Tales That Toby Tell - 14. Friday, 24th January 2014

Secrets are the poisons of life. A deadly secret can can be harmful when it's amongst friends and family, a small opportunity of salvation arises and you can rise from the ashes if you play your cards right but in a relationship, it's much more difficult... it can be fatal.

I've been watching too much Revenge I thought to myself as I wrote out the random passage onto a piece of old paper. My God, I haven't written anything personal on a piece of paper in such a long time. My thoughts got interrupted when my mom entered my room.

"Hurry up. We're about to leave." she uttered.

Oh yeah. So We're going camping. Fun! Not so fun knowing that I was obliged to invite both Connor and Josh. You can imagine how they'd feel if I didn't ask any of them. Lord give me strength.

I walked downstairs, mom and dad already at the door. "So Toby and Connor or going with Josh and you and I will drive with the rest of the supplies" my dad told my mom and I froze at the thought of being with both Josh and Connor in the same car. "Did you get that Toby?" I nodded with the most happy face I could conjur.

"Oh my gosh Toby this is going to be so fun. Me, you in a huge forest, its going to be great" I heard Josh say as he was driving to Connor's. I heard but wasn't really listening... Josh wore shorts with a vest. The ones with the sides cut low and open you know? The site of his slightly exposed mid section gave me an instant woody. "Woody" being an appropriate word here seeing that I'll be serounded by plenty of it in the forest. Lord help me.

"Hold on there! it's way to early to be putting up a tent Toby!" Josh playfully scolded me. I think you know what he was referring to right?

"That's his house. That's him right there." I pointed out at the blond beauty sitting in front of his house on a suitcase. Connor would kill me if he knew I called him that. He jumped in the back quickly.

"Took you long enough." he jabbed at Josh. Something was definitely wrong.

"You've been crying. What's wrong? Josh asked, I smiled a little at how compassionate his response was. Then I realised that Connor actually seemed genuinely upset.

"My parents kicked me out. Said if I go with fags, I don't belong with them" Connor answered.

"Why didn't you stay then?" I asked with guilt.

"Because, believe it or not, I actually looked forward to this trip!"

"Nothing stands in your way now. We'll figure something out. Enjoy this weekend Connor. Enjoy this day. We get so few of them. Just enjoy yourself." Josh said again surprising me. I placed my hand on his thigh squeezing it, thanking him as we set off on our long drive.

A few hours later we made it. "Wow... beautiful" Connor exhaled. We had entered the camp area.

"Yeah it is. I think I saw a lake!" I excitedly replied to Connor. His eyes gleemed with equal enthusiasm and I saw my friend Connor again for the first time again.

When we found our spot, the sun was slowly setting and we saw smoke coming from afar. "We're not alone" my dad said as he raised a brow at my mom who was sitting in a folding chair reading a magazine. "She isn't going to move until camp is set up." dad said but she was not bothered.

"Toby, you and Connor go and find wood for fire. Get enough so we don't have to go out again. Josh and I will set up camp." my dad ordered. He loves nature and this must have been really exciting for him too. "Toby, this is an axe. I want you to..."

"I know what it's used for dad!" I shouted trying not to feel embarrassed.

Connor and I walked into the woods and I could hear my dad screaming after us "Mind your fingers! And don't take forever." I just laughed it off .

Chopping with Connor was fun. Boy was he strong! Yes I could hold my own against him but I don't see him getting physical a lot. "We should take a detour and head to the lake before we go back to camp" he said and I agreed. Connor and I have a history with lakes, nothing important to this story though.

I've seen a lot of beautiful things in my life. From a beautiful display of loving parents all the way to Josh's naked body but this just topped it. This lake was breathtaking. Pink and purple flowers floated on the water and the colourful plants that grew near the edge of the water was beautiful too. The lake was somewhat hidden by tall thick trees. It looked like something out of a Japanese video game. "So much pink...it's so gay" I said and Connor giggled.

"I think I might just cry" he said. He too was mesmerized by the lakes tranquility. "I could live here Toby... I could be happy."

Our peaceful moment was interrupted when I heard my dad yelling "Coby!... Cooooooo -byyyyyyyyy" Connor and I ran to the voice trying to conceal the whereabouts of the lake.

"Coby? I asked my dad and he said plainly "Its short for Connor and Toby... You two are a mounth AND handful...why go so far?"

"Sorry Mr Smythe... it was my fault. I wanted to see more of the forest" Connor confessed or covered up for me

When we made it back to camp everything was set up. "Four tents" Connor whispered and I knew my parents weren't having me sleep with Josh.

"For some reason it's okay for Josh and I to share a room at home but in the wild it's another story" I said which caused both of us to laugh.

After dinner it soon turned dark and mom and dad went for a "stroll" in the woods. There I was sitting around a fire with my best friend and his nemesis, my boyfriend so naturally I was uncomfortable.

"I can not believe you brought a guitar to this trip. How cheesy." Connor said teasing Josh and this time it had a friendly tone to it. I slowly became accustomed to the idea that all would be well here in the woods.

"He can't play Connor...he's actually horrible at it" I joked echoing Connor.

"Shut up Toby! I'm the bomb dot com!" Josh playfully said.

"Girl bye!" Connor said snapping at Josh playfully.

"OH-EM-GEE! You watch Total Divas?!" Josh excitedly yelled as he got up and plopped himself besides Connor.

"Hell yes! I love seeing those girls ... I mean I just watch it because they are hot" Connor said, the last part sounding pretty unconvincing.

So there I was sitting like a thrird wheel. The guys were talking about a show I know nothing about. At one point Connor jumped up and bumped his ass in Josh's face, "Rear view!" they shouted and Connor pinned Josh. They were wrestling, as females or should I say "Divas"

"Hey when does the ghost stories segment start?" I yelled but they didn't hear me at all. Why stop them I thought. This is good. This is what I wanted. What I've always wanted. I don't think I want this weekend to end. I might just have to take a picture to remember it, forever.