...Ha...
Characters belong to Guillermo del Toro and DreamWorks
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Jim used to hate detention. Who didn't? Who would want to sit down for hours in boring silence to contemplate the mistakes one did that got them in that position in the first place?
However, being that he had gone through the same three years hundreds of times, dealing with the same people he had been trying to protect over and over again while getting hurt by them, detention seemed like a break from life.
Granted, having Steve sit beside him on the next desk wasn't exactly pleasant or relaxing, but at least Uhl took the time to keep his sharp eyes on the two boys to make sure neither of them would bite each other.
Rather than contemplating his outburst with Steve earlier, Jim took the "free" time he had and locked himself in his thoughts, thinking thoroughly what his plan would be.
Bular was out there again. So was the Janus Order. They were gathering pieces of the Killahead Bridge from all over the world. Gunmar was to be released. He would unleash Morgana, bringing the Eternal Night and rising Anor Rot. She would—
Jim paused.
Morgana.
The image of her golden helmet and electric green eyes suddenly stained his mind, and he frowned a little, paying attention to his hands clasped together over his desk.
The witch who had repeatedly been killed and victorious hung around his mind. He leaned back on his chair, the furniture creaking a little as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, breaking the silence of the rather dark classroom.
Maybe he could try to reach out for Morgana. Perhaps she could help him. Would she understand his pain and determination to tear everyone apart? Jim could see some similarity between himself and the sorceress. She had tried to help save creatures other than humans from her brother, just as Jim tried to save everyone he loved from the dangers. And they both failed. Repeatedly.
Yes… maybe trying to reach out to her would be a good idea. Hopefully, he could make her see that they both could help each other.
First he'd have to pay Merlin's tomb a visit. Luckily, he had gone to the place plenty of times to figure out some shortcuts without using the specific gyre without controls.
A one-day trip. All he needed was to sneak into Trollmarket, into the Gyre Station, and in the next two hours he'd already have the Staff of Avalon in hand, ready to come back and creep his way into Trollmarket to free Morgana.
He chuckled softly to himself, earning a warning look from Uhl and a side glare from Steve.
His plan had been set.
Before he could do anything, though, he had to lie back and watch as things played out before he ventured off. However, that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun at night messing around with certain things to make the next day interesting .
By the time five o'clock struck, he was finally allowed to leave the school. He left on his bike and rode through the streets, the sky nearly completely dark.
Riding a bike in a cold late September evening wearing only a t-shirt was probably not a good idea, but Jim couldn't care less. He took a turn after riding off the bridge towards the street that ended in the cul-de-sac more up ahead and coasted when he saw something move from behind the houses of the street.
Trolls.
Blinky. And Aaarrrgghh.
They were most likely retreating from Toby's house, and Jim knew the chubby boy was probably lying on his basement floor out cold, Nancy oblivious as she watched TV at a high volume thinking her grandson was in his room studying.
Forehead scrunching with a frown, Jim hurried his pedaling and rushed through the streets, the cul-de-sac coming into view not long after. He slowed down as he turned into his driveway and got off his bike, leaving it on the side of the garage and strolling into the house after snatching the keys out from his pocket.
The house was cold and empty; dark and dreary. His mother must have left to work a couple of hours ago, and he knew she'd be disappointed in him when she got back from work the next morning.
He didn't care, though.
Instead, he hung his satchel on the banister of the stairs and casually made his way into the kitchen, heading for the fridge and swinging the door open. He leaned down and looked around, his eyes catching sight of the cream cheese and bag of bagel breads on the side of the door. He snatched the bag and container and closed the fridge shut using his foot, placing his items on the counter next to the bowl that had nearly ripe apples and bananas in them.
He took out a butter knife from a drawer, a plate from a cabinet, and quickly began to fix up his bagel, using up nearly half the cream cheese. He put his used items away and took out a large glass to pour the orange juice in it, then taking his plate and glass into the living room and sitting down in the darkness, not even bothering to turn on the tv, close the curtains of the windows or even turn on inside or outside lights. He instinctively said a quick grace and dug into his bagel, enjoying the thick creaminess and chugging it down with gulps of juice.
