𝑩𝒆𝒓𝒌

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

The sound of a tray being placed onto the wooden surface seemed to echo throughout Toby's head, causing the boy to grumble in slight annoyance. He was covering his ears with his hands and his eyes were fixated on the smooth, wooden table beneath him. His food was untouched, but what was unusual was that his book was nowhere in sight.

Jane rose an eyebrow as she sat down. "Something bothering you?" She asked, with a small head tilt.

Toby hesitantly uncovered his ears and laid his arms on the table. He looked up to Jane, sighing. "I got grounded." He hesitantly answered with a quiet and tired voice.

Jane's eyes widened as she laughed a bit, "No way! What did you do?" She asked, clearly finding Toby's out of character actions amusing.

Toby paused, averting his gaze to his plate, "Snuck into a batch of mead near the Hall... I then got drunk." He answered, hesitantly.

Jane's eyes widened as the girl snorted, shaking her head. "Goody two shoes getting hammered, who'd thought?" She teased.

Toby chuckled slightly, shaking his head as his chapped lips formed a faint smile. "Never again." He retorted, "Apparently I yelled at Toothless a bit and gave Tim some trouble."

Jane shook her head as she gently stabbed her food with her fork, "Ah, I would've never expected this from you- minus the Toothless part, you clearly have something against the poor thing." She replied, "I don't get how, he's adorable."

Toby shrugged, "Well, to you it'll always be one of life's great mysteries, even if I did explain myself." He retorted as he finally picked up a fork to stir his food slightly, even though it was unneeded, "And, it honestly wasn't worth it. The mead tastes horrid, almost as bad as Mom's Yaknog." Toby stated, earning a snort from the ravenette, "And, it honestly didn't make me feel any better."

"Either the mead's off or the Yaknog recipe has rapidly improved." Jane giggled as she shook her head. "And from what I heard, when Mr Jorgenson tried it for the first time he cried." She added, trying to refrain from laughing, looking to Toby to see his reaction, which was a small chuckle.

"Honestly don't blame him. Don't know why Dad hasn't told her how bad it is, yet." Toby muttered, with a small shrug, "It's why I dread Snoggletog." He joked, before sighing, "But no, it's still the same, disgusting and chunky drink it always has been."

At the description alone, Jane pulled a face; cringing. "Yuck." She giggled, shaking her head, before she sighed. She took a bite of her food, and when she'd swallowed it she moved onto her next question. "So, uh, what does you being grounded actually entail since I've never seen you outside and with people, unless it's class."

Toby shrugged a bit, "Well that's the thing. I go outside a lot, I just don't meet up with anyone, you know? Just embrace the calmer side of life I guess." He replied, with a jaded expression and exasperation. The boy hesitantly stabbed a piece of food with his fork, resting his scarred cheek in his left hand as he ate. "And, well, basically after this I just stay in all day, and night, maybe help around the house a bit." He answered. It was clear that Toby wasn't proud of what he did last night, but at the same time he seemed rather displeased with being grounded, too. It was an odd conundrum for Jane, as she understood his parent's response, and- well, she didn't know why Toby did what he did.

Jane paused, nodding a bit as she listened to Toby's answer, yet she couldn't help but theorize why Toby acted the way he did. Maybe this was normal lashing out from a troubled teenager? She didn't know, and she was getting her common urge to try and help him again. "Hey, uh.." She began, slightly awkwardly, with a small head tilt as her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed in confusion. "So, why did you actually do that in the first place?" She asked.

"Hey, look." Toby stated, seemingly changing conversation immediately, as he motioned over to a table on the opposite side of the Hall- sitting up straighter so he could get a clearer view. "Jeff's not sitting with us." He finished, with a small smile, clearly happy about the boy's absents. Jane hesitantly looked behind her, a soft smile gracing her features upon seeing the bully pick a seat with a different crowd; one that he liked. However, she looked back to Toby, sighing.

"Yeah, that's great and all but you didn't answer my question." She mumbled, averting her gaze, which caused Toby to sigh in return.

"That's because you ask too many questions." He retorted, before taking another bite of his food, looking down at the plate and it's contents with a soft hum.

"I'm just trying to help, Toby, that's what friends do." Jane said, softly as a concerned and worried expression painted her features.

Toby scoffed slightly as he shook his head and raised his eyebrows, "Look, Jane, has it ever occurred to you that I just don't need help?" Toby asked, "And, that maybe I just want someone I can listen to talk or just make jokes with? I'm not a little kid anymore." He wasn't wrong- the majority of his child-like features had gone. His skin was paler, and his cheeks had flattened a bit, not to mention that both his freckles and the brightness in his eyes had faded- and instead had been replaced with thick bags under his eyes. He was short for his age- 5'5- but was still taller than a child would be, and had a lanky frame.

A sigh escaped Jane as she shook her head, "Toby, everyone needs help once in a while." She told him, a hopeful look in her eyes that he would open up, finally.

Toby nodded slightly, "I know that, Jane, but this isn't a time that I need help, just let it go." He replied, shaking his head.