Interaction [Dreamnotfound]

21 | The Past

It was almost bedtime, at least that was what Clay had said. George was used to going to bed sometime in the early morning, 5-6 am usually, but for Clay, bedtime was apparently 11 pm. Rather strange, at least in George's opinion.

The sun had long since set, and in George's room, the one window provided displayed only darkness. George wished there was a curtain, at least... he had never quite liked the dark.

Darryl and Zak were also staying over at Clay's house, due to his opinion that it wouldn't be safe for them to leave, at least not until the morning. George didn't mind.

From downstairs, he heard a loud clatter, and then an "OW!", presumably from Darryl. George grinned as Zak replied "Sorry!", his tone sardonic in a way George found amusing.

They really were the perfect pair, weren't they?
Would George ever find someone like that? Someone who fit to him as much as he fit to them?

George pushed away the thoughts, not for the first time, and instead concentrated on his surroundings. Clay's house was unnaturally big, meaning each of them had their own bedrooms, which was nice. Clay had probably lived with his family, before interactions became forbidden.

His family.

George's thoughts stiffened as he remembered the events of the past week. The forbidden phone calls. The interactions.

His Dad being taken.

His Mother being who knows where.

And him being able to do absolutely nothing about it.

George closed his eyes, tilting his head back as guilt welled up in his stomach. There he was, at a friends house with some strangers, while his entire family was in danger.

And he couldn't do anything.

He didn't want to cry. Didn't want to seem weak.

So he held it back. He refused to think about it.

A knock at the door startled him from his daze. George forced his eyes open and called, "come in!" His voice seemed cheery, unnaturally so.

It scared him.
The door opened, and Clay stepped in. "Hey, just wanted to make sure you're doing okay," he said, his face neutral but his eyes sparkling.

George smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm good," he replied, dropping down on his neatly made bed. Now that you're here, at least.

What the hell, George?!

Clay walked over to the bed. "Mind if I...?"
George shook his head, and Clay plopped down beside him with a sigh. "Long day, huh?"
"Long month," George countered, staring at the floor.

Clay sighed in agreement. "How're you doing?"
George looked away. "Fine. You?"
Clay frowned, unconvinced. "You don't sound fine..."
"It's nothing. Drop it," George snapped. Clay flinched in shock, looking away. He was silent.

George felt bad almost instantly. "I didn't mean that, Clay," he said quietly.

Clay nodded. "It's fine."
"No, it's not," George replied. "I'm sorry, I just..." he trailed off.

Clay, concerned, turned to him, taking his hand gently. "Hey, what's up?"
George's face heated up at Clay's touch, but he shook his head. "Nothing..."
Clay kept his gaze steady. "You can talk to me, you know, George," he reminded him, tapping his shoulder gently.

George sighed. "It's just... it's my parents," he confessed. "My Dad called me using that program, you know the one I told you about?" Clay nodded, and George continued: "The call was being tracked, but I didn't know. The government showed up at his door in seconds. They took him away, and he was talking about how they had taken my Mom away too, and I don't know where she is, or if she's ok, or if-"

He stopped, tears trickling down his face, and Clay grabbed his hand. "George, hey, it's ok..."
George couldn't stop the tears. "I- I left them behind, Clay! I left them behind..."

Clay stared into George's eyes. "You couldn't have done anything, George. It wasn't your choice to run. You're lucky you escaped with your life."
George hiccuped. "I- I know, I just feel like it's all my fault... If I hadn't made the program, none of this would have happened..."
"That's not true," Clay said firmly. "The government can't just expect everyone to follow the rules, and sometimes it's good to be a trendsetter, George. The code you made was incredible either way." He paused. "I'm with you, and I'll support you, ok?"
George seemed to be calming down, his hands fidgeting with the blanket underneath him. "Yeah..."
The pair sat in silence for some time. Finally, Clay spoke.

"Do you know something, George, I don't even know my parents," he said softly, staring at the floor. George looked up.

"We had a happy family. We lived here, me, my younger sister, my mom and my dad. But you know the government tests?"
George nodded, a sinking sensation in his stomach.

Clay paused, and it was George's turn to comfort him. "Clay, if you don't want to talk about it, it's ok," he said gently.
Clay shook his head. "No, I want to say it." He paused again, then continued. "My mom... she was chosen, for testing..." He was barely holding back tears. "I still remember the night. She was screaming, crying, and my dad was crying too..." His voice became choked. "He left the next day, my dad. Never saw him again. And my mom..." The tears were falling, but Clay didn't care. "She... didn't make it through the testing..."
"I'm so sorry," George whispered, not knowing what else to say. Clay shook his head. "I was only 6 years old, I didn't know anything... the government took me in, but they couldn't find me a home. I stayed in a children's Layout Centre until I was 12, and then they found me a position as coder and left me on my own. I don't know where my sister went." His voice was barely a whisper.

George took his hand. He didn't speak, but that was enough. The two boys sat in silence for some time.

As they sat, George's thoughts ran wild. So Clay had never known his family. That must have been...

Hard.

To say the least.

And a Layout Centre? George didn't know much about them, but from what he'd heard, they weren't the best place to grow up.

Not that it mattered. It seemed like Clay had turned out pretty good.

Good looking, at least.

What the hell! Stop, George!

At last, Clay stood. "It's getting late. I should go," he said curtly, refusing to look at George in the eye.

George nodded slowly, looking up and forcing eye contact. "Ok."Clay walked to the door before hesitantly looking back. "And George, I'm here if you need to talk, ok?"George smiled in response. "Same here. Goodnight, Clay.""Night."