Grey

Chapter 4

Regardless of how I pleaded with the clock to stop ticking, it eventually reached 6:00.

Dinner time.

While it meant that Jack got to come over, it also meant Grey did as well. I didn't understand why he couldn't just leave me and my friends alone. He was a reminder that I wasn't able to save myself that night. The fact that he felt the need to go out of his way to sit next to me in class and come over to my sorority house for dinner- seeing him was like pouring salt on an open wound. Not only that, but his first words to me were that of condescension and reprimanding. Based on what he'd said since then- it was hard for me to contemplate giving him a second chance. Even though I'd told Makenna I would, he still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Luckily for me, Jack had arrived before Grey. His tousled dark brown hair fell just below his ears, appearing to be a little windblown. Allison opened the door and was immediately dwarfed in his arms. She looked so small compared to him, and she was.

"Hey, Al," he murmured into her hair and she giggled happily. It warmed my heart to see them together again.

"Hi Jack," Allison's muffled words came from against his chest and he slowly let her go. Jack dragged his eyes away from her and to me.

"How's my favorite ice queen?" He grinned cheekily and I rolled my eyes, letting out a chuckle.

"Getting colder by the minute. How's my favorite washed-up jock?" I retorted and he laughed, wrapping his arm nonchalantly around my shoulder in a side hug. I cringed at his touch, as I did with all people. "I see Allison has yet to make any progress on getting rid of that flinch," he smirked playfully and I shoved him away.

"You're awful. And so are you, why are you letting him make fun of me?" I pointed at Allison accusingly and she raised her hands in surrender, still a giggling, blushing mess from when he'd hugged her.

"Because she knows I'm right," he shoved me back and I shook my head in disapproval. There weren't many people I could joke around with like I did with Jack and Allison.

"Can we please eat now? I'm starving," Allison groaned, holding her stomach in her hands and pouting up at Jack. Jack snickered and took her hand in his, walking through the living room and towards the dining room. I followed them, grabbing a plate and filling it with pasta and salad. Allison dragged us over to her favorite table by the window. She loved people watching, it was her thing.

Allison plopped down in the seat right next to the window, and Jack next to her. I sat across from her, watching in amusement as she stuffed pasta into her mouth like a chipmunk. She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Wha-?" she tried to speak through a mouthful of pasta, some noodles falling out of her mouth and onto her plate. Jack nearly spit out the water he was drinking, and I burst into laughter. After a few moments of figuring out how to swallow after the predicament she'd gotten herself into, she stuffed her face yet again. They never learn.

"So, Jo, are you still a biology major?" Jack asked, desperately trying to ignore his girlfriend to keep from spitting out his food in laughter. I nodded and Jack widened his eyes a little in surprise.

"Good for you. What do you wanna do again? It's some long word that I don't know how to spell, isn't it," he narrowed his eyes and I chuckled.

"I know I want to do something with oncology, I just haven't decided yet," I smiled and Allison let out a deep breath, causing both of us to look at her. She had her hands rested on her stomach, a look of satisfaction on her face with an empty plate in front of her. The plate had been overflowing all of 3 minutes ago. How she wasn't nauseous, I didn't know.