Author's Note ~

So I realize it's been well over a month since I've updated...sorry about that. I worked all summer, and I started my junior year of high school two days ago. I'm going to be getting even busier here soon with show choir, theatre, school, and balancing that with a job. Please forgive me as I'll be updating even less frequently than I do already. Anyway, here's a new part to hold you over!

*around two months later*

Walking to lunch with Arlo, I feel excited to go to lunch for the first time in months. I'm going to eat lunch. Maybe not much, but I'm getting there. I haven't cut for almost two months. I haven't fasted in almost one. Is this what recovery is? I sure hope so.

Arlo and I walk into lunch and make our way towards Ava sitting at our usual table. She greets me with a sweet smile and a hello. We take our seats so that we can wait on the lunch line to die down before we go up.

"How are your days going?" Ava asks us both.

"Pretty good actually. I ate breakfast this morning," I answer first, as usual.

"That's great, Gwen!" Ava exclaims. "How about you, Arlo?"

"My day has been pretty good as well," Arlo replies with a smile on his face.

"That's great," Ava says back.

The three of us simultaneously turn our heads to check the lunch line. It looks low enough for us to go up.

As we walk through the line I'm forced to decide what to get. I just settle for a salad and a granola bar with a water to drink. I look over at Arlo as he piles food onto his plate and wonder how he can eat so much without getting sick.

Making my way back to my seat, I see someone else sitting there. I take a closer look and see that it's Roland. I wonder what he could be doing.

I take my seat next to Arlo and Ava. Roland and I make eye contact. Kind of awkward if you ask me. Maybe I should say something.

"Hey, Roland, what are you up to?" I ask him.

"Oh, nothing. Just thought I'd come say hello to you all," he replies without hesitation.

"Okay?" I say more as a question than a statement.

The four of us sit in an awkward silence for the rest of lunch. As Arlo, Ava, and I walk out of lunch we discuss the strange encounter with Roland.

"So what did you guys think of that?" I ask the two of them.

"That was one of the weirdest and most awkward experiences of my life," Arlo replies with a laugh.

"Same here," replies Ava.

We part ways and go to our separate classes for the rest of the day. As I sit through english and history I think about the encounter with Roland at the lunch table. What could he have wanted? He's never talked to me the whole time we've been in school together, so why would he now? He's never even acknowledged my existence. This whole situation is just weird.