Whispers Of The Heart

Chapter 5 - Emerging Paths

CLAY'S POV:
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As I wake up and turn my gaze to the right, I find myself checking if George is still asleep, but to my surprise, he's already awake and not here. Feeling a sense of urgency, I grab my phone and find out that it's already 10 AM. Glancing at the date, I realize that today is the fifth of June, and it hits me that George, Tommy, and Wilbur are leaving tomorrow. A wave of sadness washes over me, and I swiftly get out of bed, making my way to the kitchen.

Approaching the kitchen, the sound of laughter reaches my ears, bringing a slight ease to my heart. With a smile on my face, I enter the kitchen, and as I do, the gaze of everyone turns towards me.

In the busy kitchen, Wilbur is cooking breakfast while Nick and Karl playfully try to steal pancakes from him. Meanwhile, Tommy and George are sitting at the dining table, watching something on Tommy's phone and patiently waiting for the food to be ready.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Karl exclaims cheerfully as he takes a bite out of the pancake. Wilbur playfully nudges him aside and rolls his eyes, but then he turns to me with a smile.

"Breakfast will be ready in five..." Wilbur begins to explain, but before he can finish, Nick swiftly snatches another pancake from him. Wilbur sights and continues, "Well, make that ten minutes then."

Amused, I chuckle and make my way to the dining table, taking a seat across from George and to the left of Tommy. As I settle down, they both glance up from whatever they were watching, offering me warm smiles before returning their attention to the screen.

I look at George and Tommy and ask, "What are you watching?" Curious to know what they have on their screen and wanting to join in on the conversation.

Tommy responds, keeping his gaze fixed on the phone, "Oh, it's just an idea for what to stream today." He seems focused on the screen, indicating that they are considering options for their streaming choices.

Confused by Tommy's response, I turn my attention to George. He meets my gaze and explains, "Nick suggested that we could use his streaming setup and have a streaming marathon, like a stream train." George explains.

"Sounds cool," I say, but deep down, I start feeling a bit downhearted that they didn't think of including me. I start making plans for my day, realizing that I no longer stream like they do. It's disappointing to feel left out, but then I remind myself of why I stopped streaming.

"We were actually thinking, if it's not too soon for you, you could join our streams through Discord," George suggests, a slight smile forming on his face. "Or if you prefer, you could put on a mask and join us in person." His words indicate that they hadn't forgotten about me after all. I can't help but feel a sense of relief and appreciation for their thoughtfulness.

I smile when I think about them including me, but then I shake my head. "I'm not sure..." I don't know if I'm ready yet, but I want to do it because it's Wilbur's, Tommy's, and George's final day here.

"You don't have to be with us the whole time, just join for a few minutes. No rush, though. We want you to feel comfortable," Wilbur reassures as he places a plate filled with pancakes on the table.

As everyone sits down, we begin to eat. Throughout the entire meal, I wonder whether I should join them or not.

"Alright, I'll join in on one of the streams," I announce, and everyone stops  hewing and turns to look at me, surprised. I glance at Nick and his eyes sparkle with excitement, his smile stretching wide.

"Are you for real?" he asks me, rising from his seat and walking over to me. I meet his gaze, smile, and nod. In an instant, he rushes towards me, embracing me tightly in a hug.