The Touch Volume 1
"The Void"
By: Myke D
Part 1: The Dreamer
Chapter 4: Toby
Karen, my Social Worker, made it a point to check on me on a weekly basis. The dark-haired woman would always smile pleasantly while she questioned me on how I was handling myself. Then, she would always have the obligatory meeting with Natalie and Greg to discuss my process. I always feared that she was going to take me away from the Harris's, and I would tremble uncontrollably from the moment she arrived until she left again. Deedra and Sheldon would come over on a regular basis too, but the three of us were always playing video games or watching movies. Greg even took us to the mall a few times so we could hang out. I had only been living with Natalie and Greg for a month when our lives changed suddenly. It was a Friday, and I was in the middle of finishing up the last of my homework at the kitchen counter when Greg sat down next to me.
"We're going to be getting some visitors tonight, Zachary." He told me with a smile.
"Who is it?" I asked nervously thinking that Karen was coming back to take me away again.
"My brother and his son are going to be staying the weekend with us, Zach." I could tell that Greg was happy at the prospect of seeing his brother, so I forced myself to smile at his enthusiasm. "It's been five years since they've been out this way to visit."
"Why?" Greg had always encouraged me to ask as many questions as I could come up with unlike all of my other foster parents. He actually liked to answer my questions.
"Geoff is the owner of Avatar Technology," Greg explained. "He's been a little busy with a few new contracts he's been trying to get situated."
"It takes five years?" I asked in disbelief, immediately knowing I didn't want to go into any kind of field where it would take me five years just to land a contract. It sounded like a ridiculous notion to me.
"Sometimes," Greg said with a knowing grin. "I've been working with one client at work for nearly a decade now. He was the first client to sign up with me when I started at my firm. The man was fairly unknown at first, but he's a very respected author now with multiple books out. You might have even heard of some of his work."
I looked at him curiously for a moment. Greg looked like he was struggling to maintain a secret, but he couldn't exactly just let it out.
"Have you ever read "The Touch", Zachary?" My foster dad asked curiously.
"It's my favorite book," I said in a quiet voice. "I've read it like fifty times."
It was true, too. I'd spent the past two years reading the book whenever I could, and I never got enough of it.
"I'll have to see if I can get Mr. Montgomery to sign a copy for you," Greg said with a smile.
"Really?" I asked excitedly. Greg laughed and ruffled my hair.
"Of course, Zachary."
It was an hour later when the doorbell rang, and I ran to answer it while Natalie and Greg finished dinner. When I opened the door, I found myself looking at a slightly older version of Greg and a boy that appeared to only be a few years older than me. The father and son both had brown hair and dark brown eyes. The boy was wearing jeans and a polo shirt while the man was wearing a pair of black slacks with a white button-down shirt.
"Is Greg or Natalie here?" The man asked in a bass voice that drew me out of my daydream. He was smiling patiently as he and his son both watched me. I nodded just as Greg entered the living room.
"Geoff!" Greg greeted his brother. "Come in, guys! Don't mind Zachary, he gets a little tongue-tied around new people."
I blushed as Greg teased me, but he scooped me up into his arms and introduced me to his brother with a proud smile on his face.
"Geoff, this is Zachary." Greg stated. "He's our foster-son, though we hope we get to adopt him if we can't find his family."
I buried my face in Greg's chest in embarrassment. He and Natalie had talked to me before about adopting me, but they had never mentioned in front of anybody else.
"That's awesome, Uncle Greg!" The teenager said as Greg motioned them both into the house and shut the door. "It's about time you gave me a cousin to hang out with!" The boy then stuck his hand out towards me. "Hi, Zach. I'm Gavin."
Greg set me back on my feet and I nervously shook the boy's hand. Gavin smiled at me.
"Natalie's in the kitchen, Geoff." Greg stated as Gavin and I stared at each other awkwardly. "She's been waiting to try out this new recipe on you."
"Tell Aunt Nat that I'm here, too." Gavin said as the two men left us alone. Then, he turned to me and I smiled sheepishly. "I've heard a lot about you, Zachary."
