Butterfly Wings

Chapter 9

Toby's POV

I'm not sure how we got here. I was just drying the dishes a moment ago and now we were running around the shop. He had grabbed a can of whipped cream and I was armed with my towel. I was behind the bookcase, listening for him. I heard the floor creek from behind me and when I turned around, no one was there. Then a British laugh echoed through the old coffee shop. I had no idea where he was, until he sprayed me with a can of whipped cream.

"Hey!" I shouted, swatting the cream. "I need that for coffee." I whipped him with the towel.

"Ok, ok. I surrender!" He said as he backed into the chair. I walked off behind the bar and began to clean myself off. I then took a mop to the mess on the floor. 

"You're going to get me fired on my first day." 

"Nah, people love my charm." He winked. "And the owner isn't even here." I put the mop back as sat on the floor in front of him.  

"Ashley used to bully me back in middle school and elementary." I said picking at my metallic nail polish. 

"Oh."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm like this now." I took a deep breath, ready to tell him everything. It's not like the whole school didn't already know what I was like before. "When I was adopted I was a little bit over weight and had this ugly, dull brown hair. My face was always covered with acne and I was just, never happy. Ashley and everyone else would pick on me."

"I see." Ethan said as he sat up straight. 

"I got really depressed and had to go to therapy, which never worked. I began cutting and suicidal." I sighed. "And it didn't help any that my sister was this perfect, skinny blonde that had everything going for her. She even had parents, too." 

"So how did this happen?" He said gesturing to what I looked like now.

"In eighth grade, Parker asked me out. We dated for a month and I fell for him, hard. I thought it was so perfect and magical and that fairytales did come true, but it was all a joke. He did it as a joke and everyone but me was in on it." I blinked to hold back tears. "So that summer I cut my hair and died it. I lost weight using some not so good tricks. I went with Chelsea, my sister, to a spa and got rid of all my acne. I bought all new clothes and changed myself into this." 

"Wow." He said with nothing more. 

"It's not that I didn't like who I was before, but I like myself better now."

"I understand." He said leaning back in the chair. "I used to be a real nerd." He laughed and I looked up not feeling so self conscious. "I had these real big glasses and, uh I was a mess." He waved his hand as if dismissing the past. "But I got contacts, piercings and joined a band. Man, were the band mates upset when I had to leave. They promised to look after my mother, though."

"Your were in a band?" I asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, wasn't the best though." He said with a far away look in his eyes. We sat there quiet for a while.

"Well, my shift is over in a few, so I'ma head home." I said standing up. I brushed off my pants which were probably covered in dust and dirt. "I have to lock up." I said grabbing my bag.

"Oh, yeah." Ethan said as he stood up and stretched. I held the door open for him as we walked out. I locked it and then headed to my car. "Nice car." He said as he pointed at the white nexus. 

"It was Chelsea's." I said calling to him from across the parking lot. I started the car and headed home. 

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