The Lucky Switch {Gream/DreamNotFound}

Below the Surface (18)

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The faint chirping of cicadas echoed through the air as the sun continued to slip lower in the sky. In the distance George could hear ocean waves crashing against the sand, filling the air with a salty smell. He stared down the long boardwalk ahead of him, silhouetted against the setting sun.

Wind whipped against his face but it was warm. George ran a hand through his hair, shoving in out of his face. He smiled as his eyes landed on the faded wooden planks of the pier.

But his smile was short lived, dropping as soon he looked at Clay. Confusion still clung to George's thoughts, making his mind feel cloudier than the sky overhead. His stomach churned painfully, a sharp pang of regret surging in his gut. He felt stupid, as if he'd made a mistake but he had no idea how to fix it.

Clay glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, frowning when he saw George's furrowed brows. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," George tried to shake off his worry, fixating his gaze on the multicolored horizon. "Nothing's wrong." His stomach clenched tighter as Clay cocked his head to the right, looking dubiously at him.

"Oh come on, I'm not an idiot. Tell me what's wrong, George." He said gently, stretching his hand out to hold his.

George pretended not to notice, slowing his walking pace until he lagged slightly behind Clay. "I'm fine," George absently scratched the back of his neck. He gestured to the ocean in front of them. "Look, everything's great."

"Liar." Clay rolled his eyes and paused, waiting for George to catch up to him. "What are you thinking about?"

The wood creaked softly as George walked forward. He cleared his throat in an attempt to fill the silence forming between them. "About last night, I guess."

"What about it?" Clay questioned, stopping to lean against the side of the boardwalk.

George sighed, trying to gather his muddled thoughts. "Well, um," He stammered, unsure of how to continue. None of the sentences rushing through his brain made sense to him. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have..." He trailed off, squirming under Clay's watchful eyes. "Shouldn't have done what I did."

Now Clay looked confused too. "What do you mean?"

"I probably shouldn't have kissed you." He said slowly, trying to shove down the embarrassment the words brought with them.

"Why not?" Clay was still looking at him, a hurt expression momentarily flashing across his face. "Is that why you've been acting weird all day?"

"I haven't been acting weird!" George blurted defensively, his voice rising in volume. He looked around to make sure nobody was staring at them before continuing. "I already told you, I'm fine."

"Yeah, clearly," Clay scoffed at him. "That's why you don't want to be near me. Why you can't even look at me."

"Stop it, you're being ridiculous. That's not true."

"Oh really?" He asked while taking a step closer to George. Clay's expression flattened as he shuffled away from him. "See?"

"Clay..."

"What? Why won't you just talk to me about what you're thinking? I want to help you, George."