The Boy with Pretty Eyes

Chapter 11: Cleverness

Toby walked with Pac & Fit, their lively chatter catching the attention of everyone who walked past.

"Why do you walk with me home? I know you guys dont live around here?" Toby asked, the other men looked at eachother.

Pac & Fit always walked Toby home, it was just somthng they've done for so long. But when they were faced with a why, they best answer they had was why not?

"I dont know, I guess its just reassuring you made it home safely." Pac explained, it was the first time he had to answer that question.

"You guys are like parents!" Toby said in a joking tone, because it was true.

"Well someone has to look after you!" Fit said, as Pac added, "Plus your a lot like a child."

Toby rolled his eyes; the apartment complex came into view. "What-" Toby began but stopped, he had his hand in his pocket. 

Toby was grabbing his phone, only he felt something else inside. Something thin, Toby was able to lace his fingers around it. It was small since it was at the very bottom of the Demin pocket. This is paper thin, Toby thought as he pulled it out of his pocket.

It was a small piece of paper, somehow it did not have any creases. The piece of paper was neatly folded, and had a name written on it.

Why does this have my name on it?

Toby carefully unfolded the paper, sort of afraid of what it might say. At this point Pac & Fit huddled around Toby as he opened the paper.

A phone number?

Toby had a confused look on his face, he flipped the paper over trying to see whos number it was.

Fred?!

Toby was both amused and impressed by Fred, he only wondered when he had been able to sneak the note in his pocket.

"Oh-that's smart," Fit said, Pac nodded.

"I just don't know when he could've snuck it in my pocket," Toby explained, Pac thought for a moment.

"Probably when he pulled you away from Issac," Pac said blankly.

Toby nodded in agreement, still he smiled.

I will admit, that was a clever move Fred.

He quickly added Fred's phone number to his contacts, Toby left it unnamed for now.

"Text him!" Pac suggested, "'Yeah, go on!" Fit calabortated.

"Okay, I will," Toby said as he complentated on what to text him.

Only his thumbs only stood at the edge of the small screen, motionless. Toby's mind went blank in that moment, everything he wanted to say, had disappeared into thin air.

Toby stuffed his phone into his pocket, trying to avoid the task.

"You're not going to text him?" Fit asked, "I don't know what to say," Toby admitted although he didn't really mean to.

"Just try a simple, hey," Pac suggested but Fit suggested to do a more formal hello.

Toby pulled out his phone, but once again just couldnt bring himself to type 3 simple letters.

Toby sighed, "I just dont know," Pac and Fit didnt push it anymore after that.

"Well, were here," Toby announced looking up at the grey soulless building.

Why is this building so depressing?

Fit & Pac waved goodbye, Toby only gave a weak wave back. Everystep he took up the stairs, he could feel his phone shuffling.

All you have to do is type one word, ONE word.

Even as Toby lay on his bed, with phone in hand, its blue light illuminating his face. Still way a blank chat log, not one message sent.

Just send a message! Thats all you have to do, why is that so hard?!

"Fred?" he began to type, but dealted his message.

Thats a stupid first message.

Toby threw his phone onto the bed, and drowned his face into the softness of his pillow. A muffled groan escaped from Toby's mouth, he didn't understand.

I don't know, I don't know!

He tried what seemed like all the possible greetings, but not one felt right.

As Toby deleted another message he thought, I just can't find the right thing to say.

Toby was tempted to just send something, anything, random letters, numbers, but he just ended up deleting it.

"Why do I care so much about one stupid message?" Toby mumbled to himself.

He decided to just change the contact name, as he typed Fred into the textbox Toby's face lit up.

He just had a realization, It's not the message I care about. It is the person who receives it!

The reason the message ment so much to Toby was because Fred was reading it, it was like talking in person. Only in person there wasnt enough time to think about what was "right" to say.

The only right Toby had to do was say something, put in a little effort. And everytime Fred was happy enough with that.

But in person all I do is speak my mind, how could Fred be happy with me just doing that?

Toby let his fingers type, denying every urge to think before he sent anything.

When he saw what he had wrote, he stared in horror. As the message went from, delivered to read.

Toby immediately tried to delete his previous message which read, "Clever, Fred."

Only he stopped himself as Fred had just responded with, "I know."

Toby let out a small chuckle, suddenly all fear about what Fred might think was gone.

With every message Toby became even more comfortable with Fred, he learned a bit more about him Aswell.

__________________

They chatted for a long while, it was 9pm already.

Toby felt as the time had just sped up somehow, he felt tired so he decided to say goodnight to Fred.

"Goodnight!" he typed, which was followed by a quick response.

"Buenas noches!"

I didn't know Fred knew more than one language, my monolingual ass could never.

Toby plugged in his phone and laid in his bed staring up at the ceiling up above.

So far Toby had learned that Fred was 24, had a deep interest in flower language, and flowers in general. And just now, he had learned that Fred spoke more than one language.

Toby had a crave-like feeling, he wanted to know more about Fred. To him Fred seemed so interesting, there's not one part of him that isn't intriguing.

Toby drifted to sleep, only after he set his alarm 5 minutes earlier than usual.

The thought of seeing Fred tomorrow morning made it difficult to fall asleep, however his Hevey eye lids managed to seal his eyes shut.

And it wasn't long after that Toby was out cold, the excitement for the next day not dying for a second.

Predictions for tomorrow filled Toby's dreams, but also nightmare. With every good thought followed an army of heart-shattering ones, making it almost impossible to focus on the dreams.

"That wont happen..." Toby mumbled in his sleep, he shifted around in his bed.

As much as Toby wished to have a peaceful night, it was very clear this was not going to be an easy night.

Toby began to think if tomorrow was really going to prove his nightmares correct or the little shares of dreams were going to become reality.