Laughter [Tobuscus/Toby Turner]

Chapter Five

DIS BE A LONG CHAPTER AYYE

I don't even stop and think. I hang up the phone, zipping my jacket and heading out into the crisp night air.

The wind fiercely bites my nose, and I head towards my car. Wait a second.

Screw the car. He lives three houses away from me.

I shove my hands in my pockets and speed-walk down the sidewalk, the heavy wind sweeping my hood off my head. A streetlight flickers above me as i pass. Well, isn't this the perfect cliche horror movie scene. Before I know it, a murderer's going to jump from the bushes and stab me, and I'll bleed out, right here on the sidewalk. I won't even make it to Toby's house.

Oh yeah. Toby's house.

Wow, nice going, Cass. Forget your freaking destination, why don't you?

I speed up, all my thoughts cut down to where I need to be.

Toby needs me. Out of all people to call, he chose me.

Toby opens the door before I can even ring the doorbell. His face is red and he's still crying. "Come in. Hurry." He says through his tears, waving me in. I unzip my jacket, and he grabs my arm, pulling me into the living room that I had just been in this morning. Funny how, when something big is going on, a few hours can feel like an eternity.

Gryph is lying on the floor, panting desperately. I rush over to him, kneeling by his side, and Toby sits across from me. He flinches when he lays a hand on his dog's stomach, grabbing my hand and leading it to Gryphon's chest. "Feel it. It's not normal." Toby whispers, as if the dog will die on the spot if he's too loud. His heartbeat is fast. Too fast.

"How long has he been like this?" I ask quietly, simply breathing out the words, because talking in a normal voice would sound irregular against the quiet of the room.

"Since I got home. I went and sat on the couch, opened my laptop. Gryphon just came up and stood at my feet, panting like it was the Sahara in here. I looked down and assumed he wanted a treat. I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth before he just collapsed, right here on the floor..." He can't even finish. I don't think I've ever seen someone so... sad. Depressed.

"C'mon. Let's go to the car." I insist, pulling him up off the floor. He looks at me, his eyes like a pleading child who's gotten lost at the supermarket, and barely croaks out the words.

"Can you drive? I want to..." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "I want to hold him."

I nod, and he picks Gryphon up like a glass baby doll, one who could shatter at any moment. I open the door. Gryphon whimpers when the cold air hits him. Toby kisses his head. We walk out to the car, and I open the door for Toby again. He slides into the seat, and I shut it, feeling the first minuscule drops of water on my head. I quickly walk around to the other side of the car, sitting in the driver's seat. I turn the key, but the car whimpers and then goes quiet. I try again, getting the same reaction. I hear Toby groan from beside me, and his voice rips through the quiet like a grenade.

"Dammit!" He yells, sobbing harder and beating his hand on the dashboard. "Dammit, dammit, dam-"

"Toby!" I scream over his shouted cursing, "Be quiet and get out of the car!" I notice I sound bossy and probably mean, so I soften my tone a bit. I place my hand on his arm, trying to console him. "We'll go to mine, just... calm down, okay?" He nods.

The whole walk to my car is a miserable one. The rain has gotten harder now, and it beats down on our heads. Toby shields Gryphon as much as he can, taking off his jacket and wrapping his dog in it. But all the while, he's cursing under his breath.