Great, I thought bitterly. Someone else that knows my secrets... Just what I need.
"Don't worry, bud." Gavin quickly assured me. "I can tell that you and I are going to get along great."
I nodded at the older boy.
"Do you want to play some video games?" Gavin asked me. "My dad always makes sure that Uncle Greg has the latest game systems!"
"Okay," I said with a nervous smile.
It was only a short while later before we were all gathered around the dinner table together. I had warmed up to Gavin and was seated beside him at the table while the adults had their own conversation going on.
"I hope you get to come to New York sometime, Zach." Gavin said in a soft voice. "I think you would like all of the different sights and sounds, man!"
I giggled at his excitement before Greg and Natalie got my attention.
"Greg and I have a surprise for you, Zachary." Natalie said with a warm smile before she got up and left the room for a moment.
I felt my spirits drop again. I was so used to surprises always ending badly for me, that I couldn't even manage to fake a smile. Gavin must have noticed the expression on my face because I noticed him frowning out of the corner of my eye as he watched me.
"Are you okay, Zach?" Gavin asked me.
"He hasn't really gotten to our surprises yet, Gavin." Greg informed his nephew with a wry grin. "The hurt is still too fresh in his mind for him to take anything anybody does very lightly."
"What happened?" Gavin asked in mild bewilderment and I couldn't stop the blush from appearing on my cheeks.
"That's Zach's story to tell, Gavin." Greg answered. "I'm sure that he'll tell everybody when he's ready, buddy."
I saw Gavin nod, and I breathed a sigh of relief that he let the subject drop. Natalie reentered the dining room with a small box in her hands and she set it on the table in front of me with a smile on it. I glanced between her and Greg curiously, but they were both smiling widely.
"What is it?" I asked nervously.
"You have to open it to find out, silly." Natalie teased me as she ruffled my hair.
"You'll love it, Zach." Gavin whispered. "Trust me!"
I blushed again but nodded and reached for the small box. I held the white package in my hands for a moment before I finally pulled the end of the box open and pulled the contents out onto the table. Inside the package was a blue cellphone with a charger.
"A phone?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, sir." Greg told me happily. "You're a member of this family, Zach."
Gavin grabbed the empty box from the table and pulled out the instruction book.
"Sweet, man!" Gavin exclaimed with a wide smile. "Aunt Nat and Uncle Greg got you the Arrow 4! That's one of dad's newest models!"
I felt myself pale and begin to tremble as I set the expensive piece of equipment back on the table. I didn't want to be responsible for breaking the present. It was clearly way too expensive to be giving to a foster kid with mental issues.
"This thing is awesome, Zachary!" Gavin continued without noticing my discomfort. "It's practically unbreakable unless you try to drop it off of a building! It has tons of memory and it can connect with any wireless network anywhere in the world!"
My vision began to go blurry as I felt a tear run down my cheek. It was Geoff who saw it and was quick to come to my rescue before anybody else noticed.
"Hey, Zach?" He said quietly as he pushed his chair back from the table. "Let's go out back really quick, buddy. I need your opinion on what to get my younger brother for his upcoming birthday."
"You make it sound like I'm going to be fifty, Geoff!" Greg complained as Geoff helped me slide my chair back from the table.
"You certainly look like you're going on fifty, little brother." Geoff teased my foster dad with a laugh before he gave me a gentle push towards the backdoor. "Let's go, Zach! We've got some planning to do!"
Geoff guided me gently by my shoulder to the door before he opened it and led me outside. Once the door closed I sniffled lightly. I didn't know this man, and I was afraid that he was going to accuse me of being unappreciative of the gift that Greg and Natalie had gotten me. The tall man sat on the steps that led down into the yard and patted the spot beside him. I sat down nervously and waited for the scolding that I was certain was headed my way.
"Relax, Zachary." Geoff said calmly. "I'm not here to lecture or scold you, buddy."
He smiled at me and patted my shoulder.
"Are you okay, buddy?"
"What do you mean?" I asked nervously.
