Obstacles

11

Warnings:
-Mentions death family member

George's POV

Clay was eating his sandwich with slow bites and tapped the table with his fingers. 'How far are you and Sapnap with the book?'

Quackity sighed loudly. 'We didn't start yet, that asshole was constantly complaining.'

'I'll help you once George and I are done with our book. We are halfway. George, do you want to hang out after school?'

'Uh-,' I started. My face heated up and I looked at him, smiling at me. 'For t-the book?'

'Nah, just hanging out. Together,' he clarified. 'I uh- have a secret. I kind of love singing too, but no one supports me with it. Maybe we could sing together.'

'I would love to!' I yelled out as I lifted myself up. 'As long as it's not just a plan to make fun of me.'

'No, it's not. I just never sing around others because-,' he started, but stopped himself. 'Only my mother liked my singing.'

His voice was soft, he sounded insecure and sad. I had never seen him like this before.

'Your mother is probably great!' Quackity exclaimed.

'My mother passed away,' Clay answered with a hoarse voice. His voice cracked in the end and he stared down at his hands as tears filled his eyes.

'My goodness, I'm so sorry,' Quackity apologised. He scooted closer to Clay and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Clay lifted his hands and hid his face behind them as I heard a soft sob break the silence.

'It's fine, you can cry,' Quackity comforted him. 'Maybe we can sit in the library for now.'

Clay nodded slowly and we stood up to walk to the library. When we arrived there, we sat down on a table since no one was here and Clay stared in front of him as a tear rolled down his face.

'I hate crying in front of others,' he sighed, wiping his tears away. 'I'm sorry. I just trust you more than my friend group.'

'It's fine to cry about something like that. It's not nothing to lose your mother,' Quackity replied as he smiled at Clay.

'Does she have a favourite song?' I asked.

'Thank you for using the current time,' Clay sniffed with a blush on his face. 'And I once made my own song. She loves it.'

'Really?' I exclaimed, getting really excited. 'What's it called? What is it about?'

'Mask,' he mumbled. 'It's about me. How I wear a mask at school and at home and that's not how I really am.'

'Do you dare to sing it for me when we get home?' I asked.

He had a blush on his face and nodded slowly. 'I can try.'

'Are you still wearing that mask right now?' Quackity questioned.

Clay shrugged. 'Not really. Just for some things I don't have the courage to talk about yet. I'm way more how I really am than I've ever been around my other friends though.'

'And you can be yourself around us,' Quackity told him. 'So can George and so can I.'

'Is there anything I can't say or do around you?' Clay asked insecurely.

'Yeah, if you're going to be a homophobe, a racist, a sexist or an ableist, then you're out. Or if you start bullying my buddy, George.'

I smiled and so did Clay. 'I won't bully him and I'm also not any of those other things.'

'One mean word and you're out of the gang, Clay!' Quackity threatened him with a teasing smile on his face.

Clay grinned. 'I won't, I promise!' he yelled with his hands in the air. 'There aren't many bad things to say about George anyway.'

'OOOOH?' Quackity shouted.

'You're such an idiot,' Clay laughed as he grabbed his lunch again to eat. 'Can George get kicked out too if he's mean to me when I sing?'

'George would never,' Quackity replied.

I giggled. 'I would never indeed.'

'Ugh, I haven't felt this happy in a while. It's weird,' Clay sighed. 'Thank you, guys.'

Quackity went from joking to serious and smiled. 'I love to make people happy.'

We just sat together during the break and before we knew it, school was over.

Clay had been waiting for me outside of the classroom and I walked up to him. 'Hi.'

'Hi,' he smiled. 'I'm excited, I never let anyone hear my song after my mother passed.'

'I'm excited to hear it,' I exclaimed, hearing someone walk up to us. Clay turned around and saw Sapnap frowning.

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'Why do you care, dumbass? Leave me alone after what you did this afternoon,' Clay yelled as he turned around again.

'So you're going to do something together?'

'Get off my case,' Clay scoffed as he pushed Sapnap away. 'You can't say anything kind so I don't need you here.'

Before Sapnap could answer, we both walked off to grab our bikes. Clay told me that he'd rather not go to his place which calmed me down. I didn't want to go their after last time. My dad wasn't home anyway and my stepmother was always sweet and kind.

We arrived at my place and I stepped inside, greeting my mother on the couch. 'Hi! Oh and hello Clay!' my mother smiled as she stood up.

'Can I get you something to eat or to drink? I baked an apple pie yesterday. Would you like a piece?'

'Yes, that sounds good, miss,' Clay answered.

'Oh, sweetheart. Don't call me miss, I feel so old when you do that.'

Clay giggled and we sat down on the couch as we both got a piece of the apple pie. Clay was sitting close next to me and looked to his side as he ate a bite. I smiled shyly and had my cheek heat up as he giggled.

My mother came back into the room again. 'I also found whipped cream, do you want some with your apple pie?'

'Yes, please,' Clay mumbled.

My mother handed it to him and sat back down on another couch with a cup of tea. Clay decided to tease me and grinned.

'Open your mouth.'

I did what he told me too and he filled my whole mouth with the whipped cream. I couldn't talk and he grinned. He started wheezing and rested his hand on my shoulder while I tried to fight for air again.

I finally ate all of it and then pushed him gently. 'You're so mean.'

He was constantly wheezing and wiped some whipped cream away from my mouth. 'I'm sorry but that was so funny.'

'I could have died!' I exclaimed.

Clay started laughing even louder and gave me the whipped cream. 'You can bully me too if you want,' he grinned.

I didn't let him say that twice and put even more whipped cream in his mouth. He was laughing hysterically while trying to swallow the whipped cream and hit my shoulder softly.

'Payback,' I giggled as I continued eating my pie.

Clay was able to talk again after a minute and rolled his eyes playfully. 'You're such an idiot.'

I smiled and felt my cheeks heat up as I saw my mother smiling at us. 'Don't mind me. Just continue flirting.'

'WHAT- no!' I yelled. 'I'm not flirting with anyone-.'

My mother grinned and I grabbed Clay's hand. 'It's time to leave.'

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