Action (DNF)

Chapter 42: Fired

Clay POV.

“Yeah, of course we could come over to dinner tonight Karl.” I smiled at the offer from the brunette on the phone as I relaxed in the driver's seat. “I’m sure that George has no other plans for this evening. Would you like us to bring anything? Wine or dessert or something else to add to the meal?”

“No need to bring anything.” The brunette reassured. “Sapnap and I have it handled. There’s no need for you to go out of your way to buy anything.”
“It wouldn’t be too out of our way.” I responded. “George is in a meeting with his boss at the bar right now. I’m sure if I ask nicely enough we’ll be given a bottle.”

“You can try if you want.” Karl responded. “But we won’t mind if you don’t bring anything. We have more than enough.” I nodded into the phone despite knowing that Karl couldn’t see me.
“Sure.” I added. “I’ll ask when George gets back from his meeting.”

We continued to chat for a few moments, not about anything to do with the dinner, but mainly just about how we’ve been in the past few weeks. I cut myself off from the sentence I was in the middle of when I saw the brunette step out of the front doors of the bar with his lips pressed into a straight lines.

“George is back.” I stated into the phone when Karl asked why I had stopped talking. “I’m gonna go now, see you later Karl.”
“Yeah, I’m filming another episode with Jimmy, so I have to go too.” He sheepishly responded before saying goodbye and hanging up.

I turned to watch the brunette as he walked the short distance from the front door to the car, and the moment that I noticed his downcast expression I began to wonder what had happened in the bar. When he finally opened the door and climbed inside I was about to ask what was wrong, but he began sobbing before I got the chance.

Without saying anything I pulled him into a hug, it was somewhat awkward since the two of us were sitting in a car, but I could feel him relaxing slightly against me. The two of us stayed like that for a few minutes, with me rubbing circles over his back to try and calm him down.

My brain was running really fast in my head, trying to figure out why he was upset, and what could have caused him to be like this during the meeting. But until he calmed down slightly I wouldn’t ask what was wrong, and I wouldn’t do anything either until he had calmed down, which he did after five or so minutes.

When he finally went from sobbing to just shaky breaths I pulled away. I took a moment to look over his appearance, at his blotchy face and puffy red eyes from crying. Even though he hadn’t said anything, I felt like I knew what had caused him to feel like this. Still though, I wasn’t one to make assumptions without information.

“What happened George?” I questioned, my hand moving to cup his cheek in an action which he immediately found calming. “Why are you so upset?”
After letting out a hiccupy sob he answered. “Schlatt fired me!” He answered with a pitiful sob. “I hadn’t heard him telling me that I’ve done anything wrong he just called me in to fire me!”

At his own words it seemed as though he was close to tearing up again, and I managed to stop him when asking the question. “What do you mean he called you in and didn’t tell you anything and just called you in to fire you?”

George took a moment to take a couple deep breaths, since he hadn’t seemed to have done that in the past few minutes on his own. Eventually he responded. “Well he just told me that since I’ve left work early a couple of times, and since that reporter brought that crowd in, and since not many of my coworkers like me, that it would be better for business to let me go.”

“And you’re sure that he hadn’t said anything to you beforehand?” I questioned, trying to get the full picture of the situation.
George nodded. “Schlatt’s never talked about it before. It doesn’t seem fair. Lots of coworkers turn up late on the daily, or leave work a few minutes early to hang out with their friends.”

I let out a small ‘oh’ as I heard his explanation, but he continued on from there. “It just is so unfair.” I continued to hold him at this awkward angle as he eventually leaned back, moving to rest his head on the back of his seat. For a while I didn’t say anything, just staring at the doorway to the bar before deciding we’d been here long enough and so I drove off.

After no words had been passed between us for a while I glanced over at the Brit. “So… Karl and Sapnap invited us over for dinner at their hotel, if you were interested in going.” I stated, trying to lighten the mood. “But if you didn’t feel up to it I could message them and postpone.” I glanced over only to see he was shaking lightly in his seat and staring out the window.

“George.” I cooed softly, attempting to get his attention. His eyes widened when he heard my voice before muttering something about not hearing me. I just smiled softly before repeating what I said. “Karl and Sapnap have invited us over for dinner tonight. If you aren’t feeling up to it, then I could message and postpone.”

“Oh… yeah that might be good.” He nodded. “I’m sorry but I just don’t feel up to it, unless you wanted to go on your own which I would also be fine with.”
“No way, if I go on my own I’ll just end up third wheeling on the two of them, if I am going then don’t want to be the only one.”

Me saying that made him chuckle, a noise which made my heart melt as I heard it. I noticed the way his attention returned to the mirror and I gave a pity filled smile as I saw his expression from the reflection in the glass. “What are you thinking about?” I asked him.
“I’m just worried.” He muttered before taking a deep breath and starting a rant.

“I have spent my entire adult life working in this bar, eight years! And they fired me for some stupid reasons. Now I have nothing. Since I was working in the bar I didn’t go to a university so I have no other qualifications, and this was the only thing remotely similar in the area. So I’ll have no place to work.”

“Then if I can’t work then I won’t be able to pay my bills.” He continued. “So I’ll end up without a job and without a house, and then I won’t be able to get anything from there. I’ll just end up dead on the streets and…” He began hyperventilating and I cut him off with a shushing noise while pulling the car to a stop on a sidestreet so we were out of traffic.

“George, do you really think that I, or Wilbur, or Sapnap, or anyone would allow you to end up starving on the streets?” I asked, feeling upset that he’d even think that. George didn’t say anything in response, and after letting out a disappointed sigh I changed the topic. “Want me to get us some McDonalds before we head back to the motel?” I offered.

The brunette simply nodded, not saying anything to me and so I let out a worried sigh before putting directions to the nearest McDonalds into my GPS.
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1322 words