Unnaturally Beautiful

Chapter 04: The Painting

Tobias stopped by the restroom before he went to his room. He pulled the ponytail holder out of his hair, stuffing it into his pocket then running his fingers through his locks. His mother didn’t like when he wore his hair down, but he rarely went into his room with it tied back anymore. It was just, he had that painting in his room, and as silly as it sounded, he liked to pretend Jareth could see him. And if this beautiful man was going to be looking out at him, then he was going to damn well look good.

Tobias laughed aloud at his own silly thoughts. How strange he was becoming. His hair nearly brushed his shoulders. His mother would be taking him for a trim soon. He leaned forward, pulling the little stub of a black eyeliner pencil from his pocket. He pulled the cap off and went to work, quickly smearing the dark substance around his eyes. Lucky for him, he’d been blessed with dark eyebrows and lashes. He didn’t think he’d be capable of mascara. As it was, he was constantly jabbing himself in the eye with the eyeliner.

Finished, he turned and started for his room. His hand was on the doorknob when he heard a bit of a commotion downstairs. He stepped closer to the landing, peering down. Claire was bouncing around, jumping up to hug his father. Sarah was there, closing the door, smiling. It seemed forced though. Something was going on.

A bit suspicious, Tobias headed downstairs, surprised when Claire launched into his arms, “Toby!” She squealed.

He laughed, “Too much sugar?”

She pulled back, smiling up at him, “Yup! Mom let me have three Snickers!” She said, holding up three fingers.

“Oh, Sarah, you shouldn’t let her eat so much sugar. She’ll have teeth and weight problems.” Karen said, completely serious.

Sarah shook her head, “They were those little mini ones. If I’d known she was going to get this wound up, I wouldn’t have let her have ‘em.”

Tobias placed his hands on either side of the little girl’s face, “Be happy. Eat what you want, get fat, let your teeth rot out. Just promise me you’ll be happy, okay?”

The little girl grinned, jumping up for another hug, “Promise!”

“Oh, Toby…” Karen said, not pleased with him encouraging bad behavior in her granddaughter.

Sarah smiled, “Okay munchkin, how about you and Grandma hang out for a while?”

“That’s right, Claire, I bought you a coloring book.”

The little girl jumped up and down, “Yeah, let’s color!”

Karen laughed, “Come on then. We can color at the kitchen table. I got some markers too.”

“You coming Grandpa?” Claire called once they were in the kitchen.

Doug laughed, “Guess I’m coloring too.” He said to his children, turning to join his wife and granddaughter.

“What’s this all about then?” Tobias asked once they were alone in the foyer.

Sarah sighed, “I knew you’d see through all this.”

“Kind of obvious, huh? Everyone hurrying off to make themselves busy leaving just me and you.” Tobias said, crossing his arms.

She couldn’t help but laugh, “I never could pull anything passed you.”

“So,” He said, a smile pulling at his lips, “What is it?”

“I just wanted to talk. I thought I could start with seeing that painting of yours though.”

Tobias paled a little, uncrossing his arms.

Sarah smiled, “You thought I forgot about it, didn’t you?”

“Um… Sarah, maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Tobias swallowed, starting for the living room, “Maybe we should talk first.”

Her eyebrows drew together, wondering what it was about this painting. She just shrugged though. Whatever he was comfortable with, they could talk first. The living room was on the opposite side of the house, out of hearing distance from the kitchen, though now and then they could hear Claire’s high-pitched laughter. Sarah sat on one end of the couch while Tobias sat on the other, folding his legs up beneath him.

“Okay,” She said, trying her best, “The thing is, we’ve all noticed that you’ve been acting a little strange, quiet, like something’s bothering you. Karen’s pretty worried, she asked me to talk to you.”

Tobias nodded, “There is something bothering me, but I don’t want to upset you.”

“Me?”

He nodded again.

“Toby, you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle whatever it is, I’m a grown woman. And I want you to know that I… That we all love you no matter what.”

At that Tobias looked up, frowning, “What’s that mean?”

“It means that it doesn’t matter what’s going on, we love you and we’re here to help.” Sarah said, hoping her little brother understood. From the expression on his face, it didn’t seem so.

He looked at his sister carefully, trying to figure out what the hell she was thinking, “I get it. What does Mom think is wrong with me?”

Sarah sighed, seeing no other way but to just spit it out, “She thinks you might be gay.”

His eyes went wide with surprise, “What?” He hadn’t been expecting that.

“She says you’re spaced out all the time, you have a painting of a man on your wall, and that some boy hit on you and you said you were in a relationship, and it bothered her that it didn’t bother you that a boy was asking you out. I know, I know… It’s crazy, but in her own way, she’s worried.”