He put his plate down on the table and sat back on the couch, closing his eyes and focusing on his own breathing.
He might get a call from Toby later on or tomorrow morning with the redhead freaking out over the "weird creatures" he saw in his basement that told him he had a new destiny.
Or he might not even get one, judging since Toby surely must have noticed Jim at school earlier that day.
It turned out Toby didn't call Jim the next morning. Mainly because the redhead awoke at the feeling of a cat licking his face while he laid on the cold stone floor of the basement. He groggily pushed the she-cat off him and blinked sleepily, his body feeling cold and achy. He winced at the sound of a loud and familiar voice coming from upstairs.
"Toby-Pie? Are you awake already, dear? It's already nine thirty. You have your dentist appointment in half an hour!"
He gasped and shot up panickily, the memories of the previous night replaying in his mind.
Six… no, eight? Ten? Eyes and arms? One was hairy? Big? Green?
His heart pounded in his chest rapidly like two tennis players locked in a rushing game. He scrambled onto his feet and dazedly replied in a shaky voice, "Uh—y-yeah, I'm up now Nana! S-Sorry! Let me get ready real quick…"
"Alright, then! Hurry up!"
Rubbing his sore back a little, Toby glanced around the dark basement nervously, his eyes searching for any signs of the two monsters that he had seen last night.
There was nothing. No scratches, nothing misplaced.
Was what he even saw last night real?
A chill ran down his spine. He picked up the gray-furred feline that had woken him up and began to hastily jog up the stairs, a sense of apprehension churning his stomach as he kicked the basement door closed.
He put the cat down—she hissed at him before she fled—rushed to the bathroom to fix his messy hair and brush his teeth. He splashed water onto his face multiple times, leaning over the sink and swallowing thickly.
Easy. Take in a few breaths. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
Keep doing that.
You probably just hallucinated.
He grabbed a towel that hung on the towel rack and dried his face on it, finding himself staring at his reflection in the mirror.
Round nose, chubby cheeks, braces, auburn hair.
A sense of weariness made his shoulders droop and hands lower.
He felt upset at himself for thinking so, but he was tired of himself. Not entirely, but some of his aspects. He hated how he wasn't as agile as other kids. How he was the only teen in high school having to deal with braces and a dentist, all while getting poked at by other students. How the people didn't find him appealing as they did to other boys in school.
His gaze fell downwards to the sink, and his lip pouted a little in a sad frown.
Stop thinking like that. You reached the top of the rope yesterday. You should be proud!
Jimbo didn't even notice though.
Jim had always been the only person other than Nana who would root for him and stay besides Toby. He had been with Toby since day one. Since they played toy cars together on the living room floor when they were five. Since they shared tubs to bathe in when they were six. Since they watched Gun Robot on the couch together for hours when they were seven. Since they rode their bikes to school when they were eight. Since they ate lunch and breakfasts Jim made when they were nine. Since they crashed over each other on their bikes when they were ten.
Jim had always been there with Toby. He never left, just like Toby did. Never said anything bad about him, never insulted him, never made him feel bad.
Why was he acting so different now though?
"Toby-Pie? Are you alright in there?"
He snapped out of his thoughts and jumped a little at the sound of Nana knocking the bathroom door a little, looking up and lowering the brown and damp towel in his hands.
Was he alright?
He shook the thought immediately and took in a breath. "Yeah, Nana. Just getting ready."
"Okay, dear. Don't take long!"
"Sure…"
He hung the towel back in its place and sighed, looking down at his dirty pants and sweater vest.
His mouth twitched to the side a little. He didn't want to show up at the dentist looking like he just came back from rolling around a patch of dirt.
He got out of the bathroom and hurried upstairs to his room, taking off his sweater vest and throwing it over to the side of his bed. He'd pick it up later. For now, he had to hurry though.
He opened his clothes drawer and looked through the different shirts he had, taking out a simple white t-shirt, another sweater vest and a pair of gray trousers. He shrugged and put them on his bed, quickly changing himself into them before hastily fixing his hair a bit.
