spring secrets | dnf

9- One

- unedited chapter

dream

George didn't return that night or the night after that. He didn't show up the following week or even the next. It's been almost a month since I've last heard from George.

A couple weeks ago, I seen him passing by. He was with these two people and they genuinely looked like they were having a fun day out. He had a smile on his face until he looked toward the bus I was on. I didn't know if he saw me or if it was just the familiar bus, but the smile he wore proudly wore off. He looked away and one of the two girls took his hand and they walked away, out of view.

Sapnap and Karl have been asking where he's been and every day I just respond with a shrug. They were in Karl's apartment when it all happened. They didn't see a thing. They didn't see me desperately trying to stop George's crying, they didn't see how short tempered I was, they didn't see how much I hurt and confused George. They didn't even hear me slam the door.

To them, George just disappeared and they don't see it as it being my fault.

"Welcome home." Sapnap waves from the kitchen island. I send him a small smile and whisper a small hello.

"Hi."

"He came by today." He didn't waste any time to bring him up. "He was looking for you."

"Oh."

Sapnap sighs and rests his chin on his palm, "I'm lying. I just wanted to see if it provided a reaction."

We stood in silence before Sapnap lets out another sigh.

"What happened, Dream? Why is he gone? With none of his things or bags?"

"I told you. He just left one morning."

"He wouldn't do that and you know that."

I've noticed that he doesn't say George's name around me. It's always 'he' now, it's not 'George.'

"Yeah, well?"

"Can you quit being a stubborn asshole and just tell me so you get over this crazy depression you're in the middle of? You ruin the environment in every room you walk into."

"I do not—"

Sapnap puts his index finger in my face as if he knew what I was going to say.

I take a deep breath and look down at the tiled floor.

"I told him I like him and yelled at him. He left and now we haven't seen him for weeks. There. Happy?"

Sapnap throws his hands in the air and claps loudly, "congratulations! Was that so hard, asshole?"

I bite the inside of my cheek nervously and take another deep breath.

"I'm an asshole, I get it."

"So you told him you liked him and then yelled at him?"

"I yelled at him first." Sapnap laughs at this, tossing his head back as if he's a little boy. It amused him, my stupidity.

"That's a good one." He wipes his eyes as if he's about to cry from laughing before resting his elbows back on the countertop. "In all seriousness, dude, that was a really stupid way of saying your emotions—"

"I know..."

"You had perfect opportunities—"

"I know."

"Like those early bus rides, late nights when everyone's asleep—"

"I know!"

"All I'm saying, Dream, is that you really fucked up and I don't know what you're going to do about it."