Chasing Snowflakes

5

George didn't sleep too well last night. It was spent turned over, staring at the back of his friend's head and trying, but failing, to push his feelings out. He did not like this and it was a few things, one of them being too soon and the other being weird. But one thing did come to George's attention that night and it was when Clay stirred, unconsciously snuggling a bit closer to George's side of the bed with his peaceful face facing him. He wasn't too bad looking when his mouth was shut.

However, now that they were awake and George was running on five hours of sleep, Clay looked like a lizard wearing a blonde wig.

"Please-" George begged to his friend. "-just shut the hell up!"

The two were home alone with his siblings but his parents left the radio on and Clay insisted they kept it on to keep the twins from screaming. Clay briefly paused his horrible singing to flick his eyes over to his friend. George was slumped over with his hands covering his ears and brown eyes digging into Clay's satisfied face.

"George, even your siblings are singing," Clay answers and wasted no time picking up where he left off in the song. It was true. The twins had matching spoons in their hands and were running around the island, screaming the lyrics while occasionally whacking George to stand up.

"I wouldn't call it that."

Clay rolls his eyes and tugs on George's sweatshirt to pull him up, still singing. Against George's will and free person, a whisk was shoved in his hand by his sister and shoved into Clay's chest by his brother.

"Sing! Sing! Sing!" they chant and Clay laughs in George's face. Too close, again.

"Dude, your siblings are awesome."

Of course he thought that since he was now put on the spot in the middle of the kitchen with his whisk microphone and twin audience. George recognized the song, it was that I Can See Clearly Now song that, for some unknown reason, everyone knew by heart without having to listen to it.

Mary and Jack latched on to his legs, still loudly chanting for him to sing with their little hands pulling down on his sweatshirt. George did not want to sing, however, and he turned to Clay, face begging to be released from this personal Hell but he gets laughed at. Clay was fighting through the song while laughing, his head was thrown back and smile was directed at George. Only for a moment, George allowed himself to stare. But only for a moment because Clay started singing to him and he had to tear his eyes away before he melted.

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone-"

Clay was staring right at him, reciting the lyrics word for word-beat for beat- to his friend and George's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't even a romantic song but George still felt that lightheaded rush of blood to his cheeks and thudding in his chest, mouth dropping slightly at his friend.

George felt the twins let go of his legs and he, honest to god, stumbled. He stumbled when he was standing still, and the worst part was that Clay grabbed him and forced him to dance around with him. Their hands locked together and George's body just followed whatever moves Clay was doing, with his other arm swinging limply at his side, but man was the beat catchy- and so was his friend's laugh. Soon, George was laughing the song lyrics and twirling his little sister in his free hand, refusing to let go of Clay's who had it held above their heads like they were the champions of kitchen karaoke. George's brother turned up the volume and all four of them belted out the last few cords of the song.

"Sunshiney day!" George finishes and Clay claps with an easy laugh as the radio cuts off.

"Oh man, you suck," Clay says and his sister laughs at him, earning Clay a tiny high five.