Chapter 30

                                    

                                          
Waking up the next day, Clay felt good about what he had done the night before. As he expected, his parents were thrilled when they found out about Tyler and Clay being friends again, and they easily agreed to let Tyler spend the night as well. Glancing over to the small couch in his room, Clay saw that Tyler was still asleep, and it appeared that the sleeping teen was getting a very peaceful, undisturbed rest. Slowly sitting up in his bed, Clay thought about what might happen today. Just the night before, Tyler almost killed a handful of innocent people at the school dance. And because of the previous night's events, Clay had a feeling that Tyler would not want to show his face at school today. Part of Clay's suspicion about Tyler not wanting to go to school also had to do with the possibility of seeing Monty there as well. 
                          
Getting pulled out of his thoughts, Clay heard his phone vibrate against the flat surface of the nightstand beside his bed. Glancing down at the small object, Clay saw that both Hannah and Skye had texted him. Hannah was texting about seeing him at school later and wanting to talk, but Skye had texted him, wanting to know what all happened - leading Clay to believe that his friend had found out about what had happened just last night. Taking a few minutes to think about his answer, Clay soon replied to Hannah, simply saying that he possibly wouldn't be at school today, but that he would be willing to meet up and talk with her later. After replying to the first text, Clay then went to Skye's message and reread it once or twice. He then started typing back, explaining everything that happened last night. He even mentioned how he and Tyler talked afterwards, and how the two teens even agreed to start over and become friends again. 
                          
After a few seconds of just blankly staring at the rectangular object in his hand, Clay heard the sound of movement, signalling that Tyler was now awake. The two shared a short greeting and a small smile before the two teens got up to get dressed and head downstairs for some breakfast. As soon as Clay got into the kitchen, he spotted a note from his mom, stating that she and Matt had to leave a little early for work. The boy placed the small paper back on the counter and went to grab the pancakes that his mother had already made and placed in the oven to keep warm. As Clay retrieved the warm food and placed it on the counter, Tyler entered the kitchen, taking in the sweet aroma of the delicious-smelling breakfast food. 
                          
"My parents had to leave a little early for work. So it looks like it's just you and me." Clay said as he passed Tyler a plate of pancakes and a glass of milk. Tyler nodded his head in response as he accepted the food and beverage. "Thanks, Clay." The boy said, giving his friend a small, grateful smile. Clay smiled at the taller teen in return as he sat down with his own plate of pancakes and a glass of milk as well. "Don't mention it." The boy replied before the two friends began to enjoy the incredibly delicious food that Clay's mother had made for them. 
                          
After the two boys finished their breakfast and placed their dishes and glasses into the dishwasher, the duo wasn't too sure what to do. When Clay glanced over at his friend, he could tell that the boy was nervous. The teen instantly knew that the nervousness was connected to going to school or possibly running into Monty. Feeling like he could use a break from school anyway, Clay decided to speak up. "Hey, so, I know it may be a bit chaotic going back to school after last night, and after what Monty did to you. Besides, I could use a break from that place, anyway. So I was thinking that you and I could skip school today and just hang out. What do you think?" Clay spoke, quickly putting Tyler at ease with his suggestion. "I think that actually sounds like a pretty good idea to me." The taller boy said as he nodded his head in agreement to Clay's idea of ditching.
                          
About half an hour later, the two friends found themselves aimlessly walking around town. Clay had decided to leave his jacket at home since it was a bit warm today, leaving him in a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain dark gray t-shirt. Meanwhile, Tyler simply wore a pair of jeans and a thin long sleeved shirt with the sleeves roled up to his elbows. The two teens turned a corner and realized that they were not too far away from Monet's. "You up for stopping at Monet's?" Tyler asked as he glanced down at Clay, who was walking beside him. "Sure. I think that sounds pretty good right about now." Clay said in agreement as he smiled. Tyler returned a small smile as the two teens continued walking, making their way towards the café entrance.