CHAPTER 2 - FOUND OUT

Orlando, Florida, Monday, 12:44 p.m.

The sun let its rays through the windows of the high school, reaching to fill the classroom with its warmth. The quiet softened his ears, and for the first time in days, he felt at peace.

It seemed as if he were sitting in a deserted clearing. Lunch break had finally given him silence, with no one to interrupt his presence.

The only remains of other people in the classroom were dust particles roaming the air. They were disturbed from their hiding spots when people swatted their way to the door.

Pain still gripped George's insides. His gut whined to flee to the comfort of his house. Causing his appetite to be lacking, discouraging him from having a presence at the cafeteria.

"George?" A door slam frightened the Omega. He sighed when it was just Sapnap. He really couldn't get away with something without his friends knowing.

"Why aren't you in the cafeteria?" The panda's voice cracked, and he left the door to focus on the Omega. A scoff was returned. "You're

  treating me as if I'm—" 

"George!" A tone scratched with worry got his attention. This time it was Dream. The boy he had last seen in the shitty stage lighting. His appearance was more slacked now, no longer needing to look professional.

The Alpha never had secondhand embarrassment for being dramatic. The brunette slumped back in his chair and sighed at the sight of more people. The Alpha walked over sitting beside him, and Sapnap followed. 

A disturbed silence rocked the air. "What?" George questioned after he realized both of them staring at him. He switched from Sapnap's eyes to Dream's, not knowing who to look at.

  "Well, what we came here for was.." Dream started. Rubbing the bridge of his freckle-dusted nose. 

"We wanted to ask about Karl." Sapnap finished Dream's sentence for him, rushing to the point. George swallowed thickly. Had Karl not told them about his powers? But he brushed it off when he remembered he only found out through an accident.

"What about him?" George struggled to play it cool. Especially when pain held his stomach with a tight grip.

Dream and Sapnap shared a glance before looking back at the Omega. "We thought you would know since you knew he went backstage," Sapnap answered. George flicked his tail and shrugged in response. Avoiding words at all costs.

"Anyways…" Dream croaked. Picking up that this conversation was going nowhere. "We were planning on a sleepover,"  The Alpha nudged the panda, attempting to give him the realization. 

Sapnap quickly understood. "Did you wanna come?" He asked.

George knew he couldn't. Not when his stomach was acting up. "Sorry I can't tonight, I've got a lot of things to do." 

"Since when do you have things to do George?" The Alpha chuckled and saw right through George. "We know you can." 

Sighing, the brunette gave in. "Fine. Who's house are we staying at?" His ear flicked as a fly passed near him. "Mine" Dream replied.

Something uneasy settled itself in the depths of George's brain. It was telling him he had led himself into a trap he couldn't get out of. He took a breath and brushed it off.

Once the three had nothing else to start a conversation. They pulled out their phones to distract themselves from the silence. 

George couldn't help but think. There seems to be too much of that recently.

A few minutes passed on their phones. Just content having their friends beside them. But abruptly, A gut-holding groan shattered the silence. George had wailed and was hugging his stomach. His clenched fingers raked the sides of his shirt. Immense pain finally got the last of the brunette. He felt caged with the unreasonable pain. 

"George?" Dream rushed. He puts his phone aside to focus on his friend. He desperately Attempts to find answers through the Omega's burst of emotion.

The brunette seemed to find the silence overwhelming, it rang in his ears that time was running short. His breaths came in gasps. The Omega seemed to be pulled from reality for a short grueling minute.

"Shit." George snapped. His chair screeched across the floor as he sprung to his feet. He hastily scrambled through his bag that was hanging off the back of the chair.

"What's wrong?" Again, Dream strained for answers. This confusion was left empty.

George huffed in panic. He ripped his bag off the chair, causing it to rock between its four legs. The brunette suddenly tore through the door. No explanations were given, only more questions to ask.

Abandoned, Sapnap, and Dream. As if they were stunned, they stood there helpless.

"I'll go check on him." The Alpha spoke, raising himself. But a firm tug on his shoulder pulled him back down.

