Coincidence - Tobuscus Fan Fiction

Chapter 22 - The Best Reason To Cry

Chapter 22 - The Best Reason To Cry


After yesterday's little reunion Toby and I headed back to the hotel at four in the morning so, of course we just belly flopped on to the now familiar bed and that was that til morning. I hear my phone ring from the small kitchen counter as I sit by the window reading a little book I picked up from a bookstore yesterday on our extravagant shopping spree, I shove yet another piece of cake in my mouth before getting up to retrieve the noisy phone. Licking the last few crumbs off my finger I reach for my bag. Feeling for my phone, my hand fumbles through the junk in my bag from months of collecting. I feel its smooth surface and pluck it from the depths of hell... sorry, I mean my bag.

"Hello, Skye Marlo speaking." I say, answering after seeing a very unfamiliar number written across the screen in the normal, formal font.

"Skye!" Karen excitedly yelped from the phone. I hadn't thought about her or Rhine all this time, you'd imagine I'd worry but being me I was a self indulgent idiot deciding only to concern myself with what is happening in London."I've been trying to call for an hour but the phone line just went dead and my phone hadn't been working either so I called you using the hospital's number. Anyway, I have wonderful news!" She says with such enthusiasm, I smile, causing Toby to give a few curious glances before returning back to the editing of our video on his Mac. Karen grows silent but still a few heavy breathes of happiness spill out over the phone, she must be smiling.

"Well go on then tell me, or I'll die of anticipation and you'll be the one to blame." I laugh, secretly killing myself, hoping she would just spit it out because it's obvious that this all has something to do with Rhine and Karen is so happy that it must be something freaking amazing otherwise why on earth would she bother to call me, unless something terrible has happened but that isn't true. It cannot be true.

"She's awake." The words hit me so fast I think I hear it in my head, that my mind made it up for the sake of my sanity, not that I had much to start with. Beaming a smile at Toby I squeal an unintentional giggle of excitement, looking a little concerned he gestures as if to say 'whats the big deal?' but I shush him away with a hand.

"Can I talk to her?" I ask before I even know I want to ask the question let alone ask Karen. I wait for a second or so with no reply from Karen There is muffled voices and sounds like the phone is being moved around, hand to hand. Karen to Rhine.

"I missed you." I sobbing, lovingly familiar voice sounds through the speaker. "I missed you so fucking much." Rhine splutters, matching my own happy sobs. Toby looks up now to see me crying, mascara running, heart healing.

"Swearing isn't at all very attractive." I say with a melancholy sounding laugh. Trying to pretend to be my usual self but really I just wanted to cry till my eyes shriveled and my mouth dry and Rhine is sleeping from exhaustion of ear ache. I want to tell her how I've wanted to just escape this total frustration but I didn't know how so I'd curl myself up and just whimper, no tears, no sobs. Only painful, rib aching hurt. But I shouldn't, so I won't because that would be unfair.

"I haven't spoken to you in like a month and a half or something, You come out with something like that? It really is you." She says with a mumbled tone like she should be hugging as she says it but we're thousands of miles away from each other and to be frank, my arms arwn't that stretchy. "God, Skye. It's been so shit and you're not here now and..." She utters into a minute of silence.

"Rhine, I'm sorry. Don't hate me for not being there," I sigh, knowing I've really let her down. "Please." At the mention of her name Toby again whips his head up with a quizzical expression thickly slathered around his features and pulling his muscles into an almost perplexed smile, probably guessing what is happening and who it is I'm talking to, I ignore his silent question with a hand and continue to concern myself with only Rhine.

"Bitch, please," Thank god the months of silence haven't changed her. "Don't you dare think for one second that I hate you and besides, it was my own fault for getting those damn Heelys in the first freaking place." Despite that being the most truthful of truths I still hold myself partly responsible. I suppose I'll never forgive myself for that, all this because I 'had to' work when really my version of work isn't at all taxing and most of it consists of flapping through my phone to make a massive play list of songs I think will help me work, that's just bull.

"Oh shut up." I answer even though my thoughts say otherwise. "Here's a change if subject: when are they letting you fly the nest of illness Land?" I ask so I can plan my surprise return back to L.A, we're due to leave within the next few days, I can't remember precisely how many, so I'm sure Toby won't mind; we've done everything we planned out to do.

"Tomorrow, I think. They just wanna keep me here Over night, ya' know make sure I don't go nuts or something." Rhine had never been the best explaining things, vagueness had always been her thing, I was always the smart one, as she put it. I didn't even finish high school, I'm so the clever one. "When do you come back from your luuuurrrve vacation with you're... Boyfriend now?" She asks, unsure of what mine and Toby's relationship status is.