This is three months on. Clare's adopted Tobias.
"OK, here we are. What do you think?"
"Clean." Tobias said, looking around Clare's apartment. It was very modern, very tidy, but bright and warm like Clare.
"But you like it, yeah?" Tobias nodded. "Hey, I'll show you your new room!" She brightened, holding her hand out to him. "I've worked on it all month and it's great, even if I do say so myself."
His new room was clean and tidy, like the rest of the apartment, and a paradise compared to his old one. The walls were a pale blue, the furniture white. In the far corner was a large wardrobe. Next to that stood a chest of drawers with an array of toys neatly arranged on the surface. In the other corner sat a pirate's chest toy box with shelves above it hosting various books. His bed was on the opposite side of the wall to this, in the centre with bedside tables either side of it, both with lamps on with strange logos- a yellow oval with a black thingy in it. The curtains had the same logo on, he noticed, and he turned to ask Clare what it was. "That's Batman's logo."
"Who's logo?"
"Batman's." Clare noticed his confusion. "You don't know who Batman is, do you?" He shook his head and she mocked a gasp of surprise, hand on heart. "Oh my god, you… no. That's not right." She scooped him up. "Class is in session. You are learning about Batman."
She did not stop lecturing him on the importance of Batman until he started fidgeting. "What's the matter?" She asked, pausing on the description of Batman's Batmobile. "Are you hungry?" He nodded sheepishly and Clare smiled. "Why didn't you say so?" She got up, holding her hand out to him. She had found that he followed her around, not keen on staying on his own. After what had happened, she couldn't blame him.
Tobias looked at Clare, holding her hand while he stood in front of a 'class' of 'kids' he could make 'friends' with. He had no idea what Clare was going on about, but it was easier to listen instead of ask questions.
"It's OK." She assured. Over the past few weeks, she had helped him to learn to read, write and count and he was a fast learner, but he couldn't get his head around the concept of school. Well, mainly other kids his age. But they seemed happy, well-fed with bright, smiling faces and tidy clothes. His nerves had kicked in three days ago and Clare had found him hiding under his bed and looking sickly.
"Marcus and Tommy?" Two boys looked round at the teacher, a woman in her mid-thirties with soft dark brown hair and warm blue eyes. She wore a tie-dyed rainbow spiral T-shirt, paint splattered jeans and a warm smile. "Can Tobias sit with you two?"
"Yes Miss Colour." They said together, shifting their chairs over. The teacher- Miss Colour, apparently- took a spare chair from one side of the room and put it next to Marcus, a blonde haired boy with brown eyes and a cheeky grin. Tommy had light brown hair and pale green eyes, a splash of freckles over his cheeks and nose.
Tobias looked back at Clare.
"It's OK, Tobias. I'll pick you up later, OK?" She gently shooed him on and he stumbled towards his seat, looking around nervously. Miss Colour was watching Tobias carefully- his story had been in the paper. Clare only enrolled him in school in an attempt to get his mind of off things and settle in with new friends, a nicer life and to learn to read properly- he loved Robin Hood.
Miss Colour moved over to converse quietly with Clare. Tobias watched them curiously, trying to hear what they were saying, but was distracted by the four other kids sat at his table. Marcus was jabbering away to him, pointing out the 'Messy table' where they painted and drew and made stuff; the 'Lego table'; the 'reading table' and several others Tobias didn't catch.
"How old are you?" One of the other kids asked. "I'm five." She said proudly, flicking her blonde pigtails over her shoulder while her blue eyes studied him carefully. "You do talk, right?" Tobias nodded, looking at the other girl on the table. Her curly, chocolate brown hair was fashioned in a French plait and her light brown eyes were kind, yet curious. "I'm Becky." The blonde haired girl said.
"I'm Natasha." The other girl smiled. "What's your name?" Tobias just stared at them.
"He's shy." They all looked round and saw Miss Colour smiling down at them. "First day of school, Tobias. Excited?" He nodded timidly and the teacher's smile brightened. "You're allowed to talk, sweetie. We're not going to eat you or anything."
