From one proxy to another proxy [Ticcimask]

Chap. 7: Sleep Well My Prince For Tomorrow You Shall Be King

Toby narrates

I feel so stupid for letting all this get to me. 

I mean, it's nothing new, Tim's always treating me terribly but this time he didn't even notice what he broke...

—Agh, you're an asshole Toby—i hit my forehead, i'm so frustrated. 

I understand that he sees me as pathetic good-for-nothing little boy, but thinking i need him? 

My anger was raising, i got up from the bed—where i was sitting— quickly and took off my hoodie. 

I threw it hard into another corner of the room.

My angry look was changing to a expressionless one. I swallowed without thinking about anything else and went to the mirror. 

I felt nothing looking at me.

Just void... 

I pulled up my clothes and watched my abdomen's skin. It was a bit darker in the cauterization area, it didn't hurt that much but it felt very uncomfortable. 

I put my index finger on it, it felt a little weird... 

Without taking my eyes off my wound i could notice the door opening slowly, it was him.

—You shouldn't touch it.

—You shouldn't come in without knocking—i didn't want to show my anger but my voice betrayed me.

—Save it for lazy Hoodie—he came in and sat on the nightstand—, i saved your ass. 

Masky was speaking calmy with a small smile, how can he be so shameless? After trashing me all night... AND THE WHOLE LIFE. 

—What do you want Masky? —i kept looking at my abdomen so i didn't have to look at him. 

—C'mere—said as he lit a cigarette—, come on. 

And almost automatically i approached, like an idiot.

—Not by the Operator or a cop, you're gonna end up dying from all that shit you smoke—i said when we were face to face, only a few inches separated us. 

He burst out laughing, who would've thought he can laugh...

—Let me see.

He leaned forward a little, reaching the level of my abdomen and pulled up my clothes. He stared for a few seconds, his calm breathing was the only sound i could hear, that and the beats of my heart.

The smoke kept rising up to my nose, so I stepped back. 

—It'll heal, it's not something you should worry about—he settled back and looked at me with an expressionless face. 

He can really speak indifferently, make you think he doesn't give a fuck about you... but the simple fact of bothering to check my wounds, stopping my bleeding and "saving my ass" makes me think the opposite.  

—Perfect...

The room fell silent once again. Not knowing what to say, i looked away, praying he'd go away. 

I heard him get up and approach.

He stood behind me and brought his face close to my ear. 

—I came to return this...

He showed his hand, he was holding my necklace, the one he broke when grabbed me by my clothes.  

—It's not... broken... 

—I fixed it—when he noticed i wasn't taking it he decided to put it on me—, after all i broke it...

I didn't say anything and didn't move either, again like an idiot.

—I didn't expect you to still have this—he finished putting on the necklace and stood in the same place—. There.

— You have to take care of a birthday present, right? —i looked at him in the eyes for third or fourth times so far this night.

—I guess i owe you a new one then... —he messed up my hair and left. 

Is this an apology?  

I never would have imagined he'd come back for something as stupid as a necklace, although it's not stupid to me...

It was in my first birthday since i joined them. 

Masky treated me like shit of course, from the first moment. And yet he gave me a stupid gift. 

...That's what he said. 

"Here, your gift, it's stupid thing but so you shut up already and don't ask for it again"

I probably would've thrown it in the trash because of his shitty attitude, but i only had to ask one time... and he even bothered to wrap it. He also gently passed it across the table to me.

Sometimes i think he hates me and sometimes i think he sees me as an annoying younger brother who you have to be mean to so you build his temper.

Suddenly all my discomfort had disappeared.