Benjamin Richards
The car starts with a whir and Tobias pulls out of the parking lot. Unlike my family, his driving isn't awful but I still prefer my own. Every time he turns a little too sharply on our way back, I grip the 'Oh shit' handles in a tight grasp and glare. After the first few times, he starts making deliberately sharp turns and grinning rudely at me. Once we get off of the main roads and onto a more residential road he swerves about making me wonder if we were going to get pulled over, but all we get are a few piercing glares.
"If everyone in your family is a shit driver, who taught you to drive?" He asks swerving back into the correct lane.
"Olivers Ex-Girlfriend," I answer thinking back to our lessons, "I wouldn't get on her bad side, I was glad their break up was a mutual decision and not just hers,"
"She couldn't have been that bad," Tobias says, "I'm sure I've had worse,"
I make an indecisive noise that I hope came across as I doubt it'. I feel like Devon would have been JD-level bad. I think about Lizzie. Sure that was bad but more in a clingy way not a 'Bringing hell to rain on earth' way like Devon would of. She was pretty cool apart from her demonic tendencies.
I let my attention drift to the window and am surprised to see that Tobias had already passed my house.
"Where the fuck do you think you're taking me?"
"I haven't decided yet,"
"I will not hesitate to throw myself out of the car," I hear the child locks click, "You did not,"
"Hey, I might just take you around the neighborhood," He defends himself with a shrug.
"Hey, I might just-" I mock and then stop myself before giving away my master plan.
He looks at me suspiciously and I smile innocently.
At the next red light, I will maneuver my way into the back seat, inconspicuously that is, grab his shirt and throw it out the window, also inconspicuously as to make it seem like an accident, before dramatically exclaiming "Oops I better get that," and when he lets me out I'll make a run for it.
I rub my hands together comically and watch the next light come up. It changes to yellow, and, BINGO, the time is right. I wiggle into the backseat with astonishing speed, and grab hold of the shirt. Once I get back up I roll down the window and throw it out. I must of not have been discreet as I intended because he's looking at me with fond amusement and bewilderment spread across his face clear as day.
Whatever he might still think its an accident, "Oh no, I'm so sorry Tobias, your shirt just flew out the window,"
"I saw," He chuckles, "You really like seeing me without a shirt on, huh Princess?"
"What?" I stammer, "No I need to go get it for you,"
I start to panic this is not the way I intended this to go.
"Well you did just steal my shirt, throw it out the window, and exclaim theatrically 'Oh no'"
Nothing has gone to plan everything has gone wrong, abort mission, abort.
"Just take me home," I groan.
"Oooo not denying it?" He rubs his bare shoulder against mine and speeding past the light once it was changed without bothering to let me go get his shirt.
"Fuck you,"
"Princess I'm flattered, but now is not the time, maybe later." He winks before continuing, "Bold of you to assume you'd been doing the fucking,"
I consider kicking the dash before remembering this is my car. I groan in frustration and consider how hard it would be to throw myself out the window. As if he senses my thoughts he rolls it up.
"This is basically kidnapping," I point out.
He doesn't seem fazed when he sends a beaming smile my way and says, "Good," Before taking a sharp left turn.
We don't drive for much longer when we pull up outside a house covered in hand-painted murals of sorts. The art is absolutely gorgeous with bright pops of color in things like flowers. In the driveway is a beaten-up car with different color doors and tires that seem way too big for this poor Mitsubishi despite seemingly being a newer model of car. There are two other cars in the driveway but that one is the most noticeable.
The door shuts on the driver's side of the car breaking me out of admiring the house and reminding me that there's a reason we're here(Probably). I get out slowly still in awe at the lovely art. When I get out of the car further and look down the driveway is covered in equally beautiful works in the same style.
Despite the artist trying to keep it reigned in, the art has a manic energy to it which is translated easily through even this controlled medium.
"You like what you see?" Tobias asks me elbowing me in the side.
"Who did this?" I say looking up at him.
He just smiles and walks down the driveway once he gets to the doorstep he knocks. A woman with dark hair and defined features much like Tobias's, answers it.
"Where have you been, Mias been worried sick?" The woman asks pulling Tobias inside by the crook of his elbow.
"Ma, I have a friend with me," He chuckles, gesturing towards me with his head.
Her gaze follows the gesture to me, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry come in,"
I tentatively follow the two into the house. As I enter I notice a few lesser skilled drawings on the siding of the house and a few more fresh ones in sidewalk chalk. The second Tobias is in the door five kids around the age of six rush up to him and grabs onto his legs. He chuckles and pretends to shake them off.
As I look around even the inside is painted on every wall.
"Mia your child is back," The woman calls.
Tobias groans. A woman who also has a resemblance to Tobias glares from behind a counter chopping potatoes. I have questions but it all feels like overstepping for the moment.
The woman wipes her hands on her apron but doesn't bother putting the knife down before stomping over to Tobias angrily.
