I am Clay Wiley Jack, and I am dancing my way off my school bus. Past Jorge, Riley, Emily, and... oh Joaquin stood up before I could get past him. I just realized there are a large amount of male J names. John, Jordan, Jacob, Joshua, Julian, Jorge, Joaquin, Joseph, and Jeremy. Heck I could even throw in George but thats just Jorge in disguise. 

Maybe it’s the other way round? Jorge is George in disguise? OH! There they are. Walking up to my friends with my completely normal shoes that definitely don’t have a backstory. I exclaim “Still feeling dead inside Gabe?” To which he replies “Unconditionally, Clay” This is a normal response but I just want to check if he’s ok. I really worry he’s not joking sometimes. Kaden says in that gravelly voice of his “Gabe stop, we have more important things to talk about”

”Like how 2021 is predicted to be worse than 2020?” Ah, EliASS showed up trodding on those poor wheat thingies. He’s like the counter-argument against well known facts. Literally like an anti-vaxxer sometimes. I do like him though, he just has his flaws. He’s far less flawed than me on the surface to be honest.

Gabe rolls his entire head with the power put into that eye roll. His mouth opens to say something before Elias cuts him off “The Covid-19 vaccine is literally being sabotaged in Wisconsin” I could really go for some Noodles and Company later to be honest. Kaden says “No, I’m talking about how last night I sweet talked everyone of you into selling me your sister’s firstborn.” Ah yes the round we let him win. Among us is almost not worth the discomfort I feel when I mess up. Though I do admit, the airship map is absolutely the best addition ever. I escaped Kaden TWICE riding that floating platform thing.

“So you haven’t noticed it? How every kill seemingly went off without a hitch? Kaden we weren’t playing among us. We were playing you!” Is what I would have said if I was edgy. The bell rung while I was saying that in my head, Alex calls out “Clay come on! We need you to tell us when the next meeting is!” I quickly run after them.

...

“The significance of the death of Zagreus was nothing, for he simply returns to try again” My teacher is lecturing us about this book that I loved. About a godling’s escape from the underworld. Except she’s ruining it by adding meaning. Though she does say that the book is very face value, almost like a game sometimes.

...

During lunch I went to my normal spot out behind the bleachers and pulled out my school Ipad, my PB&J, and a friend (I was hiding a stuffed penguin in my backpack don’t tell anyone) then I collected the daily rewards in all my games before digging into lunch. So, smooth peanut butter, combined with dark grape jelly. Is honestly the best combo of PB&J ingredients in my opinion. Peach jelly is a close second but only if it’s tangy rather than sweet.

I really wish I had Noodles and Company leftovers sometimes though, I should start buying extra to bring to school the next day. Dang I need a job. This sandwich could make me do the weird anime foodgasm though. Though with a closed mouth, honestly some of those characters are just attention seekers.

...

The day ends with Math, where I wield the vagaries of the arcane numbers! I have a love-hate relationship with math but most of my problem is with studying to be honest. I enjoy doing the problems. Trigonometric Identities are the most recent subject.
Love’ em but I don’t understand them in the slightest. All math teachers who specifically teach math are awesome. The glow you see in their eyes when they ramble slightly, the satisfaction of teaching practically shining forth from their very being. I love teachers...platonically, I promise.

...

I enter my house to hear the silence of nobody coming home before me, Suckers, my dad will be in his office so I’ll head there. I walk from the front hall into the living room. I turn rught and walk until I see those pretty doors with the glass in the middle. I poke my head into the entrance and say “Dad do you have anything you need me to do before I do my homework?” Then I see his headphones on. He turns and points at his screen.

He’s in a meeting, so I close the door to his office and walk to put my backpack on its hook. I take out my Ipad and small little friend before plopping myself on the couch in the living room. Where nobody dies of boredom, hehe I’m hilarious. I get to work on my homework.

...

Video games are an art. Risk of Rain 2 is better than starry night. I am a biased critic but an inspired one nonetheless.

...

”Clay!, Ani!, Eiry!(pronounced I-ree) Time to get the table ready!

I snap out of my trance, then I get hit by a malachite wisp. With my healing blocked, I get hit by a few more wisps before losing my god run. You heal so much later into the game that it almost begins to get absurd. Then you are reminded of your mortality.

I run down from the loft to get the table ready, no big deal, I can always try again another day.

...

At dinner Ani just keeps talking about how her friend Hadley is so mean to her and nice to Eiry. I really want to talk to Hadley about how she keeps hurting peoples feelings, It’s what I should do as her brother but with the quarantine lifting rules are still kinda in place. I say “today I was super close to unlocking the last item I need, I just need to carry 5 lunar items in the same run. I managed to get 4 today versus the terrible 1 yesterday.”

“We should play my board game again tonight!” Eiry recently got Azul for christmas, a board game about tiles and matching that’ hard to explain. Definitely not my style of game. Strategy is much easier for me than puzzles.

...

I lie in bed, simmering at the close defeat I had just experienced. It’s just a game though, I’ll win next time.