Connection

Chapter Fifteen: Cliff

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Chapter Fifteen: Cliff

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The days in which he waited for his meeting with Preceptor Havengaze passed in a dreary, indistinct fog. He went about his normal life, doing his schoolwork and the other necessities. He had no new, suspicious dreams, though worries of what was going on still ate away at him.

The festival had gone after just two days, and he began to feel as if nothing positive could sustain him until the meeting.

Jean and Adam pestered him with questions about why he stayed after class and why he needed a meeting with her.

Though he answered many times, "She's going to give me a textbook that is supposed to help with the coursework," they didn't believe him, and he didn't blame them for asking, though he had a steely resolve to keep it from them; the last thing he wanted was his friends to think there was something wrong with him. 

One day, Adam seemed particularly annoyed by his fibs, and confronted him about it.

"Look," he said, "I know sum'in is up. Cliff, you've always been second best in the grade. You never needed any 'help with the coursework' and you still don't. Plus, we all know she hates givin' people extra help. It's kinda offensive that you think we're this stupid."

Cliff sighed.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say!" he exclaimed. "I've been telling you the truth and if you won't take it, I'm not going to force you."

And with that, he left Jean and Adam sitting on the frozen ground, their mouths pressed into thin lines. For the following days, anger was pulsing throughout the three, but Cliff still held his tongue. He had always discovered and gotten through things alone or with the help of Grez, and this time was no different. When they didn't seem to want to help him with the death of his father, he realized that there are times when one must trust only themselves. In Cliff's mind, this was one of those times.

While Jean, Adam and Cliff were avoiding each other, his mother began to ask about what was wrong. Seeing as he hadn't been with his two closest friends for days and spent his free time doing work or locked in his room, pondering what could be happening, she rapidly grew worried for him.

"Cliff, I know you have other friends and all, but don't you want to try to fix things with them?" his mother asked just nights after his fight with Adam.

"I'm perfectly fine with my other friends," Cliff lied. The only people he'd spent time with had been Riley and Olivia, and though both were growing on him, it just wasn't the same.

"But you've always been so close with one another! What happened again?" she asked, her eyes fixed on him with a volume of concern that only a mother could possess. 

"People grow apart," Cliff prevaricated with a shrug. Though there was a small amount of truth in it—even if it was minuscule, it was there—for the most part, he just didn't want her worried. And if he revealed that he'd been having dreams; if he explained all the weird events and the theory that had formulated in his head, and the way that this was what drove him and his friends apart, she sure would worry.

"But is this all okay for you? They always used to be your favorite people to spend time with! It's not healthy to stop social interaction just because you guys are fighting!" she exclaimed and Cliff groaned.

"Mom, please—"

"Cliff, I'm your mother." Her voice softened. "I notice when you sulk, I notice when you lock yourself in your room and most important of all, I notice when you're being distant because you're sad. I just want what's best for you and I think maybe you should try to strengthen your relationship with them again."