Enjoy!
...
The first time he noticed his nephew was not home was on a Sunday. Leroy stumbled into the kitchen to get some food, any food, and was annoyed to find the fridge empty save for half a gallon of milk and a single slice of cheese.
He cursed under his breath and then shouted, "Tobias!" He instantly winced at his own voice, and clutched his head in pain. Shouting was doing no favors to his raging hangover.
Annoyed at his nephew's lack of response, he stomped over to his room. Tobias only had one job. Leroy made sure he had food and a roof over his head and gave him only one job. When he was his age, Leroy was already out on the streets working, providing for his family, and Tobias could not do this one thing.
"I give you enough money every week to buy groceries," he began as he started opening the door to his nephew's room "so when I'm hungry, I expect to see goddamn fridge filled to th-" He stopped short when he entered Tobias's room. The usual drawings and paintings were scattered all over the walls and there were books messily piled on his drawer and on his unmade bed. But there was no Tobias.
Leroy let out another string of curses and narrowed his eyes when he noticed the dang window was open. Great, that was all he needed, to have some good-for-nothing thief steal all his belongings just because Tobias refused to listen to him and insisted on keeping his window open. He had told him to close the thing whenever he left. Leroy had specifically told him that he didn't care if his flea-infested cat would be stuck outside; if Tobias wanted to keep the tick-bitten rodent, then he should keep him inside when he was gone, but the thing had better not leave his room and go into the rest of the apartment because if Parasite #2 made a mess, Leroy would personally put him down. He didn't think he would go through with that threat, but Parasite #1 (aka Tobias), did not need to know that.
He slammed the window shut, sending some paper on the bed flying, and decided that he would have to buy the groceries himself because he was far too hungry to wait for Tobias to come back from the library or the mall or wherever kids went these days. But he was still in for a chew out. Maybe Leroy would only buy beer and no food, see if that didn't motivate Tobias to buy the groceries himself. Maybe he'd kick his damn cat out. That would serve him right. After all, Leroy could only deal with one freeloader at a time.
...
The next time Tobias wasn't home when Leroy was looking for him was the following Tuesday evening, although he was pretty sure he had not seen him for days. He didn't think much of it. It was not like they were best friends. Usually, Tobias spent most of his time in his room or went to the library or to some other place outside the apartment, and they only bumped into each other in the kitchen or the living room or when either one needed something from the other. Leroy led his life and Tobias led his. He knew that he was not a good guardian and that it was somewhat neglectful, but he figured it was better (and easier) than constantly nagging him. Teenagers liked their freedom.
Although he did notice that Tobias had been avoiding him (more) than usual for the last couple of weeks. He briefly considered that it had something to do with some dumb art contest Tobias had wanted to go to, but he didn't know what the big deal was. So he could draw, so what? He doubted Tobias was good enough to become a known artist, and even if he was, it took more than talent to make it big. And besides, Leroy did not want to encourage his nephew to draw. It wasn't manly in the slightest, and the boy needed all the help he could get in that department. It didn't help him in the slightest that his mop of (blond!) hair was too long or that his resting face was one of fright or that he was scrawny and as skinny as a little girl or that he could barely speak above a whisper. He was not athletic at all and instead chose to keep his face buried in a book. And he owned a cat, for God's sake! All he needed to seal the deal was to bring home a boyfriend. Wouldn't that be the cherry on the top?
Leroy was sure that this was the reason Tobias was picked so much at school. Oh, he knew about that alright, even if Tobias didn't tell him anything. He bruised easily and couldn't always cover up the bruises. One time the school even called him to ask if he had been the one hitting his nephew. Leroy knew he wasn't the ideal parent, but he was not abusive. He would never lay a hand on a woman or a child. Still, he didn't completely rat out the brats (although he did make a few quips about learning how to control the other kids instead of falsely accusing him), not for their sake, but because he would be doing Tobias no favors if his uncle went in and tattled; the torment would only get worse. The kid needed to toughen up and learn how to defend himself. Still, Leroy didn't make him go to school when he didn't feel like it and he let him keep a bike he found to ride to school in order to avoid bullies on the bus even though he had to buy some spare parts for the bike. They even fixed it together (now that was more of a manly habit).
That particular Tuesday evening Leroy had suddenly decided that he was going to teach Tobias how to drive. Now, of course he knew that it was illegal, but it was probably more illegal for Leroy to drive drunk every other day and he couldn't afford a cab every time. Last night, his buddy Pete had been arrested for a DUI when he crashed into another car. No one had been seriously injured, but since this was his third DUI, he was sure to face some jail time. This made Leroy antsy as he was on his second DUI and had gotten his license revoked months ago. Another wrong move, and he would end up like Pete. His buddy Matt had his son pick him at the bar every time they went out. At first, Leroy had called him a pansy, but Matt had never gotten a DUI and his 15 year-old son had never been caught. Tobias was just a year younger and was definitely not a reckless teenager, so Leroy was sure he would not catch an officer's attention. He could also run errands a lot quicker, and what fourteen year old wouldn't like the chance to drive a car?