Now freshly changed, he rushed out of his room and nearly flew down the stairs, snatching his phone that he placed on a small table nearby and heading towards the door. "I'll see you in a couple of hours Nana! Gotta hurry!"
"Okay, Toby-Pie—oh, please be careful!"
"I will!"
Closing the front door behind him and locking it with the house keys, he rushed to the side of the house and grabbed his light green bike, putting his white-and-tan helmet on, hopping on it and speeding out of the cul-de-sac and towards the street. His head briefly turned to look at the Lake house, quickly realizing Dr. Lake's car was not on the driveway.
She wasn't home yet. Was Jim alone? Toby slowed down a little, wondering if he should check on his friend before leaving.
He decided not to and sped up again. Maybe Jim wanted to be alone right now.
Toby only hoped the taller lad would be free of his grumpiness later. He knew he needed to tell someone about what happened in his basement last night, and Jim was his only hope.
If not, Toby would otherwise go nuts.
By the time he was able to leave the dentist, it had already been six in the evening. His whole mouth was sore, and he felt like he had just taken a bite from a chunk of metal. His jaw ached from being open for hours, and his mouth felt dry from the inside.
He rode his bike back home—slow on the pace—and yet again paused before entering his driveway. He looked back at the Lake house longingly and gave a sigh before parking his bike beside the garage.
It had been a long day, and he didn't feel like dealing with anymore emotions.
He walked right into his house, droning out an "I'm home, Nana" before hopping into the bathroom to scrub away his aches in a warm bath. Once he got out, now clean in his sleeping shorts and tank tops, he ate a slice of meat pie Nana had baked earlier, then dragged himself up to his room to sit on the floor and play some video games, not at all up to organize the clothes sitting on the floor waiting for him to pick it up since the morning.
He was sucked into his world of Go-Go Sushi (he didn't feel like playing any of those hectic combat games at the moment) when he noticed a hum coming from his backpack. He scowled, not letting go of the controller until the hum got louder. He paused the game and looked back at the backpack, getting up on his feet and strolling over to open the zipper up.
Curiosity arose from him at the light blue glow coming from the amulet thing he found the previous day. He took it out and looked at it, the soft and almost comforting light making an amused look come across his face.
The clockwork started to whirl around. One of the largest hands that overlapped the inner ring where the strange letters were written was moving, and the letters began to glow.
Во славу Мерлина, Дневной свет мой командовать.
Para la gloria de Merlin, la luz del día es mía para comenzar.
Na slávu Merline je Denné Svetlo mojìm velením
He frowned at the swift-shifting letters, and finally when the letters stayed still, he could read the words that were written.
"For the glory of mErLiN, Daylight is mine to command."
A chill ran down his spine at the sound of the game and TV turning off. He looked back and stared at the somewhat eerie black screen, his frown deepening and his lip sticking out a little.
A blue light suddenly flashed across his face like a fly. He jerked his head around and watched as it flew around him almost joyfully, before it abruptly flew into his chest over his heart. He froze, staring down at his chest before watching two more lights follow the first one.
He was then lifted into the air. His arms automatically raised from his sides, and the amulet floated from his hand to the spot on his chest where those three lights somehow went in.
His eyes widened when armor began to form around his limbs and torso. It was silver, and it reflected the blue light that ensued on his body. The armor then clasped around him, though it was too big for his size. He yelped and tried to stretch more upwards, letting out a confused "Huh?" as the metal began to shrink down to his stout size.
His feet touched the ground with a heavy metallic thud that felt like it could have shook the whole house. He stumbled a little before regaining his equilibrium, looking down at himself in awe.
For the first time in two days (which is very unusual for him), he cracked a grin. "This is so freakin' awesome-sauce!"
His eyes caught something glowing in his hand, bringing it up to look at it, then a giant sword formed out of the light. He held it up and struggled to keep up from falling on the floor, wincing when the weight crashed down and sliced through the floor.
