CHAPTER 5 - RUMORS

Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, 11:36 pm.

The moon was shining through George's thin curtains. Putting a soft light into his room floor. Separating the darkness into clumps around the corners. The sleepover was well over a day ago now. 

Though he couldn't get the new article out of his head. It was everywhere. Youtube, Twitter, anywhere. He tried pushing the thought out, but a new post would come along and remind him.

"George?" A voice reached for an answer. The Omega had forgotten he was still on a Discord call with Dream.

"Sorry, I'm here" He clarified. He felt distant from the Alpha, something hadn't sat right between them since the sleepover. 

He looked out his window to meet the moon shedding its rays in his room. Exposing particles roaming in the dry air. He had organized his blankets and pillows into a crescent moon shape. He curled into a ball with his headphones on.

"The principal was an ass today." Dream's voice rasped, pain trailing his words. "What?" George prompted. "What did he do?"

—— 

"You can't keep doing this alone" Cold, the principal fled for an answer in Dream's eyes. The Alpha stood tall, making sure he revealed nothing in his eyes. 

"I know, give me for three weeks or…" Dream reasoned it was useless, his protests were empty to the head man. 

The Alpha tried to be patient. But he couldn't when he knew his friends were playing games without him outside. The principal pulled him aside to his office during the blonde's lunch break. The principal had a worried stench coming off him in waves. Something wasn't right.

"You knew this was coming, you need to choose a partner within the next week." The head man explained. Dream's tail fur bristled. "And you know I can't do that!"

"You cannot keep doing this alone, what happens when you fall sick?" The sentence was scratchy. Dream's mind branched with questions, that could forever be unanswered.

"One week. If not I will have to choose for you." A growl followed. Dream hung his head low. One week? He had never taken any interest in the pleading girls in the school.

"God, just please can you do that? This whole Omega sighting is killing me." The principal sighed, looking at the dry walls. "Police have been all over for permission to search inside the school."

That's the real reason you want me to find a mate. To help you with the police. Dream internally thought. But he didn't dare to say it to the principal's face. He just took a breath and ran a clammy hand through his blonde locks.

"Are the dates out for the hunt yet?" The blonde questioned. Moved the subject before he said something he would regret.

"Just printing them now. They should be upstairs printing right now, can you go gather them and hang them around the school." The principal replied, looking for disagreement in Dream's eyes. But found nothing.

The Alpha nodded heaving the exit open. Cursing under his breath that he couldn't join his friends. Instead, he was stuck inside doing more jobs.

—— 

George only fought jealousy with this story. Dream had to choose a female within the next week. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be him. He pushed the thought out of his head. 

"When is the hunt?" He rushed. Never got the chance to see the posters. "Next Friday." Answered Dream. 

George snorted. "Why can't you just get a partner at the hunt?" He let the question sit in the air for a while. "I think he wants me to help with the police." 

The duo drowsed in silence. Though George thought of the threats Fundy proposed earlier that day. Just the thought alone made him flinch. 

—— 

As the clock finally struck lunch, George gathered his things in a hurried blur. The world was silent after the recent newsletter. barely any work was done. Rumors gathered themselves between friend groups, spreading as if it were a forest fire. Grown for years only to catch flame. 

The brunette had his shoulders hunched with fright. He didn't realize it until an unknown shadow lurked in front of him. He peered up at the silhouette.

"Fundy?" George rasped, confusion pulsing through him. Fundy didn't answer but was pressing his paled knuckles to George's desk.

His ears were stuffed with cotton-like fluff. His orange-white-tipped tail flicked with amusement. Like he was surprised the Omega remembered his name. How couldn't he?

"What do you want?" The brunette lifted an ear, pressing to get answers. "Dream." The fox answered. The Omega furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion. 

"Just follow me." Fundy hassled, growing impatient. "What's it got to do with me? You want Dream don't you?" George pestered.

"Sure, it can be related to Dream."

Why do you want me then? The brunette bit back the words and kept it to himself.

The Omega beckoned his tail to his side. He set his gaze across the classroom. A small hum filled the noise, the last few people were gathering to head to lunch.

"Fine." George sighed.

As the two walked, the Omega purposely fell behind the fox. Not wanting to stride next to him. He knew Fundy took notice but didn't say anything.

Throughout his youth, he and Fundy were in a pack. Before the fox convinced the Alpha of the pack to kick George out. He never knew why, but he only found out later on.

Confusion was all the Omega remembered at the time. But behind the fury Fundy showed, was the answer. The fox had a possessive obsession with Dream, it annoyed George to his tail tip.

But in Freshmen. Like Dream knew of his situation, he invited him to join his pack. But ever since the Omega found his true people. It seemed the fox got darker, jealous. Like he was always watching, always eavesdropping. 

George knew at some point from then he needed to keep Fundy away for as long as he can. He was in Senior year now and didn't think he needed to worry about the fox anymore. Guess not.

Suddenly pulling to the right. He and Fundy stood there for a moment. The fox pulled out his phone and started dotting his thumbs across the screen.

A screech in the Omega's gut alarmed George. He knew the risks, but it didn't seem like he had a choice. It felt like the world tried to reach for him, begging him not to stay with Fundy.

"I've got a video of you." The fox stated with a satisfied flick of his ear. He handed the brunette his phone with a sloppy exchange.

George's pupils dilated into lines. "You didn't." He murmured. It was the school bathroom, voices scratched through the speakers. The tiled walls put George to thought, this was his confession to Sapnap.

The brunette could make out a distorted voice of his. "I am an Omega…" George stood, absorbed in the screen, his ears curved like horns in anger.

"Now, I just send this to the police and.." Fundy roused, returning his phone to himself, out of George's grasp.

"You can't!" Stupidity fogged the brunette's actions. He desperately tried to retrieve the phone. The fox held it higher and spoke. Letting the Omega know what he wanted in return.

"But, if you don't want this to get sent, you'll need to do a few things," Fundy revealed, these words made the brunette feel limp like a puppet.

"What?" He asked desperately.