Vigilante by Choice

Chapter 14: True Feelings

I threw open the door when I got home. "I'm home! What are you guys doing here?" I jumped when I saw Rory, Jeb, Rose, and Jerry sitting in the apartment. I wasn't expecting them to be home right now.

Rose jump, taking a bite of a cookie. "We had a half day."

"Oh, ok. How was your day?" I asked.

"Decent, peasant." Jeb said lying on the couch.

"Where did you go?" Rory asked.

I pointed at my chest. "Me?"

Rory rolled her eyes and looked up at me. "Yes you. Where?"

"For a run." I said.

Rory glared at me. "A run?"

I can tell her more. "Yeah. And I ran into Faye, literally. And we talked, and she is doing awesome. "

"Tobias, what did you really do?" Rory said, letting out a sigh.

I sat down on a stool. "I saved people from a bus explosion. I saved Faye. Real heroic like." I took a drink of water.

"The bus crash downtown?" Rory asked.

"Yeah. That one." Was there another one I didn't know about?

Rory nodded. "I know. It is all over the internet."

I smiled standing up throwing my hands out. "Isn't it really cool! I'm like a real hero now."

"Depends on who is telling the story." Rory replied, snickering while turning back to her computer.

I frowned. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Rory held her giggles back. "Your lover had some interesting words used about the bus crash."

I sat down next to her. "What did she say?"

"Stuff about you being a menace." Rory said quickly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing I probably wouldn't like the answer.

She pulled up the article. "Let me quote some things for her article. 'This so called hero is just in this city to get the attention from his childhood he never received.' Here is another one, 'He doesn't know to stop touching a girl when someone doesn't want to be held.' There is this one too, 'His spangly costume that he wears is just compensating for his lack of masculinity.' That one is probably my favorite. Because you know..." She stopped talking and was overtaken by laughter.

"She said that?" My mouth was dropped.

Rory stopped laughing. "More or less. Maybe, yes." She started giggling again.

Her laughing wasn't making me feel nice. "Really? Faye said this?"

Rory wiped tears from her eyes. "Yeah. It's on the website and I bet we can see it in the newspaper tomorrow."

"Those words she used were a little harsh." I said clenching my heart.

"Kinda, but I guess she just doesn't really like you." Rory said turning her computer away from me.

This was so contracting to the Faye I know. "Well we have started talking and I really like her."

"The question is, does she like you." Rory said grabbing an apple.

I looked into the distance, thinking about it. "I thought so."

Rory took a bite of the apple. "According to her article she doesn't."

I thought about the whole topic. Then it hit me. "Hey this article wasn't about me, it's about the Guardian. So everything is fine."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Ok, whatever you say."

"Don't you worry about my love life." I pushed her shoulder a little bit. I got up and went to check on Jerry.

"Hey lover boy." Rory shouted after me.

I turned around. "What?"

Rory looked at me. "I'm going on a field trip tomorrow."

"Cool, do you need me to make a lunch?" I asked.

"You are going too." Rory squeaked.

I had to think about what she said. It didn't really make sense. "What do you mean?"

Rory kept her eyes glued to the computer. "I kinda volunteered you to chaperone."

"Why would you do that?" I shouted.

Rory shot her hand up in defense. "The teacher was looking for chaperones and at that time I was still tired and angry so I volunteered you. I thought it would shame you."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Shame me?"

Rory pointed to her eyes. "Still no sleep. And it's not like you're busy or anything. What? Too soon?"

That hurt. "Just for that you can go to your room." That sounded strange coming from me.

Rory stood up, yawning. "Don't tell me what to do." She stood up from her stool.

She walked past me. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"To my room. This is by my own choice." Rory sulked into her room and closed the door.

I laughed. "Goodnight loser."

"Same to you." She shouted through the closed door.