The Introduction to the Jayverse (Short Stories)

Claire Barlette

Clairesse Anita Barlette or Claire for Short, could be your basic blonde girl stereotype. Occasionally she adds highlights or dyes in some other color or split dyes, it's rare to see her in her natural hair color but for some reason, her hair always was so admirable.
She likes using all sorts of different hairstyles even the more complex ones.
She probably could come up with ones she invents herself.
She's the longest friend I've had and lasted throughout high school I don't know how she could deal with me.
All these years but honestly I wouldn't trade her for the world she's the coolest girl I've met.

She's a Tomboy Girl who likes gaming but recently her favorite game has been Baldur's Gate 3 I gave it to her on her birthday this year but when I'm over there hanging out with her I always see her playing it.

She seems to favor Shadowheart or Astarion she always gives me shit about me saying that I like Shadowheart since she always sees me romancing her in the game or uses her as a character.

But Claire always knows what I'm feeling I could say nothing is wrong and she would automatically know I'm lying.

Back to the present I still don't know how to feel about this I keep hearing this strange noise I can't possibly be hallucinating about this I try to speak "Um do you guys hear something? Or is it just me?" I said hoping someone didn't think I was delusional.

Claire giggles with everyone else as she looks at me and speaks "Well if it's the wind rumbling or a regular thunderstorm then I would say yes I would agree with you, but if it's some other malarkey thing then I would disagree"

Daniel laughs not taking me seriously "Dude you're probably hearing things"

Elijah shrugs and says "Well if you can show me proof I'll believe yeah"

Trent laughs and points "If something like Metal Jesus were to come out and play some music I would think that's the most metal thing I've heard since going to a Kiss concert"

I just rolled my eyes everyone thinks I'm hearing stuff or being delusional "You're no help at all" I said with a scoff

Olivia pokes me she always does that everyone always tends to joke that we would be a good couple if they're not acting like some cult between me and Claire. "Well Jay I don't think you hallucinating or Delusional but I think you might need to get that checked?"

I just sigh it's pointless to even talk about it when your friends think you're acting like some person who can have super hearing or whatever

Anya just gives me some looks like Am I having spiders crawling out of my nose.

Nina smiles and says "Well I did hear something, yes but I don't think it's what you're hearing Jay Sorry."

I sighed after everyone paid and chatted for what felt like an hour we went our separate ways except I followed Claire to her apartment to check out artwork work.
She lived close to the Bosie State Campus her apartments were close enough that you could walk there upon arriving we headed to her apartment and walked inside she was a bit of a clean freak and a germaphobe and everyone we got inside she wanted us to take our shoes off to not get anything on the carpet.

I kicked my shoes off placing them by the door mine were just black vans with some checker stripes and hers were just Blue Crocs, I walked to her blue leather couch and sat down she had her little entertainment center with Anime Funko Pops, some of her PS5 games and her Blue PS5 skins console with a Blue Controller and I can bet Baldur's Gate III is inside the console right now.

Claire looks at me and laughs "Ready to see some Shadow Heart tits huh? I'm sure if I were to just be walking around my apartment naked you wouldn't  keep your eyes off me" She jokes

I did not know how to react like that "Uh you know you only see them a few times in the game not always. It's not like you hiding anything under there I've seen you naked before" I laughed since yes I did and sometimes I accidentally walked in and she was nude. Usually, I look away since I don't want to be a Pervert and check her out. But sometimes she doesn't care she will just say "You could be naked too you know" I usually get insecure about people seeing me naked yes I don't have problems with being alone in that way but when it comes to other people I get shy and usually I would just mostly be shirtless or in my boxers or wear pajamas or pants without a shirt or I just rock in Pajamas, for Claire I'm not too worried because she's seen me like that before and knows I sleep naked but if it's on certain circumstances I would respectfully sleep in Pajamas but it's more comfortable when I'm naked since nudity doesn't need to be sexualized everyone is naked underneath their clothes and have a butt and genitalia and nipples and other body parts.
It's not like it's a big deal. But in some regards, it would be a polite thing to do.

I know Claire does too since she told me but other times she would just sleep in a shirt and nothing else or she'll be in her thong or her underwear. Just depends on how she feels, hell we even slept naked together but not in a sexual way just more in a way that we trust each other enough and are comfortable seeing each other like that. Or being around each other

Claire laughs she always would make jokes like that to see how I reacted I would do the same but we do have times when we bantered and people would assume we were married yes I would do a lot of things I normally wouldn't do with others people but we never kissed we did hold hands at one time but not like romantically more like when she was scared. She always teased me with girls and we were each other's wingman.

I loaded up the game and immediately after Claire grabbed my hand "I got to show you my art" I always was the first one she showed her art to before anyone else she wanted my opinions usually she agreed sometimes she said "I'm Biased" Once in her art room since it's not her bedroom but she had some other Funko Pops in here and a few other decorations it was filled with art and she had this comfy office chair that was a Blue color. Her walls weren't fancy other than some of her artwork was hung up in frames where she won an art contest.

I looked around and saw the stuff she was currently working on usually she had some protifillo of unfinished artwork that was in the process of being made or unfinished
I picked up the art portfolio she showed me some of the stuff she was making and the stuff she finished once I finished looking through them all I gave her my critique of it "My favorites would have to be the fireworks and the beautiful beach one I love the textures for the sand"

Claire smiled she was flustered because she always knew I would appreciate her art. "Thanks, I hadn't thought of what else to add but maybe I'll give you one" She would usually give me some, and I would hang it on my walls I liked looking at it, it was like she was there in some way like just seeing her smile could somehow glance into my soul and that I could vision it in my mind.

Claire grabbed my hand and dragged me to the living room "Let's play some Baldur's Gate III and have drinks" She smiled they sat down and I resumed the game we switched off and on and had banter her making jokes about me and Shadowheart or me joking about her with Gale or Astarion, drinking some Cherry Kool-Aid. For about the next two hours that's what we did then we turned on some My Hero Academia and watched the UA Sports Festival Arc she loved that arc.

But I heard that loud thud and running sound again I was not hearing things either.

I received a text from Daniel "Hey man want to hang out tomorrow? I heard about this new movie called Dumb Money is playing?"

I replied "Sounds good to me I wanted to check it out"

Daniel liked the message

But the sound was louder and yes this time I know it ain't a fluke.