The next two weeks came and passed by in a painfully slowed manner, and Tobias Cooper never showed up to class again. Luna's been in a depressing state ever since, and not even any of his friends knew what to do. She kept on asking around for Toby's address but not a single person knew where Toby lived. The teachers only told her that Toby rundown with the flu, but she knew better than that. Luna knew that something was wrong but can't seem to know what it was.
All her attempts to contact him were futile, Toby's phone was constantly off, and on the rare occasions that it wasn't, the calls were being rejected as well.
"Here, you look so depressed Babe," Lexus handed her a can of coke as he settled down next to her, it was lunch time and the cafeteria felt lonelier now that Toby wasn't around as Luna kept her gaze at the empty seat next to her. Wondering when she will be able to see Toby again.
"Luna he's fine don't worry too much" France patted her head in an attempt to console her. Athena sat in front of her, giving her hand a light squeeze hoping that she will be alright. It was not like they never searched for Toby, earlier that week, the rest of them went on a hunt to find him but the address from his file that Lexus managed to sneak out from the faculty room seems to be an old one. The new owner of the house moved in last year and didn't know a thing about Toby or his family.
School ended slowly and when the final bell rang, Luna went straight to Lexus's car, too eager to be in her room to drown herself in sadness. She sent him another message, praying and hoping that Toby would reply.
To Tobias the Great: When will you be back? School's boring without you here.
Tobias the Great is typing ...
From Tobias the Great: Missing me already aren't we Miss Grumpy?
To Tobias the Great: Yeah, I'm missing you a lot! Come back to school now or I'll eat your secret stash of Sour Patch on your desk!
Tobias the Great is typing ...
From Tobias the Great: Don't you dare Miss Greene.
To Tobias the Great: Are you okay? I'm worried.
Tobias the Great is typing ...
To Tobias the Great: Cooper?
Tobias the Great is typing ...
To Tobias the Great: Come back to school already ...
Tobias the Great is typing ...
5 minutes
Tobias the Great is typing ...
10 minutes
Tobias the Great is typing ...
20 minutes
Tobias the Great is offline.
Tears started falling off her eyes as she waited for Toby's reply. Wondering if he was alright, wondering what was happening to him on that very moment, and as the train of thoughts kept on coming to her head, Luna felt more and more restless and anxious.
She tried dialing his number, but the call went straight to voicemail again.
"Where are you, Toby?" she mumbled like a silent plea in the darkness of the night. The last few weeks was a complete hell without Toby's presence, something that she wasn't used to.
The door to her room suddenly opened, which caught her by surprise, her tear-stained face was quite a sight to see but Caleb seems to be more worried than horrified to see her in that state. Without wasting any time, Luna ran straight to his arms causing him to stumble a little.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her, but Luna can't seem to find her voice to speak and tell her brother the reason why she's like a mess right now.
"Is it about Toby?" Caleb tried again, just the sound of his name was enough to make her burst into tears. Burying her face on her brother's chest.
Caleb let her cry in his arms for the next few minutes without saying a word, and when the wailing stops, he handed her a glass of water that she gladly takes.
"Will you tell me what happened now?" so and so she did, Luna told him everything, from Toby's two weeks absences to her journey to find his place and everything in between. Like always, Caleb listened attentively.
"You just have to wait for him Luna, it's Toby we're talking about here. All you can do is patiently wait for him to comeback. Maybe he's doing something important, or he really caught a bad flu. Just wait for him, okay?"
"But--"
"No buts Lana, just give him a little more time, okay?" Lulu bid her good night, and just like that, she was all alone again. Her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling and her mind wandering about Toby. The sound of Toby's playlist was the only comfort that she knew for the last couple of days, letting the words sink into her soul, waiting for the darkness to devour her and put her into slumber.
"I miss you," she whispered into the dark, hoping and praying that Toby will be at school again tomorrow, waiting for her on their seats at the end of their room with a book on his hand and the other on her heart.
12:45 AM
New Message
From Tobias the Great: I will.
——
Expectations is the root of all heartaches; it was one of Toby's favorite quotes from Shakespeare. And for once, Luna finally understood those words. It's been three long weeks since she last saw Toby, and a week since he sent her a message.
I will, he said but until now there's no sign of Tobias Amadeus Cooper in her life.
"Mom, can we go now? You're only seeing the doctor for a test you're not marrying him! Come on you've been there for an hour already!" she was banging on her mother's door for the fifth time that morning. But boy, the woman was way too persistent in making her wait.
Luna was assigned as her mother's designated chaperon for the day. She has a doctor's appointment for a regular check-up, the Maximillian Clan has a long history of chronic heart failure, and everyone in the family, included her and Caleb needs to get check every year month.
"Honey, five more minutes!" her mother yelled back, making the poor Luna growl in frustration. It was passed nine in the morning, and they have to be in the hospital by ten. But with her mother attitude, Luna can already tell that they would be late.
