"I'm slipping!"I said, and tears were pouring down my face. Was this seriously the end?
Toby was blowing the whistle to let Tracy know someone was in danger. I felt my fingers slip a little as I clung. I began to cry and struggle.
I couldn't die. Not before I'd told Toby…
Not before I'd told him that I love him.
It seems crazy, and everyone expects me to end up dating Liam or something. But it's not him. It's never been him.
It's always been Toby, because Toby has always been here for me.
Flashback:
"Are you okay?" Toby sat next to Carmen, as the others played football in the distance.
"Well…I guess not." Carmen admitted. She saw Toby's comforting face, urging her to go on, and so she explained. "Well, it's just…Lily keeps pretending she's my friend, but whenever I suggest something, she…she always hates on me and I…I can't help but think I'm not worthy of her friendship. She's so much better than me, and prettier, and smarter, and…"
"Stop right there, Carmen Howle." Toby said sternly, and my eyes widened."You're prettier, smarter, BETTER than Lily Kettle, and she's not worthy of your friendship. Don't forget, alright? Just don't." he said.
Carmen couldn't help but smile as Toby held his hand out to her. She slipped her tanned hand into his white one and off they ran; towards where the others were playing football.
End of flashback.
What happened next took Carmen by complete surprise.
She heard Mike's voice, and his entire group. Lily was laughing. That bitch!
Hands grabbed onto mine and unlatched my backpack from the nail. With the help of Johnny and Liam, Toby pulled me up onto the bridge, and he held me upright as we pushed through the crowd.
"Carmen, I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!" Elektra said, as she ran over to get to the other side. Luckily, no more bridge broke off.
As both teams walked together, Carmen saw Lily, linked arms with Sapphire, and stiffened. Sapphire shot a 'sorry!' look over her shoulder before continuing to walk.
Carmen, her face pale, dropped back so she could trudge along behind the others.
"Okay?" his Scottish accent soft and caring as Toby fell into step beside me.
His hand found mine and we held on tight. "I…I thought I was going to die." I said quietly. The others were long out of our sight, but we still had their footprints to go on.
"I thought you were too. I had to do something. I couldn't stand to see you like that, Carm." He said.
The nickname sent a shiver up Carmen's spine. It was just…his accent, the way he said it…her fellow 14 year old would never understand.
"Toby, I've got to tell you something." She said finally.
"Me, too." He said. They stopped walking and turned to face each other, but before they could speak, there was a roar.
Both teenagers whipped round to see a bear behind them. They both sprang into action, running together, holding hands.
The bear caught up, however, and bit hard into Toby's leg, causing him to cry out in pain.
A sudden gunshot was heard and the bear was down, but Carmen helped Toby to a log. She sat down and gently lifted up his trouser leg to look at the cut.
Toby was shaking; tears sprang to his eyes as she touched it, and he winced.
"Sorry." She whispered. Carmen pulled out a first aid kit from her bag.
"Why have you got a…"
"I nicked it from Elektra."
Toby smiled as she put antiseptic on it. He tried not to wince but he let out a gasp and that showed his pain.
Carmen bandaged up his leg.
"Carmen, I…"
"I love you, Toby."
Those four words sent him into shock, but before he could reply, Mike had appeared.
"What happened?!"
They finally got back to camp and Carmen slumped in her chair, while Toby watched her talking to Tee and Elektra.
Did she really…love him?
Like you love her?
I don't! Toby said firmly.
Think about it.
He had been at the Dumping Ground for the same amount of time as Carmen, and from the beginning, Carmen had always been there for him.
Of course he loved her.
Toby approached the girls and they stopped talking at once. "Can we talk?" he asked the girl quietly. As Carmen got up and he pulled her aside, he noticed something; she wasn't wearing pink. She was wearing a mixture of black and blue and red.
"What happened to you?" Toby asked.
"I grew up." She said quietly.
"What, in the space of an hour?"
"What do you want, Toby?"
Toby took a deep breath and pulled her behind a tree.
"I love you too." He said.
"Wait, what? You do?"
"Yes."
Carmen smiled softly, and he leaned in to kiss her lips softly.
Toby looked behind him, tears falling down his face.
Carmen came running over to him, and she threw her arms around his neck. She was crying too. "I'll miss you, Toby."
"I'll write to you, I promise. And…and we can meet in town, anytime we can, yeah?" he said.
"Of course, Toby, always. And I want you to know…I think….I'm so sorry, and I don't want to, but…we should break up."
They both pulled away and they were crying, but both of them knew what had to happen.
"I know, we should, Carmen."
"But listen to me. I love you with as much of my heart as it is possible to, but…I'm not breaking up with you because there's someone else. I'm not even really breaking up with you. I'm letting you go."
"But Carm…I'm letting you go too." They hugged again, teary eyed.
"You're amazing, cute, sweet…any girl out there would want you."
"And you're amazing, sweet, beautiful, honest, kind…any guy out there would want you too."
"Still friends?"
" Forever, but you'll always have my heart completely, Carmen Howle." Toby said.
"You'll always have mine, too. Always." Carmen replied.
They broke away from each other, and their tears were falling faster now.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Carmen gave him a gentle kiss on the mouth, which he returned. They broke apart, smiled, then Carmen watched him go, waving.
Her eyes were filled with tears, but as Elektra placed a hand on her shoulder, she gave a smile.
"You really love him don't you?" Elektra asked softly, as she led a tear-stricken Carmen back inside.
"Always, Elektra. Always." Carmen said.
4 YEARS LATER
"Toby!" the black haired girl called out.
The blonde Scottish teen paled, and they ran to each other, and they hugged.
"Carmen. Carmen."
"I know, I know…oh Toby, I've missed you!"
"I've prepared for this moment…for so long…"
Suddenly he was on one knee in front of her.
"Will you marry me, Carmen?"
"Of course I will!"
The ring was slipped onto her finger, and Carmen got down on her knees too, to kiss him, and hug him tightly.
Her best friend. Her other half. Her Dumping Ground friend.
Her soulmate. Who would've thought?