The next few days passed for the duo as they prepared for the journey home. Shay had very little to bring with her except for the inventions she and Todd had created. While packing, the teenage Borrower couldn’t help but feel apprehensive and nervous about the journey home. Traveling with Todd wasn’t the concern. It was the family she would be returning home to.
How was she going to tell them she had revealed herself to a human? How was she going to tell them that he had let her go and had been so kind? How was she going to say that he was her friend? Most importantly, how was she going to convince them that she wanted to visit Todd and, quite possibly, keep living with him from time to time?
There were no answers she could give that would result in her continued friendship with Todd - but she was going to try.
It was early in the morning when she felt a gentle prod at her side. She instinctively leaned into the touch and barely registered that Todd was speaking to her. He said something along the lines of, “It’s time to go,” when she felt his fingers curl under the blanket and under her. She rolled into his hand while clutching the blanket, forcing her human transport to bring the blanket along.
“This is still my blanket,” she heard Todd mutter as he readjusted his hands so she was better swaddled in the human sized blanket.
“Mhhh… know,” she muttered sleepily. “But I’m sssstill tir…” Shay didn’t remember finishing her sentence. She only could recall Todd’s signature chuckle and a brief jostling as he walked out into the brisk morning to his car to begin the drive home.
~~~~~^*^*^*^~~~~~
It was hours later and Shay was woken by the sunlight refracting off of the windshield and into her face. It was still early and the sun hadn’t completely risen in the sky. She wanted to go back to sleep, but the smell of warm food wafted in the air - and it smelled sweet. The bleary-eyed Borrower stretched as big as she could and sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking out across her new environment.
The car itself was mostly seats and a massive piece of slick plastic which she would have difficulty climbing. There were several hand and foot holds near the middle, but they all had numbers on them and goodness knew what they did. Todd was sitting in what was called the “driver’s seat” and currently had his hands off of the big circle that was in front of him. He was drinking something in a cup at least twice the height of Shay and had something in a tray in his lap that Shay couldn’t quite see, but she had every intention to.
Shay stretched again as she called out to Todd, “Good morning.” Todd’s head immediately perked up as he glanced over at his passenger. He set down the cup in his hand and set it on his leg.
“Good morning sleepy,” he said with a thoughtful smile. “Well, little miss bedhead. You didn’t get up like you promised.” Teasingly, he reached over and carefully ruffled the top of Shay’s hair. Shay blushed and leaned back, grabbing onto the tip of his finger.
“No! Not the hair!” she giggled and maintained her grip even as Todd raised his hand a few inches into the air above the blanket. Todd moved slowly but began turning his finger downward so Shay would slide off.
Shay, in response, wrapped her legs around his finger, giggling the entire time. Her grip endured, even when Todd began bouncing his hand up and down until, finally, he yielded and rotated his hand so she could sit upright. Knowing she had won, she turned around and sat in his palm beaming with a grin from ear to ear.
“Thank you, Todd,” she said sweetly. “And I’m sorry I didn’t get up like I promised. That was very rude of me.” Todd side eyed his tiny companion with a playful suspicion.
“You’re just apologizing because you want breakfast. Is that right?” Todd teased. Shay’s mouth was agape with her eyebrows raised in fake surprise.
“What?! Me? I would never!” she said with a giggle.
“Right,” grinned Todd as he reached down to the small bowl in his lap and tore a small piece of something out with a fork. It was steaming slightly and had a clear, sweet-smelling substance on top which Shay recognized as icing. She reached out and took it, thankful it wasn’t burning hot, and took a bite. Cinnamon roll!
“Thank you Todd,” she said before continuing to eat.
“You’re welcome,” he replied. Todd and Shay continued eating quietly while Shay woke up. All the while, she was trying to catch a glimpse outside of the windows. Todd, noticing this, carefully lifted her up to the ledge. “Don’t sit up too high. There are other people who could come by. Okay?” Todd advised.
Shay stayed low and looked out the window. As she looked out, she nearly dropped the fragment of sweet, iced bread in her hands. There were several other cars nearby, many of them looking as big as Todd’s home. It wasn’t just one or two. There were at least twenty. Then Shay turned to the front of the car and her breath was taken away.
The sunrise.
She had seen outside before in the mornings and had even watched the sun set a few times, more with Todd than she had in her entire life. This, however, was the first time she had seen an early morning sunrise. The pastel colors painted in the sky blended seamlessly from soft yellow to baby blue into dark blue. There were a few clouds nearby which added a smatter of pink.
“Pretty, yeah?” asked Todd, snapping Shay out of her trance. She nodded and took another bite of the cooled cinnamon bread in her hands.
“Yeah, really pretty,” she signed.