Finally giving up, she went downstairs, grabbing a slice of cold pizza and chicken from the fridge. Waiting ever so patiently while devouring her food, looking back and forth form the stairs and the clock on the wall. After another fifteen minutes, the great Luan Maximilian Greene finally descended the stairs, the sight of her in a low V-neck mid-thigh strappy dress almost choked Luna to death.
"What the hell? What are you wearing Mom!?" Luna was in between shock and anger at how her mother look, but her mother just shrugged her off. Watching her leave walking away towards the shoe cabinet.
Gaining her composure back, Luna quickly pulled out her phone, snapping a photo of her mother in that dress and sending it as quickly as humanly possible to her brother. And viola, in just a matter of seconds, Caleb Louise Green was calling on the phone.
"Mom Lulu wants to talk to you!" Her mother furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Luna handed her the phone.
"Luan Maximilian Greene you're not leaving the house wearing that dress or I'll be calling dad!" Caleb's furious voice echoed into the room; Luna smirked in satisfaction while watching her mother lose her composure.
"Ugh! I'm still your mother Caleb Louise! "
"Get change now Mom!" Caleb ordered sternly, her brother was way too protective of her but that doesn't mean that their mother would escape his overbearing personality either, especially in their father's absence, Caleb has to deal with her and their mother drama for the most part of his life. Not that any of them was complaining about it.
"Fine!" their mother stormed out of the room, tossing the phone back to Luna who catches it expertly.
"She's changing now?"
"Yeah, well done Lulu. What's with her and dressing up like a teenager every time she goes to the hospital anyway?"
"Remind me not to let mom go to the hospital on her own. The coach is here Luna, call me as soon as the appointment ends, okay? Drive safely, love you!" Caleb was in UCLA for football try out along with most of the seniors from Bridgewood.
"Good luck Lulu, love you too!"
An hour and a half later, Luna and her mother arrived at Oakwood's Medical Hospital in a fashionable late manner. The attending nurse welcomed them with a frown, not that anyone could blame them when they were half an hour late for their appointment, Caleb called Dr. Morris in advance and change their mother schedule but they still weren't able to make it in time.
"Mrs. Greene? This way please," The nurse ushered her mother into the room, leaving her all alone in the eerie corridor with nothing but a good show playing on her phone. She was too busy to catch up with her favorite show these past few weeks, the examination will last for an hour at most, giving her enough time to finish the latest episode of Riverdale.
Luna was too engrossed with her phone when she felt something fell into her feet with a soft thud.
"Oh dear, are you alright?" Luna lowered herself to help the child up from the cold floor.
"Timmy's fine," the child said in a cute little voice, his red round cheeks and pouty lips melting her heart in an instant.
"Hi Timmy, I'm Luna,"
"Hi Luna,"
"Are you lost? Do you want me to help you?
"Timmy's not lost. Mom says to go to my brother's room first," Timmy replied proudly, his warm blue eyes shining brightly as he stared back at her. How could someone let such an adorable child wandered on his own?
"Do you know where's your brother's room?"
"Oh, Timmy knows!" he smiled proudly.
"Come. I'll take you to your brother," Luna extended her hand for him to take, but Timmy just stared blankly at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you carry me? Timmy's tired," Luna couldn't hide her amusement with Timmy's cheeky behavior but she ended up succumbing to his little request.
"Okay Timmy, let's go to your brother's room,"
Turns out, finding Timmy's brother room was easier said than done. They had been roaming around the third floor of Oakwood's Medical Hospital for what felt like forever, Timmy was heavier that he looks, and Luna was struggling really hard to keep up with him.
"Timmy are you sure you know where's your brother's room?" Luna asked for the third time, wondering if the child was messing with her on purpose. Timmy places his small fingers under his chin, looking around in a serious manner as if his brother's room would appear magically.
"There!" Timmy pointed triumphantly at the last room on the floor, Luna crossed the distance in an instant, as much as she likes Timmy, her arms had suffered enough for the day.
"Timmy's here!" He squealed happily as he entered the room, Luna peek inside wondering if it was indeed the room that they were searching for; a single bed occupying the room with a long sofa near the floor to ceiling window, it was a private room for sure, Luna thought as she watched Timmy's wandering inside the room on his own.
Her phone rings, stopping her from entering the room further. It was her mother.
"Yes mom?"
"Where are you?"
"Oh, it's a long story mom, I'm helping a kid to go to his brother's room we're on the upstairs. Are you done with your exam?"
"Not yet, unfortunately Dr. Morris got a little emergency. He'll just reschedule my exam next week," her mother sounded more cheerful than usual enough to scare the shit out of her.
"And what's this so-called emergency?"
"Oh, honey what are you talking about?"
"Mo—"
"I'll be on this little cafe near the hospital, meet me there after your adventure, okay? Take care honey, I love you," Her mother hung up before she could even pry more about the situation, she had a bad feeling about it, taking a mental note to ask her mother about it later.
"Timmy's got a new friend!" Timmy's voice caught her attention, wondering if the boy was now talking to his brother, Luna entered the room slowly, oblivious of the fact that her world was bound to fall apart in one single step.
"Luna?"
"Toby!?"