The Boy with Pretty Eyes

Chapter 7: An Order of Disappointment

He walked alongside Fit & Pac, going just a bit faster than usual.

"What's the rush?" Pac asked in a mocking tone, Fit snickered.

Toby rolled his eyes, but he did slow down. Much to his displeasure but he did match the pace with them. Pac & Fit were walking slower than usual, just to set Toby on edge.

Are they going slower? They're doing this on purpose, aren't they?

Toby couldn't walk as slow as a snail any longer, he sprinted all the way to the store. Impatiently waiting for the others at the door, in the meantime he unlocked the door.

Pac & Fit sprinted inside of the store, leaving Toby holding the door open for absolutely no one.

He didn't speak a word to Pac & Fit as he knew just what they were going to say, he put on his apron and just stood.

"Come on Toby! We're just messing with you!" Fit exclaimed, getting a little annoyed with the silence.

"I know! Let me be dramatic!" Toby yelled; Fit & Pac only laughed in response.

Why did part of me expect him to be waiting here for me?

Toby however looked around the store, just to make sure.

I'm so stupid, the store just opened. Of course he's not going to be here. Toby laughed at his own stupidity, and re' joined Pac & Fit.

"Wait where's Pac?" he asked when he realized the other man wasn't there.

"He felt a bit bad and went to buy us all coffee." Fit explained. Pac you don't have to feel bad, I know you're just joking.

The words repeated in his mind, I know you're just joking. Because it was true, Toby was well aware he was just playing around, he knew they both were. If I know they're just joking, why does it feel so real?

Every joke tugged at his heart, but he couldn't figure out why. The reason was his heart knew it was all fun & games, but his mind translated those jokes into what Toby believed to be cold reality. He thought of those jokes as a cold slap to the face, The hard cold truth.

Me chasing after a lost cause IS a joke. It's a mockery, it's made up just to make others laugh. But the joke is never real, is it? It's all fiction.

"You guys shouldn't feel bad, I'm just being dramatic." Toby said, only he forgot to add the joking tone to his voice.

This made Fit's face drop a little, "Listen, we don't mean what we say. It's just that we finally have the chance to get a little bit of payback."

This shouldn't've made Toby feel better but it did, It was teasing & jokes. The payback for trying to ruin your best friend's relationship should've been much worse, but it isn't. Be grateful Toby, He thought.

It is nice to know that it's just a joke. Nothing more, nothing less.

"We just want to suck it up for all its worth, sorry if we're overdoing it." Pac said coming out of absolutely nowhere. Toby hadn't even picked up the scent of the sweet coffee aroma that filled the store, or Fit's obnoxious sipping.

It was like in that moment everything disappeared, the only thing that reached Toby was the voices of Fit & Pac.

"It's hot be careful" Pac warned, as Toby reached out to take the steaming hot coffee from the paper cup holder.

"Pretty clear on that" Toby said, his fingers making contact with the paper cup.

He immediately dropped the coffee back into the cupholder, causing some to spill. Toby groaned in agony, how could he not? Fit & Pac giggled as they tried to find something to cool down Toby's hand.