After only a few bites of my lunch, I stopped, losing my appetite. I sighed, holding the tray of food in one hand and putting my other in my pocket and pulling out a blade I got from a pencil sharpener during class.

 It was still pretty sharp which would make this quicker but bloodier. I lifted my arm and got it over with.

    Once I finished making three decent-sized cuts, I put the blade back in my pocket. I got up from the toilet and left the stall. I went over to the sink and washed off my cuts with water. I didn't have any alcohol or anything like that so water would have to do. I winced as the water hit the fresh cuts but dealt with the pain. The sting was no one's fault but mine.

    I threw the tray of food in the trash can, somewhat hiding the fact that I was eating in the bathroom like a typical high school girl from a movie. I then left the bathroom and stepped into the packed hallway. Lunch was over so everyone would be making their way back to class now. 

As I started to make my way to class, I bumped into Gregory. I smiled, seeming genuinely happy to see him since I didn't get to sit with him in class. "Hey, Greg. I was wondering when we'd get to talk." I said in my usual joking tone.

"Hey Y/n! I was just about to come look for you." Gregory said. "Why, is something wrong?" I asked him, my smile fading a bit. It didn't seem like anything was wrong though. "No, no. No. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hang out with you. I felt bad that we didn't get to sit next to each other in class. On top of that, I was too busy hanging out with Sam to sit with you at lunch. I'm really sorry about that by the way." Gregory said, his expression showed one of apology.

"No need to apologize, I...got to hang out with the others during lunch." I said, but it was a lie. I just didn't want him to know that I was eating alone in the bathroom stall. 

I didn't like the thought of him sitting with Sam since she was being a bitch earlier, but I decided to brush it off. Maybe she was having a bad day?

"You're a really good friend, Y/n. I swear I won't do it again and i'll try to include you more next time." Gregory said with a smile on his face. One that I enjoyed seeing. It was comforting to me. But that comfort quickly ended when I heard him use the term 'friend'.

 Without thinking, the question slipped past my lips. "Friend?" I asked, curious why he was using that term when we were dating. I mean, sure we've had arguments and all, but we were still dating.

"Oh, yeah. Does it bother you? I'm just used to calling you a friend. I mean..I know we're dating, but we can still be friends, right?" Gregory said, a bit nervously. "No, It doesn't bother me." I quickly said before changing the topic, not wanting to seem like a clingy or annoying girlfriend. "We should totally go to the arcade after school. It would be fun!" I said, trying to hype the idea up.

"Oh definitely! I've been meaning to go there. I'm so glad you asked. Have you heard? Princess quest 2 is out!" Gregory's eyes sparkled with genuine excitement at the mention of the arcade, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of relief that he let the other topic go. 

His casual tone when he called me his "friend" still lingered in the back of my mind, but I chose to push it aside for now. Overthinking would only ruin the moment, and I wanted to hold on to the warmth his smile brought me for just a little longer.

"What time are you thinking?" Gregory asked, leaning in slightly as though the details of our plans were the most important thing in the world.

"After school tomorrow? We can meet up with everyone if they're free," I suggested, trying to keep the invitation open-ended. Spending time together would be nice, but I also knew how easily Sam could weasel her way into things if she caught wind of it.

Gregory nodded, his grin widening. "Sounds like a plan. I'll text the group tonight and see who's in." He ruffled my hair playfully, earning an exaggerated groan from me as I swatted his hand away.

"You're insufferable," I muttered, though my lips betrayed me with a faint smile.

"You love it," he shot back, the teasing edge in his voice making my heart skip a beat. Before I could respond, the sound of the bell echoed through the hallway, signaling the end of lunch.

Gregory stood up, adjusting the strap of his bag. "I'll see you after class," he said, giving me a quick wave before disappearing into the crowd.

I lingered for a moment, staring at the spot where he'd just been. The word "friend" repeated in my head like a broken record. Did it really not bother me, or was I just pretending it didn't? The uncertainty gnawed at me, but I forced myself to focus. I could deal with my own insecurities later.

After school, I found myself walking with Cassie, who was eagerly recounting her latest spat with Gael. Apparently, he'd tried to teach her a TikTok dance during gym, and it had ended with her tripping over her shoelaces. "I swear, that boy lives to embarrass me," she huffed, though the fondness in her voice was impossible to miss.

"Sounds like he was just trying to brighten your day," I said with a smirk.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, by making me look like an uncoordinated fool. But enough about me what's up with you and Gregory?"

The question caught me off guard, and I stumbled over my words. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on," she said, nudging me with her elbow. "You looked like someone kicked your puppy earlier when I saw you in the hallway. Did he say something dumb again?"

I hesitated, debating whether to confide in her. Cassie was loyal, but she also had a habit of overreacting. "It's nothing, really," I said finally. "Just overthinking stuff, as usual."

She gave me a skeptical look but didn't press further. "Well, if he ever steps out of line, you know I'll handle him for you," she said with a wink.

"Thanks, Cass. I'll keep that in mind," I said, laughing despite myself. Her unwavering support was something I didn't take for granted, even if her methods were sometimes questionable. Like that one time she almost suffocated Gael to death for calling me a 'pussy'.

That evening, as I sat at my desk pretending to do homework just in case my mom saw, my phone buzzed with a message from Gregory.

Gregory: Arcade's a go. Gael and Zoey are in. Willow said she'll "think about it" but didn't sound too enthusiastic. Cassie, of course, is dragging Gael whether he likes it or not.

I smiled at his text before typing. 

Yn: Awesome. Should be fun.

The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.

Gregory: You okay? You seemed a little off earlier.

For a moment, I considered telling him the truth about Sam and his comment, about how much the word "friend" had bothered me. But the thought of opening that can of worms made my stomach twist. Instead, I typed out a safer response.

Y/n: Yeah, just a lot on my mind. I'm fine, though.

He didn't reply right away, and I wondered if he believed me. When his next message finally came through, it was simple but comforting.

Gregory: Let me know if you ever want to talk. I'm here, you know.

I stared at the screen, a small smile tugging at my lips. Whatever doubts I had about us, Gregory always had a way of grounding me. Maybe that was enough for now.

The day ended with us going to the arcade with the rest of our friends. Nothing too exciting happened.. except the fact that we couldn't play princess quest 2 since Gregory got the release date mixed up. Princess quest 2 was actually going to come out in two days, so we'd definitely be going to the arcade again.

(Word count: 1385 words)