13 4.4: A Spiritual Abduction (2/2)

”I'm trying out different nicknames to figure out which one works out for you-” Tobias argues as Benji sniffs him.

I narrow my eyes at him. ”Don't-”

”Look, Rosa, we were meant to steal Benji. Why else wouldn't we be returned to the Darkoom?” Tobias asks critically, and I sigh exasperatedly as Benji wags his tail.

”How is he related to my death?” I grimace as I watch Benji drool all over Tobias.

”I guess we gotta figure this out-” Tobias replies, his thin lips curling into a charming grin. ”Rosey-”

”My grandma used to call me that. I hated it-” I deadpan.

”It has a nice ring to it-” Tobias defends.

”You know what else will have a nice ring to it?”

Tobias sighs dreamily. ”Wha-?”

”Leaving you in this dimension,” I state seriously.

Tobias scoffs. ”You wouldn't-”

”Oh yeah?”

”Look, Rosey, you need to understand something-” He tells me. ”In our previous lives, we were losers who couldn't afford to do what they wanted most-”

”Speak of yourself-”

”We have the chance to frame this life as we want-” He says eagerly.

”This is a punishment, not a fucking trip-”

”Look, I just wanted you to unwind-”

”It's not working Tobias!” I snap. ”I haven't been here for thirty cycles. I haven't moved on from my best friend's betrayal. My best friend whom I have last seen a few days ago when I was alive. My best friend whom I'm literally checking after, to figure out why she hates me. Okay? I'm not over my ex-boyfriend. I'm not over my mom writing riddles, blaming herself for my death for some reason. I'm not over Jake's anger and Aiden's lostness. So forgive me if I can't 'unwind'-”

Tobias sighs sadly, looks around, then drops Benji, and holds the leash. ”I'm sorry. I'm moving too fast. I thought you liked it-”

”I'm just overwhelmed right now-” I tell him, staring in his soul. ”Really, Tobias. I don't understand this freedom we're given-” I say, trying not to sound as desperate as I feel. Because I literally can't identify one emotion. It has all mixed up into confusion. ”And you're just- you're dragging me around in places I don't care to be, at times I just can't be-”

Tobias looks at me silently, then clears his throat. I try to take him seriously all the time, but his hair is an absolution of a nightmare, and his eyes are lost and indecisive. I don't know if he really gets me.

”I understand-” He says slowly, his shoulders dropping. ”You don't want me with you-”

Somehow the thought of the absence of his irritating ass fills me with dread which surprises me. When did I get used to his presence?

”No-” I say quickly. ”I- uh- I don't want that-” I blink and inhale deeply. ”I just don't want-” I momentarily shut my eyes and sigh. ”I don't want this-” I lift an arm and lock his eyes.

Tobias nods and smiles slightly. ”Well, that's good-” He then looks upward and glances down at me. ”I like being around you-”

I'm surprised by his bold reply, that he quickly takes back.

”As in, you know, you're the only one I know-” He then looks down with a smile. ”Besides Benji-”

”Yeah, whatever-”

”Roseline, you know what you need?” He says, lowering his voice, and feigning thoughtfulness.

He then moves beside me and drapes an arm on my shoulder. I almost roll my eyes and consider throwing his arm, that I really can't feel, off of me. He then leans in and whispers in my ear.

”Rosey, you need consumption-”

I blink and scoff out a laugh. ”What in the hell is that?”

”You need to be consumed, Rosey, what's there to explain, darlin'?” He whispers again, and I look toward him and his close face.

I shake my head and use my hand to shove his face away from me, shrugging his arm off of me. I then start walking out of the alley we're stranded in.

”That would've been painful, but lucky for you I can't feel shit-” I hear him say as he approaches me with his barking dog and holds my forearm.

I scrunch my nose at him. ”I don't understand your weird vocabulary. I really just need to die. Die spiritually-”

”All I meant is that you need someone to talk to and consume your thoughts. And I'm not saying talking. I'm saying talking, talking-” He gives me a sidelong glance as we step into the bright, busy street. ”Night talks. Deep conversations-” He then locks my eyes. ”Intimate ones-”

”What are you doing?” I shake my head with a smile. ”You're shamelessly advertising yourself to 'consume' me?”

”Maybe-”

I groan and laugh at the same time. ”We're still on the brink of 'enjoyable' acquaintance-”

”This 'a-word' really aggravates me-” He says as Benji barks. ”See? Even Benji is aggravated-”

I smack my lips and smile despite having a kid with a kite (that doesn't fly because the weather now is horrible) pass through me.

”Can you say 'aggravated' like ten times right after each other?” I ask him.

”That's a weird request-”

”No, it's a weird word-” I remark.

”So any word that can't be said ten times right after each other is a weird one to you?” He chuckles.

”Yes-”

”Say 'acquaintance' ten times, Rosey-”

I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head with a smile. ”You're unbelievable-”

”And you're a hypocrite-” He retorts. ”Never ever use such words. It's a blood pact between us-”

”We don't bleed-” I say lamely, and he smirks.

”How do you know? We all bleed, don't we?” He asks, quirking up an eyebrow.

”We don't-”

”We all bleed differently-” He says.

”What do you mean?”

”Well, poetically speaking, our blood is what keeps us alive, not existing-” He tells me. ”You probably bleed love. And when you couldn't find it around you, you just snapped. Get it?”

I look at him, mesmerized by his theory. ”And what do you bleed?”

Tobias gives me another dazzling smile and smoothly changes the topic. ”You know what I've been thinking about?”

”What?”

”You getting a haircut-” He says suddenly, his eyes on me. He then looks away and picks up Benji.

I remember self-consciously touching my hair as I stared into his bright eyes that suddenly dimmed out and took the world's lights away with it.