Stolen Love

“Have you seen the new boy Toby yet?”

I looked at my sister across the lunch table. “No,” I said. I was lying, trying to get out of the conversation and leave lunch as fast as I could. I had seen the new boy. We had 1st period together, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of asking me 20 questions.

“He’s so hot. I wonder if he has a girlfriend. Do you think he has one?” she asked as he walked by us.

I mentally rolled my eyes. My sister, Varissa was so boy-crazy that all the boys she knew/met she was interested in. “I don't know, Rissa. He is kind of cute, I guess. I mean, in a dumb jock way.”

She gave me a look. “You're not stealing my boyfriend,” she said sarcastically.

“He’s not your boyfriend, Rissa,” I pointed out.

“He will be my boyfriend.” she protested.

I made a noise. “Whatever you say. When you get your heart broken, I told you so.” She got up and went to class, leaving me behind at the table.

I stood up and tried to catch up to her, but the swarm of kids was too much, and I bumped into somebody and fell. Someone caught me before I hit the floor, and I looked up to thank my savior. It was the new boy.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded, trying to regain my balance.“What’s your name?” I ask him.

“Toby. What’s your name?” he asks, letting me go.

“Freya.”

“That's a pretty name for a pretty girl,” he said. I rolled my eyes. “Do you wanna hang out?” he asked. I gave him a look that suggested he was going a little fast for my comfort, and he laughed. “I need help on my homework, Freya. When can you come over?” he asked.

“That’s sudden Toby. As long as you don't do anything stupid, and ALL we are doing is studying”

“I won’t.”

The bell rang, and I grabbed my stuff out of my locker, Toby beside me. “Maybe Saturday,” I said, and he gave me his number, not asking for mine. I went to my car, and Toby left, the conversation over. I got into my car and turned my music on and since Rissa went home with a friend, the sound of Jessie Murph filled the car, nothing like the music she listened to, which she made me listen to every time she rode with me. I started to sing along and pulled onto the highway.

When I got home, I opened the door, and my mom was asleep on the couch. I grabbed a blanket and threw it over her. I went to my room and started my homework.

Someone Facetimed me, from a number I didn't know.

“Hello?” I asked.

It was Toby. He grinned at me.

“I didn't give you my number Toby,” I said, annoyed.

“I know,” he said. “One of your friends gave it to me.”

I rolled my eyes, and he smirked.

“What do you want, Toby?” I asked.

“I want to be your friend.”

“Huh?” I asked. I was so confused, that I hung up, worried he was playing a prank on me.

He didn't text back right away. I was lying in my bed, watching TV. I had just taken a shower, and my hair was wet when he FaceTimed me, and I answered it.

“Did you just get out of the shower?” he asked when I answered.

“Um….yeah,” I said.

“Your hair is pretty when it’s wet,” he said. “Not to be weird, but it shimmers when it’s wet.”

“Thank you. Are you here to annoy me? If so, just call my sister. She likes you.”

“Well, I’m not. The whole point of me calling you is so you know I don't like your sister,” he said

“Why would I care?”

“Because you like me,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “You annoy me, Toby.” I hung up.

He texted me seconds later.

Proves I'm right.

Does not.

He didn’t text back.

***

The next day, he avoided me. Even though I hated what he said, I couldn't help but stare at him during the first period. Every once in a while, he would look at me and smile, then I wouldn't look for twenty minutes. But, I could feel his eyes on me. When the bell rang, I stayed away from him and ensured I didn't fall again. When I made it home, I had a new message from Toby.

Let's talk about yesterday.

What is there to talk about??

I just wanted to apologize for my behavior towards you the other day. It’s okay. I said some pretty rude stuff.

What I said was worse...I accused you of liking me. If you don't, that's fine.

It’s fine.

I lay back in my bed thinking about him, when Rissa came into my room, crying.

“What’s wrong, Riss?” I asked as she threw herself onto my bed.

“Toby doesn't like me!!” she said, covering her head with my blanket. “He likes this other girl he’s been talking to!” she sobbed. “D-Do you kn-know wh-who it is?” she asked, looking at me with swollen eyes.

I shook my head and rubbed her shoulders. Toby could be talking to anyone, it doesn't have to be me, I thought to myself. My phone dinged. It was a message from Toby, of all people.

Where did you go???

I told your sister I didn't like her.

“Who is that?” she asked when I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“Nobody,” I said.

“Let me see,” she protested. She grabbed my phone and gasped when she saw the messages.

“Freya,” she said, looking at me in disbelief.

“It’s not what it looks like, Rissa. He started texting me first.”

“You knew I liked him, and you texted him anyway! I can't even trust my sister. You went behind my back and texted my crush, Freya.”

“I didn’t know he liked me okay!? I don’t want him to like me! I don't like him.”

“The blush on your cheeks and the fact you're trying to defend yourself proves you do, Freya. I am never talking to you again!” she ran out of my room, slamming the door. I texted Toby back as soon as the door to Varissa’s room closed with a snap.

Guess who’s mad at me because of YOU.

Varissa?

YES.

Well, she’s just jealous.

I didn't text him back. I couldn't stand to talk to anyone, I was so angry at myself, for falling for a guy I barely met, AND who was my sister’s crush, Toby, for being irresistible, and for making things worse between me and Riss and Rissa, for overreacting about this. It took me three days to text him back after that conversation, but before that, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. He texted me before class ended three days later.

