Stay Inside (by my Side) : Gream/DreamNotFound

9. What's Going On?

Who could he have possibly caught feelings for? He hadn't even seen a living person in days besides his video-chatting coworkers or news hosts on the TV. The problem didn't make sense, but the evidence was unmistakable. He turned and faced the TV, which was mounted on the wall that separated the living room from Clay's bedroom.

Clay... the name stuck out.

Shit, George thought, there's no way.

They had been best friends for a long time, wouldn't feelings have shown up a while ago already? It was strange to say the least, but George ignored every single intrusive thought that barged its way into his head.

Even if he did all of a sudden have feelings for his best friend, they would probably pass. It was a weird time for everyone, and being stuck in the same apartment with each other surely had some weird psychological effect on their relationsh-friendship.

Friendship.

George sighed.

He decided it was best to just ignore all this. He was a good actor, so he could just pretend everything was a-okay and totally normal until these feelings subsided, or, worst case scenario, until quarantine ended and he could dip back to the UK.

Yeah, that would do for now.

Finally content, George got comfortable and finally peeled his eyes away from the wall, settling in for a nice sleep. He wouldn't get much, though, as the sky outside was already lightening from a black to a deep indigo, and growing brighter still.

He shut his eyes, enjoyed the silence, and then it was morning.

-

The days passed slower yet felt sped-up somehow. The repetition had grown so familiar that it felt like it droned on and on, but the sun flew up and down over the horizon like a timelapse.

There wasn't much left to do at Clay's place except work, watch TV, and take advantage of the superior wifi, until in a fit of boredom, George decided to wander around the apartment and observe it in closer detail. He searched around all the pantry shelves he hadn't opened yet, fiddled with the mess of belongings in the boiler room, and most importantly, located a bookcase that he never paid attention to.

Along the back wall of the living room, a black cabinet housed six shelves of novels, journals, and small figurines. George tilted his head and scanned the titles, mentally keeping track of ones he found interesting. He asked Clay if he could read a few, to which the man said of course. So, George's new favourite pastime became reading the numerous works stored on his friend's shelves.

He read for hours on end, becoming engrossed in the worlds hidden in crisp pages. He had always loved reading, but his job forced him to sit at a computer all day, and the YouTube channel he ran in his spare time didn't help matters.

He was on the couch one day, laying on his back with his head pointing towards the kitchen. The book he was reading was smooth in his hands, its pages perforated and chalky. The title had stuck out to him, reading 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' in auburn letters.

Clay appeared by the armrest that housed George's head, and a satisfactory hum could be heard from above.

"You're reading my favourite book," Clay smiled.

George tilted his head back and saw Clay, his smile upside down in his vision.

"It's good so far," he replied and continued reading.

Instead of walking away, Clay knelt down and brought his face to George's shoulder, glancing what page he was on. They were suddenly very close, and George's breath hitched slightly. He felt the familiar scent of pine coming from Clay's collar: either his cologne or laundry detergent, George couldn't tell.

"Oh," Clay said, so close to George's head that their hair brushed, "that's a good chapter." His words made George's ears buzz.

"Mhm?" George swallowed, forcing himself to hold the book steady.

"Wait until you see what happens next," Clay smiled, sending shivers down George's arms. He didn't dare to look at his friend, not moving a muscle even after Clay moved back and rose.

Needless to say, George couldn't focus on the book much after that.

"By the way," Clay called from the other room, "let's go for a drive tomorrow, we need groceries."

"Oh, thank God-" George gasped, placing the book face down on his stomach.

Finally he could go out and get some fresh air, maybe see some humans other than the one he was living with.

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

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[a/n: I think this one's a little on the shorter side but I'm feeling a bit of burnout so I'm gonna take it easy 😔
also The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is my #1 favourite book in the universe so if you like stories about the afterlife and ideas on how certain people we meet influence our entire life then it's a really good read!
As always, please leave a vote and a comment and thank you for reading! <3