“If you want, you can ride up on the dash. It might be risky and someone else might see you, but you’ll get to see the scenery,” Todd suggested as he pulled a damp cloth out of a small pouch and began wiping his free hand. Shay looked back behind her at Todd after thinking for a second to herself.
“Do you think I could ride on your shoulder instead? That way I can see out and no one can see me,” said Shay.
Todd, with a grin, replied, “Only if you hurry and after you wipe your hands off little miss sticky fingers. We need to get going if we’re going to make it on time.” With that, Shay quickly finished her breakfast and wiped her hands on the wet towel before climbing up onto Todd’s shoulder.
The car started up and they were off once again onto the open road. Shay watched buildings and cars come and go. She caught glimpses of people in their cars, feeling extreme satisfaction that she could see them and they couldn’t see her. It felt like being a true Borrower again. She could also see the fields and hills and the hundreds of trees that passed. The trees they passed were all shapes and colors. Shay had seen fall before, but never had she seen so much of it all at once.
It was several hours with just the two of them listening to music and talking, laughing and teasing. Then, finally, the car turned down one small road and then another. It twisted around one part of the road and turned down a much narrower strip before coming to a stop. Shay looked out of the window curiously.
“Todd? Why did we stop? This doesn’t look like the other stations,” asked the teenage Borrower girl. Todd signed and barely glanced at his companion before muttering his reply.
“We’re home.”
Shay couldn’t believe it. Home? Actually home? She clung to the ridges of fabric on Todd’s shoulder and leaned forward. The house looked a lot different on the outside. It was brick and had a lot more windows than the place he was currently living in. There was a tree in the front yard that was covered in golden leaves that were drifting to the ground.
Shay had been so distracted that she didn’t realize they had made it all the way home. She didn’t even realize this place was home, having never seen it from the outside before. All of a sudden, her nerves were on edge. There was a sickening feeling resting just above her diaphragm.
She hadn’t even thought twice about how she would address her parents. Every question that came to her mind suddenly drowned out what Todd had just asked her.
“Shay? You okay?” he asked. Shay glanced up and saw Todd’s eyes in the rear-view mirror looking at her. Her breath hitched. She had seen her reflection before, but not ever when she was hitching a ride on Todd’s shoulder. It looked odd but natural at the same time. Shay couldn’t think about that now. Instead, she focused on Todd’s question and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just… I’ve never seen home from the outside; and, I’m not sure how to tell my parents.” Todd sighed and reached up instinctually toward his shoulder, touching her shoe with his index finger.
“You’ll probably say no, but would it help if I came with you?” he asked. Shay slowly shook her head. “It’s okay. I thought the offer would be nice. I don’t want to rush you, but we shouldn’t stay in the car for too long. My family is getting ready to come out here and they’ll probably tackle me. Speaking of which, where do you want me to put you? Should I set you in my bag and put it in my room?”
Shay had to think about the question for a moment before nodding.
“That would probably be the safest,” she replied. Todd nodded and turned his palm for her to slide into. She slide down his shoulder and landed on all fours before quickly readjusting herself. While Todd grabbed his bag, Shay suddenly had a thought – a terrible thought.
If the conversation with her family didn’t go well, they would probably have to immigrate. What was even worse was that if her parents refused her request. If they refused, she would never get to see Todd again. There was nothing she could do about it now as Todd brought his backpack except tell him. He had the right to know just in case her family wouldn’t let her see him again.
“Todd, wait!” she said as Todd began unzipping his bag.
“What? Is everything okay? Look, I know this has got to be scary, but I won’t let…”
“No, that’s not… I just… If…” Shay looked up into Todd’s eyes, trying to memorize everything that had happened over the past weeks, and barely managed to choke out the words. “I just wanted to thank you… for everything you’ve done for me and I hope… I hope I get to see you very soon.” Todd’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Shay? Why…” Todd looked like he wanted to say something but bit his tongue instead and smiled. “I hope so too.”
Shay gave another smile before sliding into the pocket of the backpack. Todd carefully zipped it part of the way up and slid the strap over his shoulder before getting out of the car. His steps were quick as he approached the front door, pulled out the key, and entered his home.
“Hey! I’m home!” he called out. Shay listened to the thudding of footsteps as his siblings and parents all came rushing at him. He barely had time to set his bag off to the side before he was tackled to the wall. There was conversation, but Shay couldn’t hear past the pounding in her chest and her ears.
Todd made his excuses to his family about needing to drop his things off in his room and brought his backpack with Shay safely stowed away inside. He set down the backpack and smiled.
“I hope I see you soon. Bye Shay.” With that, Todd stood up and left his room, shutting the door behind him. Shay, after taking several deep breaths and composing herself, slipped out of the bag after checking her surroundings. With nothing stopping her now, she slung her pack over her shoulder and headed for the same outlet in the walls that started her journey into the human world. The question now was how things were going to work out – and would Shay ever get to see Todd again.
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