Tobias shook his head, a little angry, his loose hair tossing a bit with the movement, “That has nothing to do with what’s bothering me. That’s just what’s bothering her!”

“But… Well, are you?” Sarah asked, seeing that her brother was getting mad, but she was curious, she wanted to know.

He looked up, a bored look on his face, “Sarah, I don’t know what I am. I like guys and girls. I guess if pressed, I’d choose guys. So maybe I’m gay, but that has never mattered to me. I don’t like people because of their gender.”

She hid her surprise well. He was bisexual then? Why was she so shocked? Toby had always been different. It was just unpleasant imaging two men together. “So,” she asked, a bit nervous, “You have a boyfriend then?”

Tobias shook his head, “No, that was just something I told that guy to get him away from me.”

“Oh.” Why was she relieved? “What’s really bothering you then?”

“Really, I don’t want to upset you, and it will. It has to do with those stories you used to tell me, those dreams.”

This caught Sarah’s attention, “What about them?”

He sighed, “I’ve been having more dreams, and they’re so real. God, Sarah, some of them are like memories.”

“About the goblins?”

Tobias nodded, “But there’s a man too. He’s always there now.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide. No. Could it be? She’d told Toby about the goblin king years ago in her stories. It wasn’t so strange, was it? Why was Toby having these dreams? She cleared her throat, “What does he look like?”

Tobias stood, “I’ll show you.”

Oh God. The painting. Sarah nodded, following her brother up the stairs. She hadn’t even considered this. As always, Toby’s room was dark and cool. Everything was dark, the walls, the carpet, the bedspread. Karen didn’t approve. He flipped the lights on and gestured to the wall opposite his bed, closing the door behind them.

The painting was something like four by five feet. She couldn’t be sure, and it was in a lovely frame, detailed designs carved in the dark, polished wood. And there, just before her eyes, was the goblin king in all his glory. It was like a photograph out of her memory. She literally gasped, backing up, “It’s him.” She whispered.

“Jareth.” Toby said, his voice soft.

She turned to him, “How do you know his name?” She’d never, ever said his name aloud before, fearing his return as a child, and just about forgetting it as an adult.

“He said it in my dream.” Toby answered calmly as he gazed at the painting, “I couldn’t get it just right, there’s so much more to his eyes than that.”

Sarah was beyond shocked, “He speaks to you?”

He nodded, “I saw you there too. He and I were watching you through a little crystal ball.”

“Oh God.” She sat down on the bed, “How could you be dreaming these things? It’s crazy.”

Tobias turned to his sister, feeling sorry for her, “See, I didn’t want to upset you.”
“No, that doesn’t matter. I mean, this does scare me, but I’m scared for you too. I don’t know why this keeps happening. Maybe,” She looked up, finding it strange that Toby seemed so calm, “Maybe we need professional help.”

“Aaron? No, no way.”

“No, someone else. Something. This has got to stop. For some reason we’re dwelling on the past. Maybe we’re doing it to one another unintentionally, continuously reminding one another of these silly things.”

Tobias sat down on the bed next to his sister, “Sarah, I don’t want professional help. I think this stuff is real. Something really happened to us back then. It seemed to me that you were searching for me in my dream. Jareth had me, and you were trying to find me.”

She shook her head, closing her eyes, “I don’t want to remember.”

“Sarah, what happened?”

She looked up, tears in her eyes, “God, Toby, I was just a teenager, I was so mad… I hated Karen, and I hated you… I wished you away.”

Tobias hugged his sister, confused, “You wished me away?”

“Yeah, and that’s when I started having those dreams. I used to dream that this goblin king would come and take you away.”

“But you’d come and rescue me.” Tobias said, remembering now the stories, or were they memories?

Sarah nodded, remembering all those times she’d replayed her dreams with her little brother. He’d been so little with strawberry blonde hair and those piercing blue eyes. They’d transform her bedroom into another world and pretend.

“Sarah, maybe it really happened. Maybe the goblin king really took me away when I was a baby. Maybe you really did save me.”

She stood suddenly, “Don’t you hear yourself! That’s not possible, it wasn’t real.” The tears had basically stopped, but wet streaks still shone on her cheeks. Toby just stared at her from his seat on the bed, completely calm. Why was this upsetting her so much? Why wasn’t he getting upset? Sarah couldn’t take much more and abruptly left the room, hurrying down the hall to the restroom.

After washing her face, she felt better. Still, she was confused and scared. None of this made any sense. What scared her the most was the possibility that Toby was right. Maybe it had happened? How else could one explain these dreams? Or were they memories? And God, how could Toby have created that painting, an image from her mind? Were there such things as other worlds and goblins and kings?

