Saturday
Gray sits up from lying in the bed when he heard his phone beeping.
"You're going already?" Castle asks who is sitting beside him and not taking his eyes on the television screen.
"Yap. I'll be back later."
"Okay."
Gray leaves the room and Castle turns the TV's volume up a little higher.
-
"We're done for the day. I'll see you again next week." The man announced while flipping the pages of the chart he's holding.
"Thank you." The man only nodded, not leaving his eyes on the paper. Gray stood up and walk hesitantly.
"Gray."
"Y-yes?"
"Is there anything significant that happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
He puts the chart on the table and stares right at him, almost making Gray flinched.
"I told you to tell me anything, right?" Gray didn't answer.
'Anything significant? But there' s nothing...'
"How are we suppose to cure you if you won' t tell me anything?"
'Cure?'
He stood there dumbfounded.
'But I'm not sick...'
The man sighed upon seeing the distress expression on Gray' s face.
"Am I being harsh? Tell me, Gray. Don't keep it all up to yourself."
"No... I'm fine."
The silence lasted for a minute that it almost seemed like a torture to Gray. He wanted to leave this place, he wanted to breath a fresh air. Why is it that the longer he stays here, the more he feels suffocated? He's supposed to get better, to forget everything. So why...
"I'll see you next week, Gray. Be careful on your way home." The man dismissed him like it was nothing. He could only nod and leave the place quietly.
'Maybe I should stop this...' He glanced at the closed door. There was a signboard with a person's name on it. 'I feel like I' m getting worse.'
"There you are." Castle blocks his way and calls him out. "Took you longer than usual."
"Ah... Yeah. We.. We just got carried away... I guess." His answers were nonsense as he continue walking again. Castle followed him in confusion.
"What' s wrong? Did something happened back there?"
"Nothing." He shake his head slowly. "What brings you here?"
"You left your phone." Castle fishes the phone out from his pocket and hands it to him. "Lately you seem to be in a daze. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
He stares at him for awhile before sighing in defeat. "Let's go home. I'm hungry."
-
Monday
Castle washes his hands quietly at the comfort room. When he's finished, he stares at himself at the mirror and fixes his hair before leaving.
He halts his steps when he felt something behind him. Slowly, he turns around to see a few students around but nothing in suspicion. He shakes his head off to erase that feeling and started walking again. Halfway through he meets Gray, who doesn't seem to notice his presence.
"Gray." He called out when he walked past him. Gray stops and looks at him.
"Oh. I didn't notice you."
"What's wrong? I thought you were gonna eat with Lucas?"
His face turns dark as soon as the name Lucas is mentioned. "He's ignoring me again."
"Ha? Does he have a multiple personality or what? Last time he was all cheery and clingy and now he's back to ignoring you?"
He sighed. "I don't know. I'm getting confused too. Honestly... It feels like I don't know who he is anymore."
"You actually brought this upon yourself."
"Hey!"
He shrugs his shoulder as they stop for a line at the cafeteria. "You know what kind of a person he is and yet you insisted your way with him. You should be aware of the consequences that you might experience being friends with him." He glances at him secretly. "What, are you regretting it now?"
"Of course not."
"Then what is?"
Gray sighed once more. "I just want to figure him out, to know what he's thinking, what he likes, what he doesn't like... He's like an empty shell, it's almost scaring me."
"Then why don't you ask him yourself?" He scans the menu once more. "I'll have the Set A, please. Thank you."
"Set A for me too."
"Do you really think that I could get an answer if I did ask him?"
'The place is crowded today as usual. I wonder where we should sit.'
"Gray, let's sit o-"
Lucas appears and stops in front of Gray and just stares at him without saying anything.
"Lucas!"
His dead eyes slowly shifts at him. It's as if he wants to tell him something.
'Ha as I thought.'
"I'll go with Marcus over there."
"Ha? But..." Gray awkwardly looks at the both of them clearly confused on who should he go with.
"It's fine, Gray. Just go with him." He turns around before he could protest.
'I guess it was all for nothing. Tsk.'
-
Flashback to Saturday Afternoon.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
"What the..." Castle mutters under his breath as he try to locate the source of the sound. After some time searching, he finally finds it hiding under the thick blanket.
"Seems like Gray forgot his phone."
It beeped once again, flashing a message on the screen.
'It's from Lucas...'
He stared at the screen, contemplating on what to do.
'Since when did they exchanged contact numbers?'
It beeped once more, showing a message from Lucas again.
"So annoying."
He opens the phone and clicks the message.
Where are you? Can I see you right now?
I want to see you.
Without thinking, he replies with an 'Okay.' and leaves his room with Gray's phone in his hand.
-
[My apologies for the delay in update.]