"New Students" (Klapollo AU)

Just Make A Group Chat, Idiots

    Lights turned off around him, only remaining light coming from his phone and very little from the world outside the windows. Maybe it was a bad idea to say he'd lock up the place once everyone left. Clay sat alone in the entrance of the space center. If he didn't have somewhere he wanted to be, he'd be happy that Director Cosmos trusted him so much.

    Ema had texted him around 10 minutes earlier that she'd get him somebody trustworthy as a ride since she couldn't do it herself with Lana going to dinner with that Fey girl she was "just friends" with. Still, there hadn't been anything new from her or anyone else since then.

    "It's fine... They're just taking a while," Clay muttered to himself as he readjusted a bag of his stuff for what felt like the 42nd time. Still nothing on his phone background of everyone at the space center. No notifications on his main background of him and Apollo either.

    He longed to go outside and watch the night sky, but he knew what it'd be like if whoever picked him up saw him outside alone. They'd just think he's being impatient and over needy for attention by drawing focus to himself in the grass. It was lucky for him that the sky was already dark before it was even 7pm. Or well, unlucky, given he was trapped inside. By himself.

    Either way, he didn't need to seem like he was as alone as he felt.

    Maybe he shouldn't have dropped out of doing therapy. That, or just fix whatever kept his brain from being able to keep him drawn to any of his mobile games on his phone in situations like this if there even is a solution for that. He'd ask his therapist, but he hasn't had one for a year or two.

    Headlights finally shone through the mix of clear and tinted glass of the front. Clay just waited with his texts open to nothing new. Not even a spammy notification from any of the numerous mobile games he still hasn't gotten around to turning notifications off for.

    Outside the glass, a shadowy figure obscured the lights for a few moments and then again. It went back and forth a second time around the outside of the building. After another good few minutes the figure emerged on the complete other side of the windows.

    Neither Ema nor any of the others in his best friend's and maybe his newish friend group had sent him anything. If Ema just forgot and the dark figure was some sort of weirdo there to murder him, Clay was going to strangle her with the force of a thousand suns. In a friendly manner. A completely safe and not at all aggressive, friendly manner. Assuming the stranger there to murder him didn't murder him. And assuming the sun would help him after the affair.

    As if on cue, the ominous, shadowy figure began to knock on the sturdy glass. Clay cleaned up his surroundings before going up to the door with his bag. He wasn't going to be killed after he made a mess. That'd just be rude to all of his co-workers, especially Ponco and Clonco who had enough trouble getting around as is. Plus, maybe the possible murderer was friendly! Maybe.

    He opened the door to an annoyed teen with his hair just tied back surprisingly. The annoyance quickly mixed with relief. "There you fucking are. What the hell are you doing inside in the dark?" Daryan asked him with his mouth at a tilt.

    "Huh?"

    "I said, what the hell are you doing inside in the dark?" The not-stranger-there-to-murder-Clay groaned after the not murdered Clay still didn't seem to comprehend anything despite being an astronaut in training. "Shouldn't you be outside? With the space shit? The stars are bright over here, you know."

    Clay shook his head. "Wait, huh?"

    "Did you not realize it was night, dumbass? Since I apparently have to spell it out for you, nighttime equals you can see the shiny lights in the sky. Is that simple enough for you?"