Loving Toby (Completed)

Chapter 22

Toby and Luna arrived at Hot Pepper a little after seven, the rest of their friends were occupying their usual spot behind the bar counter, but before they could even come near them, Athena and France were already in the middle of a heated argument. 

"You know that I like him for goodness sake Francine!" Athena whined throwing a piece of olive towards France who dodge it expertly.

"Stop calling me Francine, I told you he's gay why won't you just listen to me!?" of course, France being France countered her attacked with a flying ham with ketchup that landed on Athena's beautiful red hair.

"Francine!"

"Okay, you two stop you're making a scene," Lexus snapped, throwing each one of them with a menacing glare. The people inside the shop watching their little banter with a half-amused look on their faces. Their booth was covered with bits and pieces of onions, olives and red sauce sticking onto the upholsters, Athena fuming red face was also a sight to behold. 

"I wonder why I am even friends with them," Toby mumbled next to her.

"Tell me about it, Cooper," Luna dragged him along with her as they joined the trio before the shop owner throw them out of his place. 

"I see you haven't killed each other yet," Luna and Toby slipped next to France, ignoring Lexus and Athena's looking suspiciously at them.

"It's about damn time that the two of you showed up. I'm so done with these two idiots," Lexus ranted, pointing to Athena and France who's still throwing glares at each other.

"What the hell, you look like a mess Cooper!"

"And so are the two of you," 

"So, what were you fighting about now?" 

"France started it, he keeps on saying that Marcus is gay when he wasn't!"

"Because he is!"

"Who's Marcus?" Luna asked, a little lost about the source of their childish fight that made Athena glared at her.

"You don't know Marcus McAdam's from Bridgewood?"

"Nope, definitely not," she answered sheepishly because truth be told, aside from her brother's football team, she doesn't know anyone else from Bridgewood High. She didn't even know that many people from her school, aside from the council, Class A, and the troublesome football team, she was clueless about everyone else.

"Okay, why am I not even surprised? Anyway, he's hot, definitely hot! He's an editor on Bridgewood newspaper, and damn, those fingers of him can do some wonders," Athena said dreamily, throwing a wink in her direction that made her choke, realizing what her best friend was talking about.

"Oh my god! You slept with someone from Bridgewood Athena Gale!?" Luna exclaimed a little bewildered from her best friend's escapade, for some reason, Athena was banned from sleeping with anyone from Bridgewood, courtesy of her loving brother Caleb Louise Greene. She finds it weird, but Caleb said that it was to make sure that her little sisters (including Athena) will be safe from anyone inside Bridgewood High.

"Oh babe, she slept with anyone!" France added earning a flying slice of pizza in his direction.

"At least I'm not stealing anyone's man like what you're doing!" and that starts another food war, Toby, Lexus, and Luna groaned in annoyance as they quickly docked under the small table not wanting to suffer the consequences of sitting between the two of them.

"Oh god, when will those two grow up?" 

"They'll be over it shortly babe, we just have to hide here until then," she replied, rolling her eyes at him, her hands already wandering on top of the table, grabbing a box of pizza that made the two guys shake their heads at her.

"You and your appetite Miss Greene," Toby mumbled with a smile on his lips watching Luna devouring a freshly baked pepperoni pizza.

"Hey, we need to survive this night you know, and I'm not starving for those psychos," the boys did not even dare to say another word as they joined her in devouring the freshly baked pizzas while France and Athena continued their little banter. 

Three slices of pepperoni pizza later, the sound from the fighting squirrels started to die down.

"I smell like shit! You're dead meat France!"

"Oh babe, don't be such a baby, you started it!"

"Wait, why are we even fighting again?"

"Marcus McAdams babe, focus!"

"Oh shit, yeah! Wait, he's not even worth it, let's stop this I'm tired," and that made the three of them laugh under the table knowing that the war was finally over.

"Can we go out now?" Lexus asked who didn't even bother waiting for their response as the three of them came out of their safe place.

"Oh god, Pete will definitely throw us out with all these messes!" Luna said cringing at the sight of the couch chairs covered in pizza toppings.

"Oh, that's fine, Pete loves us," France replied that making the five of them smile knowingly, Pete--the pizza shop owner--loves the five of them. Fact. He's an old man in his early fifties with his checkered polo collection that he wears on all year out, which made them wonder if he has other clothes aside from checkered polo.

They spent the next half an hour laughing, telling stories, and eating two more boxes of pizza and two buckets of chicken with mojos.

"Okay so if you thought that we've forgotten why we're here tonight," Lexus started making them stop whatever they were doing, as he pulled a huge box at the back of his seat, "Happy Birthday Cooper!" the four of them yelled in glee, Lexus handed him the box that the four of them bought a few days ago.

"Are you trying to make me cry tonight or something?" Toby asked jokingly as he looked at the box and the sight of the four of them waiting for his reaction.

"Just open it!" Athena said that Toby followed without complaining.

He tore the wrapper out, each layer making the four of them hold their breathing not knowing if he will like their gift or now. It was Luna's idea, and she hopes that Toby will like it. And the sight of him with a broad smile on his lips like a kid on Christmas day said it all, making them let a sigh of relief.

"Guys, this is so amazing! Wow," Toby beamed like a small kid and the sight of it was enough for Luna to make herself feel proud of making Tobias Cooper happy. Of course, with the help of her best friends.

"How did you even get this? Holy hell, this is amazing!" he can't stop ogling at the sight of their gift, it was the ultimate fanboy gift that Luna can think of, a signed vinyl copies of State Champs' debut album titled "The Finer Things" that Luna personally got from State Champs themselves, of course, no one can say no to Hollywood's best director, a.k.a Chase Greene, her father. And to top it all the rest of the gang got him a Vintage Vinyl player that they got for $400 on eBay. Their wallet wasn't that thrilled but seeing the happiness on Toby's face, they knew that it was worth it.

"You guys are so amazing, thank you," he said opening his arms for the four of them that they gladly accepted.

"You're welcome idiot, we love you!" France mumbled, kissing Toby's cheeks that made him fake gagged causing the five of them to crack up.

"Love you guys," he mumbled, kissing their cheeks that Toby never did since they all became the best of friends, and when it was her turn, Luna was over the moon when his lips touch her cheeks, her heart beating loudly on her chest, and she's fighting the urge to grab his head and kiss him senselessly right then and there. But the fear on her mind stopped her from ruining the moment of happiness that they were in.

 Little did she know that it will be a night that she will regret for a really long time, the chances that she should have taken, and the words that she wishes Toby heard on that night because maybe, Toby was waiting to hear it too. 

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A/N:

Happy New Year :)