Soundtrack for this chapter:

All Too Well - Taylor Swift

Oh, your sweet disposition

And my wide-eyed gaze

We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate

Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place

And I can picture it after all these days

And I know it's long gone and that magic's not here no more

And I might be okay but I'm not fine at all

Chapter 4: All Too Well

It was the first time he had been shocked over anything in a long time.

Tobey was still standing in the spot where she had left him, confusion and surprise plastered on his face. Emotions he rarely had. But his mind wasn't anywhere near trying to reel in his odd behavior. He was too stunned, staring at where Becky had just been standing.

She had volunteered to take her father's place. She had volunteered to leave her life behind just like that. No one EVER volunteered to come here. It was the first time Tobey had witnessed something so selfless.

It was irksome.

Tobey hated her. He hated that she was making him feel pity for her. That she was making him impressed with her decisions. He hadn't wanted to feel anything but hatred and anger for her since…

"Sir?"

Tobey shook his head, snapping himself back into the present. He removed any trace of surprise off of his face and spun to face his butler once more.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking?" his butler asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tobey didn't know how to answer that. This was such a unique situation. He didn't know how to handle it. But he had to sound confident and on top of things.

"We need to come up with a strategy. As soon as possible." He finally answered, putting as much conviction behind his words as he could muster.

"A strategy? For what? That girl?" His butler questioned in a confused tone.

"Yes for that girl. She's the first volunteer we've ever had. This has never happened before, and this changes everything."

His butler narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you mean to take advantage of the situation?"

Tobey considered this, ideas forming one by one as his mind concocted a plan just like that. He couldn't resist a small grin on his face.

"Think about it. Becky Botsford, a young woman motivated by protecting her father, becomes the first volunteer Big Inc Factory has ever received. Other generous family members see her act of courage and selflessness and begin to take the same actions, for the greater good of their family. We would be fools not to use this to our advantage."

"People aren't just going to start volunteering just because one girl did it. Especially with the reputation this place has, sir."

Tobey gave his butler a look. How could he not understand the opportunity here? Tobey wondered for a second if perhaps he was overthinking this but quickly pushed that thought away. "I think they will. She's a well known member of this community. Very loved. Very genuine. If people hear that she's having a good time here, they will be more likely to see this as a good place too."

His butler hesitated before responding, "I don't know, Mr McCallister. It seems disingenuous to use her like that."

"She volunteered her services here. She will do what is asked of her." With that final statement, Tobey turned on his heels and started making his way back to his quarters. Seconds later, he could hear his butler attempting to catch up with him. Tobey resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Didn't you go to school with this girl?"

Tobey snapped his head towards his butler, narrowing his eyes, "I don't wish to discuss my childhood at this time."

"Yes, but she seems to know you. Are you sure you want to mistreat her like so?" His butler asked, keeping pace with Tobey.

"Oh but you misunderstand me. I don't mean to mistreat her. In fact, quite the opposite."

His butler frowned but continued to follow Tobey to his room.

Tobey started to think about the way he can make his plan work, but his mind kept coming back to his childhood like his butler had mentioned. To school. With Becky.

He remembered her. Of course he did.

Tobey and his butler arrived at Tobey's room. The door was closed as usual, and Tobey reached into his pocket to grab the key. He glanced over to his butler who looked like he still had something he wanted to say.

"What is it? Feel free to speak." Tobey demanded of his butler, trying to hold back his irritation with the hesitation.

"She just seems like a good young woman. I think she might do this place some actual good, if you let her." He finally said, standing up straight and meeting Tobey's eye.

Tobey didn't allow the confusion to appear on his face this time, despite the fact he was internally very lost, "And what do you mean by that exactly?"

"Goodnight sir." And with his final word, his butler began to turn around and walk away towards his quarters on the other side of the mansion. Tobey watched him go, those last words lingering in the air all around him.

Actual good? He knew his butler and he wouldn't have been referring to Tobey's plan, since Tobey's business plans rarely were hits with his butler. Not that it mattered. Tobey did as he liked. He did what he had to for his business. That was all. Nothing was personal.

Tobey took this second to unlock his door and head into his room. Instantly the smell of ocean breeze filled his nose. Shutting the door behind him, Tobey let the relief of privacy in his own space wash over him. He may have owned the whole mansion and factory, but this singular room alone was the only place he truly felt he had privacy and peace.

Becky Botsford. Why his thoughts continued shifting back to her, he did not know. It was frustrating. This was the one person he did not want his thoughts to be consumed by. Not her brown hair, not her brown eyes, not the proud way she carries herself…

Tobey shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He eyed the giant bookshelf in the corner of his room next to his desk, and immediately headed over towards it. Scanning shelf to shelf, Tobey knew what he was looking for but couldn't seem to remember where amongst these books did he put it. He knew it was here in his personal book stash and not up in the library with the rest of his book collection. He wouldn't have left it up there with everything else that didn't matter.

No this mattered.

He finally found the book he was looking for on the second to last shelf on the far right end. He pulled it out, causing dust to fly back into his face. He coughed the particles out of his throat and waved the rest away from his face. He turned the book over in his hand and examined the front of the book. It was his copy of "Pride and Prejudice" from grade school.