He stared at it dumbfoundedly as the sword shrank into a more appropriate size for his shape. He managed to pull it out easily, though he felt his blood freeze, amusement draining away at the narrow hole on in the floor, now being able to barely see a bit of the entrance of the living room.
"Oh, sh—"
Saturday came and went in a blink of an eye. Before Jim knew it, it was already Saturday night. He was genuinely surprised that he hadn't gotten a call from Toby all day at all.
He didn't argue, though. He knew eventually the auburn-headed boy would show up and drag him across Arcadia on those missions and shenanigans Jim had gone through countless times. So for now, he'd enjoy the peace and quiet and sit in silence in the dining room late in the evening, a plate of baked macaroni and cheese with a healthy salad before him, waiting to be devoured.
His view in life might have changed, but his love for cooking had not. And macaroni for a weekend supper sounded delightful for now.
However, just when he was about to dig in, he was stopped at the sound of the door being knocked like crazy.
"For the love of–"
The one and only Toby Domzalski came running in only in his shorts and tank top. He stopped right inside the dining room, nearly tripping on his own feet as he swung himself with the wall.
"JIMBO!"
Said lad set down his fork, curled his hands into fists and cracked his neck.
"I'm about to have supper—"
"JIM! You won't believe what that amulet thing from the canals did!" Toby rushed over by the table and sat down. His green gaze was serious and focused on Jim, and he placed the wretched Amulet of Daylight on the table eagerly with a slam.
Brows furrowed, Jim clenched his jaws and stared coolly at the stouter boy, barely able to contain him from snapping and eating his dinner before it got cold. "I'm sure I won't," he said sarcastically.
But Toby took it seriously.
"No—Jimbo, dude I'm serious." Toby flipped the amulet so that he could look at it. "The hands started to move around and those weird words turned English, and then I said the words and this freaking set of armor just formed around me!"
Jim stared dully at the other. "Why am I not surprised?"
Hurt flashed briefly across Toby's eyes before a determined look came over. "You know what—here, let me show you." He pushed the chair back and stood up with the amulet in his hand. His eyes drifted towards Jim, who had began to eat his dinner with disinterest, and he scowled before taking in a breath to calm himself.
How did it go again? For the… glory? Yeah, that's it!
"For the glory of mErLiN, Daylight is mine to command!"
Nothing.
Major bruh moment for Tobes.
Jim smirked, trying to stifle a laugh at the staggered look that came across Toby's face. He munched on his macaroni and asked in a muffled voice, "Show me what again?"
Toby shot Jim a look, then turned back to the Amulet in his hands. "C'mon. It worked just now!"
Tapping his fork on the side of his plate and swallowing, Jim rolled his eyes. "Can I ask why you took it off coming here?"
"Don't you think it'd be a little suspicious to see a teenager running across the street in a suit of armor in the twenty-first century?"
Jim ran a tongue over his teeth, setting down his fork and raising an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for a guy to think things through, Tobes."
However, a few moments after Toby stared at him with what seemed to be a sad look of disbelief, the amulet in his hands started to glow and hum. It gave off that painfully familiar sense of connection to Jim, and he gripped tightly on his fork as he watched the redhead get lifted up in the air.
That miserable silver armor clasped around Toby's limbs as it had so many times, and Jim could only stare darkly as the stout boy landed on the floor with a heavy metallic thump.
"Hah! See? I told you!"
He stared blankly at the armored lad before him. Anger boiled his blood, but he took in a breath and sighed. "Unbelievable. I've seen it all now."
There was yet another knock coming from a door. This time coming from the back door. Jim gave an vexxed sigh at the sound of the door falling open, and he saw Toby nearly crack his head, jerking it over to look past the kitchen counter.
Blinkous Galadrigal, the very troll who Jim had previously loved as a father, who turned out to only love as his child whoever was chosen as the Trollhunter, stepped into the house with Aaarrrgghh struggling to fit in from behind. The first's six eyes were glancing all over the house and landed on Toby, a wide toothy smile coming across his mouth. "Master Tobias! We have found you!"