"You have a phone for a reason, why don't you use it?" She asks sternly.
"Mom-"
He doesn't get a chance to finish, "I get that your young and want to fuck around, but-"
The other mother coughs and points to me. I wave awkwardly.
"Princess, protect me from this dragon," Tobias whines forcing himself behind me.
"Get your a-" I stop myself, "Butt back over there,"
"I like him, I'm Mia, and that's my wife Leah,"
"Thank you, ma'am, I'm Ben," I say pushing Tobias forward.
Tobias sticks his heels into the ground making my life harder.
As if just now noticing Leah stares at him before asking threateningly, "Toby, why are you topless?"
"Princess threw it out the window," He states proudly.
I flush and his mothers turn their questioning gaze on me.
"He was kidnapping me, and it was covered in mustard, and I wanted him to let me out of the car because he put the child locks on," I stammer as a means of explanation.
"If you guys were making out just tell us," Mia laughs.
"What?" I exclaim, "No gross, I have a girlfriend,"
Mia Dean
Tobias looks disappointed but puts a casual mask up so quickly that only a mother could catch it.
"That you don't like," He jokes smoothing over his own reaction.
Ben scoffs but doesn't deny it.
In an obviously desperate attempt to change the subject, Ben looks around, "The art is absolutely stunning who did it, Tobias won't tell me?"
"Oh?" Leah asks teasingly, "He won't?"
"Ma," Tobias warns.
"He did it himself," I laugh saving Leah from his wrath.
Ben looks absolutely stunned looking around at the hand-painted walls again before looking back at Toby who is flushed a lovely shade of red and is giving me a death glare.
"Okay, Princess we're getting my shit and leaving," He starts to stomp up the stairs.
"You sure as hell are not leaving," I call after him, "You are at least staying for dinner,"
"I'm going to go talk to him," I say to Ben and my wife before climbing up the stairs to his room.
I walk straight into Tobias's open door and watch him pack up his sketchbook and some paint in one bag and his clothes in a different one.
"Hey," I say gently.
"You're an asshole," He states plainly.
"Your art is beautiful, he was impressed," I say sitting on his bed, "Do you like him?"
He staggers in his folding of clothes and looks at me shocked.
"Why are you surprised I'm your mother,"
"Did I do something to give it away?" He asked frantically.
"Only flinched when he said ew," I say trying to comfort him.
I observe him, and try and figure out how serious about this he is. He's never really shown a fondness for longtime relationships or a touchy-feely lovey one. But the way he reacts to even the smallest thing when it comes to Ben is just hard to miss. He stands comfortably around him and really pays attention to him when he speaks.
Then I think about how Ben acts around him. Ben seems like a snarky kid. But I think he's in the closet deeper than Narnia. If someone could pull him out I'm a hundred percent sure that he would fall head over heels for Tobias. He blushed when we spoke about anything related to him being with my son.
"Do you wanna talk about him?" I ask watching my son light up about it.
"I woke up holding him Mom," He starts excitedly.
I can tell I'm gonna be up here for a while.
Leah Dean
Bens shifts uncomfortably in our living room. He looks so tense now that Tobias has left I could almost laugh.
"Would like a drink, Mia makes the best sweet tea?" I offer.
"Yes please," He smiles gratefully.
I tell him to sit down at the table and start to pour him a drink.
"I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking," He smiles tentatively.
"Shoot," I say sliding his sweet tea to him.
He takes a sip and hums his gratitude.
"So, I'm so sorry if this is rude, but Tobias looks like both you and Mia, how is that possible?"
"Oh that's not rude at all sweetheart, Mia is a trans woman, we had him before she came out," I explain, "And once she did come out we got her situated with all the right things to help her feel more comfortable in her body,"
He hums comprehensively, "Also you guys have a lot of kids that don't look anything like you?"
"We foster, it's hard work but the kids love all of Toby's drawings and love to try and share their attempts with him, its adorable,"
"I could imagine," He laughs presumably at the mental image.
"He's been at my house for the past few days," He coughs an 'unfortunately ' under it.
"How did you two meet?" I ask curiously, they seem close yet I've never met Ben before.
He chuckles awkwardly, "He threw multiple rocks at me,"
I stare at him open-mouthed.
"They weren't meant for me." He says trying to save it. "They were meant for my sister."
That doesn't make it better.
"I was trying to bang his sister," Tobias shouts interrupting us.
Tobias and Mia come down, and Tobias is in an obviously better mood and Mia's face is almost stiff in her effort to contain her laughter. Yet it obviously wasn't just because of that. I raise an eyebrow and she gives me an 'I'll tell you later' look.
A/N
It's late I have to wake up early enough to get to Starbucks tomorrow, but I couldn't sleep so you get to enjoy this knowing I didn't technically scramble to write this the day before I have to Publish it. I also noticed that my shorter books are doing far better than this one so its something for me to keep in mind I guess.
That's all...
Byyyyyyyyyyeeee <3
Word count: 2017
Pages: 6