Bus Money

Chapter 3 - Archer Observatory

Tubbo hated being out in public, the feeling of hundreds of watching eyes, of hundreds of different sets of perspectives. Other people talk about sonder, the sobering realisation that the people around you all have individual lives, but that was never a realisation for Tubbo. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

He could feel himself breathing. He couldn't not notice the feeling of air flowing in and out of his lungs. Was he breathing normally? He felt like he was heaving. Maybe he looked like he'd just finished running a marathon.

"Oi Tubs, what'd ya want?" Tommy's voice says from next to him.

Tubbo turns his attention to the others. The three of them were standing outside a convenience store, a small one on the corner of an intersection. Perfect for running if they needed to.

"Uh, I dunno. Maybe just a coke?" Tubbo replied.

Tommy didn't say anything, just nodded to Ranboo who rolled their eyes. Ranboo didn't have to buy Tommy smokes this time, and since they were the sneakiest shoplifter, they were obviously delegated the task of getting the snacks. Tommy and Tubbo would be the distraction.

Like always Tubbo walked in first, striding up to the counter. Behind the counter was an older boy, perhaps a few years out of highschool. He was wearing a brightly coloured jumper, patches of purples and greens. It was very jarring to look at and not easy to miss. It made the boy look like he was a model from an 80s fashion magazine.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked politely.

Tubbo fell into character. "Yes please, I just got into town and I'm so lost."

"Okay, where are ya tryna go?"

"The observatory, do you know where that is?"

The boy's expression transforms into confusion. Tubbo had used this story a few different times because he realised how effective it was. He'd just set up at least five to ten minutes of pointless back and forth, more than enough time for Ranboo to get everything they needed and get out.

"Uh, observatory?" The boy's expression drew even more confused as he thought, and then it jumped to hopeful as he supplied, "Do you mean like an animal observatory? like the Croc Farm or something?"

"No. I mean the observatory for like stars and stuff."

By now Tommy and Ranboo had entered the store as well. The attendant breaks off his conversation with Tubbo for only a second to send them welcoming nods.

"A star observatory? In Lochy? You sure you've got the right town?"

"Yeah, Locharst right? I was online a few days ago looking it up. It's called the- uh- god I've forgotten the name..."

The boy was looking down at Tubbo with such intrigue, maybe half believing that there had actually been an observatory here this whole time and he'd never known. That happens about half the time. Some people will get really angry and argumentative over it, others will just resign with a look in their eye like they've just been told some deep dark secret.

All over a fake observatory.

"Oh yeah! It was called the Archer Observatory," Tubbo finished with a fair amount of satisfaction caked into his words.

"Archer? As in Mount Archer? There isn't an Observatory up there." The boy's tone had changed, His eyebrows pulled together in certainty. Time to change tactics.

"What?" Tubbo questioned back, his voice laced with just enough defensiveness, "but I'm supposed to meet someone there."

"Meet someone there?" The boy asked back, concern clearly growing on his face.