Confidence Not Found (DNF)

Late Night Call

It was now Saturday night after what had felt like an eternity of a day. Clay had finished some extra homework with Nick, and they had been joking about the night before. "And then when Sam threw the ball at me, I just knew I had to get the touchdown and take the win!" Clay nodded but wasn't paying much attention to his excited friend. Instead, he was thinking about George, I hope he's doing better after that whole thing with Simon. He was very clingy and I'm not sure if it was for reassurance or something else.

"... The crowd was going absolutely insane, Clay! I think I know what it feels like to be you, now!" Nick continued talking about the cool win he had, until he finally noticed that Clay was indeed not paying attention. "Clay, are you even paying attention?" Clay gave a slight 'huh' as he looked quickly up at Nick. "Hurt is the only word that can explain how I feel."

Nick began to laugh as Clay playfully punched his arm, "It's not like I meant to zone out! You know I do that a lot!" Clay joined the giggling fit Nick was having.

"Yeah, but you're-you're face!" He couldn't help but laugh at the blonde, "It was so red!" Clay now felt his warm face as he turned away and rubbed his hand along his face.

"Oh my god! You're so annoying, Nick." Clay's face now beamed with a light red as he still faced away from his playful yet annoying friend.

Nick stopped laughing after a few minutes, his stomach beginning to ache from being in intense laughter. Once he calmed all the way, he chose to bring up one subject that might help Clay become a little less dense to the situation.

"So... Clay?" He hesitated before continuing his question, "What even happened with the whole Simon situation? I haven't been able to ask you. And I mean not just last night, which was awfully cute by the way, but I mean from Monday as well."

Clay shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. He knew that Nick would force it out of him, though. He took a deep breath and began, "W-well, Simon he-he bullied George." Clay stuttered trying to find words to explain the whole thing, "I don't know what he did or what he said to George, but I do know is that it was enough to make George have a panic attack in the restroom." Nick nodded his gaze turning more and more concerned as Clay continued, "I just couldn't let Simon get away with it, so I just did the most un-rational thing which I mean... you saw. I beat him up." Clay stated, his face full of frustration.

"Yeah, you did. His nose was bleeding, Clay." At this Clay felt a ping of guilt but it was too late to rethink anything. He cleared his throat, feeling a slight lump form.

"Umm, yeah. Well, thanks to suspension I don't have to see him for a while now, you would think.
But, like you saw he was at the game. Simon thought it would be a good idea to come bully George and I for 'cuddling' I guess you could say."

"Well, you guys were cuddling." Nick laughed loudly at his own comment which earned him a hard glare from Clay.

"Anyway, Simon started saying how him getting suspended was my fault and all that stuff. I wanted to punch him so badly, though I think George being so touchy made me stay put." Clay paused letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Thankfully, Karl and Alex came over and saved the day. Nothing else really happened after that."

Nick smiled playfully, "Are you sure nothing happened? Maybe something between you and George?" he wiggled his eyebrows up and down jokingly.

"Phshhh, like what?" Clay scoffed and rolled his eyes at Nick who only continued to wiggle his eyebrows and smile.

"You really think George was being clingy because of just that. Clay... Clay! Use your head for once!" Nick laughed clearly knowing how to get the words he wanted out of his taller friend's mouth.

Clay groaned, annoyed that Nick knew him so well, "Okay and what if he does like me back? What then?"

"Well, you tell him. What's so hard about that. You no longer have to worry about your parents and such." Nick said like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Oh, so what about you and Karl. You guys aren't together yet you guys both know you like each other." Clay confronted Nick with the facts as always.

"Okay, maybe you do have a point there." Nick giggled softly without adding anything for Clay to continue on. One day. One day I will muster up the confidence to tell George, just not yet. Clay thought as he grabbed his phone to scroll and play on for the next hour or so.

————————————————

George was deathly bored. It was just after 7pm and he hadn't talked to any of his friends since the night of the game. He missed the social interaction. He missed his friends. But most of all, he missed Clay's warm hold around his body that relaxed him so much. I can't believe he was going to try to fight the Simon guy again! He's so dumb to risk everything for me. George thought, pondering over the whole thing.

A few minutes of silent bickering in his head, he was interrupted by a loud buzzing on his phone. George quickly rushed to get his phone which was buried under blankets on his bed. Finally, on the second ring he answered without even checking who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hey, George! Open facetime!"

"Umm, okay." George clicked the facetime option, perking up when he looked at the name at the top of his screen, 'Clay'. The phone buffered for a few moments then fully loaded, revealing the freckled, yellow-eyed, blonde boy who wore a smile of pure joy.

"What's going on!?" The blonde practically shouted through the phone.

"Shhh! Your so loud! And I'm doing better, thanks for asking. What about you?"

"Yay, glad to hear that you're doing better!" Clay replied, this time whisper yelling, "And I'm doing well also." George watched Clay's smile relax into a closed one, yet the tight creases stayed resembling a still smile.

They chatted for a couple of hours, talking about school and random, stupid things. George did happen to notice when Clay would make a flirtatious joke, but he passed them as just platonic. As always.

It was now 10:30pm and George was growing tired. Not tired of Clay. Not at all. If anything, it was Clay's cheerful, whisper, voice which lolled him from conscious to unconscious every few minutes. Clay's voice seemed to be getting slower and quieter as their conversation continued which did not help George stay awake at all, as he finally drifted. His phone laid on the bed, camera on and showing his ceiling.

Clay giggled a little bit, watching from his point of view, the phone toppling onto the bed. He too was getting tired but the soft snores from George's side were so peaceful and nice to not listen to. It reminded him of the party and when he cuddled with 'drunk George' to sleep. He missed the sensation of holding George in his arms and feeling George's breath on his neck. Clay felt butterflies creep in his stomach, but this time he enjoyed the feeling, knowing George liked him back made everything seem perfect.

Clay was awakened from his thoughts as his phone beeped, signaling George either ended the call or his phone died. Clay went with the second option and later fell asleep with happy thoughts full of George.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
1315 words

I really need to find a turning point in this book haha. But it will come to me at some point.
Hope you all are doing well! Thank you so much for 250 reads that's absolutely amazing and I appreciate it so so sooooo much! It's what keeps me writing the book so thank you! <33