Tales That Toby Tell - 19. The End Is Nearer

After hitch-hiking I was able to get home by afternoon, still clutching Connor's letter. I totally ignored my dad when he asked me why I looked so miserable. Thankfully he didn't bother me. I fell to my bed in sheer exhaustion. My main priority was finding Connor before it's too late but it was complicated. Do I tell his parents? what about mine? And what will happen to Josh?

That's when I remembered that I never really finished the letter.

"...I feel really horrible for doing this but I just need to start over. Start something new. If you go to my house you'll find some items of mine hidden in my closet. Burn them and don't tell my mother I'm gone"

How dare he do this? How dare he leave me and still ask of me to do him a favour? I was still angry when I decided to shut my window and just fall into a deep slumber but my dad walked into my room unannounced.

"Josh just called...asked if you got home safely" he said with a slightly suspicious look.

"You whaaa?" my dad asked confused which almost made me laugh. "He's on the line Toby" my dad said seriously and I ordered him to finish the conversation with Josh and hang up.

"Having dinner soon...just you and me...mom is working late" my dad announced awkwardly.

"You know, I actually have to do something so I'll heat it up when I get home" and with that I left the house and made my way to Connor's. Halfway there I realised that I had a car that's been neglected for some time. When reached his house I noticed that there wasn't any cars so maby his dad wasn't home. Further inspection confirmed this as I peaked in and didn't see anybody. I was caught off- guard when Mrs Dean came from around the side of the house- a bit startled.

"Toby! What are you doing here? Is Connor alright?" The robotic liar inside of me took over.

"I'm just picking up a few things for Connor. Yeah he is fine" she smiled and let me in. I quickly made it to his room and spotted his closet. I opened and searched the bottom of the closet and surely there was a box filled with all sorts of writings and pictures. A medal for second place in a writing competition he won back in 2012 shocked me and also a picture of a teenage boy who looked like he was a soccer player. Instinct told me to turn the photo around.

"March 2013. We won our first soccer match! I thought you would like one of these- RM"

This seemed like it was more than a "friend" thing. I decided to keep the box rather than to burn everything. I couldn't wait to get home so I grabbed two hangers of clothing from Connor's closet to corroborate the story I told Mrs Dean.

I decided to polish up my act as my earlier display might have caused my dad to be suspicious. I smiled and greeted and lied about how Josh and I had a silly fight. Josh- something that still needed resolving but he was safe in his mansion so that would have to wait for now. When I finally made it to my room, I made sure to lock up and I immediately plopped on my bed.

Opening the box- curiosity tingling at my fingertips. I hadn't felt an ounce of guilt- If Connor didn't want me to see what was in this box, he wouldn't have told me about it. The first thing that caught my eye was a map. It had two destinations marked in red and at first I thought it could be possible places Connor could be but I dismissed it. The second thing that I noticed was a letter. It was sent from "RM" and dated January 2013.

"Connor. December was wonderful but I couldn't help feeling that you weren't all that into me? Is it because I have a girlfriend? I can leave her. Anyway this year is going to be tough. Can't wait to see you again in December"

I found two other letters with the same person contacting him but the last letter had something I could use, a phone number. The letter said it was the number of the diner that "RM" worked at and that Connor should call at exactly 9PM every Friday night. I finally had something. This person could help me find Connor!

I was so excited at the discovery that I didn't even here knocking at my door until he spoke.

"Toby it's Josh. Open up" I jumped up excitedly but before I made it to the door, I remembered the "situation" I opened and let Josh in. I have to admit he looked so sexy but I was mad at him... or was I? I no longer felt so betrayed. Maybe he was right? Maybe he wasn't the right person to tell me the truth. Did he feel the same about the secret I had briefly kept from him?

"I'm only here to apologise about what I said...about you... but that doesn't make things okay, we should spend some time apart, after all Connor seemed to have gotten what he always wanted" Josh said, trying to act tough but his voice gave away his sadness. Oh I could tell he wanted to get back with me but after that huge fight we had, it just didn't seem right.

"And what's that?" I asked Josh and he gave a fake smile.

"All your attention" he said. The fact that he wasn't aware about the seriousness of Connor's disappearance angered me.

"Connor is missing and you have the audacity to play the oh Toby is neglecting me card! Maybe you're right, maybe we should split for a while" I said but Josh remained un-bothered. He laughed, this time as if I was wearing a silly costume.

"You don't get it do you? You're not going to find Connor without me" he said confidently.

"When did you become such an egotistical maniac" I asked and he moved closer.

"When did you become such a melodramatic drama queen?" Josh asked. It was clear. He was putting the moves on me.

"So you'll help me?" I asked moving away. He nodded yes. "You'll help me and we stay friends, just friends...for now?" I asked and he nodded again, reluctantly. "Now that we've cleared the air...there might be some good news I have for you but I'm not sure it is right of me to tell you" I teased Josh.

"Oh my god what?" Josh asked with a mixture of excitedness and worry on his face.

"You..are going to be a brother" I blurted out. He looked confused until it finally got to him.

"Oh my God! Toby!" he screamed, he grabbed me and planted his lips against mine-tripping me causing us to fall on my bed. "Ouch!" I yelled out as I fell onto the box and clothes of Connor.

"You're so beautiful" Josh said to me.

"Josh no... we can't...not just yet" I said, lying to myself. He got off me, sitting on my bed, I gathered all the contents of the box and placed them in it. I hid the box under my bed and then I took the two hangers of clothes and went to throw them in my closet. On my way to the closet however, something dropped. It was a mask.

"Toby what is that?" Josh asked as he walked over to me. "Toby...open that tuxedo bag..."

"Oh my God Toby...Connor is-" Josh tried to say but I finished his sentence.

"The Masked Menace"