Peach Silhouette

30, Part 1 | a family matter

I checked my phone nervously, a message from my mom appearing.

"Clay, this isn't negotiable. You promised you'd come back for Claire's 16th birthday. We'll be expecting you this weekend." 

I sighed. 

"Dream, you're being awfully quiet." Sapnap commented as he tapped on his keyboard rather aggressively.

"We kind of need you, Sapnap is useless, he's been trying to kill this ghast for the past-" George said pointedly, Sapnap cutting him off shortly after his sentence began.

"Shut up dude, you're not doing any better." Sapnap snapped back.

"Mute your mics," I said, knowing full well we were attempting this challenge on stream. 

"What's up?" Sapnap asked, his voice concerned. 

"I have to go back to Florida." I watched George's face fall and realized my mistake. "Just for this weekend." I corrected, and he looked relieved.

"Ohhhh, right, this weekend is Drista's birthday." I nodded. My phone chimed again. 

"Here's the link to the tickets I bought you." 

Tickets?

My face twisted in confusion as I clicked on the link. Sure enough, there were two tickets to my hometown. 

Oh no. 

I texted her back rapidly, feeling the gazes of the others on me. 

"Mom, why are there two tickets?"

"Claire has her heart set on the fact that we need to meet George."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Claire was way too insightful for her age, because she was right, George did need to meet my parents. 

"So? What's going on?" George asked. I looked up from my phone and half smiled. 

"You're coming with me." 

~

A few days and some anxiety laden packing later, we were dragging suitcases across the supposedly iconic PDX carpet. 

"What's the whole deal about this carpet anyway?" George asked. I shrugged.

"People from Portland are a different breed. I guess it was replaced in 2013 after a whole bunch of backlash, and so people are completely torn over the new carpet. The old one was iconic because it represented an intersection of the north and south runways and it was a new concept in general; carpets in airports." 

"How do you know so much about an obscure carpet in a state you don't even live in?" George asked, his voice intrigued. 

"I got bored. A lot. I guess I learned a lot of useless, obscure things." I mused, thinking of all the articles I'd read when I was younger. 

"Alaska Airlines flight 526 boarding now."

We veered toward our gate. I smiled, taking his hand in mine.

"Friends don't lie."

"Oh my god," George laughed and ran his other hand through his hair. "Do you think they'll like me?" He asked seriously after a pause.

"Well, Drista - her name is Claire, by the way, is the whole reason you're coming. She made my mom buy a ticket for you. So I'd say that's a yes. My mom already enjoys your humor, and I think you'll get along perfectly, you and her are a lot alike. If Callie is home, she'll probably act a bit standoffish at first, but she'll get used to you eventually. She's 26. My younger sibling Cade, yes, with a C," George laughed a bit at that and I smiled at the silliness of my mother's naming. "Is 17, and they will love you almost immediately. Actually, I think they already watch your videos." I finished, glancing at him as we approached the flight attendant who awaited us at the end of the bridge.