Toby's face paled as he stared at the troll nearing him. "I—wha—y-you— you're real ?!"
"Why, of course we are! Though, I am curious—did we not just meet last night?" Blinky raised an eyebrow, right before his eyes fell upon Jim.
The lanky boy stared blankly at the blue troll, resuming to eat his dinner.
Blinking puzzledly at Jim's lack of fear, Blinky furrowed his stony brows and asked, "Oh… are you not Master Tobais' academic companion?"
Jim simply munched on his macaroni. "Stalker."
"You seem oddly unbaffled to see us trolls for the first time. I am known as Blinky, and this is my good friend Aaarrrgghh." The six-armed troll gestured to the larger troll struggling to fit into the dining room.
Aaarrrgghh squeezed through the doorway to the dining room, leaving a semi-noticeable scratch on the top of the wall as he stumbled through. "Doorway small."
Jim turned his head around and lowered his eyebrows to glower at the troll.
Aaarrrgghh dipped his head a little, rumbling softly. "Sorry."
"Okay, okay, wait—" Toby ran an armored hand through his hair, pulling it back in distress and sucking in a deep breath. "Y-you two." He pointed at Blinky and Aaarrrgghh. "You broke into my basement last night. You said you were… t-trolls?"
"Yes, Master Tobias—trolls! The Amulet of Daylight has chosen you to be our protector!"
This again. Jim sighed and tried to focus on eating his food.
"P-Protector?" Toby frowned, seeming to struggle to maintain himself from freaking out. "Protect you big guys?"
"Exactly! You are now the Trollhunter! It is your responsibility to protect us and mankind from bad trolls, as well as goblins, gruesomes and an occasional rogue gnome. The mantle of Trollhunter is a sacred responsibility, one which has never been passed to a human before. This is a momentous occasion!"
They all paused while hearing a car pull into the driveway, Jim barely showing any concern.
"Oh, shoot—is that Dr. Lake?!" Toby darted his wide green eyes to Jim, who only shrugged his shoulders.
"Just go to the bathroom upstairs." The dark-haired lad told them absently, itching for the trio to leave him alone.
Immediately, Toby led the two trolls up the stairs in the blink of an eye, and Jim gave a bothered grunt where he heard Aaarrrgghh push the baluster off its place for what felt like the hundredth millionth time.
Not too long after did Barbara walk through the front door. "Jim? It's me. I forgot my phone." She walked into the living room to fetch her phone on the table and saw her son sitting in the dining room eating. "Are you alright?"
He simply wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back with a sigh. "Yeah, 'just made myself dinner. You?"
Barbara gave a small, tired smile. "Busy. It's a mystery how the hospital's been crazy in such a small town."
You haven't seen anything yet, mother.
Jim cleared his throat and played around with a noodle using his fork. "Yeah well, I guess that just proves how busy this town is."
His mother chuckled a little as she started to walk towards the front door, but that was when a thump was heard from the bathrooms upstairs.
He sighed internally.
"Jim, who's upstairs?" asked Barbara with a puzzled look on her face.
"It's just—" He shook his head, fed up with Toby. "It's just Toby."
"What's he doing upstairs?"
"Using the bathroom."
"Is he okay?"
He inhaled sharply at the question, wetting his lips angrily. " He's fine. "
Barbara raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the sudden crossness in her son's voice. "Is something wrong?"
"Nope," he responded plainly. "I just want to eat."
"Oh, alright then. I'll leave you to it then—"
There was an audible "what?!" that came from the bathroom, and Jim knew Barbara probably looked even more confused.
"...Does Toby usually talk to himself?"
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Yes, he talks a lot Mom, you know him."
"...I'm going to check on him real quick. Maybe his stomach is bothering him."
Jim turned his head and leaned his chair back to look past the wall and see Barbara already walking up the stairs. " Are you serious?! " he hissed to himself, mildly raged. Why is she fussing over him already!? She doesn't even know anything yet!