But when Leroy went to Tobias's room after coming home from work, the only one he found was Parasite #2, meowing and tapping away furiously at the closed window, trying to get in. He thought it was odd that Tobias had left him outside a second time, but he had to admit it was amusing to watch the thing struggle. Finally, he decided that Dude had suffered enough and chose to be merciful (this time) and let him in. Dude immediately ran to his food tray and whined when he found it empty. Then, in his desperation, purred at Leroy in hopes for food.
"Fucking parasite," he muttered, but still reached for the open bag of cat food (which was not the cheapest kind, like he had ordered Tobias to buy) on top of Tobias's drawer. Dude was skinnier than he remembered, although it wasn't like he saw him on a daily basis since he mostly stayed in Tobias's room.
"Has he not been feeding you?" he asked the cat while he poured a half-empty water bottle in his water bowl. In response, Dude wolfed down his food.
"Maybe the kid's finally lost interest in you. Good for him." Dude didn't acknowledge the insult. Leroy reached over to close the window but then remembered that Dude did his business outside. Tobias could close the window when we came back from whereverthehell. Still, he told Dude, "Close the window on your way out."
He made his way to his Lay-Z-boy, stopping at the fridge to pop open a beer. He thought to himself that it would be better to start driving lessons during the weekend, anyway. He didn't work then and they'd get more daylight hours.
He was knocked out before Tobias made it back home.
...
On Friday at 1 a.m, a storm hit the city. That wasn't what woke him up, though. No, that honor was given to Parasite #2, who was howling miserably in Tobias's room.
Leroy cursed, and threw his legs off his bed, rubbing his eyes furiously. He stomped his way to Tobias's room, who had made no effort to shut his cat up.
He started shouting as he opened the door. "If you can't keep your fucking cat quiet then maybe-" The room was empty. Again. Tobias had not come home to sleep.
Leroy cursed loudly and ran to close the window. The room was a mess. The wind had thrown papers and drawings all over the room and knocked down the now almost-empty bag of cat food on the floor. Tobias's bed was soaked, as were the books on the bed and some of the ones on the counter. Leroy was not going to pay for those books; Tobias would have to deal with the library on his many times had he told him to close the effing window!? And where the hell was he? Since when did he start sneaking out? Had he not come home at all? It wasn't like he had any friends to stay over with.
Dude started howling again.
"Oh, shut up!" Leroy screamed. "And when your owner comes back, tell him he's in big trouble!" He slammed the door on his way out.
...
Friday evening Leroy listened to the voicemail he had neglected for two days when he came home from work. The third message caught his attention. It had been sent the previous day.
"This is Assistant Principal Chapman from - Junior High. I am calling in regards to Tobias -. We noticed that he has been absent for some days and we just wanted to make sure that everything was in order. Please call the school at your earliest convenience."
For a second Leroy didn't register the truth, but as the next message began to play, the implications and repercussions of the message began to sink in.
"This is Assistant Principal Chapman from - Junior High. I am calling in regards to Tobias -. I am calling to inform you that Tobias was absent again today. Please call the school at your earliest convenience."
Leroy stood there for a moment, then slowly walked to Tobias's room and pushed the door open. "Tobias?" he asked. He wasn't there.
The only one there was Dude, who was fast asleep on the bed, and Leroy quickly noticed that he had taken care of the cat food spilled on the floor.
The room was still a mess from the storm, and it was obvious that Tobias hadn't come home at all. And from Chapman's message, Leroy now knew that he hadn't been here in days. Where the hell was he? He had nowhere else to stay. And as Leroy stood there, contemplating what to do, a new horror dawned on him: he wasn't sure exactly how long Tobias had been gone.
Leroy took a deep breath and began to search for a clue, for anything that could tell him where Tobias was, or how long he had been missing. But with a sinking realization, he knew that even if there was something off with Tobias's room, he wouldn't know the difference. He only ever went in there to shout orders. Or when I mistake his room for mine after a long night out, he thought bitterly.
Still, eventually Leroy found what he had been looking for. A small envelope, blown under the bed by the wind, with Leroy's name on it.
It was a simple note with a small message written in messy handwriting: "I'm staying at Aunt Maggie's. -Tobias"
Leroy may have been an unfit guardian, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that Tobias hated staying with Maggie. Probably more than he hated staying with him. Leroy was a slob and an alcoholic, but at least he left Tobias on his own. Maggie worked him like a slave for the six months a year he was with her. She had him clean the house and cook for her. She had him maintain her garden and wash her car. Even went as far as keeping him from school if he didn't finish in time. "Well, if I'm forced to keep him, then I may as well put him to good use," she had said.
Just last year Tobias had gone as far as timidly asking Leroy if he could stay with him for the entire year instead. Leroy would have told him to do whatever the fuck he wanted as long as he stayed out of his way, but at the time, Maggie was trying to impress (yet another) rich guy who happened to love children. Since she wanted to prove what a great parent she could be, she had Tobias fly out to the east coast anyway.
But Maggie would have noticed he was gone.
He headed to the living room and dialed her number. At the third ring, a high voice said, "Hello?"
