him after me || dnf ✓

Chapter 8: Advice

I watched as George slept soundly, his light snores filling the silence. Sapnap would be back any minute with Niki, I heard him on the phone with her about an hour earlier.

Just as I was pondering my thoughts, I heard the front door open and light chatter echo through the thin walls. Not a minute later, a soft knock came from behind me as I turned to see Niki peeking through the slight opening of the door, noticing George was still asleep.

Sapnap, spoke up quietly from behind her "Best let him sleep for now...I'll show you where you can put your things" and with that, they walked away silently, the door closing with a click.

-

I followed closely behind George as he emerged from his room, yawning loudly and rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. I notice the confusion in his face as his eyebrows furrow after hearing the muffled voices from the other room, obviously recognising the sweet voice of Niki. "what...Niki? Niki is that you?" George muttered with growing confusion.

As he turned into the living room, Niki began approaching him and engulfing him in a tight hug while George was still processing what was happening. I see the moment that George realises it really is Niki and returns the embrace, tears brimming his eyes.

When the two step back from the hug, their hands tightly linked together, they stare at each other with teary eyes on both of their faces.

Niki has changed a lot since the last time I remember seeing her. She's no longer sporting the pink hair and instead the majority of it was raven black and 2 front pieces a pale blond. She was clad in a tight black long sleeve turtleneck underneath a black and white plaid mini dress.

Her monochrome, dark outfit was certainly a change from the bright and pastel rainbow colours that she used to wear.

"What are you- what are you even doing here!? I haven't seen you in years!! I missed you so much Niki" George spluttered out in a rush of excitement "I know, I missed you to Gogy bu-"

"GOGY!? IM NEVER LETTING YOU LIVE THIS DOWN" Nick interrupted before she could finish while clutching his stomach in laughter. George simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Niki signalling she could continue talking.

"Yeah, well I heard about what happened...I thought I could just be here in case you needed someone, I'm really sorry you had to go through that, I know how much he meant to you..." Niki explained with clear sympathy in her eyes.

"Oh...well yeah...Oli was- IS my everything" George corrected himself, his eyes fluttered about, not maintaining eye contact with Niki as tears began spilling down his face.

He stepped back against the wall and slid down it, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face in shame. He sniffed out short words in between sobs,

"I'm so sorry Oli"

I forgive you.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't mean it"

I know.

"God he would be so disappointed in me"

I'm not, I'm glad that you're beginning to move on.

"Wait what's the date?" His head shot up in realisation

He knows...

"It's the 3rd, why?" Niki muttered out, confused. Sapnap then shared the same look as George and also began crying.

"...2 months since Oliver died..." Sapnap muttered out with guilt clear in his choked voice. Niki took both of them into a tight embrace and mumbled words assuring words "We're forgetting..." George sobbed out.

"No, you're moving on" Niki spoke my thoughts. "I'm a horrible person..." he breathed out, pulling away from the hug.

"Look George, maybe you should take this as a sign to reach out for help...not from Sap, or me but someone who has...experience with stuff like this" Niki whispered out calmly.

"You want me to see a shrink?? What, do you think I'm gonna try and fucking kill myself again??? I'm not crazy Niki!" George spat out accusingly.

"Wait..again?? I didn't know...look that's maybe a better reason than you should find somebody to talk to... Sap and I were speaking before I came here and we both think that professional help would be the best option, we care about you we really d-"

"THAT'S THE REASON YOU CAME HERE? TO CONVINCE ME TO 'GET HELP'?"

"No George, I am here because I care abou-"

"THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT, I KNOW YOU STOPPED CARING ABOUT ME WHEN YOU STARTED IGNORING MY CALLS AND LEAVING ME ON DELIVERED MONTHS AGO" George seethed out, his tears were replaced with anger and the feeling of betrayal.

"George, just let me expla-" Niki scoffed out, trying to stay calm.

"NO, YOU FUCKING THINK YOU'RE DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR ME? YOU DONT KNOW ME. YOU HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO SPEAK TO ME TO KNOW ME ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT I'M LIKE. AND YOU SAP-" He shouted, turning his attention to Sapnap who kept his gaze to the ground.

"YOU FUCKING KNEW AND YOU AGREE?" Sap responded with a subtle guilty nod.

"YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING ASSHOLES." George yelled at them and began to leave.

Sapnap and Niki didn't deserve this, they were only trying to help but George wasn't willing to hear them out. To be fair the way they brought it up made their intentions look bad...

"George before you go," Niki began speaking, you could tell she was on the brink of tears.

"Let me give you some advice, acting like this and treating Sap and I horribly isn't going to fix anything. It isn't going to make you feel better and it isn't going to bring Oliver back, it's completely pointless. The more you push people away, the more you're losing and the worse it's going to get. George, I dont want to leave you. Nick doesn't want to leave you. We dont want you to leave us. But I can't sit around here while you do this to yourself and us. Not only are you treating yourself like crap but you're also treating us like crap. As you said, I dont know who you are anymore and I dont know much about Oliver. I dont know what he would have wanted, I'm not him, he's dead. But I do know he wouldn't have wanted you to try and take your own life and I know he would have wanted you to at least try to be happy and move on. But you aren't trying, that's the thing, you're just giving up. Think, is that really the best option?" Niki ranted harshly.

"You're not the same anymore George" Sapnap chimed in with guilt still apparent in his words.

"You're right! I'm not the same anymore because I've changed Sapnap! People change! Especially after the love of my life, the person who meant everything to me, the only person I could go to and cry to HAS DIED. I can't move on when every day, all I see is him, everything reminds me of him. The only thing that mattered to me was him and he's GONE. Sap, I know you feel the same way about him, you were his best friend, you're just too caught up to realise or more so, too caught up to admit it." He choked out, his voice breaking from the misuse of crying so often.

Before Niki and Sapnap had a chance to even process his grinding words he had run out, slamming the door with a lingering bang.

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1.3k Words

Drink some water loves <3

Niki's outfit is what she wore when she did the picnic with Gee :]