Sarah attacked the sink again, cold water spilling forth from the faucet again. After splashing her face several more times, she found herself relaxing further. She was a grown woman. She didn’t believe in such things as goblins and what not. Exiting the little bathroom, she found herself face to face with Toby. He’d apparently been waiting for her in the hall.

“I knew this would upset you.” He whispered, gazing at the floor.

She shook her head, “No, don’t worry. I wanted to know what’s going on with you. I’m glad you told me. I just… I really don’t know what to think about this. It makes me crazy when I try to figure it out. I really think we should see somebody. Maybe Aaron can make some calls, find us someone.”

Tobias sighed, brushing his hair back only to have it fall forward again, a habit he himself had never noticed, “Sarah, I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m fine. This isn’t upsetting me at all.”

“But Toby-”

He interrupted her, “I agree it’s strange, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately, but it’s bothering you more than it’s bothering me. If you want to talk to someone about it, go for it, but I don’t want to. Okay?”

She sighed, “Okay, okay. Just promise you’ll tell me if anything else happens. I’m always here for you.”

He nodded, his loose hair bobbing with the motion, “I know.”

Silence filled the cream-colored hall, and slowly, the tension melted away. Sarah found herself smiling at her little brother, “That was an oil painting, right?”

He nodded, unsure for a moment what she was getting at.

“Well it was utterly fabulous. I think you’re getting better.”

Tobias laughed. That hadn’t been what he was expecting. He waved dismissive hand, brushing the compliment aside. He’d always enjoyed art, but thought little of his own talents. He’d never considered himself gifted or anything.

“Stop it. You know you could sell art of that quality. Haven’t you ever thought of trying to sell a piece?”

Again he laughed, ignoring the question, “You stop it. You know Mom and Dad would flip if that’s what I decided to do with my life.”

She shrugged. He was right there. Their parents had always had the highest expectations. It wasn’t a bad thing, but could be in some instances. Growing up, there had been a lot of arguments about her going on to be an actress. Still, they weren’t horrible about their pushing. Her mind had been set back then, and in the end they’d allowed her to follow her dreams. Toby was like that though. He didn’t as much confidence in his talents as she had in hers. “That’s not the point though,” she said, stepping closer to her brother and the stairs, “If it’s what you enjoy, then it’s what you should do. Don’t let them decide your life.”

He groaned, having heard this before from his lovely sister, “No more talks today.”

She laughed, “Okay, okay. Let’s get downstairs though, I’m starving.”

“You’re having dinner here?” Tobias asked, a bit excited. Sarah didn’t do such things as often anymore.

She nodded, “Yeah, me and Claire. Aaron’s working late tonight.” A thought dawned on her then, “Oh, Karen’s going to ask how things went. It was her suggestion, after all, that I talk to you. What should I say?”

Tobias shrugged as he started down the stairs, still excited about dinner and getting to spend time with his sister and niece, “I don’t care.”

Sarah thought for a moment, following slowly after her brother, “Would you be mad if I told her you were just trying to sort out your sexuality?”

He stopped, turning to look up at his sister, “That’s none of her business.”

Sarah put her hands on her hips, “What do you want me to tell her then? She’s expecting me to tell her why you’ve been moping around lately. Plus she’s already suspicious that you’re gay.”

Tobias narrowed his eyes, “What exactly are you going to tell her?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah said, continuing her descent, passing her brother, “Maybe just that you’re unsure about your sexuality, that you’re probably bi. Something like that.”

He sighed heavily, following her down, “Whatever. Just don’t let her try and drag me to a shrink or anything.”

Sarah laughed, knowing this was exactly the sort of thing Karen would try, “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll be freaked, but I doubt she’ll even bring it up to you.”

Tobias reached out, grabbing his sister by the arm, “Are you freaked?” He was serious, having just realized how much his sexuality really affected her. It was obvious in the way she hid behind her forced smile.

Sarah let her smile slip, “You have to admit it’s hard to accept, but don’t worry. It’ll just take me a while to get used to the idea. Don’t be surprised though if my eyes pop out of my head in shock if you ever introduce me to a boyfriend.”

He noticed this time when she smiled it was real. He nodded, “Okay.”

As they started down again, finally coming to the first floor, they heard Claire’s laughter again. The TV was going in the living room now too. No doubt their father had enough of the coloring and had retreated to watch CNN.

To be continued…

Was that good then? I hope I managed it well. The next chapter will take me a while to get up. (I haven’t even started on it yet!) So, please, be patient with me