The Search for Serenity

5 - Rumours

- Alice -

With my brows furrowed and face heated in annoyance, I place a hand on my chest to calm my racing heat, the muscle beating so hard I'm shocked it hasn't broken free from the confines of my ribcage. 

"Did you have to do that? You scared the living daylights out of me," I huff, blowing a strand of hair out of my face as I turn to put my camera down next to my bag, no longer in the mood to take pictures. "You could have simply said, 'hey, Alice, brooding teenager here just creeping around the woods,'" I mutter.

I hear Toby stifle a breathy laugh behind me. I whip around to face him, eyes squinted with a hand perched on my hip. "Something funny?"

I don't know where the sudden burst of boldness has come from, perhaps the need to cover up my humiliation or the will to wipe the smug look off his face, even if it's a better option that the stoic looks that I've gotten from Toby before.

"I already called your name before I reached you. Twice, actually," he states with a finger on his chin, mocking thoughtfulness, "I guess you were too busy stalking this poor bridge to hear me." Toby shrugs as he places a hand into his jacket pocket.

I stammer, racking through my brain for some kind of comeback to hide my further embarrassment and save my pride, but fail considerably. Only a small 'oh' passes my lips. I squint my eyes at him, a question coming to mind.

"What are you doing out here anyways?" I say, my tone slightly accusatory.

He lifts up the sketchbook that I didn't notice he was carrying until now. "I come here to sketch sometimes."

I look away, humming in response. I simply cannot open my mouth without embarrassing myself, can I?

"The surroundings are nice, though, I don't blame you for coming out here to take pictures," He speaks up, surprising me that he continued our conversation.

I perk up in interest, clearing my throat. "Yeah, I love it. The atmosphere is so surreal sometimes." I smile as I look around.

He hums, mirroring my actions, seeming to admire our surroundings too.

I turn my attention away, taking notice of the rapidly greying sky and the awkwardness and unfamiliarity in the silence. I pick up my bag, packing away my camera. "I should get going, it'll be dark soon and it's gonna rain at any moment now."

As I turn my back, he speaks up, but not in response to what I said.

"I'm curious, why'd you do it?"

I turn around to face him. His head is tilted back, eyes squinted as he watches me. Slight confusion bubbles up in my mind regarding his question. "Do what?"

"Bring me my drawing? You could have just left it or thrown it away, but you didn't. Why?"

His scepticism further perplexes me. I furrow my brows, not understanding what he's getting at. "What do you mean?"

He takes a step forward, standing before me. "You know I'm the 'weirdo' loner, right? It's impossible not to have heard the rumours. I'm weird to some because apparently not conforming to what people expect you to be makes you less worthy of a person," he scoffs, "you seem like someone with many friends. So why risk being seem around me?" He questions, the shorter distance between us now allowing him to study every small expression on my face.

I pause and look away, contemplating my words before meeting his gaze.

"Rumours are what they are, just rumours. You seem like a normal human being, just as I am. Appearances and gossip don't tell you anything about who a person is, it's who they actually are and what they put out into the worlds that determines who they are. But no one can make a judgement about anyone unless we actually get to know them. Am I wrong?"

Before I let him speak again, I add, "and even if you were 'weird'," I make quotation marks with my hands, "who has the right to treat you with any less kindness or respect as anyone else?"

A contemplative expression takes over Toby's features as I speak, then he nods and looks down at the ground before meeting my eyes again, a breathy laugh leaving him. "You didn't answer my question."

"I think I did, but to be more direct, I don't know why. Perhaps it was curiosity or kindness, or both. Or maybe something else entirely. Just remember, you were the one that left it behind in the first place." I say with a tease in my tone.

"Ah, yes, but you were the one staring," he fires back, grinning as I stumble over my words.

Eventually, I end up huffing. "I wasn't staring."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, you're simply confused." I stifle a laugh.

He nods, "I see." He definitely doesn't believe me.

As he stands closer to me, the breeze that has now picked up to a stronger wind blows the smell of his cologne in my direction. I watch his dark hair as it flutters. Toby's facial features up-close are all the more perfect that I initially thought. His slight dark circles are somewhat attractive and his hair has hints of dark brown in it. I didn't notice before but my height reaches his chin and the green of his eyes are more striking than any shade of green I've seen out in these woods in any season.

"You're doing it again."

I snap out of my thoughts. "Doing what?"

"Staring."

I roll my eyes and burst out laughing, stepping away from him as if it'd prove a point. I look back at him to catch the sight of a smile on his face as he chuckles, his dimples now on full display. I decide in this very moment that I want to know more about Toby, to see more of his smile. In all the times I've passed him in school, I hadn't seen it once before today.

"So what were you just doing, hm?" I flip the accusation back onto him, raising my brows and folding my arms, the wind causing goosebumps to raise on my skin. I regret not bringing a coat.

Toby seems to notice and passes me his sketchbook. I take it hesitantly, watching as he shrugs of his jacket. I stand there incredulously as he holds it out toward me, gesturing for me to take it.

I shake my head, "Oh, no, I'm fine, really. Thank you." I say politely, stepping backwards with slight embarrassment.

Toby simply tilts his head, a stubborn expression on his face. "Just take the jacket, Alice."

The look on his face leaves no room for argument, so I shyly take it from his hands, muttering a small thank you. I pass him his sketchbook back and slip on the much-too-big jacket, the sleeves hanging past my hands as the grey material practically drowns me. I'm encased in Toby's scent as his body warmth that lingers soothes the cold on my skin.

I look back up at Toby, feeling his eyes watch my face.

"Thank you," I speak softly, my cheeks nearly burning under his gaze, the humour in our last conversation not forgotten. "Will you be okay, though? I don't want you to get sick or something because of me—"

"I'll be fine, trust me. This works just fine," He gestures to the grey sweater with the collar of a white shirt peeking through that he wears.

I nod, still sceptical. "Okay, if you're sure—"

"I am."

"Then thank you, again. I should really get going, though. I'll see you around?" I ask, hopeful.

"You sure will, starer. Besides, I'll need my jacket back much more than I needed my drawing back. I'm okay with you stealing my art. My jacket, however? That's crossing the line." He speaks with a joking smirk as he walks past me, leaving me to laugh to myself.

I shake my head and roll my eyes, a chuckle escaping my lips. I turn and watch as he walks away. It's fair to say I much prefer this encounter to our last, it was a nice way to end the day. I turn to head home, wrapping the jacket around my body as the wind picks up, a light patter of rain now tapping against the leaves above my head.

It was surely an... interesting interaction, to say the least.

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A/N -

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