Geoff smiled and patted my shoulder again.
"You seem scared of your present, buddy." He said softly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Zachary. Greg meant it. You're as much a part of this family as I am. My little brother has done nothing but tell me all about you. Honestly, that's one of the main reasons that I wanted to come out here, this year."
I looked at the man in confusion and he chuckled at me.
"I'm here to meet you, and to make sure that you got the gift I sent."
"The phone?" I asked nervously.
Geoff nodded.
"You're a very bright kid, Zachary." He told me with a smile. "Natalie was right when she said you have a bright future ahead of you. Relax about the cost of the phone, Zachary. Greg and Natalie have never paid a phone bill since I started my company. Neither will you, my friend." Geoff chuckled then. "My brother has tried every possible excuse to get me to bring Gavin along for a visit that he could think of over the past five years. Too think, all he had to do was bring you into the family sooner."
Geoff pulled out the blue phone and handed it over to me.
"This is yours, buddy." Geoff said reassuringly as I took the phone from him. "I've already added Greg, Natalie, Gavin, and myself to your contact list."
"Th... Th... Thank you, Geoff." I said softly as I sniffled.
Geoff put his arm around me and hugged me tightly.
"You're more than welcome, Zachary."
Geoff stood and motioned for me to follow him.
"Come on, Zach." Greg's brother said with a smile as he held the backdoor open for me. "Gavin can show you how to set that thing up."
I hesitated before I followed Geoff back into the house with my new phone clutched protectively in my hands. The man smiled and patted my shoulder again as I passed in front of him. Gavin was seated on the couch, and he was busy flipping through channels when he saw me watching him.
"You can join me, Zach." Gavin said with a smile. "It's your house. You don't even need to ask."
I nodded before I sat down on the cushion next to the older boy. He smiled and pointed at the television.
"What do you want to watch?" Gavin asked curiously.
"I... It... It do... It doesn't m... matter, Gavin." I stammered out nervously.
Gavin settled on some sitcom before he relaxed back on the couch with his legs tucked in front of him. I copied his position and set my phone in my lap as I tried to figure out how to ask the boy how to help me without making fun of me.
"Gavin?" I said in a hushed voice.
"What's up, man?" He asked without even looking away from the show.
"C... C... Co... Coul... Could y... you help me, please?" I blushed as the words came out in a stutter. I held my hand out with the phone in it. "I don't know how to set it up..."
Gavin smiled and took the phone from me.
"This is my area of expertise, Zachary." Gavin said happily as he powered on my device. "I could teach you anything you wanted to know when it comes to electronics!"
I smiled at the older boy shyly. Gavin bumped his shoulder against mine and smiled at me. Gavin spent the next hour giving me a detailed orientation on how to use my phone. He even made it to where he and I could video chat on a regular basis. We were in the process of filling up my cellphone with music when I heard the chime of Greg's cellphone coming from the dining room. It was Natalie that came to tell us what the phone call was all about.
"Boys?"
I glanced up to see the look of concern written clearly on my foster mother's face. She had bad news.
"What is it, Aunt Nat?" Gavin asked quietly when he saw her expression.
"We just got off of the phone with Zachary's Social Worker," Natalie began nervously. "She has a little boy who lost his mother tonight, Zachary. Would it bother you if we took him in?"
I was stunned that she was even considering my opinion on the situation. I glanced at her to see if it was some sort of trick, but I decided to just let it go.
"It won't bother me, Natalie." I told her honestly. This was the first time since living with my grandparents that I had been an only child. I wasn't about to let another child slip into the system when Natalie and Greg were the safest people I had ever met. They took care of me and were always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. "Not even a little bit."
Natalie practically sighed with relief before she came over to give me a hug.
"We only know that he is six-years-old, and his name is Toby," Natalie informed us with a nervous smile. "Karen wouldn't tell me the details on how his mother died, but I'm certain she'll tell us more when she can. Gavin, are you okay bunking with Zachary, tonight? I need to have a room for Toby to sleep in."
