𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 • 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

five

*TW MENTION OF RAPE - not actually happening just the word used*

mark was waiting to go home in the uber clay ordered him, claire silently sitting on the couch without faltering her focus from one spot in the carpet, feeling as though she was being interrogated as she, her boyfriend and clay all sat in the living room together. clay was muttering something over and over again under his breath, inaudible to the other two in the room. anytime mark would attempt to talk to claire, he would either be ignored by the intimidated girl or interrupted by clay and his overall annoying aura. the girl, still staring at the same spot in the rug, felt a sense of relief as she heard a car pull up outside, being none other than the uber. she took the opportunity of clay walking mark to the door to sprint up to her room and sit on her bed, hoping she was done with clay for the day.

wrong. a minute or so after the girl entered her room, clay did too. unannounced, he walks in and sits at her desk chair, spinning it around to face her sitting on her bed and waiting in silence while watching the girl intently. the girl broke the silence, clay talking immediately after her, basically interrupting as if it set off a cue that he was allowed to speak. "what" she had said, interrupted by clay saying "what did i tell you about him?" he said in a matter-of-fact tone, but was easily misinterpreted as anger and frustration. "clay, i'm saying this once more, he's not a bad guy." she sighs, clay half-laughing in a feeling that could be seen as shock and confusion, quietly repeating the girls last sentence in disbelief before speaking up, "not a bad guy, are you kidding me?". "you just don't know him like i do!" she raises her voice, before immediately remembering her brother asleep a few rooms over. "i don't know him? i know for a fact that he doesn't listen to you, you told him to stop and he didn't. god knows what would have happened if i wasn't there" he scoffs, throwing his head back and leaning it against the back of the chair her was sitting on. "he would have listened eventually" she whispers, half-doubting herself, before shaking out the notion that clay was getting to her head.

"bullshit, he would have raped you before he listened to you" clay sayings, now with his head in his hands, leaning forward. "clay. get out of my room" claire says sternly, growing angry at the accusations. "i don't want you seeing him anymore" clay says, not moving, and staring the girl directly in the eye, searching for any sign that she will listen to him. "out." she says, her voice only slightly wavering. "i'm serious, claire. i don't want you seeing him." he emphasises, waiting for any form of agreement. "and why would i listen to you?" claire says, standing up and walking towards her door, holding it open to send her message. "because i know you, and i know guys like him and i know he isn't going to get any better." he was now standing in front of her, beside the open door frame. upon seeing her avoiding his eyes and her uncertain expression, he nods ever so slightly and begins walking out of her room, stopping before speaking once more. "goodnight, cj" he says almost inaudibly, so quiet that even claire almost missed it. almost.

her faces falls at the use of the nickname he had adopted back when they actually got along, before she had started dating mark and their friendship had turned to shit. watching him walk towards his own room and closing the door slowly, the memories of back when clay was simply nick's online friend came flooding back to her, making her emotional.

she could remember the days when she and nick would sit at his pc and talk to clay, and the excitement she felt when clay first suggested they all moved in together. she moved towards her bed and laid down, still fully dressed from the night out as she felt tears welling in her eyes, from both the night's events and the use of the simply nickname that only clay had ever called her.

she couldn't understand why the two little letters had such an effect on her, she could almost forget why she hated the boy so much. almost. she received a text minutes later.

mark💗
that clay guy is a dick

yeah i know

mark 💗
such a cockblock
we were just about to get it on

i mean... no

mark 💗
wdym babe

well i said no and to stop so

mark💗
yeah well you didn't mean that
dont be selfish

haha ok
sorry

the girl placed her phone down on her bedside table, taking her shoes off and getting under the covers of her bed, the feeling of guilt settling in after what had happened to mark. she could now remember why she hated clay, she had made her boyfriend go home alone when she had said he could spend the night, and put him in an awkward position, as well as the relentless and never ending attempts to get the girl to break up with her boyfriend.

it was absolutely infuriating, the constant nagging about how he's 'manipulating her' into thinking he was a good person, as i f clay would know the first thing about being kind. it was almost her one year anniversary with mark, and he had shown her how to be a good girlfriend, to obey him and to be an overall pleasant person.

there was absolutely no way he was manipulating her.