I apologize for any problems I caused between you and Rissa. It was not my intention. Please forgive my mistake. I will try my best to make things right and ensure this does not happen again.

I forgive you, I just don't understand who else you would like if not her.

Isn’t it obvious?

No…..

I like you, Freya.

Oh…….I can’t. It would make Rissa hate me even more.

Who cares? Will you go out with me?

Let me think about it.

Take all the time you need.

*** TWO WEEKS LATER

Are you ready?

I’ll be right out.

If you can probably guess…Toby and I are together. My sister still doesn't know, and we have been spending a lot of time together, “studying” as you would call it, under her very watchful eye.

She doesn't talk to me much anymore, and she cries more than ever. Her friends all give me bad looks when I walk by them. Toby tells me she will get over it eventually.

I walk out the door, and he whistles. “You realize we're just going to see my brother? You don't have to get all dressed up. You're pretty anyway.” I smiled. He opened the car door for me, and we drove to his brother’s house. His brother fist-bumped Toby and hugged me. I stepped back to give his brother a good look and tried to hide my blush, so Toby didn’t see it. I think his brother saw it, though, because he winked at me when Toby had his back to us, walking up the stairs. We made it into his living room, and Toby’s hand brushed mine. I looked at him and he smiled. “Freya, this is my brother Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Freya.”

I shook Jonathan’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He nodded and shook it back. “You too.”

Jonathan offered us a seat on the couch. I took a seat on one side of him, and Toby took the other. Jonathan asked us what we wanted to watch on Netflix, and we all agreed on The Fault in Our Stars. We sat back to watch it, and when it was done, we sat and talked about anything we could think of, laughing at the funny bits. When I was breathless and red three hours later, Toby decided we should go. Jonathan hugged us both before we left, slipping something into my jacket pocket. I waited until I was locked in my room to open it. It was a note.

Freya,

I wanted you to have my number, in case you needed it.

Jonathan

His number was underneath that. I programmed his number in and threw the note away. Toby called, and I answered it. We talked for a few hours, and he fell asleep. I stayed on the phone with him, until I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning with a text from Rissa.

Get down here now, there's someone here to see you.

Okay.

I got up and rushed down the stairs. I heard voices in the living room, so I went there. Toby and my parents were sitting on the couches, along with Rissa. Toby stood up and grabbed my arm. “We need to talk, in private.” I nodded, and we went upstairs to my room, my parents giving me sympathetic looks, Rissa looking mad. I closed the door to my room, and he told me to sit down.

“I’m breaking up with you,” he said. I looked at him, surprised. “We’re not working. I don't feel the spark anymore, and I would rather you be happy than suffer.” I stared at him in shock. I shook my head in disbelief, and tears started running down my face.

“What do you mean, Toby?” I asked.

“I saw the way you looked at my brother yesterday, Freya. You never looked at me like that, and I realized that when I saw him look at you the same way. You love him. Maybe more than you ever loved me. But, it’s okay, because I’ve moved on. I want to be your friend though, and I think that we’ll be really good friends. Maybe better than when we were in a relationship. I still love you though, and I know enough about loving someone to let you go.”

He stood up and left, closing the door behind him. I cried for a few hours, and I didn’t come out of my room for a few days. I woke up Friday morning, grabbed my phone off my nightstand, and texted Jonathan.

I need your help.

Anything. What’s wrong?

How he knew who it was, I don't know.

I need to get out of the house. I need something to keep me from being sad. Your brother hurt me, and I need someone/something to pull me out into the light.

I understand. I’m here for you Freya.

I’m on my way, I’ll be there in 10 minutes.

I’ll be ready when you get here.

I got out of bed, changed my clothes, brushed my hair, got my keys, and got in my car. The drive to Jonathan’s house was shorter than expected, and he was waiting for me when I got out of the car. We went in, and it looked different from the last time I had seen it. It looked like he had taken everything off the walls. “I removed every picture that Toby was in…I didn’t want you to get upset. I want you to be comfortable here.”

I looked up into his eyes. “I didn't have anywhere else to go.” He nodded. I sat on the couch, he sat in a chair.

“What do you wanna do?” he asked.

“Can we just talk?” I asked.

“Of course. This relationship needs to be based on trust.” he looked at me, his eyes asking the question that his mouth didn’t.

“I’m not ready to be in a serious relationship, Jonathan. At least, not yet, not right now. Not after Toby. Toby hurt me, and that will take a while to get over. I wanted you to know that, before you got your hopes up, and then got disappointed. Maybe, let’s start slow. ” I looked at him, eyes burning. Tears started slipping down my cheeks, and he instantly reached up to wipe them away.

He forced me to look into his eyes. “Freya, look at me. I can wait as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere, at least, if you don't want me to.”

He moved to the couch beside me, and I moved closer to him. “I don't,” I said.

He sighed in relief. “Can I hold you?” he asked hesitantly.

I nodded, and he sighed again, wrapping his arms around me. I put my head on his chest, and we continued talking. I think I fell asleep like that, to the sound of his voice, his arms around me, the problem with Toby and my sister long forgotten.