1"Hi Don-esh-ia!" Donnie turned and looked at the guy who was standing with a silly grin on his face. Not him again. "Hi." She couldn't even remember his name.
Eloise caught up with Donnie as she walked to class. "Who's he?" She probed. "Some guy from Intermediate. Mental unit." "He's always saying hello to you. How come he know your name?" she asked. "Dunno. we spoke a bit. Didn't think he'd remember me," Donnie replied. Eloise laughed curtly. "He's strange."
Feeling bad for not remembering his name, Donnie looked up his photo in last years' school yearbook, that night. Twenty class photos - tiny, black and white photocopies - but she found his photo, and his name. Toby. Toby, Toby, Toby, Toby.
In the morning, Donnie saw him again. "Hi Don-esh-ia!" He called. "Hi Toby," she answered, proud to remember his name. "Do - you - know - where - Andrew - is?" He asked. Donnie shook her head, confused. "No. Who's Andrew?" "Do - you - know - where - Andrew - is?" He asked again. On her left, Donnie spied the girls in her class, pointing and giggling at Toby. Eloise tugged at Donnie's arm. "Let's go", she said trying not to laugh. "See ya Toby" Donnie called as Eloise dragged her away.
Eloise cracked up in giggles as soon as they were through the school gate. "Shhh, Eloise!" Donnie didn't want Toby to hear. "Gosh, Donnie! What's wrong with him?" "I dunno, Eli - Stop laughing!" Her face was growing redder and redder. "Y-you really should ditch him, y' know." Eloise tried to regain control of herself. "No! He's a bit strange, but he's okay." "I know you're trying to be nice and all that Doneish, but don't you see? Everyone was staring at us back there! If you want real friends, you'll have to ignore him." "That's not right, Ellie!" Donnie protested, but Eloise refused to listen. Serious now, she turned around and looked her friend in the eye in the eye. "Doneshia, think! You'll have to choose. Friends, or Toby." Donnie stared back defiantly; but Eloise shrugged and smiled, "You'll agree with me soon. It's the only way."
Walking to class, Doneshia was relieved to have some time alone to think. Her throat was burning, and confused thoughts raced round her head. It's the only 's the only way. When did life become so hard? She knew what the right thing to do was, but didn't think she could do it.
At lunch while sitting with Eloise, Donnie saw him walking toward them. Eloise followed her gaze. "Perfect!" She said, sarcastically. "We would ditch him, but he's already seen us. Well you know what you have to do," she looked at Donnie expectantly. "Eloise, no! Not now. I can't!" Doneshia protested. "Oh, for goodness sakes, Donnie! I'll tell him, then. But we have to do it. Word'll get around if someone sees him sitting with us, and it won't be pretty." Donnie looked to her imploringly, "What'll you say?" "Oh, I don't know. I could tell him we're busy doing our homework." "But we're not!" "Hey, stop being such a goody-good! I'll tell him, and you won't have to say anything." I watched Toby approach, with great foreboding. I didn't want this, but what could I do? I wanted to keep my friends, and my reputation.
"Hi Don-esh-ia!" Toby called as he walked up. "Have - you - seen - Andrew?" My face went red. "Um, no I haven't Andrew. I'm sorry." Not just for that. "Have - you - seen - Andrew?" He repeated, more loudly. "No, Toby, I haven't." I said. "Oh." His face fell a bit, but then it brightened. "Can - I - sit - with - you?" I looked at Eloise. "Well." She began, slightly nervously now that he was actually here, "Well, It's just that we're doing our homework, and It's really boring. so maybe you should go somewhere else instead." Toby looked at us, eating our lunch. "No you're not". Eloise tried again. "Well, we aren't exactly doing it now, but we were going to get it out and do it. isn't that right Doneshia?" My face burned. Without looking up, I said, "Yeah." "Okay." Toby said, happily. I looked at him, surprised. "I'll do it with you then." His face had melted into a great warm smile, and I couldn't help but grin back.
Eloise looked to me for support. "No, Toby. We want to do it on our own. don't we Donnie?" I looked at her square in the eye. How could she do this? But then I felt guilty - I had been helping, too. But not any more.
"Well, actually. I don't feel like doing homework any more, Eloise. Lets just sit and talk." I replied. She flinched. She flushed. She glared at me. She implored me silently. After a heavy pause, she stood, and asked, "Are you sure?" "Yes. Will you stay with us?" She looked from me to Toby, then back to me.
"Donnie." She was short for words. " ," she shrugged, "I liked you. But you've changed. I. I have to go." She turned away. "Eli, I really like you too. It doesn't have to end like this. Please stay. Why can't we all be friends?" I pressed her, desperately. She looked back, and shook her head. "I.I can't. You know I can't. It's too hard. The girls - they'll be awful to you. Please come with me!" "Eloise, I won't. I don't want to be friends with them. I'm sorry". She looked at me for a moment longer, and her eyes watered as if she were about to cry. Then she shook her head, her face set hard, and walked quickly away.
So I was alone, all, all alone. Except I had Toby. He was my friend now. He listened to me, and cared about me and loved me. Eloise talked to me after school. She said if I tried, they might let me off. I couldn't be in their group, but Eloise and I could still be friends, and have our other friends as well. I said, no. She left. I never spoke to her again.
In the mornings as I walk to school with Toby, they laugh at us. They call us retarded. They say we're going together. We pass, silently. I thought Toby didn't understand, until one day I he started crying after we had passed them, and gone through the school gates. "Toby! What's the matter? Just ignore them. It's not true, what they say". But he shook his head vigorously. "No-no-no-no. its - not - that - its - its - Andrew" Andrew! He hadn't mentioned Andrew in a long time. I had almost forgotten about him. "Andrew - my - brother - my - friend." "Yes, I know. I don't know where he is, Toby," I told him. "No - no - he's - not - here - he's - gone" and Toby broke down in sobs. I held his shoulders and leaned my head against his. "What do you mean?" I asked softly". "Cancer" sniff, "took - him - away" "Oh Toby! I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." I was shocked. Now I understood.
"Toby, I know where Andrew is" He looked up. He stopped crying. He waited. "Toby, you're brothers in Heaven - he's with Jesus and the angels" "Does - he - hurt?" "No, Toby, He's happy and he's well. and one day you'll go and be with him. He's waiting for you." Toby looked at me for a moment. He sniffed. "Where's - Heav-en?" "Its up there. in the sky" I pointed. Toby smiled. His whole face lit up in a sunny smile - the biggest smile I'd ever seen - and I smiled with him.