More than meets the eye

Chapter 20

Tobin woke up with a horrible sunburn and a raven picking at her jeans. She realized what was going on and quickly swatted at it. Apparently she had passed out in the park.. The place where she let down all of her walls.. Where she confessed everything to Alex... Alex. How she missed her so.

It hurt to move her body and her eyes burned from all the crying and the brightness of the sun. She had no idea what time it was, but she was certain that she was missing school right now. Wait no...what day was it? It was hard for her to keep track of anything since recent events. Tobin hadn't seen Hope in she didn't know how long...a few days, had it been a full week? She had been by their apartment for sure, but they hadn't crossed paths.

Kelley and Alex had been there too.

Or maybe it was just Kelley. Hell she guessed it could have been anyone on the soccer team. Kelley had a key and could have given it to any of them so she wouldn't have to run into her or Hope. When Tobin walked in the apartment all of Alex's things were gone. Not a single tangible trace of the soccer player could be found.

But Tobin saw traces of Alex everywhere she looked. She pictured Alex in every single corner of the apartment. All she could see was Alex in the kitchen cooking.. Alex sitting at the tiny dining table.. Alex laughing in amusement in the middle of their bedroom.. And the bed, well she couldn't even look at that. Too many memories of she and Alex making love would pop into her head.

Sighing to herself, she got up off her ass and looked around. She saw the sandpit, a lone basketball goal with a broken net, the swing sets..

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." The voice made her jump.

"Carl," she said with no emotion.

"Heath."

"What do you want man?"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked. "Better yet, have you been drinking?"

"No I haven't." She picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels and handed it to him. "And I'm on my way right now, so if that's all you needed, then I'm going to go home to shower and change."

Carl looked at her skeptically. He was driving in his squad car when he noticed a body laying on the ground. Thinking the worst, he quickly ran over to the body only to discover that it was Tobin Heath. He had seen the bottle of beer beside her and could only assume that she had been drinking.

She had been in the shadows for weeks now and he was starting to wonder what was going on with her. But there was something about finally seeing her after all this time. She looked different. Her demeanor was different.

"What's been going on with you Heath?" She looked at him with tired eyes.

"You know Carl, I'm just not the same person I used to be. I've changed believe it or not. I can assure you that you won't be hearing about me ever again."

"Just like that? You just changed?" he asked.

"It didn't happen over night. But you know what they say.. Once you meet the right person, you change and its always for the better."

"It's one of those girls isn't it? The ones you were leaving the game with." She nodded.

"Look man, my skin hurts, my head hurts, my eyes hurt, my heart hurts and I've already missed some of school. I've got to get going."

"I'll give you a ride." She gave him a look, but nodded anyway. She had ran all the way over here, and the walk back to her place wouldn't be a short one.

"Thanks."

..

Tobin pulled into parking spot furthest from the school on her motorcycle. Moments after, Hope's jeep pulled in right beside her. They made eye contact, silently speaking to each other. They were both tired, they were both lost and lonely, they both regretted so many things that they couldn't even name.