Tobias opened his eyes.
First day of school today.
Well, first day of his seventh school in four years. He had lasted the longest at that school with Miss Colour and she had been a great teacher. But she had left and Tobias didn't like the new teacher, who was strict and did very little to help any of them with their work. It wasn't his fault he started playing up to get his own back. And it wasn't his fault a racoon had gotten into the classroom either. That just happened.
"Tobias, come on! You don't want to be late on your first day!" Sighing, Tobias sat up and looked around his room. First day at a new school on his birthday. That there, that right there, was the work of Satan. "Tobias Heights, you get up right now!" Tobias swung his legs out of the bed and jumped up, stomping his feet to make a point. He heard Clare grumble to herself from the kitchen where she was probably making him breakfast.
He could smell the pancakes from his room. He hoped they were blue.
He wasn't sure why, but anything she baked- pancakes, cakes, biscuits, etc. - they had to be blue. Even sweets she bought him had to blue and he never let her have any of the blue jellybeans.
Tobias walked into the kitchen, pulling his hoodie over his head. Clare wished him a happy birthday, setting a plate of a steaming stack of blue pancakes on the table. "Alright, no racoons in the classroom, no exploding fish tanks or bathrooms, no fighting, do the work, pay attention and don't put stink bombs in the principal's office for whatever reason."
"You forget to not get annoyed at teachers who expect you to read massive long paragraphs in cursive and not caring that you're dyslexic."
"Just be good, OK, sweetie?"
"I'll try."
"And make friends! Talk to be people, be nice. Don't tell someone you don't like them because… because they're annoying or whatever. Treat people how you want to be treated."
"Ooh, look it's Tobias! Let's ask him about what made his life hell."
"Tobias…"
"Mom, I don't want to go places where everyone thinks I'm a freak."
"You're not a freak."
"Tell exploding fish tanks that." He muttered.
"Eat your breakfast, trouble. We're leaving in fifteen minutes, so you better be ready."
"Gimme twenty."
"Traffic."
"Oops." He sat in his seat and started eating. Well, inhaling.
"Eat. Your. Food. Don't. Inhale. It. How many more times?!" Tobias shot her a cheeky look and she pulled a face at him.
Fifteen minutes later, Tobias was slouching in the shotgun seat while Clare started the engine.
"I don't want to go…" He complained. "Home school me."
"I've got work, Tobias, you know that. Besides, you haven't even been to this one. You might like it."
"Woo. Exciting. New school. New people. New trouble."
"The trouble bit is you." She pulled away from the kerb (curb) and sighed. "OK, got everything?"
"Pen, pencil, writing book, water pistol-"
"What?!"
"Joke, joke…" He assured. "Uh, first aid kit, cell phone- that still doesn't like me- and lunch money."
"OK, that sounds like everything." She glanced at him quickly. "You'll be OK. Just… remember the dos and don'ts and everything will be OK." He didn't respond, staring out the window. They had found out a few years ago that he was ADHD and dyslexic, but he hated taking his medication for ADHD. "Don't get kicked out for anything this year, OK? We're running out of local schools."
"Six schools think I'm a nutjob in need of psychiatric help. I think that's on my records."
"Positive." She stressed, hitting the horn and cursing some idiot running across the street.
"Positive." Tobias mimicked, smirking cheekily.
"Oh, shut up, your horrible child or the next school will be a boarding one."
"See, next school. How positive is that?"
"I'm ignoring you now."
"Very grown up." She shook her head stubbornly. "I'm timing you." She still ignored him, gritting her teeth. "Think you can last more than ten seconds?"
She did- twenty seconds. She was known for being a bit of a chatterbox and it was amazing she could ignore anybody for more than half a minute.
They pulled up outside Tobias's new school ten minutes later. "Ugh, dump."
"It's not a dump!" Clare protested. "Get out my car."
"No."