"I'll go, trust me.'' Sapnap optioned. With a jealous sigh, Dream nodded.

——

George studied his features through the poorly aligned mirror with the sink. The bathroom walls seemed to welcome him, letting him know he was accepted in the room.

The brunette shuffled through his bag, less panicked this time. He looked for the familiar white container holding his pills.

His heat wasn't supposed to come till next week at the earliest. While skimming through his bag pockets, he wondered what could've caused it. 

Abruptly, he stopped shuffling and stopped in his tracks. The lion. Anger bubbled inside him. The dickhead put him into a heat. He had another thought. Does that mean Dream could? He shivered and pushed the concept away.

At last, he found the bottle. Unscrewing the lid, he attempted to put some into his hand. None came out. Shit. Looking inside, the brunette found it empty. 

His tail was bristling in anger. Nothing was going his way anymore. He grumbled and put the empty container back in his bag. 

The tap-streamed restless water. The sound reminded him of the river in the forest. The one in the laboratory, before Karl saved him. The Omega turned to the running water. He cupped the liquid, holding his head close, and rinsed his face to clear his mind. 

"George?" 

The Omega had a worried expression plastered on his face as he turned to the voice. Water was traveling down his face. Dripping off his nose, onto his shirt, and the floor.

Relief was handed to George as he realized it was Sapnap. "Look, I know something's wrong" The kindness hinted in the sentence settled the Omega's heart.

"I'm scared." George never left the eye contact he had with the panda. "Do you promise to keep a secret for what I'm about to tell you?" The brunette was finally ready to tell someone his life-long secret. And Sapnap was the one.

"To be honest, it feels like you're about to confess a murder to me"  Sapnap nudged a laugh in himself. George cracked a small smile.

"Promise?" He repeated. "Promise," Sapnap vowed. George heard worry slide through the panda's words but the brunette continued.

"This is blunt but.." George clenched his teeth at how silly he sounded like this in a school bathroom. "I-" The brunette tried to find words to put in a sentence but his mind wasn't running straight.

"I'm an Omega." He came with a cold tone. Immediately, he regretted his words. Was telling Sapnap a good idea?

Silence.

George looked for any hints of disgust in Sapnap's eyes. But found nothing.

"I know you are close to Dream, but please don't tell him." The Omega blurted. Trying to convince the panda. "What makes you think I will?" The Delta muttered back.

"You're his longest friend, I know you'll say something to him" George struggled to keep his voice from cracking.

Sapnap didn't reply. He only pulled George close for a hug. This wasn't a pity hug or a pretend one. It was genuine and full of warmth. He melted into the arms of the panda. 

Suddenly, he couldn't hold his emotions. Tears welled in George's eyes, crying deeply, safely in the presence of Sapnap. 

"I won't tell anyone until you tell me to." The panda promised. He was rubbing circles onto the brunette's back. Stains of tears were left on the Delta's shoulder. The Omega hoped he didn't mind.

George silently thanked the universe for a person like Sapnap. He needed the panda's stability until he could rebuild his own. In the meantime. He wouldn't have to worry about his secrets being spilled.

"Sapnap, have you read about Omegas?" George sniffed, pushing away from the hug. "A little, yeah" He replied, taking a step back.

"Do you know about the whole," George swallowed the lump in his throat. "Heat stuff?" 

Sapnap shifted his weight from his right foot to his left. "I think so" He answered. 

George continued immediately, realizing what time they had left. "I need to get more really soon. I know the drug store nearby sells the pills."

The Delta furrowed his eyebrows. Like he was suspicious of something, whatever it was he didn't say anything. And George didn't feel like pressing him about it.

"I know a secret exit to get out of the school." The panda spoke his ideas, cooly. "It's only 1:06 though," George questioned. 

"You need those pills now right?" Sapnap answered. Leaving the brunette silent at his realization. "I'm going to go get my bag, you finish up in here." The panda made sure George was okay before he started to walk away.

For a split second, the brunette saw a little red flash stop through the crack of the door. His ear flicked at the sound of scuffling in the distance. When Sapnap did open the door, nothing was there. He brushed it off and went into one of the stalls.