Behind Closed Doors || dnf

Running with Advice

"Tell me." Nick is on Clay's heels on the track. "Tell me tell me tell me tell-"

"Can you shut the fuck up?" Clay huffs, breathing in the cool foreign air.

"Your face literally turned green at the table." Nick laughs. "Wilbur was like 'how many days you got?' and you were all like 'uh um th-th-th-three-"

Clay shoves him hard and he stumbles across the track.

The gym teacher blows his whistle at Clay with warning from off the track.

"My bad." Clay calls out, hiding his smile.

"Just tell me!" Nick whines.

"Notice how I wasn't in your face when you got your dare?" Clay rolls his eyes.

"You know I'm nosy and can't help it!"

"If Wilbur found out-"

"Who the fuck's gonna tell Wilbur? Cuz I sure as hell won't." Nick catches up to Clay and their eyes meet. "Pleeeaaasse!" His voice cracks dramatically.

It would be nice to tell someone. Have someone there to plan and assist...

Clay's feet hit the ground hard as he meets the grass, finishing his last lap. He plops down and wipes the sweat off his face with his shirt.

Nick hovers over him, with his stupid sweatband around his forehead. It's become a must in his gym class attire. "You know I'm right." He places his hands on his hips, out of breath. "Plus you need me." A cocky smile paints over his lips.

Clay tilts his head up, pushing his sunglasses onto his head. He sighs, "I'm out of the game if I tell you."

"Bro." Nick throws his head back. "It stays between us. Why would I snitch?"

Clay chews on his bottom lip.

Nick pretends to seal his lips and tosses an imaginary key dramatically.

"Fine." Clay holds his hand out and Nick happily yanks him up. "But in our dorm. And we gotta do it when Tommy and Alex are out." His voice falls to a hush. "I say we skip dinner."

"Duh." Nick wraps his arm around Clay's broad shoulders. "And put your sunglasses back on, I'm getting sympathy pains."

***

Clay sits down in his desk chair and turns on his light, throwing his sunglasses onto the desk.

"This better be worth the hype." Nick wheels his chair over with a bag of sour patch kids.

Clay holds the envelope up. "Okay, now I don't know-"

Nick snatches it out of Clay's hand, opening it.

"What the hell-"

"Not everything needs a big stupid speech, I'm doing it before you change your mind." Nick mumbles, opening the letter. He grips onto the sides as his eyes scan it quickly. His eyebrows perk up. "Woah... why is your letter so goddamn specific?"

"Yours didn't have a ton of instructions?" Clay bites a nail.

"No." Nick scoffs, looking up to Clay. "Mine was a fucking sentence, that's it."

"Huh." Clay leans back in his chair. "I barely even read the instructions. I skimmed it altogether."

"Allow me." Nick clears his throat with a hand on his chest. "'I dare you to kiss someone who is playing BCD... 3 Days to complete.'" Nick reads in his most presidential voice.

"Yeah I got that-"

"Shut up, I'm reading the whole thing for effect. Stupid Idiot." Nick shoots his eyes up briefly.