the odds of it // dnf, dreamnotfound

[1]

//Clay's POV//

Sitting in math class, Clay tries to pay attention. He already know everything anyways, so it's not like he has to. But he has to be the perfect student. No one will know if he's just the perfect student.

But there's a new pull. A new scent that radiates from this classroom. And it's tempting... it's so, so, tempting.

The teacher rambles on, but he's too focused on his breathing. He has to contain himself. Hide it from the world. No one will know.

He grips at his jeans, struggling to fight it. His hand shoots up. He can't do it in here any longer. He didn't drink last night, which clearly was a mistake. There's always a pull, but never this bad.

"Yes, Clay?"

"I need to go to the bathroom," he says. He doesn't ask, he just gets up and goes. He leaves his backpack there, shutting the door behind him.

He runs to his locker, grabbing a "snack" from his backpack. Secretively, he takes it to the bathroom. He goes in a stall and chugs. He needs it in him, before someone sees. Small amounts of blood fall from his mouth as he drinks. He wipes them before anyone can see it on the floor.

Done. The pull loosens, as he's not hungry anymore. He looks in the mirror, leaning his hands on the counter.

You're a monster. Control yourself.

He nods at his reflection, and go back to class.

—

He pretends to be unfazed as he sits in his seat, but the pull is back. It's as strong as it was before, and it hurts his head. He tries to ignore it. Why is it so strong? I'm not even hungry anymore.

The bell rings, and he's the first out the door.

—

At lunch, the pull fades a little bit. George walks over to me, sitting down with his lunch tray.

"Hey, Dream," he says, poking at his food.

The desire hits him like a truck. It's back. Why is it such a random thing? He looks George. I can't let him know.

"Hey, George," he says, strained. It's so strong. The weight of it, the desperate need. It's so odd. This has never happened to him like this before.

"You don't look so good. Are you alright?"

Clutching his jeans again, he responds, "Yeah! I'm fine. My uh- stomach hurts a little, that's all." And it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Should we go to the nurse maybe?"

"No, no, it's fine," he says, the pain easing little by little by little. It fades as slowly as humanly possible (get it? humanly- ANYWAYS) and he hates it. He wants it gone, but talking to George seems to help. "Just, uh, keep talking to me. I'll feel fine eventually."

"Okay? Hey, did you hear what Professor..." George continues.

The conversation helps him. It slowly eases the need, the temptation. It still tingles through Clay's body, but it's a lot easier to handle when it's not pulsing through him viciously.

It takes the whole lunch period to calm him. The want is still in him, just more faded this time.

Though, as he goes through the school day, he realizes something:

The temptation is tied to George somehow.