Last I Saw You

FIVE | ERIC

Marcy was an expert at multitasking and one of the few people here capable of fixing a sandwich and coffee while keeping the conversation going strong. And she had a lot to say to me that day. She's probably the only person, besides her little brother Matt, that knows about me and Toby. I say probably because there's no telling if he's told anyone about us too. Not to say that he can't, he probably did but with the type of friends he had, I'd doubt that he'd want to tell them about me and out himself, especially not to people like Damon Chartwell.

I shuddered at the thought of him, I hated that guy. He was the one who started driving Toby to the pool during the summer, eager to place bets on his prizefighter. Ushering him into his rickety old van with the nasty mattress in the back. To make matters worse he was a mutt that got bit, on purpose I bet, and didn't even the guts to challenge anyone himself.

"So let me see if I heard you right, He's going to fight this LeBlanc kid, who's supposed to be like super tough and has all this dirty money from his pops or whatever, could get his ass handed to him, and you didn't even bother to go here as emotional support?" Marcy asked, her accent staining her words as her frustration with me started to show.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? He never listens to me Marcy, he already broke his fingers last week," I huffed, slapping a slice of cheese down onto the bread in front of me.

"He's basically your boyfriend isn't he?" Said a voice from behind me.

It was Matt, poking his head out of the window to run the bell and slide a plate of eggs, sausages, and pancakes over to his sister. He was frowning at me, having obviously been eased ripping as he felt the need to offer us an opinion. I wasn't angry though as whenever we discussed Toby's fighting instinct he always sided with me.

"Yes. No. I don't really know, I mean we always call each other friends and what not but I think it's mostly cause we're just scared that if we call it anything then we'll have to admit that things have changed between us," I confessed, giving a half-hearted shrug as Matt took his hat off his head.

Running his hands over his crew cut he hummed, giving a thoughtful look as he nodded. "I guess that makes sense, but you didn't try to at least stop him? I mean you obviously care about him a lot."

"He once got his arm broken in several places, do you really think he'd listen to me. I tried to be a good friend but he just won't listen," I huffed.

"That doesn't mean give up," Marcy spoke up, before turning to the dining area. Holding the plate out she called the number sticky taped to it.

After an old woman sauntered forward to grab it Matt waited for forgery leave before turning a frown on his sister. "Marcy he's not giving up. You can't help someone who isn't willing to help themselves ."

"I don't mean it like that! I'm just saying if I were him I'd at least be there to watch and make sure nothing happens," Marcy reasoned.

"Toby hasn't expressed whether or not he wanted Eric there so how is that fair? He spends enough time playing nurse for him. He used to carry this kid home after some of the tougher fights."

"Okay fair point."

The two of them went back forth for a few more minutes, Matt was of course on my side the whole time like always. I didn't see why Marcy was always so quick to disagree though. A part of me realized it was probably the inherent belief that you had to always be willing to make space for those you care about. But it doesn't always work like that and sometimes you have to put yourself first or know when to say no.

Since my shift was only a few hours I got to leave early, a bag of food clutched tightly in one hand and a croissant in the other. I nibbled at it the whole way home, wondering if I should have tried harder to sway Toby. What if one of these days he ends up getting hurt. I mean really hurt, even dead. It's rare but it happens and the humans always chalk it up to pack violence or something stupid like that and never bother to do anything about it.