ACID RAIN // DNF AU

Chapter Four (Clay)

George's bittersweet smile as he walked away tore Clay apart. George didn't like him. Of course not. Why would he? He had never been interested in guys even the slightest bit before, never hinted at anything over the years they'd known each other.

That dredged up a memory from middle school, when they were only twelve and had talked about girls under a sunny sky. It was far before he'd fallen for him. He recalled the smell of sunscreen on their skin that early June day so clearly.

"Who do you like, then?" Clay asked, skipping over the pavement in his driveway. He dropped the basketball, almost letting it roll into the street before George caught it. Both of them were spectacularly bad at shooting hoops, and neither cared enough to keep doing it. His parents had only said that they had to be outside, not that they had to do anything out here.

"No one!" He blushed a little, giving him away.

Clay rolled his eyes. "Just tell me. You're moving away in a month, so it won't even matter."

"Fine," he sighed in defeat. "I might...like..."

"Out with it!" He grinned.

"Lauren," George squeaked out, barely audibly.

"Lauren! She's in our math class, right? The blonde girl who always does her hair in braids. She's really pretty."

"Yeah. She's in my English too," he admitted.

"George, you realize I'm going to tell her on Monday now," he teased.

"No!" He screeched, pouncing on Clay and knocking them both down onto the grassy lawn.

The memory of their easy friendship back then, before he had developed feelings or before he had come to terms with them, was a stark contrast to this moment under the stars, where George was walking away from him, back into the house. He had to fix things quickly, while he could lie drunkenly and still be believed.

Clay caught up to him in the bright hall, and George scuffed a sneaker against the ground. "Are you ready to go home yet? I only had a little bit to drink, and it's probably been an hour since that. I can drive us back soon."

"Sure, but why did you just run away from me like that? Did you think I was trying to kiss you or something?" He forced a laugh that sounded too heavy. His heart was being dragged down by leaden chains.

"No," George said, slowing his walk. Clay's head was beginning to hurt from the fluorescent lights.

He should have told George he was bi when he was dating Jacob, before he had even felt anything for him. He didn't know why he'd even kept that a secret, but they hadn't talked much until the very end of that relationship. He should confess his feelings now, while he could do it in-person, while he was tipsy and could blame it on the alcohol.

He already knew that he wouldn't be able to do it. He loved George too much to risk losing him. But he was already walking away.

Clay would pretend to forget that dance come morning.