Chapter Text
George pilled into the passenger side of the car with his dad in the front and one of his best friends, sapnap, in the back with his sister. His mom had opted to ride with his grandparents back home to celebrate before heading out for one of the last nights with the people he had known for the last 13 years of his life.
Despite sapnap not graduating until the following June George had never been more excited to never see (almost) any of these people after this summer.
He had plans. Had been accepted to a good college, UCLA, to major in computer science and his best friend of the last 10 years had plans to go to college in California as well. Across the country from their parents and current best friend sapnap, but with the bond of a lifetime of memories there wasn’t a doubt in any of the trios mind they would loose touch with each other.
Speaking of Dream, who had spent the last 10 years with the brunette at his side, the later paused for a moment. Questioning if Dream was aware of what time they’d be heading over to someone’s house to celebrate their graduation along with the ever persisting achievement of being able to give this town a finale ‘Fuck You’ before turning their backs with goals to only return during breaks and visits to families.
Dream, a 6’3 blonde with broad shoulders and a body toned by the years of variety sports, had befriended the fellow senior and junior when they had been in elementary school. Having been neighbors with the younger and shared class with George for years, the bond built between the trio was unmatched by any.
With dream being a force to reckon with, a constant flame of ambition and radiating confidence, he was a natural light to everyone around him. Despite his overwhelming popularity due to his position in the high school hierarchy, he still kept to himself and his close groups of friends. These friends consisted of a large group of personalities, expected to clash but instead flowing together like a carefully knitted scarf.
The flow of their close bond, known as the ‘crew boys’, was no match to the ever closeness the trio held since their early childhood. Watching each other through it all. The good and the bad. The beautiful and the ugly. Always remaining together and when they did fight, they never lasted more than a few days, the longest being a week, before making up with each other.
Relishing in the good memories, George let his worries about the blonde subside. Having noticed when meeting with each other after the ceremony had finished before returning to their families, the taller seemed to be acting off. Instead of his typical bright and cheery demeanor, a carefully hidden darkness seemed to creep behind the corners of his eyes, seen in the way his lips twitched and his eyes seeming a dull green compared to the ever persistence of emerald green.
George opted to but aside the odd behavior guessing is was the settling in feeling of finally. Finally done with the school and town they grew up with, but also done with seeing their best friends every day. Instead on breaks and longer weekends if schedules permitted.
Turning off his phone, having finished texting the referenced he turns his back to the road opting to look at his younger best friend.
Sapnap was attempting to hide the slight bitterness behind a smile and beaming eyes. These weren’t any less than genuine but the older understood. Having your two best friends graduate when your a year younger didn’t sound ideal or pleasant in any way, and none the less was George thankful that sapnap had decided to come to their graduation when he knew how difficult it would be the for later.
“So any plans for tonight” George’s father asked the two boys
“Just going to some graduation party, we’re meeting up with Dream there. Said he had some family business to go to before the party” he replied, ignoring the slight voice in his head.
When George had scanned the audience looking for his family earlier that day, he had briefly noticed the lack of dream’s parents there. Brushing it off as there were a good few hundred people on the crowded football field bleachers. Of course they would be here. Sure. Dream’s parents tended to be a more secretive and distant, but they wouldn’t miss their son’s graduation. Right?
Ever since George had known Dream, his parents had been to some extent a touchy subject. When they were younger nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just the fact that they often were busy and the boy was often left with his siblings and sitter to ‘look over them’.
As they grew up to early teenagers the blonde began to vocalize more of his relationship with his parents. Often getting calls on the way home from school, typically ending in a frantic apology to the two other boys and speed walking towards his house. Not knowing the other two were aware he would break into a full sprint once he was far enough away. When confronted he simply said he was expected to be home and had a set of rules he was expected to follow.
However as they reached their finale years of adolescents the blonde seemed to talk less and less about his parents. Opting to let his phone go off when receiving calls from contacts, simply labeled with his parents names. Rather than typical mom or dad contacts.
And by the time they were late sophomores (and a freshman) it became a unspoken rule to not ask about his family.
They told him if he needed anything that all he had to do was say the word. Dream, in turn took this with a defense rather than acceptance. Becoming scared of something unknown to the other two. Suspecting he just had two strict parents, who as they got older worked later and more days.
They never saw his parents car in the drive way. And coincidentally by the time this started happening the eye bags that became a staple on the teen were starting to form as well.
They never thought anything of it. Busy with school and jobs and extracurriculars, not noticing the once flame of excitement and ambition began to dime. Nothing noticeably at first but as time went on, shrinking in on itself and slowly fading into the darkness. Much like the boy in question himself.
In the more recent months George had growing suspicion that the ever persistent tired look on his friend’s face was more concerning than the typical worn down high schooler. And as the school year pushed forward even more and applications stopped, extracurriculars had their final meetings, colleges were committed to. The uneasy feeling in the other two’s stomach persisted. Growing as time spent together grew as well.
With more time spent together it was frightening to not see any sort of chance in their friends physical demeanor, and even a few concerning incidences.
George was concerned. Sapnap was concerned. Their friend group was starting to catch onto the large small changes in the blonde. But with college and independence approaching it was easier than any wanted to admit to forget their worries of their 6’3 blonde best friend.
Until George was waiting with Sapnap on the laters porch.
Dream never responded. Never confirmed times of pickup.
Never read the messages in the first place.
And now that the older brunette thought of it.
Dream never said goodbye at graduation.