George pov
I woke up on the opposite side of the teachers lounge, my head resting semi-comfortably on the top of my backpack.

I didn't really know how I got there, but I could remember most of the more important events from yesterday.

The detention.

The hurricane.

Clay.

Clay? 

If I was over here, then where was he? 

I sit up, turning away from the wall I had been previously staring at to get a good look around the room.

The blonde seemed to be sleeping still, his bright locks flopping all over the floor around his head as he lay on his bag as I had done.

His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, his body moving slowly with the calm breaths he intook and exhaled.

I find myself smiling softly, immediately schooling my face into a look of indifference as I stand up. 

I take in my surroundings, analyzing everything a lot closer than I had before. 

It was dark, the large clouds shielding the building from any light that might have made its way inside from windows elsewhere on the campus.

The lights had been flickering since last night, the periods of darkness becoming more frequent and lasting longer each time.

To say I was frightened was an understatement.

I had no idea if the rest of the school had been affected since the beginning of the hurricane and I wasn't sure if the Wi-Fi was still working. I hadn't been able to find my phone thus far, so checking was near impossible right now.

The wind sounded strong, the whistling being the only thing of nature that was louder than the rain and thunder, being even more distracting, somehow, than the blinding lightning that shone every few seconds.

I had never experienced anything like this... I didn't know what to expect.

I look back at Clay, gazing at his facial features for longer than I would admit.

He seemed like he knew what he was doing, and in that truth, I found safety.

I figured that the solace I found in his calmness was more important than the peace I found in my silence.

I sat back down, this time beside the blonde, my hands finding his hair again, repeating the therapeutic pattern of running my fingers along the strands, my fingertips grazing his scalp gently.

I found myself smiling again, and I tried desperately to stop it, but the feat became ten times harder as Clay began to stir in his sleep, his eyelids cracking to reveal the beautiful jade of his pupils, glazed over with sleep.

He looks over to me, delirious with the essence of dreams, a small smile gracing his lips as he blinks his vision clear.

"Hi, George. You alright?" he asks, his hand rubbing at his eyes as mine continues to thread through the blonde mess atop his head.

I didnt respond, I just stared into his eyes, those glistening chartreuse eyes, my face burning with the smile I longed to, but couldnt, get rid of. 

Slowly, I nod, ripping my gaze away from his, my hand falling from his hair, sliding into my lap as I examine it. 

"Alright..." Clay says, sitting up and clearing his throat. 

"Do you want some breakfast?" he asks. 

At my questioning look, he giggles, standing up and pulling me with him, leaving my skin tingling as his hand grasps onto mine like it did yesterday.

I can't stop the burning in my cheeks, but I try to hide it, smiling and turning away from him, the faint sound of his soft chuckles filling my ears with their sweetness. 

Im suddenly pulled out of my thoughts and out of the room, Clay holding onto me as he runs up and down corridors, making sure to avoid windows. 

It was nice, being away from home for a while, or however long we'd be stuck in this school for, not worrying about my dumbass of a step-father. 

It was even nice being away from my mum, as much as I loved her. 

And so I allowed myself to smile freely, no longer suppressing it with my needs to be introverted and indifferent. 

We arrive in the cafeteria, stopping in front of the doors to the kitchen, breathy giggles filling the echoey room that was sealed away from the disruptive sounds of the storm outside. 

We entered the kitchen, our quiet laughs coming to an abrupt quiet as we take in a room that was previously off limits. 

Clay is the first to break through the still barrier I felt to be trapped in, springing from the spot he was standing in with an energy I never saw him holding as he walked the school halls despondently. 

I was still in shock at the beauty of the kitchen, standing entranced at the sight of the blonde rushing around the kitchen as he cooked with a wild elegance. 

I dont know why I was always compelled to be watching Clay, but I was, and I knew that I didnt mind it as much as I should have. 

I could stare at the way his hair shifted around with his movements, watch the smile on his pink lips grow wider as his beautiful eyes met mine, fall into a trance at the happiness that he seemed to project only for me. 

Only for me?

It was a stupid thought, but a part of me fought to believe that it could be true. 

Some delusional part of me was desperate for him to desire me in the same way I wanted him, whatever way that was. 

I was confused, but for once, I was happy to be. 

Happy. 

For now, I was happy to care about something. 

I was glad that Clay gave me something I couldnt force myself to be indifferent about, even if that turned out to be the blonde himself. 

"Aren't you going to help me?" he asks me, his smooth voice helping me to drift slowly out of my comforting thoughts and back into a reality I didnt mind returning to. 

I smile, walking toward him as he begins to give me instructions on how to cook the food, the trance I had been stuck in being broken in the best way possible, the gentility of his words making me weak and subject to anything he asked me. 

If I wasnt careful, I would find myself speaking, something I wasnt aloud to do and something I wasnt ready to try. 

Maybe, for Clay, one day I would be...

Im listening to the absolute best love songs rn!

It's inspired!

I hope you're all having a good day/night/evening/morning/afternoon/midmorning/noon/midnight/dusk/dawn

I care about you all, you're all my friends!

Much luv 🫶

1095 words