Nightingale - Dreamnotfound

||Guilt Tripping||

Nothing was faster than the speed of light. I knew that for a fact. Although I never technically finished my education, Wilbur did make sure that we knew the basics of each of the subjects. That meant arithmetic math, reading and comprehension, United States history starting at the turn of the century into the 1900s, and the fact that there was nothing faster than the speed of light. Though, that didn't mean that some things didn't seem that way.

Words seemed faster than the speed of light. I had only been gone for two hours and every Specialty in my building had already heard the news that I had shot George right in the back. I had to fault that to Tommy. He could never keep quiet about anything.

"Hey Dream," Punz said the moment I entered the lobby. "I heard about what happened. I heard you guys were close. Sorry about that."

"Thanks, Punz," I replied.

Ten more steps, and I was stopped again. "Dream!" It was Bad. "I don't really understand what happened, but apparently you had to let someone you were close to go. I'm sorry."

"Yeah," I replied slowly. "I am too."

Up the stairs, I ran right into Fundy and Niki. Niki looked right at me with wide eyes and a slight frown, but didn't say anything. Fundy's eye was still swollen, but that didn't make his glare sting any less.

"Excuse me," I muttered.

They both moved to the side and watched as I walked past them.

"Sorry for your loss, Clay," Niki quickly said before being dragged away by Fundy.

Finally, I reached my apartment. And just when I thought I could be alone, the door swung open and Karl emerged from inside.

"Oh, hey Dream! Nick told me what happened," He said. "Condolences to you, my friend. I know what it's like to lose a close friend. It's one of the worst pains you could feel, but it's okay. It gets better."

I nodded, "Yeah, this isn't my first loss. I'll be fine."

He smiled softly, "We're friends, you know that, right? You probably just see me as your best friend's boyfriend, but Nick tells me all about you so I feel like I know you as more than just my boyfriend's best friend."

"Thanks Karl, I know," I peered over his shoulder at Sapnap inside. He waved. Karl followed my gaze and took the hint.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. You'll be okay, Dream."

"I know, thanks," I said as he patted my back and swept past me and up the stairs.

The door shut behind me as I bee-lined straight to my bed. I draped the blanket over me and sat down.

"Hey, dude," Sapnap said, his voice low and gentle. "I've been so worried."

"Why?"

"Because I haven't heard from you in twelve hours. I wake up and the first thing I hear is talk that you killed George and then you never came home. I don't know, I thought something happened."

"Oh. Well I'm fine. I'm not dead." I sank down the wall.

"How're you feeling?"

I gazed at him and sighed, "Honestly? I don't even know."

He nodded, "I get it. Well, I don't get it. I've never lost someone I loved before. But that's okay."

"I just—" I cut myself off, trying to gather exactly what I was attempting to say. "I feel like such a shit person."

"You're not a shit person, Clay." He shifted from his bed over to mine. "I don't tell you this enough, but you're the best person I know. You were my role model growing up."