Second Chance [Four/Tobias]

Forty Seven

ᴀᴠʏᴀɴɴᴀ

The next morning, the moment I wake up, I grab my phone.

Tobias lazily pulls me close.

"Morning," I greet. He wakes up before me usually. We really are low on sleep.

I take my phone again and check the news.

And as expected...

"Tobias Johnson, revealed a GD!"

"Johanna Reyes's trusty former assistant in a fight?"

"Tobias Johnson, Vice President, Recruits, seen conversing with mafia?!"

"Where is Tobias Johnson really from? What's his past? Complete details about the man behind Recruits! Read now!"

"Tobias Johnson seen with a gun! The cops involved?! What does this mean for him?"

"Tobias Johnson, a murderer? What do we know about this man?"

"Tobias Johnson, newly revealed GD, secretly married?! Who's the girl?!"

"Tobias Johnson was always a GD! What is the reason for hiding this?!"

"The hospital fight! Read details now!"

It's everywhere. I knew it would be.

Tobias Johnson. His name is everywhere. Mine is lesser known. The article has my name but the headlines have his.

There was a time I talked in public. That's how people might know me. Otherwise it's only him.

"Hey," I nudge him.

"Hm," He replies, half asleep.

"It's 8," I say. "Wake up,"

"Sleep for a while, Avy," He pulls the sheets close, his voice hoarse.

I peck his lips and get out of the bed.

I make some coffee for myself and sit by the porch.

The morning was quiet. As quiet as it can get at least. The traffic few streets away can be heard a little. Otherwise it's fine.

Quite some time passes by. The sun is a little more brighter. I hear light footsteps.

"Slept well?" I smile, without turning back.

He sits beside me. "Yeah, you?"

"Yeah."

I pick my phone and then pass it to him.

He raises an eyebrow but reads it anyway. His face changes a little. Something that is between disgust and anger.
--

ᴛᴏʙɪᴀꜱ

I give her phone back. "Don't worry about those. They'll...pass."

She seems troubled, her eyebrows furrowed. "Who do those people think they are? They think they have things in their hands so they can write whatever they want?"

"I said don't worry."

"They can't write shit about you, Tob," She glares.

I sigh. "Let them be. Who cares?"

"You're taking this too lightly-"

"How many days? Three? Five? Twenty? Soon they will get better news."

"So you're allowing them to write shit till those three-five-twenty days?" She asks.

I don't answer.

She shakes her head. "This is not right."
--
ᴀᴠʏᴀɴɴᴀ

We go back inside. Tobias goes inside to shower, while I make some breakfast for us.

The door bell rings. I open the door.

"Good Morning, ma'am. Can I have a word with Mr. Tobias Johnson?" He flashes an ID at me with a smile that looks so fake. The smile, not the ID.

"No."

"It'll just be a minute," He says.

"I said no. I would prefer if you would leave," I fold my arms.

He nods. "I understand your concern. But, the things going on around require clarity. It's our job to provide--"

"Provide what? Provide what you feel will get most views? You write what people want, not what is true."

"Are you saying we write lies?"

"I'm saying you compromise with the truth."

"Which means lies."

I step forward. "I don't want to be rude to you. Leave before I get there."

I close the door before he replies.

Tobias comes out of the shower by then.

"Who was that?" He asks.

"Someone who wanted an interview with you."

"What?" He asks.

"Yeah, from that news site," I shrug as we eat.

The day goes by with many people at the door, to the point we even stopped answering.

Late evening, I was working on something when the door bell rings again.

I curse under my breath. I have to give them a piece of mind.

"I said--" I stop mid sentence. It's not the news guys. "Mike."

"The Blues." He folds his arms.

"Shh!" I pull him in.

"Couldn't you just like drop a text? What if you died?!" He glares at me.

Tobias steps out of his room. "What's happening-- oh hey, Michael."

Mike nods at him and looks at me. "Unbelievable you are."

I grin sheepishly.

"How are you now?" He looks at me from top to bottom. "All fine?"

"All fine!" I smile and gives me a gentle hug and he looks at Tob. "How bout you Mr Johnson?"

"No problem here," Tob grins.

"Ugh, you both I hate you so much! So very much!" He groans. "I had a heart attack in the morning all because of you. I hate, hate, hate you both,"

"And it shows," I laugh.
----
And soon everyone came to our house. The whole gang knew about this and almost killed us for not telling. Dad drove all the way here too.

He talked about how I should talk about things to him and he would prefer that than reading it from the newspaper.

Well, I can't start doing something new, now can I? They never heard me out in my childhood, he can't expect me to start spilling things out as I grow older.

He even glared at Tobias. He didn't say anything though to him though. He better don't. I can't have all the newspapers and my dad blaming him when I was the one who started all this mess.

Evelyn dropped by too.

"I'm fine, Evelyn." He told her.

"Yeah, yeah," She folded her arms.

Their levels of intimacy are very less. I wonder if something happened between them.

The most I've seen between them is she ruffling his hair.

But who am I to ask that? So I don't.
——