Tobey flipped through the pages, the smell of that old school building wafting back into his face, sending him back to the days when he would sit underneath the desks in the back and read. No one wanted to play with him, since he was a villain after all, but still. He would sit cross legged on the floor under a desk and read this book.

Mr. Darcy fascinated him. Naturally. And his relationship with Elizabeth fascinated Tobey even more than that. That someone with flaws could be loved. That someone with imperfections could find someone in the end. It gave him an ounce of hope.

He loved reading. He loved immersing himself into other worlds, living out different lives and understanding someone, albeit a fictional character, to such a degree. To truly understand why they do what they do, and why they feel what they feel, and empathize with them because you've been by their side through the whole book. It was Tobey's favorite thing about reading. Real life connection was hard for him, but books made it easy.

As Tobey continued flipping through the pages, he arrived at the very back of the book and there at the bottom right corner was a signature.

Tobey remembered the sun shining through the window, brightening the room; it was almost blinding as Tobey hunched deeper under the desk. The rest of the class was hurrying around signing each other's yearbooks. It was a tradition every last day of school; to write goodbye messages to each other. For friends that couldn't see one another to express their undying friendship and woe of being parted. For acquaintances to give one another half assed good wishes for the summer time. And for enemies to ignore one another in haughty attitudes.

This was something Tobey did not like to participate in. He did not need fake Have A Great Summer wishes from people he knew despised him or cocky eyes making fun of his lack of signatures. He chose to not even engage in the entire endeavor, which was for the best. No one had to pretend for his sake.

A few of his classmates walked by snickering in his direction. Tobey learned to ignore the remarks and gestures made at his expense. He did not care about their approval, so they could make fun all they wanted. He had Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett after all. He was finally on the last chapter of the book and he was sad he would have to give up on this world he loved so much.

"Oh I love that book!"

Tobey glanced up to the voice that had spoken to him. To his surprise, Becky Botsford was standing over him, smiling down at him. She was holding her yearbook tight to her chest and her entire expression gave off euphoria. The light seemed to shimmer around her, her eyes shining as she looked down at him with his book.

Tobey did not know how to respond. Usually their conversations consisted of her ignoring him, being annoyed by him, or them bantering over school or Wordgirl. But here she was, saying one of the friendliest sentences she had ever spoken to him.

"Um...yeah. It's a good book. Is there something you need?" Tobey asked her, eyes narrowing as he suspected a trap.

"Nothing? I just noticed you weren't signing yearbooks and came to see what you were doing." Becky answered, genuinely sounding confused, which baffled Tobey. She should know why he wasn't participating in group activities.

"Oh, Becky Botsford, why on earth would I engage in such a meaningless venture? Engrossing myself in a book is a much better usage of my time."

And then Becky did something he did not expect. She giggled at him. Tobey raised an eyebrow and shot her a look of confusion.

"Oh sorry! I just don't blame you. Reading books is actually my favorite thing to do, so I get it. Elizabeth Bennet is actually one of my heroes." Becky took a seat next to Tobey on the floor.

He stared at her in awe for a half of a second before clearing his throat, "Yes, well, she does have a very sassy attitude, doesn't she? Remind you of anyone?"

Becky shot him a deadpan expression with a hint of a smile, "Don't you start. Besides, doesn't Mr. Darcy's stalking of Elizabeth remind you of anyone? Anyone?"

Tobey gasped at her, "Stalking? He is attempting to court the woman he is in love with! Your reading comprehension here is shaky at best!"

Becky smirked at him, "Are you challenging me to a reading competition?"

"Oh no, why bother, I would simply win that."

Becky let out a short laugh, "It's on, McCallister."

Tobey laughs and Becky joins in right after him; the two of them ignoring everyone else in the room around them. Tobey gets done laughing first, realizing the two of them are actually getting along for the first time ever. He looks at her as she finishes laughing, the glow and warmth of her just spreading out in waves beyond her. Tobey uses all of his strength not to smile at her. He wasn't used to feeling this way.

"I think this has been the kindest conversation we've ever had," Becky remarked, coming to the same realization as him seemingly.

"The bar is apparently set extremely low," Tobey quipped back at her.

Becky smirked before eyeing his book. Before Tobey even realized what she was doing, she had snatched the book out of his hands and began writing something on the back page of the novel.

"Hey! Don't you dare ruin the pages of this masterpiece…!"

"Relax. I was just leaving a message for you so you don't forget," Becky told him, as she stood up, preparing to head back to her friends. She handed the book back to him. Tobey slowly took the book away from her, eyeing her again.

"Have a great summer, Tobey. Try not to cause too much destruction."

And with that, she walked back off to join Violet and Scoops in the front of the room.

It suddenly felt a little colder around Tobey. He flipped the book back open to the back of the book to look at what she had written him. In her fancy cursive handwriting she had wrote, "You, me, reading challenge next school year. Prepare to get crushed, McCallister. Becky Botsford."

Tobey allowed his finger to trace over the faded signature in front of him. It had been 9, almost 10 years since she had signed his novel. And yet he still remembers.

After shutting the book and standing up, Tobey walked to his bed and placed the book on his bedside table next to a picture of his parents. Memories. All of it. Memories he wished he could forget.

Tobey hated it.