He may not have cared for Barbara as much as he used to before, but to see the one person who he used to care, trust and love devotedly worry for his friend often (multiple times) made his old battered heart give a painful, burning sting.
With a puff of his breath, he sat back down and proceeded to finish his dinner, choking down his anger with a glass of juice. There went his appetite.
He was putting his dish in the sink when Barbara came downstairs for some medicine and ginger ale. He rolled his sleeves up and began to wash his plate to scrub all that cheesy grease off, his gut swirling uneasily at the sound of his mother heading up the stairs and asking if Toby was okay.
He had finished putting away the dishes when both his mother and Toby came down the stairs, and he glared at the two with a clenched jaw when the stouter boy walked Barbara to the door.
Toby had closed the door behind Barbara after she left, and that was when Blinky and Aaarrrgghh came back down from the bathroom.
Jim was standing by the wall between the dining room and living room with his arms crossed when Aaarrrgghh started to bump around into the furniture.
"Your cave—too small," grumbled the Kubera troll with a wince as he tried to not hit anything.
"It's a wonder how you even fit through doorways," Jim murmured underneath his breath, idly watching Toby bent down to start putting the stuff that fell back up on the shelves.
"So, Master Tobias," Blinky's voice gathered everyone's attention. "Are you ready? We should begin your training immediately!"
Toby winced and looked away, leaning over to pick up a book. "Yeah, uh… I don't know, man… I sort of have, uh, school to study for."
Blinky's grin fell. "I assure you the relevance escapes me."
"I—" Toby stood up and scratched the back of his neck wearily. "I'm fifteen. I need to stay home, study and stuff. I can't be out, y'know, Trollhunting and all that."
"Because…?"
"I mean, the whole getting killed by a vicious troll named Bular might be a deal breaker!"
"Deal breaker?"
" I don't wanna die, dude!"
Blinky stared at Toby for a brief moment, then he laughed. "Goodness gracious—who does?"
Toby gave the troll a defeated look, and he reached for the amulet in his pocket to hand it to Blinky. "You should probably take this back."
Blinky's grin fell again, and he looked at Toby with a tad bit of desperation. "The amulet called for you, Master Tobias. It chose you. It is your destiny!"
Jim rolled his eyes.
"I don't think I like that word anymore," Toby murmured to himself.
"You cannot refuse it, you cannot give it back. It is yours until the day you die." Blinky urged.
"I'd like to go past puberty and lose some weight before that happens!"
"Tobias, you are now responsible for the protection of two worlds, both human and troll alike . If you do not keep the balance, evil trolls like Bular will come into yours and wreak havoc."
"Wait, wait, wait," Once again, the newly chosen Trollhunter ran both his hands through his hair. "You're saying this Bular guy can hurt people?"
"Like you." Aaarrrgghh pointed out.
Blink whirled around and glared at the Kubera. "Not. Helping!"
Jim crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, half attentive now. In previous timelines, he would've tried to help ease things out for Toby to reduce the massive wave of shock, stress and fear, but without peeping in every now and then to lift the heavy stuff laid onto Toby's shoulders and letting everything play out, it was somewhat sadly amusing to see Toby look so genuinely defeated.
Said boy looked pale and near breaking down, barely uttering, "W-What's that supposed to mean?"
Blinky turned back to look at Toby, and Jim would call him visibly blind to expressions as he continued, "With the amulet in your possession now, Bular will seek you out. You will have to face him one way or another."
Jim knew if this played out any further, it would mostly likely end with Toby losing it completely. So for the sake of not having to deal with a weepy auburn-headed Trollhunter, he stepped forwards in front of Toby and said, "I think that's enough for tonight." He looked up boldly at the two trolls he used to find comfort and understanding with and told them, "It's late, we've got exams for school this week, and we need to focus and rest for our studies. If you don't understand, the less questions asked are better because we get a lot of them during school. So, if you could leave my house and let us rest for the remainder of the weekend, that'd be very much appreciated."
Both Blinky and Aaarrrgghh stared at Jim as if he were a changeling—well, they might have thought he was one, but Jim truthfully couldn't care about what they thought of him—and the blue troll then spoke, "Ah, well then… we shall return afterwards at Tobias's house to begin his training! Is two days favorable?"