My heart skipped a beat when she asked the question, and I felt myself pale. I nervously awaited Gavin's answer as I thought about the older boy beside me. I was almost positive that Gavin was going to say no, but he surprised me completely.
"That's fine by me, Aunt Natalie." The older boy replied with a smile before he hugged me from the side. "It'll give me more time to get to know my cousin."
I blushed at his comment and smiled. Gavin considering me to be his family made me happier than I could realize...
Gavin and I were playing a shooting game against each other on our cellphones when the doorbell rang almost an hour later. Natalie and Greg went to answer the door while Geoff came to sit with us on the couch.
"Hey, guys." Gavin's dad greeted us quietly as we both glanced towards the door.
"Hey, dad." Gavin replied just as quietly.
I was trying to hear what was being said at the front door, but my curiosity was quickly satisfied as Natalie entered the living room followed by Karen and a small brown-haired boy with a backpack. I was suddenly taken back to the moment I arrived at my first foster home after my grandparents had died. Those people had appeared nice on the surface, but their dark secrets were quickly revealed once my Case Worker had left. I was certain that the young boy standing in front of us was just as scared as I had been back then. I could see him trembling as he clung tightly to Karen's hand. My Case Worker smiled briefly at me.
"I'm glad to see you're looking well, Zachary." Karen told me before she turned her attention to the little boy. "Let me have your backpack, Toby. You don't need to carry it around anymore."
The boy nodded quietly before he slipped the bag from his shoulders and handed it to Karen.
"I'll take that for you, Karen." Greg said calmly before Karen handed him the bag. "Toby, I'm going to put this in the room that you're going to be staying in. I'll be right back, okay?"
The boy nodded without glancing up at anyone. I could tell that he was heartbroken. I just didn't know why. Karen introduced the boy to Natalie and Greg before she left Toby in our care. He broke down into tears the moment the door closed behind the social worker. Natalie immediately scooped the boy into her arms and carried him upstairs.
"Is he going to be okay, Uncle Greg?" Gavin asked quietly with a brief glance towards the stairs.
"In time, Gavin." Greg replied. "Toby's mother died a few hours ago from a drug overdose."
I frowned before I got up off the couch without saying a word to anyone. I climbed the stairs and followed the sounds of the soft crying until I found Natalie holding Toby tightly against her chest in her bedroom. I climbed up on the bed slowly and curled up next to Natalie so Toby could see me without moving.
"I'm sorry that you're going through this, Toby." I said quietly so I didn't scare the boy. "My grandparents died when I was six. They were all I had left..." The boy's hazel eyes focused on me for a moment. "I promise that I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to. Okay?"
I reached out and squeezed his hand. Toby squeezed it back gently before he sniffled again.
"I'm Zach." I said softly to the brokenhearted boy.
"Hi, Zach." He said softly.
I squeezed Toby's shoulder gently before I returned to the living room.
"Are you sure that you're okay with us staying here still?" Geoff was asking Greg when I rejoined them in the living room. Greg had stolen my spot, so I climbed up onto his lap and cuddled myself into his chest.
"Absolutely, Geoff." Greg replied. "Natalie would have my ass if I let you guys stay in a hotel. Gavin can bunk with Mister Zachary here, and you'll get the room next to ours at the end of the hall. Toby will get the room between you and Zach."
That night, Gavin and I fell asleep watching some movie on television, and I had a dream about the boy that looked just like me again...
"I'm proud of you, little brother." He said with a smile.
"Why?" I asked doubtfully.
"You took the chance, Zyan, and you decided to help someone else see that the world isn't that bad." The boy smiled again. "I'm sure I'll see you soon, Zyan."
Why did he keep calling me that?
*********Thanks again for reading "The Touch". Stay tuned for Chapter 5 - "Music" which is just around the corner! I hope everyone is enjoying this new addition to the Nifty Archive.
****If you wish to be added to the mailing list for this, or any of my other stories, please feel free to email me at storymyke@outlook.com
****Remember to donate to keep the Nifty Archive running! https://donate.nifty.org/donate.html