King of the Cell (DNF)

Chapter 50: Water

THIS_IS_A_SIN look, a chapter featuring Wilbur, you obsessed maniac.

Hi to everyone else as well. How are you all going? 👋
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George POV.

“George?... George?... George!” I looked over to see Dream watching me, his brows furrowed in worry and concern, a similar expression on Philza’s face as he sat opposite the two of us. “Are you okay?” The younger blond asked, his grip on my hand from earlier tightening slightly. “You zoned out.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied. “Sorry. You two were talking and I just got lost in thought.” I couldn’t help thinking about Wilbur and about everything that happened between us, leading up to his death. Somehow, the fact that Philza was here, not feeling any anger towards me despite what I’d been accused of brought me more guilt than relief.

“Would you like something to drink George?” Philza offered, seeming slightly concerned by me having just zoned out. “I could go get you a glass of water from the staff room if you wanted.”
I didn’t answer, causing Dream to do so for me. “That would be good,” he nodded. “Thanks.”

When getting confirmation from Dream, Philza stood up. He told the both of us he’d be right back before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. The moment that he was gone Dream’s hand moved up to my head, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “Are you feeling alright George?”

“Not really.” I answered with the shake of my head. “I just feel bad for Philza, even though I haven’t done anything wrong.” I explained.
“And let me guess, it’s something to do with Wilbur.” The blond questioned, seeming unsurprised when I gave him a nod, feeling tears building up in my eyes, threatening to spill.

“It’s okay.” He said reassuringly, his hand moving to rub my back. “I am sure that he doesn’t hate you. From what you’ve told me about Phil, it seems that he isn’t the type to hate you for that. Plus if he knows you, he’d know that you’d never do this sort of thing. Just like I do.”

Dream’s words made me feel a little better. I moved closer to him to cuddle into his body and my hand moved up to wipe tears from my eyes. The two of us stayed in silence after that for the minute or so that it took for Philza to return. He was carrying three plastic cups in one hand, and in the other was a bottle of water.

“I brought three cups so that we could all have a drink.” He explained as he returned to his seat, although he was looking intently at our position. But the ever caring blond didn’t say anything to the two of us about what we were doing, instead setting out the three cups and asking if we wanted water.

Both of us nodded before thanking the therapist as we were each passed a cup. I downed the entire thing in a few gulps, whereas Dream was content to just take slow sips before setting down whatever he hadn’t drunk straight away. Philza finally poured himself a glass before leaving the half empty water bottle in the middle of the table.

“Well, we have twenty minutes left.” The older blond stated as he glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Is there anything that you want to talk about George?” I thought for a moment before shaking my head, not sure what I even wanted to say. After all, he’d helped me talk through what had happened, the only other guilt I had was directed towards him.

As I’ve said before, and as I’ve said for years. Philza had always been like a father figure to me, ever since I first met him I had thought of him as more of a father than my own. He spent more time around his family than my father did, since my father worked as a surgeon at the hospital whereas Philza worked a simple 8am-3pm work shift.

My father was a surgeon at one of the biggest hospitals in the country. It paid well, because of his and my mother’s work we got to live comfortably, but it took up all of his time and energy. It would be common for him to have to spend twelve hours standing at the operating table saving lives.

Obviously I was proud of what he did, but it meant I never got to spend time with him. On the days when he wasn’t working he was often on call, and I’ve had several birthdays, Christmas’, school events, and vacations interrupted because he had to leave.

Once there was a toddler who’d been attacked by a dog and was bleeding out before he could watch me as the lead in the school play. Then there was a singer and her bodyguard both being shot and in critical condition during Christmas. But the worst was my twelfth birthday, when there was a depressing car collision putting twenty people into hospital and ruining the mood.

I loved my father, and what he did, but it hurt. On those days Philza would be there instead. He filmed myself and Wilbur in the play. He and his family had come over to have Christmas lunch with myself and my mother. He organised a second ‘twelfth birthday party’ so I could celebrate it without being reminded of what had happened. And for all of that, I loved him.

✨Seventeen years ago✨

I sat in the corner of the yard during recess again, kicking my legs back and forth from where I was on a bench beside a teacher on duty. She wasn’t talking to me at all, keeping herself focused on a group of boys playing some game where they tackled each other.

This new school sucked, I had decided on my first few days here. Maybe it was just because I had to move out of the UK and leave all my friends to go to a country that I hadn’t even heard of, but I was certain that this place was terrible.

Eventually the teacher let out a grumble before she marched towards the group of boys, yelling at them all to stop or they would all get detention. Reluctantly the seven or eight boys all climbed off of each other and the teacher sent them all in different directions, including motioning for one of them to come towards me.

It was a brunette who hadn’t been as rough as some of the other boys, and he seemed to give me a ‘once over’ as he approached. The teacher told him to sit down on the bench. I wasn’t sure whether it was to keep him away from the other boys who were all still on the fields or playground, or if she wanted to get me to socialise after I sat moping for the last few days.

The brunette sat on the other side of the bench, leaving a gap between us before sitting in silence. He must have grown bored, since he turned to look at me and began talking. “Hey, you’re the new kid. Why are you sitting here alone?” I barely registered his words, only acknowledging the fact I heard noises from his direction, and he was talking in a British accent.

Somehow that made me happy, as though I hadn’t lost everything from my home, just because there was another British guy here. “You’re British?” I questioned, as though he may suddenly turn around and begin laughing at me in another voice. Maybe he hadn’t talked before, or I just hadn’t been paying attention, but I didn’t remember anyone in our class being British.

“Yeah. My parents moved when I was a kid, but I picked up my accent from them, and so did my brother.” He explained. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for ages, but I haven’t gotten the chance. You just always seemed happy to be sitting on your own lost in thought.”
“Oh.” I responded, honestly feeling surprised someone wanted to spend time with me.

I’d never been popular, so I couldn’t help but feel strange as he continued talking. “I barely remember anything about the UK, and I want to know what it’s like. My younger brother Tommy, he’s a toddler, is obsessed with it though. He only watches UK kids shows, and loves the queen for whatever reason.”

I chuckled before we fell into conversation, which was cut off when the bell rang for the end of lunch. The two of us promised that we’d continue talking later and after school finished, and sure enough he waited by the door of the classroom for me. We both talked for a while before hearing the honking of a horn and Wilbur excitedly exclaimed. “Oh, that’s my dad!”

When he found out that I was meant to be walking home, Wilbur grabbed my wrist and dragged me in the direction before telling his dad to give me a ride home. I was met with a blond man sitting in the driver’s seat who had a confused but amused expression on his face. Part of me thought he’d say no, but instead he welcomed me into the backseat.

It was a strange way to meet both Wilbur and Philza, but it somehow worked. The two of us got on well and I practically became a part of their family, and Wilbur became a part of mine.
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1594 words