Eleven O'Clock Number

MUSICAL #4: SWEET CHARITY

04: WE ALL TURN A BLIND EYE TO IMMENSELY LARGE BODIES OF WATER SOMETIMES

« wow, this place is sure full of celebrities. i'm the only one in here i've never heard of. »

ALLISON IS OF the personal opinion that school trips are some of the most pointless things ever to exist, right up there alongside putting cushions on beds and involuntary public speaking and musicals (although she's very sure that if she ever said the latter to Toby she would be treated to many long weeks of pointed silence and hurt puppy-dog eyes). 

At the very top of her list of things I do not ever want to do in my life time is the senior year's adventure to the local farm.

The local farm.

Allison had no idea that farms are a thing in a city such as New York. But apparently they are, because here she is with her entire senior class on a grey and rainy morning, in front of Anderson's Farm, where they're all meant to be picking their own strawberries. 

Call her stupid, but she doesn't think strawberries can be picked halfway through September. 

"Alright, guys, listen up!"

People are reluctant to turn their attention to the teacher - but really, they're reluctant to do anything, because it's half past nine in the morning and it's raining and they're all missing their beds. Looking around, Allison can't see anyone who looks even close to happy - Lydia is annoyed because farms deprive her from wearing her custom four inch heels and she doesn't like being shorter than everyone else, Daniel is still mourning the decision to leave his raincoat on the bus, Emmett doesn't like being told by Lydia not to stand near her because he's 'too nerdy' because he feels like he's being subjected to a restraining order and either way he wasn't planning on standing near Lydia, anyway, Derek, quite frankly, looks like he may have overdosed on the medical marijuana that he announced the discovery of in his father's study two months ago and has been taking ever since, and Laura looks like she'd very much rather be anywhere else on the planet.

At any rate, the only person who doesn't look severely depressed or exhausted to the point of collapsing is, predictably, Toby. 

And Allison very much wants to punch that stupid happy smile off his stupid face. 

"This is so cool!" she hears him whisper far too loudly to Daniel, who's standing next to him. 

"No, man," Daniel says tiredly. "It's not cool. It's rainy. And dark. And cold."

 "You just aren't positive enough," Toby tells his best friend. Allison wonders absently whether there's a ever a scenario during which Toby isn't annoyingly optimistic. Their current situation (on a strawberry farm in upstate New York standing in what is bordering on torrential rain) doesn't exactly encourage positivity, but here he is, grin and all, trying to pass on some of his cheerfulness to his best friend.

Allison is equal parts creeped out and awed.

"So, a volunteer to hand out the baskets...thank you, Mr Martin!"

Toby relieves the teacher of the aforementioned baskets with a wide smile. Allison rolls her eyes.

"Hey Allison, hey Lydia!" he greets the pair of them happily, handing them each a basket. "Excited for strawberry picking?"

"Totally," Lydia says dryly. Toby, however, doesn't seem to catch onto the sarcasm. 

"Me too!" he exclaims. "I love strawberries!"