Chapter 3: Thoughts and a Call Home
(That might be the longest chapter name I've written!)
After the two got back, Toad didn't see anyone in the castle. The doors opened with a loud creaking noise, but no one was there.
"They must have all gone to sleep." Toad concluded. "We have to be quiet." he whispered to Mario. He nodded, and the two tiptoed upstairs. When they got to the third floor, Toad waved goodbye to Mario and walked into his room. He changed into his white pajamas and slumped onto the bed.
"Ahh... Today was a day." he yawned. He pulled the covers up and over himself and closed his eyes. However, he found that he couldn't sleep as well as he used to. He wondered why that was, as he turned over onto his side to find out if he was more comfortable that way. He was, but he still couldn't doze off. He thought about the day to make himself go to sleep, but all he could think about was Peach. And that only made him blush and feel hot inside. With a groan, he turned over once again and desperately tried to get some shut-eye.
Meanwhile, the very Princess he was dreaming about was in a cabin at Delfino Island. She was sleeping on one bed while Toadsworth was on the other. She turned in her bed and yawned, seeming to not be able to sleep either.
I can't sleep. she told herself. Maybe it's because I miss my friends? Yeah, maybe that's it. she reasoned, laying on her belly. I should call home tomorrow. she thought, finally closing her eyes and drifting off.
The next morning, Toad's alarm started beeping in his room, but to no avail; he slept right through it. It had been a long night, and he went to bed at close to midnight due to how hard it was for him to get to sleep. The thing that eventually woke him up at around nine in the morning was his telephone. He groaned and rolled around a bit, then sat up and picked it up on the nightstand.
"Hello?" he began groggily.
"Hi Toad!" the Princess emphatically replied, smiling on the other end.
"Oh, hi Princess!" Toad's cheerful tone was back; he didn't want to act less than his very best when the Princess was around. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing at all, Toad. Just wanted to check how my castle is doing back home." Peach explained.
"Oh, it's doing great! You have nothing to worry about, Princess. I'll take care of the castle until you get back."
"That's what I like to hear from my former assistant." she smiled. The word 'former' hit Toad pretty hard emotionally, but he kept his composure.
"So when will you be back, Princess?"
"I'll be back there in three days." the princess replied. "Oh! I have to go, Toadsworth is needing me. Catch you later, Toad!"
"Yeah, see you later Princess. Bye!" Toad hung up the phone, but continued to stare at the receiver for a couple seconds.
"Now I really don't know what to do with you, Peach..." he sighed, flopping back down onto the bed and staring at the ceiling. "I think you like me, but... I don't know if it's in the way I'm thinking... Oh, Princess..." he sighed, holding his hands close to his chest, to feel his heart seeming to go a hundred miles an hour. He looked at his pillow and crawled over to hug it. I have to let this affection out somehow. he thought to himself, blushing slightly. Someone knocked at the door a couple minutes later.
"Hey, Toad?" It was Mario. "Breakfast is ready."
"Coming, coming." Toad replied, and threw the pillow onto the bed, getting up to get dressed per usual, but with a lot of things on his mind.
To be continued...