"Now." Tobias pulled a face at her, grabbing his Just Do It rucksack from by his feet and swung the door open. "Be good!" Clare called after him. Tobias shot her a 'duh' look. "You are not good, don't give me that look." He stared at her. It was that look he sometimes had, where she could stare into his eyes and see the pain behind them. He always put on a smile, mostly sarcastic or triumphant, but there was always this air of agony and torture about him. "Have you got your key?" He nodded. "If I hear a good report tonight, I'll order pizza. If you're lying, you can pay me back."
"With my allowance which is the money you give me… right…"
"Oh, shut up and go to school!" He grinned cockily, closing the door and waving at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and drove off.
Tobias turned and looked at his new school. Some of the kids milling through the gates and meeting their little groups of friends had noticed him and were studying him carefully, sizing him up. He was ten years old today and looked older. He did martial arts in his free time and he helped him feel a bit better about himself so if jerks like Eddie and Greg ever wound up in his life, he could defend himself and hopefully cause those people a lot of pain.
He wasn't shy. He had been the new kid seven times now and it was practically a familiar feeling to have everyone stare at him, whispering and judging.
Pulling his cap over his eyes, Tobias started forward, not looking at anyone and tucking his hands in his pockets. Whispers and chattering washed around him, but he blocked them out, remaining calm and casual.
He was Tobias Heights and damn his soul should he let any kid beat him.
He found his own way to reception, not stopping and asking anyone for directions, but feeling plenty of gazes on him. He met two girls in reception. They were about his age; one jittery and hyper, the other drumming her fingers on the desk impatiently.
"Soph, come on. I'm bored."
"Shut up, Vicky. I need to find out about that new kid." Tobias glanced at them briefly. The hyperactive one- Vicky- had mouse brown hair in a French plait, dressed in jeans and a pink top, her bag hooked in her elbow. Her brown eyes fixed on him and she smiled warmly.
He looked at the other girl, not offering a smile back to Vicky. She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, sporting a rucksack similar to his. Her thick, curly raven hair had been combed back in a high ponytail and her sapphire blue eyes watched the clock impatiently. She had freckles splashed across her nose, which suited her, made her seem friendlier for some reason.
She looked at Tobias, as if sensing his gaze on her. "Are you the new kid?" She asked. "Tobias Heights?" He nodded and she smiled. She looked much better when she smiled. "Great. Didn't want to talk to the principal anyway." She closed the distance between them and held out her hand. "I'm Sophia Wilkins. This nutjob here is Vicky Sampson."
"Hiya." Vicky grinned, waggling her fingers at him. Tobias studied them carefully, before warily and briefly shaking Sophia's hand.
"We're your tour guides." He looked at Sophia in confusion. "Basically, we babysit you until you know what you're doing and blah blah blah." She tilted her head to the side. "You do talk, don't you?" He nodded and she smiled. "Well, talk then. Be social."
"Heh, me and social don't really mix."
"He can't hang out with me if he's not social."
"Vicky…" Vicky studied Tobias.
"He is cute though…"
"Cute?"
"You sound offended. Vicky, what did I say about harassing the new kids?"
"I wasn't harassing him. That's a compliment." The receptionist returned with Tobias's timetable.
"There you go, bud." She smiled.
"Thanks." Tobias looked down at it, realising it would be way better colour-coded. Sophia read it over his shoulder.
"Ooh, you've got Math with us first."
"That sounds like fun."
"Oh, you're sarcastic. Finally, someone who can understand." Sophia smiled at him. "Sarcasm is pretty much the only weapon we've got here. We're not allowed to hit anybody or insult them directly. It's so annoying." Tobias looked at her, amused.
"Wait… Tobias Heights?"
"Yeah…" Annoyance flared in his chest. Oh my god, you're Tobias Heights? Are you OK? Do you need to talk? Tobias gritted his teeth. He didn't need to talk about what happened. He needed people to get off his case about it so he could get on and forget it all.
You'll never forget that.
"Oh, poor baby." That was all Vicky said, much to Tobias's relief, but he didn't need her pity. He was perfectly fine, managing on his own.
Are you managing? His conscience retorted. Are you really?
Shut up.
Sorry for not updating on this lately. I have plans to do more, hopefully, but I will be reading!