The Audition (dreamnotfound)

the flood

A/N STREAM KNEE DEEP AT ATP BY LOVEJOY ON SPOTIFY also watch Encanto on disney plus<3

   No one can change history. It is a known fact to humanity. No one can hide from regret and neither run from it. No one can time travel and change the decisions they made. Yet, there is another thing that may help their past wounds begin to heal.

   They can change their fate. 

   "So?" The man who offered Dream a record deal spoke with impatience in his tone, crossing his arms around his body, tapping his foot against the bar floor. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, so there was an obvious answer to the "predicament" this boy was facing. 

   But, what about history? 

   George's eyes widened in shock and hurt at the same time, almost sensing another heartbreak to come. Same situation, same surprise, and probably the same result. He had hope though, that maybe, just maybe, the past would impact the blond's decision. 

   "Could I think about it for a few days?" Dream asks, not able to think of an answer on the spot. This was a huge decision. His past and his future would play into this, and at that point, he was confused as to what as more important. 

   The past, present, and future all have but the same meaning. 

   Was the timing right? 

   "Yes, but you only have forty-eight hours to decide. Here is my number," The man hands the lead guitarist his card and walked away, ordering another drink at the bar-side table. Every member of the band was in complete and utter disarray, not knowing what to do with themselves, before George walked off the stage in a hurry. 

   "George, wait-" Dream reached out before getting interrupted by Quackity, who had just climbed upon the stage, seeing as he was in the crowd at first. 

   "I got this." Quackity confidently said, walking to the backstage, seeing his best friend sitting down on a few boxes, a numbing look in his eye. His feet were tapping and he was fidgeting with his fingers, anxiety seemingly overcoming his soul. 

   "George?" 

   Silence. 

   "George."

   "I can't do this anymore." George busted out, hiding his face with his hands, his cheeks becoming flushed. He wanted to rewind time before the accident, before the old record deal, before Dream. 

   He missed his old life, being a normal kid on a playground, swinging to his heart's content with his mom by his side, her life being filled with joy. 

   Not only has her life gone down the drain, but the soul in George dissipated with each decision he made. 

   "What do you mean?" Quackity asked, worry creeping under his skin. 

   "I'm sick of this shit, Q. I mean, this happened before, and it will happen again." 

   "You don't know that-"

   "YES I FUCKING DO! I mean, its the opportunity of a lifetime. How would he not take the deal? He knows that he didn't even join the band that recently and you are back so he might just think that he can go without hurting us because we have you again. As much as I love you Q and would love you back in the band, it would and IS going to break my heart and I cannot go through that again. Im tired of being in this loop of constant suffering," George paused, coughing, then after catching his breath, continued. 

   "My mom is dying, laying in her own whatever comes out of her body, I'm still sick and I honestly don't know how I am talking this much-" George coughed a bunch before continuing to rant. 

   "I'm tired of being trapped in a prison filled with broken homes." 

   Quackity was stunned, speechless even. He didn't realize how much his best friend was actually going through, and he felt guilty. How didn't he notice the signs before? Maybe he was just building a dam to hide his emotions, but that record deal?

   That record deal caused the flood. 

   "Are you okay?"

   TW: brief mention of sh, anxiety, and panic attacks 

   The three words. That menacing, yet also meaningful sentence. It showed concern, which was both beneficial and terrifying. Was he worried that George would try to harm himself or worse? Or was he just genuinely checking on his feelings? Maybe it was a mix of both? What if it's just George overthinking again? 

   He knew Dream regretted what he did, yet at the same time he couldn't shake this eerie feeling.

   Regret would never be enough. 

   The brunette began to hyperventilate, coughing up a storm because he couldn't breathe. This was a panic attack, and Quackity knew all about those from when the pair first met. 

   When they met, almost straight away George told him that he was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder from a very young age, potentially stemming from his father's death. He had witnessed first hand the good and the bad, the highs and the lows.  Quackity was almost like a coping mechanism, his rock. HE was the one there for George while he was coping with his father's death. HE was the one who comforted him about his mother's alcohol problem.

   He was George's saving grace. 

   "It's okay, just breathe, and I know that isn't that helpful, but please try to slow your breathing. you are going to hyperventilate because you are speaking too much and too fast. SAPNAP! Get George some water, please. In and out, slowly, okay?" Quackity stated while holding the other's shoulders. 

   Sapnap raced back with a water bottle as quickly as he could, not knowing what was going on. He knew George had anxiety, but fortunately, he never had to witness this bad of a panic attack from his best friend. 

   "What's happening? Is he okay?" Sap stuttered, opening the plastic bottle with shaky hands, handing the brunette the water. 

   "He's having a panic attack, and I think maybe his lungs or something are closing up on him from his crash, which is making the coughing MUCH worse. He needs to settle down before he can't breathe and ends up fucking passing out."

   "Dream cannot take this record deal or George will fall apart, Sap," Quackity patted his friend's back while using his other hand to rub his temples. If history ended up repeating itself, then who knew how deep the crippling anxiety would go to rip the brunette apart. 

   Would Dream genuinely forget about history and take this record deal?

   Only time would be able to tell. 

(1085 words)

A/N sorry this took SO FRICKEN LONG but school kept me busy as fuck but IM BACK but the next chapter won't be out for a while probably I'M SORRYVDABFJ but I love you all so much<3 thanks for 650k and MAKE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES YOU DESERVE IT ok byeee