Her GxG

Friends

The next morning, I woke up feeling unsettled. My mind kept circling back to Alex and the bruises on her face, the way she shrugged it off like it was nothing. It was hard to focus on my usual routine—classes, assignments, and casual banter with Clara. Even when I tried to immerse myself in the day's lectures, Alex's image lingered in the back of my mind.

During lunch, Clara noticed my distraction again. "You're doing it again" she said, pointing her fork at me while stabbing a piece of her salad.

I blinked. "Doing what?"

"Zoning out, thinking about Alex, obviously," she said, her voice teasing but with a hint of concern. "You're obsessing over this. What happened?"

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a frustrated breath. "I ran into her last night. She had a black eye, bruises. She said she got into a fight, but she wouldn't really talk about it."

Clara's expression shifted from teasing to serious. "Yikes. What did you say?"

"I tried to get her to open up, but she just brushed it off like it was no big deal. I don't know, Clara. I feel like there's something deeper going on with her, and it's bugging me."

Clara chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Maybe there is. But you can't force her to talk, you know? If she's used to handling things on her own, she's not going to let you in that easily."

"Yeah, I get that," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "But I don't want to just stand by and do nothing either. I can't shake this feeling that something's off."

Clara tilted her head, studying me. "Are you sure you're not just overthinking this? Maybe she really is just tough and handles things her own way. You don't have to fix everything, Jordan."

"I know," I said, though the words felt hollow. "But I can't help feeling like she's hiding something."

Clara sighed. "Just... be careful, okay? I know you care, but don't lose yourself trying to figure her out. She'll open up when she's ready if she ever is."

I nodded, appreciating Clara's advice even though it didn't make the uneasy feeling go away. I had to give Alex space, but I also couldn't ignore the fact that I cared more than I probably should. 

That evening, as I sat in my dorm staring at my half-finished assignment, my phone buzzed on the desk. For a moment, I didn't pay it much attention, assuming it was Clara sending me another meme or reminder for an upcoming event. bur curious i picked it up and looked at the text. I was right of course, it was from Clara. 

Clara: Your girl got into another fight 

Me: What do you mean? 

Clara: Alex she got into a fight with one of the footballerd. Nothing physical but the whole cafeteria is confused and convinced she sells drugs now or something

I stared at the screen, my heart sinking. Alex, again? I wasn't sure if I should be worried or frustrated. Every time I thought I was starting to understand her, something like this happened. And now there were rumors?

Clara:  Everyone's still buzzing about it. You should get down here.

Me: On my way

I didn't even hesitate. I grabbed my jacket and shoved my phone into my pocket before heading out the door. The cool night air hit me as I walked briskly toward the cafeteria, my thoughts racing. Why couldn't Alex just stay out of trouble? What was going on with her that she kept getting into these confrontations?