4:30

Chapter 8

Football has become Clay's least favorite activity. Games are the worst, George cheering his team on, Clay staring at him from the bench the entire time. The brunette blatantly tries to avoid eye contact.

Their friend group just assumed that something bad had happened when the two showed up the Monday after break. The two refused to get within ten feet of each other, at that point they didn't dare even looking at the other.

Clay's laying in his bed when a knock that he hadn't heard in years rings through the room. Four fast knocks followed by two loud slaps has him bolting out of his comfortable position.

'What is Techno doing here?'

The blonde opens the door to find Technoblade accompanied by a much taller, younger man. Ranboo is standing behind the pink haired man, a concerned look painted on his face.

"Hey, can we come in?" Techno gets straight to the point.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, when I heard the knock I was a little shocked," Clay confesses, the two not having been close since an incident their junior year.

"Yeah, I just have been meaning to talk to you, I just, Clay you're not okay, you can't keep wallowing in your room. You need to do something about the way you're feeling," Techno's words strike too true to Clay and he can't hold it in anymore.

Which is why he has to explain to his dorm parent why there is a fist sized hole in the wall.

"Sorry about last night," Clay apologizes to Ranboo and Technoblade the next morning, both boys shrug it off, Ranboo saying something about how he thought it was a good thing.

George no longer walks up with the boys to school. Occasionally he'll walk out at the same time as the boys are leaving, almost always turning around as if he forgot something.

Quackity and the brunette have still been spending lots of time with each other, the two's friendship never bothered Clay, just makes him feel bad that they can't hang out when the blonde's around.

A voice calls out to the boy as he's entering the school building, "Hey Dream! Wait up," Clay turns to be met with a familiar purple haired girl. Minx is followed closely by Schlatt, the last person the blonde wants to see. He's done his best avoiding both him and George the last month, not wanting to make anything worse.

"Oh hey, you guys go ahead without me," he glances back at his friends waiting up, Sapnap looking confused as ever. They all nod, Wilbur reminding the blonde that he has to meet Mr. Young with him at breakfast.

"What's up?" Clay asks the two now standing in front of him. Minx has a small smile on her face, Schlatt looking stone faced and indifferent.

"Well, so funny story, big man over here," Minx gestures to the man next to her, "got an ounce last night, and I know you can't play right now," nodding to Clay's arm, "and I was just wondering if you wanted to sesh after school?"

Clay's taken aback by the offer, an unexpected one to say the least. But he accepts, giving her a smile and thanking her for the invitation. Schlatt will be at practice, so at least he doesn't need to deal with him.

"Oh Niki will be there too, if that's cool?"

"Yeah of course, she seems cool, I could invite Wilbur," Clay suggests, knowing the two have grown to be best friends since the pink haired girl started at Cortona.

Minx grins at the idea, "Yeah, that'd be good," and the three head up to breakfast.

Clay sees Wilbur standing near the teacher's table, talking to their dean. The blonde joins them, giving Mr. Young a "good morning."