Eventually I return back to the room, clutching three breakfast muffins from a Mcdonald's I passed by on the way here. Staying out all night and watching the sun rise gave me a sense of relief but I know it's only temporary. As soon as I push open the door, I'm greeted by Woody and Tobias. Both of them have a worried expression plastered across their faces and rush up to me as soon as I step inside.
"Where the hell have you been?" They both ask in unison before turning and glancing at one another. I breathe in calmly, feeling my body grow heavy from exhaustion. Mentally and physically.
"I had to walk it off. Look, I'm exhausted and I've bought us breakfast. Can we please just eat it in silence without fighting?" I ask them, my voice deflated. I watch both of their features soften and Uncle Tobias nods silently, reaching forward to take the bag off me. He glances inside, a small smile on his lips —
"My favourite, you remembered?"
"Of course I did," I respond, kicking my shoes off and bouncing on the closest bed. I prop myself back on the pillows, automatically sinking into the sheets.
"We ate them every Saturday morning for like ten years." I laugh quietly, already feeling my eyes grow heavy. Tobias grins, handing one to Woody before giving me the last one. I warily glance between the two of them, wondering whether they'd resolved the issue. I don't think I can handle anymore fighting, it's like living with cats and dogs.
I tear off the wrapper and take a bite, watching as Tobias does the same. Woody walks up to me, taking a seat beside me before unwrapping his. He glances at me from the corner of his eye, concern flashing through them —
"Are you okay? Did something happen to you?" He asks me quietly. I shake my head.
"Just tired and nope, I'm fine." I tell him. His shoulders relax in relief and I find it adorable that he cares about my wellbeing so much. We all spend the next five minutes eating in silence and for the first time in a while, it's a comfortable silence.
I manage to get halfway through my breakfast before my eyes finally give in and close. As I'm sleeping, a small smile stretches across my face as I realise something as silly as Mcdonald's breakfast muffins can make everything seem okay.
*****
I wake up to the feeling of a warm hand stroking over the strands of my hair. It reminds me of being poorly when I was younger and I'd lie my head in Dad's lap whilst he did the same thing. I open my eyes and blink a few times, registering my surroundings. Woody is still sat beside me, watching me with a content look on his face. When I realise it's him stroking my hair, I feel my cheeks burn slightly.
"Hey sleepyhead," he smiles, his eyes lighting up. I yawn loudly, ruining the peace and quiet in the room. Woody chuckles under his breath and I sit up slightly, rubbing at my eyes.
"How long have I been out?" I tell him, glancing around the room. "And where's Tobias?" I question.
"Around six hours and he's gone to meet an old friend of his. Apparently he could have information on where your parents are." Woody explains. My eyes widen and I sit up, running a hand through my wild hair.
"Really? Why didn't he wake me? We should go find him," I say quickly, standing up. Woody remains lying down on the bed, his hands placed behind his head. I turn to look at him, putting my hand up in the air in questioning —
"Why are you not moving Cowboy?"
"Because you literally just woke up. Tobias is handling it and when he knows something, so will we. Go and get a shower, I'll get you some food and we'll wait for him to get back." Woody responds, pushing himself up and off the bed. My shoulders sink in defeat and I begin to pout like a child.
"You're right." I mumble eventually, knowing Uncle Tobias would tell me as soon as he heard anything. I was increasingly becoming wary of the time limit we have to find Mum and Dad.
"I'm always right." Woody smirks, walking up to me. I glare at him before yawning for the second time. Woody stands in front of me, raising his hands to place them gently on my shoulders. He glances down at me with a softened look in his eyes.
"I know you're desperate to find them and we will find them."
"You think?" I question softly, the anxious feeling inside my stomach growing by the second. Despite wishing Woody was right, I can't help but imagine what will happen if we don't find them.
"Yes, we won't stop looking until we do." Woody responds, his voice a low murmur. I nod my head, breathing in softly.
"I hope so." I tell him, automatically leaning in towards his chest. He seems tense at first but seconds pass before he pulls me in closer, wrapping an arm around my frame. I bury my head into his shoulder, breathing in his scent. Surprisingly, it brings me a level of calm and I mentally note how nobody has ever managed to make me feel like that before.
Especially for being a hyper-active person, it's hard to find calming mechanisms in life. Part of me is freaked out by my feelings towards him and I bite down on my lower lip.
"I think I'm going to get a shower." I mumble, pulling back slightly. He nods slowly, gesturing at the door, completely oblivious to my thoughts —
"I'm going to head out and get you some food. I won't be long."
"Okay," I reply, my lips stretching out into a smile involuntarily. Before he has a chance to notice it, I quickly whirl around and scurry into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I lean against it, blowing out deeply.
"Damn it Ruby, do not fall for him." I mutter to myself, placing a hand on my forehead. I finally know how it feels like to truly like someone. I can't decide whether I enjoy the feeling or not . . .
It makes me feel vulnerable. Exposed to potentially being hurt and I've spent so long building guards to protect myself from that. Instead of overthinking every aspect of Woody and I's weird relationship, I turn the shower on and strip before stepping inside.
The water does wonders in making me feel human again. After I've washed my hair and shaved, I begin to use the razor as my microphone and imagine myself on stage, singing to my crowd of adoring fans. I spend twenty minutes putting on a concert of a lifetime, singing my heart out until my lungs feel drained of air. After washing myself for the final time, I step out and wrap a towel around my body.
"Thank you everyone, you've all been amazing!" I yell out loud, bowing to my invisible fans. I grin, shaking my body to the music playing inside my head as I make my way inside the room to get dressed. When I push open the bathroom door, Uncle Tobias and Woody are both staring at me in awe, struggling to keep their laughter contained. I roll my eyes at them —
"Go ahead." I say, preparing myself to be bullied to oblivion. They both pause for a second, turning to look at each other before bursting out into fits of laughter. Woody clutches his stomach, bending over whilst tears stream down Tobias' face.
"You sound like a dying cat," Uncle Tobias wheezes, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. I grin and take another bow.
"I'm here all night folks, just for your entertainment!" I say loudly in a sing song voice. They both laugh harder, shaking their heads at me in amusement.