why he must buy her a skirt.

Then, he feels guilty and ends up buying her both.

Rex calls him a pussy. Robbie tapes his mouth shut for the day. And though his voice is muffled, Rex congratulates him on negating his previous pussy status.

(The saleslady looks at him weirdly.)

.

Trina rips the skirts from Robbie's hands as soon as she opens the door and smiles. "Two?"

"Two," Robbie agrees nervously. He's not really paying attention to the conversation, his mind somewhere else, and he doesn't really know why.

"But no matching tops?" She examines the skirts in her hands. "Or shoes? Bags? Earrings?"

"You didn't ask for any of those," Robbie mumbles. He keeps his head held high out of fear she's going to try to rip his hair out again.

"You're pathetic," Trina scoffs. She throws the skirts to the side, as in literally throws them in a way they land in a pile on the floor, and says, "Come paint my nails."

She walks over to the stairs and sits on them, extending her nails. He follows her lead. She hands him a bottle of nail polish, the same red color. He crouches on the steps below her and slowly, carefully, begins to delicately apply the nail polish. One layer, two layers, silence. He finishes the right hand.

"Damn," Trina says. "You are one girly man. Forty dollar manicures and you know how to do it."

Robbie shrugs. "It's just a skill I picked up. I'm good at observing."

"Whatever. Just keep it up."

.

They have a conversation while he waits for her nails to dry.

"So what nail salon do you go to?" She asks, examining her nails from all different angles.

Robbie blushes. "Sunrise Nails. Uh, my mom got a gift certificate for there but she doesn't like people touching her. Or people in general. So I went."

"I used to go there. But I hate the chick who waxed my eyebrows."

"I don't have to worry about that," Robbie says. He laughs nervously.

"Girls like guys who are well groomed," Trina says.

"I am well-groomed. I would just like to retain some manliness."

"You're not manly at all."

The conversation falls quiet.

"Besides, girls don't like anything I do," Robbie adds a couple of minutes later. Trina doesn't respond.

.

When the nail-painting process is good and done, Trina produces a pizza box from her refrigerator. "I promised you food," she explains, setting it down on the bar. She lifts the lid, grabs a piece, and motions Robbie to do the same.

"Um. Pizza has gluten in it."

"Oh. Well. There's, like, a banana in there too."

Robbie gets the banana.

"You're missing out, this is good pizza."

Robbie shrugs. "I'm sorry. I like to be healthy and skinny."

"You're too skinny, eat some pizza."

"I can't!"

"Well, eat something fatty." Trina scoffs and finishes her piece. "Or work out. Start by moving out of the way, I have to put this pizza box back in."

.

They accidentally spend the rest of the night watching shows about girls who have no fashion sense while Robbie tells Trina the benefits of a gluten-free diet. Tori comes home from a bad date and complains about it to Trina without even noticing Robbie. And even though Robbie feels his testosterone practically flying from his body, it's a pretty nice night. He leaves their house around eight o'clock P.M.-exactly twenty-four hours since Trina's fated text.

.

Trina (8:08 P.M.)
next time, bring matching earrings

Trina (8:10 P.M.)
4 sets and u can bring the puppet