Angels (DreamNotFound/Gream)

Chapter 17: The Accident

THE ACCIDENT

George's phone rang throughout the apartment, the trilling noise loud and obnoxious. He didn't bother checking it - Sapnap and Bad had been calling him randomly throughout the day, and he didn't feel like talking about Dream. He let it ring as he absentmindedly chewed his grilled cheese, in the midst of a conversation with Amanda.

"Why is he lying to you?" she asked, giving a heavy sigh as she rested her forehead on her manicured nails. "He should just admit it at this point - he cheated and you know it." There was a slight edge to her tone that appeared every time they discussed Dream.

George chewed his bite slowly, trying to think of the right way to word the thoughts circling through his head. "He seems so... sincere though," he said finally.

"He would," she said darkly. "He used to act, you know."

The phone started ringing obnoxiously again, and George groaned. "My friends Nick and Bad - Darryl," he corrected, not wanting to deal with Amanda's confusion - she seemed to think it was weird he called Clay 'Dream' - , "have been trying to call me all day." He stuffed the phone under his chair cushion and the sound muffled. "But he was crying and everything," he told Amanda, sighing. "I can't tell if he's lying or not."

"He is," she said. "I saw him, you know that." She looked down, a frown crossing her usually cheerful face. "I'm sorry, George," she said sincerely.

He looked away from her, his slight hopes squashed, swallowing down the lump in his throat that seemed to have been prominent the entire past week. After a few moments of silence, the phone started ringing yet again, muted by the cushion, and he smacked his head, annoyed. "What do they want me to say to them?" He picked his phone up, and his eyebrows furrowed. The contact showed Dream's mother, Mrs. Johnson. "What does she want?"

After a few seconds of deliberation, he answered it. "Hello?"

He heard what sounded like crying in the background, and he furrowed his eyebrows as a swirl of confusion and concern started to trickle in.

"George, thank god," said a choked, strained voice that must've been Dream's mother. "I know you think Clay cheated on you - I don't know the extent of it, anyway, he kept insisting he didn't, but I'm not sure - anyway, he - he got in a really bad car crash, and he's at the AdventHealth hospital." She let out a sob, and George felt a dull cold run through his body as his heart raced rapidly.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yes, he's in critical condition - we're not sure if he's going to m-make it -". She paused, trying to gather herself, and George found himself unable to breathe or comprehend anything. Dream couldn't die - he just couldn't. All thoughts of cheating or otherwise vanished from his head as his mouth opened and closed dumbly.

"Thought you should know," Mrs. Johnson finished, jolting him from his thoughts.

"I'm coming there now," said George when he found himself able to speak again. "Thanks for telling me."

He hung up, looking at Amanda in shock. "Dream got in an accident and he's at the hospital in critical condition."

Her jaw dropped, and she looked back at him, tears gathering in her eyes. "I'll drive you," she said shakily.

He nodded slightly, unable to muster words, or even a reassuring smile. He pulled on his shoes, put his phone in his back pocket, and they ran out of the apartment as fast as possible.

The car ride was a strained one, both of them in complete shock. They rode silently most of the way there, until George broke the silence with a question he had asked multiple times since his conversation with Dream. His voice was quiet and desperate as he spoke pleadingly, hoping against all hopes that the answer would be different that time.