Lean On You (DNF) Book 2

Time is Fleeting

Time moved on whether or not you were aware of it. The autumn leaves of crimson oranges had long since fluttered to the floor, leaving the skeleton of the once-mighty trees behind. Temperatures seemed to drop overnight, bringing with it a dangerous frost, though it had not snowed yet.
 
Fall had turned to Winter in a blink of an eye, no one was ready for its arrival. With the incoming of the new season, the time Clay and George spend apart only grew. It had been months now. Every time Clay offered to drive up and see him, George would make up an excuse.
 
School kept him busy.
 
Clay stared blankly at the messenger app. It was a Friday afternoon, classes should be over. Why wasn't George responding? George had clearly opened the message, the double checkmark next to the text was proof of that.
 
Did Clay do something wrong? Did he mess up?
 
His grip around the backpack strap tightened. He was getting ready to make the three-hour journey to George's school. Eliza had convinced Clay to just make the trip anyways, a surprise for George. Eliza would tag alongside him too, she clearly missed her big brother. 
 
Clay released a shaky sigh before he tossed his bag into the back seat of the car. Eliza was still inside, she'd be out in a minute. This left Clay alone with his thoughts.
 
"What if I'm bothering him?" Clay spoke in a whisper. "But... he really should focus on his studies... he doesn't need me distracting him..." Clay whimpered. Finally, he turned off his phone and tucked it away inside of the pocket of his well-worn hoodie. 
 
Eliza had appeared on the other side of the car and forced her way in. She was bubbling with excitement, squawking like some deranged bird. Clay couldn't help but smile though. Did Drista ever get excited to see him? Probably not, little sisters are the worst.
 
Once they were both seated and buckled in, Clat threw the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway smoothly. 
 
The plan was to spend the weekend with George. They'd arrive later that Friday, and then leave Sunday morning so Eliza would see her brother before the major winter holidays. She was in anticipation of the upcoming reunion, Clay couldn't help but smile to himself. Would George be equally as happy to see them?
 
When he was growing up, Clay was never the anxious type. Sure, he'd get nervous over upcoming tests and games, but nothing ever as paralyzing as he felt now. The past few months away from George, the fray in the knot just kept getting bigger and bigger as more time passed. 
 
Back when they were still in high school, whenever George was freaking out or panicking, he always said it felt like he couldn't breathe, like a rock had formed in his throat. Clay felt like that now. He tapped the steering wheel in a nonsensical way, calling attention to his uneasy thinking.
 
Eliza perked her attention, drawing her eyes along the dashboard and to the steering wheel where she mapped the movement of Clay's fingers. George used to do the same thing. She rose a brow and furrowed the other.
 
"Are you anxious right now?" She asked seemingly out of nowhere.
 
"What? Pfft, no." Clay's muscles tensed. Was he anxious?
 
Eliza grew up around the ball of anxiety known as George Founders, she had long since found a way to decipher body language to discover anxious ticks. "Uh-huh." She said, thoroughly unconvinced.
 
Clay straightened out his arms, pushing himself back in his seat. He allowed air to fill up his cheeks and he held it there, contemplating whether or not to speak his mind.
 
"I just..." He exhaled softly.
 
"Hm?" Eliza hummed, verbally acknowledging Clay.
 
"Winter. Y'know?"
 
"Oh." Eliza suddenly gasped as she fit the puzzle together. "It's almost been a year, hasn't it?" She slumped down in her seat, her chocolate gaze laying lazily over the oncoming horizon. A dusty blue sky greeted her, its hazy color only dampened the mood.
 
"I hope George can handle it... being away from home and his support..." Clay stifled a sigh. "He's been withdrawn, I just don't want to bother him..." He finally admitted.
 
"It's gonna be a rough Christmas..." Eliza drew her knees to her chest and hugged them. Clay never thought about it till now.
 
Eliza.
 
What was she going through? She once admitted that she wanted to be the strong one. Was she still playing that role? She seemed so unaffected by most everything. Was she okay? Did she suffer like her brother? Bottling things up ran in the family indeed.
 
The conversation became dry from that point forward. What more could be said? 
 
As the car rumbled closer to the college campus, a gentle snowfall began. White freckles drifted down to the ground, fluttering about like pixies on the wind. As the snow trickled onto the windows of the car, the vision of outside became thick with frost. Winter was no doubt upon them. 
 
Clay felt a certain type of guilt clasp its wrenched hands over his throat. George's birthday had long since passed as well, as did everyone else's. It felt as if time was not on Clay's side anymore. He used to have so much of it, now... there was never enough.
 
Never enough time.
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