Clay was lost.

The normal bustle of bells and students and hallways and talking was nerve-wracking today, and it only got worse.

He ran to school instead of taking the bus, going early to look in George's first period class. He waited there until the bell but George never showed. Then after his class we went to George's second period and still nothing. Worry coiled like rope around his lungs into a knot of anxiety in his chest.

At break Clay was slumped in his chair with his head in his hands when someone came up to him.

It was someone from George's first period who George used to complain about for making fun of him. Clay sat up, hoping for news.

The guy spoke, "Hey man, I heard the faggot like yelled his sins at you or whatever. Sucks bro. To have one of them obsessing over you."

".... .... ... what?"

"I'm sorry the pansy tried infecting you man, that's some fucked up shit."

"Don't call him that," Clay said, his voice low. "You're the one who's fucked up. Get away from me."

His skin prickled and his hands clenched into fists.

"Whoa dude I didn't think you were like him."

Clay didn't dignify him with an answer, instead he walked out of the room.

Where the hell are you George?

When the lunch bell rang Clay ran out of his class and dashed through the hallways to check all of George's usual hangout spots.

No one in the library, no one in the vacant English class, no one in the rooms he searched on his way to the library.

Where is that place with his new friends? He was eating with them last week. Why the hell didn't I go with him? Why didn't I stay with him? How could I neglect him like that? How have I fucked up so much?

He looked around but couldn't see a trace of George anywhere. After checking George's last class in vain, downhearted Clay walked to the cafeteria.

"Dude where have you been? Everyone's been saying crazy stuff about the Halloween party- oh are you ok?" Skeppy questioned as Clay approached and heavily sat down at the lunch table.

"Is the stuff they said about George true?" Bad asked, "Why didn't you tell us this weekend?"

Vin just sat silently, waiting for Clay to speak.

Clay didn't know what he was supposed to say. It hurt to think about George.

He thought about George all weekend, he called him countless times and rode his bike past his house when the restless energy to do something came over him. George never answered.

But now he wasn't at school.

And apparently the whole school was talking about him.

"Clay?"

"Oh yeah, um..." Clay explained to them what happened at the end of the party and how the only thing he'd heard about George was what Skeppy told him, then Clay told them how he spent all weekend trying to contact George but he never answered or showed up at home.

"-I think George is missing," he finished.

"He's probably just still hungover or something?" Skeppy didn't sound very convincing. "I don't even remember seeing him leave or actually leaving or saying anything about it, but we were all super drunk."

"Have you talked to the guys who took him home?" Bad asked.

Clay shook his head. "I don't know where they live so I couldn't go see them over the weekend and I just looked around for their club but I don't know where it meets." Clay stared down at the table.

Why?

I just don't know why he wouldn't talk to me....

What did I do, George?

Where are you?

"Well we should try and find those guys who took him home," Skeppy said. Then he made a fist and punched his palm. "We'll beat them up if we need to."

"You know you're about as threatening as a baby duck?" Vin asked Skeppy sarcastically. Skeppy frowned; Vin looked at Clay to see if he smiled but Clay wasn't paying attention.

"Hey, baby ducks are cute," Bad said. "Also you're not beating anyone up, Skeppy: you're too short."

"I AM NOT SHORT!"

"Yeah yeah," Bad pat Skeppy's head and Skeppy tried to duck out of the way. "HEY HEYYY ANYAHANYA HANYA- STOP IT oh my god Bad you are so embarrassing."

Their words were like water in Clay's ears as he worried about George.

Vin cleared his throat.

"Since lunch is almost over how about we all look for those two guys after the end of school?"

Bad nodded and Skeppy said, "Yeah good idea."

Clay agreed, and the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

(784 words)