The Journey

Chapter seven

I opened my eyes in time for Toby's alarm to go off. She laid on the bed, starring at the ceiling. I knew she didn't get much sleep considering her insomnia kicked in. It kicked in about ten at night and she wasn't able to fall asleep. I slept peacefully, but she did not. She sighed heavily and looked at her phone. She got up and grabbed my bag to go to the bathroom. I pretended to be asleep, but I heard her sneak in and return her bag. I sat up and reached for my bag. I put on a plaid, short sleeve shirt, and tan shorts. I tied on my shoes and excited the room. I met up with aunt Vanessa and we walked down to the kitchen. Toby was already at the kitchen, playing on her phone.

"Toby, you're down here very early." aunt Vanessa said. 

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep." she said. Aunt Vanessa nodded.

"Insomnia?" she asked and Toby nodded. She understood since it's one of those things that half of their family suffers with. I sat on the stool next to Toby as containers were coming out from the fridge. The food was warmed up and sat on two plates. Sausage, bacon, hash browns, a slice of tomato, and parsley. She poured apple and orange juice and sat the plates in front of us. I took a few bites and turned to Toby. She spoke loud enough for both of us to hear.

"After we're done eating, we're gonna go see David." she said looking away from me.

"OK, sounds fun." I said. Toby looked up at her aunt.

"I always liked him, his parents were very nice." aunt Vanessa said. Toby nodded in agreement. We finished up eating and sat our dishes in the sink. We grabbed the keys and Toby kissed her aunt goodbye. We got on the bike and we drove off. David's house was down the road, take a left, than a right, and it sat back in some wooded area that was recently cut down. It was old, yes, but it was actually new considering the year it was built. We parked the bike and cut the engine. We hoped off and went to the front door. Toby knocked and was answered by a lady in her mid thirties.

"Oh, Toby. Hello." she said opening the door.

"Hi." she said stepping inside.

"Dave's upstairs, I'll go get him." she said. We nodded and looked around the living room: a rug sat in the middle with a glass table. Books sat underneath and magazines sat on top. Two chairs sat to the left with a stand and a couch to the right. Another stand came next with plants on it. On the wall, hung a candle holder with candles. A family picture came next along with a china cabinet holding fine china in it and more plants on top. More family pictures and the curtains came next. A chandelier hung in the middle that gave off a peaceful aura. The kitchen was more spacious than usual, but that was normal. The fridge was to the left connected to the counter, followed by cabinets and drawers. The sink sat in the middle with the stove and oven. The counter finished and a food pantry sat next to it. An island sat in the middle of the room with stools and a leather jacket draped over one.

"David, sweetie. Your friends are here to see you." Dave's mom said. She came back down with the boy trailing behind her. He stepped off the last step and made eye contact with us. His mouth hung open as he covered it. Toby inched closer to him and I could see tears in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him as he reached out for her.

"T-Toby?" he asked looking at her.

"Yeah, in all one piece." she said earning a laugh from him. "Hi, Dave." she said.

"I didn't think you'd come over." he said making her smirk.

"Now, why wouldn't I? Give me a good reason why I wouldn't come see you." she said. He shrugged his shoulders and dried his eyes before noticing me.

"Oh, Jenny. Hello, I'm David. You can call me Dave if you want." he said holding out his hand. I shook it and he lead us upstairs. The bathroom had the toilet in a space with a corner on each side. The shower came next with the sink to the right of the door. It was decorated with two red cups, a box of tissues, and a tray with bottles of body wash and shampoo you would find at a hotel. Very complimentary. The mirror hung on the wall along with a towel hanger. We checked out his mom and dad's bedroom to see it was very cozy. Turning the corner, a closet met you along with the bed. The bed had a black and white comforter and pillows with a pretty, Japanese print. Above it hung a board with flower pots holding plants. A stand sat next to the bed with a lamp, a box of tissues, and a wedding picture. Three mirrors hung above it and a shelf was to the right. It held a small plant, a glass figurine of a flamingo, and another wedding picture. Next was the window and a bench with pillows. A cushioned bench sat at the foot of the bed and was a pale peach color. David's room was also cozy. His bed had a trundle underneath it for sleepovers or whatever and was covered in a red comforter. A small chandelier hung above it with three baby pictures next to the window. A desk came next with his closet. His house might look old from the outside, but it's very beautiful on the inside.

"Ooh, do you still have your bike?" Toby asked excited.

"Yeah and I heard you found Adam's old one." he said.

"Yeah, but he said I could have it." she said. He nodded.

"So I've heard." he said. He lead us out to the shed where one would usually keep a bike. He slid the door open and sun lit up the sparkling, black body of his motorcycle. We nodded on how well he kept it. Dave was known for getting dirty and everything he touched always ended up broken or dirty. We were in awe at how well the bike was kept up with and cleaned. We went over to Toby's and she commented that he and Adam were really close.

"So, why did Adam and them move?" she asked.

"Do you remember that gang he used to hang around with?" Dave asked.

"The Vipers. Yeah, why?" she asked.

"His parents found out and told him that if he didn't stop hanging out with them, they were moving. Well, he didn't listen and they moved deeper into the country." he explained and Toby hung her head.

"I wish I knew it got that serious, I could've done something." she said.

"Trust me, we all tried to stop him. Adam's his own person, you try and tell him what he's doing is bad and he continues to do it no matter the aftermath. " Dave said and Toby nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's true." she said bring her head up.

"Yep." he said. Toby looked over at me and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again. We have to get back to aunt Vanessa." she said going in for a hug. Dave wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"I'll see ya later. Bye, Jenny." he said waving us off. We got on the bike and drove back to the house.