"Yes."
"Very well. We shall see each other until then." The six-eyed troll started to walk towards the back door, but he slowed down on his steps when he caught Toby's face, and he finally saw the emotions clearly written on the boy's face. He scooted closer to the redhead. "Master Tobias, if I may… destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives living existence in quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders is actually a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights!"
Jim was just about to head towards the stairs when he paused upon hearing the words he and the folks he was close to used.
The words that got him where he was.
"Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero! Don't think, Master Tobias—become!" Blinky moved his hands in front and turned them face up in a pleading manner. "Would you at least consider?"
Jim quietly watched as Toby's somewhat more settled face stared at Blinky for a while. He then, like Jim first did when he was first chosen as Trollhunter, fist bumped the four blue stony hands, not saying a word, but agreeing.
As Blinky and Aaarrrgghh left through the yard, Toby stayed in the kitchen to close the door, saying half heartedly, "Well, trolls are a thing now. Who knew?"
He turned around, expecting Jim to at least be standing by the dining room table, but instead the lankier boy was already heading towards the stairs. Dying to know what was wrong with his friend, Toby hurried over and stopped the other from heading up, "Hey—Jim, can we talk? You've been acting way past strange lately and frankly enough it's almost been scaring me. What's wrong? Did something happen—well, other than just now…. But you didn't look scared of them! Are you even scared? How are you so calm with all this? What's going on?"
Pausing by the baluster, Jim frowned and looked at Toby. If he were a dog, he would've snarled right there and then to express his utter overwhelming dislike. "I'm tired. I got those trolls to leave for you. Now go home and sleep. Aren't you at least a bit exhausted?"
The bluntness coming from Jim's hollow words was the last straw for Toby. "Oh, I'm far from exhausted, Jim. Just now I got information about my now certified life job that the only way to retire from is legitimately dying, either by old age or by this freakin' Bular guy who's now out to hunt me! You say you're tired—what the heck have you been doing in here all day?! I come back from spending eight hours at the dentist's, where I've been sitting down the whole time while they mess around with my dog gone teeth and braces, figure out late at night I'm suddenly a protector of hulking stone creatures who can't protect their own butts, only to have you not even try and somehow ease things up on me! Dude, if you were in my shoes you know I'd try and help you feel better with this distressing stuff! What's wrong with you? Why are you being such a jerk lately? Nearly beating Steve up in school in front of Coach Lawrence yesterday, giving Strickler the stink eye all throughout class—this isn't you! The Jim I know and grew up with is a nice, caring guy who does his best to do good, not this blunt, spiteful guy who looks like he doesn't give a thing about anything. Where'd the old Jim go?!"
Jim silently stared at Toby, and for a moment the two had a stare down on who would look away or not.
"He's still here," he said finally after a while, crossing his arms and tilting his head back a little as he gazed coolly at the short boy before him. "Just a bit twisted."
The words felt like thorns sinking deep into Toby's heart.
"W-What do you mean… twisted?" he repeated, a cold shiver running past his skin and making his hairs rise with a sudden fright. The way Jim's cold eyes stared into his soul weren't helping, and suddenly Toby just wanted to get away from the dark house that used to feel warm and welcoming to him.
"Go home, Tobes." Jim began to turn to walk up the stairs. "I think we both need some sleep right now."
"What–Jim, wait—"
" Now , Toby. I'm not in the mood."
Said boy nearly shrunk back at the sharp tone. If this continued, he would probably have to start getting used to Jim's new attitude, and Toby wasn't looking forward to having to do that at all.
Without saying anything else to further upset the taller lad, Toby turned around and began to walk towards the front door, grabbing the doorknob and twisting it to open it. He glanced back a little, and stepped out with a heavy heart.
Surely, things would turn out better the next day, right?
Right ?
However, deep down, Toby knew this was just the opening of a large gap that would form between him and Jim.
He didn't like any of it.