"Is the kid with you?" He wasn't much for small talk.
"Well, hello to you too, Leroy," she replied.
"Is the kid with you?"
"What kid?" she asked sweetly.
"Don't play games with me, Margaret. Tobias. Is he with you?"
"Of course not. Why would he?"
"He left me a not saying he was with you."
"Well, he's not with me. He's supposed to be with you."
"He's not."
"Then where is he?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be calling you, now would I?"
A pause, then, "Maybe he's just not here yet. Maybe he's on his way. How long has he been gone?"
Leroy stayed quiet for a moment. "I don't… I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know!" he shouted.
"How could you not know how long he's been gone!? He's your responsibility!"
"He's our responsibility! So maybe stop being such a fucking bitch and be useful for once!"
"Well, have you looked for him?"
"I literally just found out. The school called saying he's been absent for a while."
"... The school called?" A pause, then "They're going to investigate this if we don't do something," she said, her voice frightful. "They'll call the the police. CPS. If I were you, I would get a lawyer."
"But the kid…"
"This is his fault! Don't you get it!? He ran away! Because of you! Because of us! So look for him! Find him! I'm not letting him ruin my life again!"
She slammed the phone on the other end.
...
He spent the majority of the weekend driving around town looking for Tobias. He wasn't at the mall or at the park. When he went to the librarian to ask if he was there, she told him she hasn't seen him for a while. He wasn't in the bad side of town. He wasn't in the good side of town. He had called the hospital to ask if any teenagers had been found, but hung up when they asked for a name. He wondered if Tobias had actually made some friends over the past couple of months and just never mentioned anything. He wondered if he was even in town.
Sunday morning Maggie called to ask if there had been any sign of him. There wasn't
"I was thinking," she started.
"Well, that's a first," he interrupted.
She ignored him. "Only the school is looking for him, right? He doesn't have friends, right?"
"He doesn't."
"Okay, so just tell them he's with me. They're not going to ask any questions. He comes back and forth anyway. They have too many students to care. Now one will think otherwise. We'll be home free!"
Cold-hearted bitch. "What about him? What about the kid?"
"Don't worry about him. This was his choice. He must've known what he was getting into when he left. He'll be okay. Kids run away all the time."
Leroy didn't answer.
"Look, this is the only way we'll get away with this. If you want to keep looking for him, go ahead. I'll keep an eye out here. But if we report this, we'll both be in trouble. You most of all. You don't even know how long he's been gone."
He still didn't answer.
Maggie continued. "This might be what's best for him anyway. He might be in a better place without us. I mean, we haven't exactly won any parent of the year awards. If he wanted to come back, he would have."
"Yeah, okay," Leroy responded at last. "I'll call the school tomorrow."
When he hung up the phone, he checked Tobias's room again. He wasn't sure the amount of clothes he owned, but he was pretty sure he hadn't taken much, if anything.
Leroy had also checked his own drawer where he kept emergency cash, but not a dollar was missing. No money had been taken from his wallet either.
His thoughts were interrupted by Dude, who started whining at his empty food bowl. Leroy had opened the window for him to leave the day before, but Dude had refused to go. "He's not here," he had told the cat, but it seemed as if Dude hadn't lost hope for his owner's return.
...
Monday morning, Leroy stood in his living room with the phone in his hand.
He had trouble sleeping the night before, for once. He knew his nephew was probably out there alone, and he knew that he was not tough enough to survive on the streets. The kid couldn't even handle a few bullies at school, for God's sake. How would he survive gangs and thugs? And what was he going to do, beg for food? He would be taken into the system, and Leroy knew that Tobias would rather stay with him instead of with some unknown foster parents.
But then again, would he? He did prefer living in the streets apparently.
And then what it he wasn't on the streets? What if he had been kidnapped or had been run over or something? Leroy may not have ever wanted to raise a kid, may have shittily raised a kid, but that didn't mean he wanted his nephew to be hurt or starving on the streets.
He knew that the best chance of finding Tobias, the best way to make sure he was safe, was to call the police, but he also knew that Maggie was right. Calling the authorities would get him neck-deep in shit.
He could already hear that conversation.
What was he wearing when he went missing? I don't know.
What places does he frequent? Besides the library?... I don't know.
How long has he been gone? I don't know.
When was the last time you saw him? I'm not sure.
Chapman had said that Tobias was absent for "some days". How long was that? A week? More?
Leroy tried to remember his last encounter with the boy, but came up blank. He remembered that Tobias was running late to school recently, but when was that? He remembered shouting at him to keep it down one morning, but he didn't remember when or why.
This was neglect, and Leroy could face serious consequences if the authorities found out. All he had to do was call the school instead. No one would know otherwise.
However…
He picked up the phone and dialed. "I'd like to file a missing child report."
Notes: I always wanted to try and flesh out Tobias's background and relatives a bit. And I wondered what happened right after he left and how his aunt and uncle reacted.
So yeah, here's my take on Tobias's uncle. By the way, though, just because his uncle is somewhat sympathetic to Tobias doesn't mean that he wasn't abusive. Neglect is abuse and the most common form of it.