Flipped // DNF

Chapter Eleven

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter includes physical abuse.

Today was the day. George and his family were coming over for dinner today.

Clay's mother was setting the dinner table. She made sure everything was perfect.

"Mom, are you trying to make them feel totally worthless?" Clay laughed.

"I want it to be nice," she said, looking at the table, wondering what else she could do. "And why are you dressed?"

"I'm going," Clay flung his arms in the air.

I wanted to look good for George, but I didn't want him to think that I wanted to look good for him. It was a fine line.

Clay was buttoning up his shirt, when he looked out the window and saw George and his family walking across the street.

He took the shirt off and ran to his closet to grab another.

A very fine line.

The doorbell rang and Clay still didn't have a shirt on.

"Clay, they're here," his mother yelled up the stairs.

"Coming," he yelled, struggling to get his shirt on.

Clay's grandfather opened the door. "Come in, come in."

George and his mother were both holding pies.

"There goes the waistline," Clay's grandfather joked.

Clay's mother came running from the kitchen. "I'm glad you could make it."

Clay and his sister walk down the stairs.

"Hey, looking good," one of George's brothers said.

"This is my dad," the other one said.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Clay's sister says shaking their father's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too. My boys are telling me that," his father was interrupted.

"Hey, big guy," Clay's father said, pushing everyone aside to shake George's father's hand. "We should've done this a long time ago. Come on in."

George's brothers and my sister went up to hang out in her room, our mothers were in the kitchen, and his father and my grandpa were in the living room talking, leaving me and George alone.

"Hi," Clay said.

George said nothing.

"You look nice," Clay added.

"I heard you and Nick making fun of my uncle in the library. And I don't want to speak to you. Not now, not ever," George said. He turned around and walked over to his dad, joining the conversation.

Clay sighed.

George started talking about perpetual motion with his father and my grandpa. Perpetual motion? Here I was, dying inside, and they were talking about perpetual motion. And how did George even know about that kind of stuff?

"Dinner's ready," Clay's mom announced.

Everyone was walking to the dining table.

Clay tapped on George's shoulder. "Hey, George, can I talk to you?"

George turned around, but didn't say anything.

"It was wrong what Nick said. I know it."

"Did you know it was wrong when he said it?" George was angry.