"I think she's upset." Tommy's Minecraft character crouches in front of me.

"Really?" Dream chuckles sarcastically. "What made you come to that conclusion?"

"Well first of all, she's holding that thing. It's called an ax. You kill people with it," Tommy explains.

"Or chop wood," I interject.

Tommy pauses for a moment. "Or chop wood, yes. That too."

"Were you going to chop wood?" Dream asks me. I'm not even sure where this bit is going anymore.

"No."

"See Dream?" Tommy asks impatiently. "She's going to kill us. Or the trees. We have a totally crazy, eco-monster on our hands."

Dream scoffs. "I'm not sca-"

A ring interrupts.

"Dream, where's George?" Sapnap asks as soon as he joins.

I roll my eyes. "Wow, yeah, let's ask Dream, not the person who lives practically next door. Or in the same country."

Sapnap scoffs. "Fine. Maia, where's George?" he redirects his question.

"Oh, I don't know." I laugh a little.

Tommy laughs loudly. "Why would you- Why would you say that if you didn't know?"

"To prove a point, duh." My voice sounds obviously very different from the bit earlier. I like that about streaming. It can switch up so quickly.

"Tommy, you're British," Sapnap says.

"Yes, and the best," Tommy replies.

Dream chuckles a bit. "Okay, Tommy, if you say so."

"I do say so," he confirms confidently, "What do you want Snapmap?"

"First of all, don't call me that." Sapnap warns. "Second of all, where's George?"

"Hell should I know?" Tommy asks.

"You're British."

"Sapnap, I hate to break it to you," I say, "but half of the people in this call are British right now."

"Hold on, we should overpower them. Give me a second." Tommy clicks loud and obnoxiously until a chime sounds through the call.

"Hello?" Wilbur asks.

My heart skips a beat, then pounds in my ears. We haven't talked in a couple days, ever since our drunk night.

"Now there's more than half British people in this call," Tommy declared proudly.

"Really? That's what you pulled me here for?" Wilbur sounds jokingly annoyed.

"Says you," Sapnap mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wilbur asks.

"L'manburg?" Dream offers as an example. "That was only British people."

Wilbur chuckles bitterly, something he does often in lore, but I've realized now he does off screen too. When he's very irritated, but right now he's just messing around.

"Do you know where George is?" Sapnap asks,

"Why.. Why would I know where George is?" Wilbur asks. His voice is low and it makes my heart pound even harder.

My phone dings next to me. I glance to see who the text is from and smile.

"I know where George is," I announce.

"You do?" Wilbur asks.

The directed question makes me lose all concentration. My brain is wiped clean, and I don't remember basic English. Everything is a fumbles mess of smush, all because of two words.

I don't know if I can do this. I think to myself. This is too much.

I take a deep breath. Talking to my friend shouldn't be this hard. It's just Wilbur. Wilbur. Nobody else.

"I do," I smile even though nobody can see me. I'm hoping it'll feign the confidence I don't have to myself. So far, not so good. "He is currently walking to my house."

"Why?" Dream asks immediately.

I rolly my eyes. "Because he hasn't seen me in like five days. That's almost the longest we've gone without hanging out."

"That's sad," Tommy mumbles.

"What's the longest?" Sapnap asks.

Wilbur stays quiet. I was answering his question, yet he has no reply.

I think for a moment. "It was.. Two weeks? Maybe less?"

"That's the longest?" Tommy asks to clarify.

"Yeah, we've known each other since I was a baby."

"George went a couple years without you," Tommy points out.

"Worst years of his life, I bet," I say quickly.

"Or the best."

"Shut up, Dream." I mock him.

"He's just upset the longest he's gone without seeing George is twenty-two years," Wilbur laughs.

The laugh makes my stomach tighten. I need to get out of here for my own good.

"Well, I guess I should go since he's almost here," I say quietly, almost as if I made everything awkward. "Gotta clean and stuff."

I say my goodbyes and log off Discord. I glance around the flat. It's a bit messy, but I don't pick a single thing up. I never clean when George comes over.

I lied. I lied to get out of the call with Wilbur. I'm not entirely sure why, but I did. I felt like I couldn't stay there for one more moment without my heart exploding.

I lean back in my chair. What have I done, and what am I going to do?