Playing the Game (DNF)

27

A few hours later, the group has walked along the beach and explored the surrounding area. They find a nice place to eat and waste no time to get a table.

They sit down at a Mexican grill restaurant. It's fairly busy for the time of night. Various chatter and noises fill the place.

Dream scoots into a red leather booth with Sapnap next to him. A large window sits on the wall next to their table. George and Karl sit across from them. A waitress brings around menus and takes their drink orders.

Minutes later, Sapnap and Karl both leave the table to use the restroom. Dream watches as they disappear down a hall.

An immediate sense of nervousness fills him. He picks up his menu to distract himself. He and George have not been alone in days. He doesn't know when it will happen again either. A question has been lingering in his mind for awhile. One that he doesn't know will go over well, but he might not get a chance to ask it again. It could help things, or make things worse. He waits to see if George will initiate a conversation.

An occasional glance flicks from the colorful menu, only to be met with nothing. George pays him no attention. Hesitantly, he resorts to staring at him for longer. Still nothing. He clears his throat. Nothing. This time, he does it more aggressively.

"Yes?" George responds with a tone. He still doesn't look at Dream.

Dream is taken aback by his response.

"Is everything okay?" He pinches his eyebrows together.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" George responds with the same tone. He turns a page in the menu.

Dream isn't sure what to say. George's bitter tone knocks him out of his mental preparation. He gently shakes his head to get himself to think.

"You seem a bit, tense."

George sets the menu down firmly, lifting his eyes to look at Dream. Dream feels his heart drop in chest at the icy stare.

"Everything's fine, okay?"

Dream glances down into his lap. His fingertips run circles around his hands and leave white marks from the pressure.

"I just wanted to make sure because if somethings wrong-"

"I said it was fine. Can we please just drop it?"

Dreams takes offense to this. His jaw slacks open and face scrunches up.

"I'm sorry if I did something, but I was just trying to talk to you and you seem really bothered by something."

"It's nothing," George attempts to shut him up.

"Does this have anything to do with me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

George grinds his teeth together. He can't tell the truth, not now. Dream is part of the way he was acting. It has been awkward between them for days and it doesn't seem to be getting better.

"I'm done talking about this." He attempts to deflect the conversation from him.

Dream chews on the inside of his cheek, studying George's face as he picks the menu back up. His fingers leave dents on the laminated paper under his tense grasp.

He had gone off track enough, Dream knows he needs to continue with what he wanted to ask. The question burns away at him. The question of "what now?" and wondering if things are ever going to change.

Dream falls quiet, sinking into the leather booth beneath him. "We could have just told them." He can hear his heart beat in his chest with ever second that passes without a response.