the music in the gym pulsed through the walls like a distant heartbeat. you were leaning against the counter in the girls bathroom with your hands shoved deep in your pockets then the door creaked open and in limped regina george

her neck brace was still snug against her jaw, the blue of her satin dress, making her eyes brighter. she paused when she saw you, a flash of something unreadable in her eyes. surprise and pain and like a cruel joke

she blinked "oh. youre here"

you stood up straighter "yeah. just needed a break"

she stepped further in, slow and careful with her movements "same"

there was a beat of silence, the sound of your heartbeat in your ears and hers maybe. you couldnt tell. you watched her in the mirror as she walked to the sink next to you and looked at herself then at you in the reflection. the tension between you buzzed like static

"you look.." you started, hesitated, then said it anyway "you look pretty"

she didnt speak for a moment but her lips twitched like she might cry or laugh

"youre so annoying" she said softly but there was a warmth in her voice. she looked down at the sink then over at you directly, her eyes rimmed in silver shimmer "you always say that when im about to cry. or like when ive just cried"

your mouth lifted a little at the corner "its because its true"

she stared at you and then as if the universe wanted to mess with your heart one more time, she dropped her lip gloss. it clattered and rolled to the floor, stopping near your foot. she made a small sound and tried to bend down but you immediately crouched and grabbed it for her

"you dont need to hurt your neck again" you said, gently placing it on the counter for her

she looked at you like you just kissed her "youre still like.. ugh" she whispered "god. im literally so high on medicine right now"

you smiled a little "how high are we talking?"

she tilted her head with a lazy smirk "like.. i shouldnt be talking to anyone in public high. like.. i think my mom gave me two of the extra ones because i wouldnt stop crying about you in the car"

that made your breath catch a little but you said nothing

"i told her i was fine" she added, leaning against the sink "but then i started crying in the mirror again and she was like 'okay no. youre taking something'"

you leaned against the wall again with your arms crossed and voice was quiet when you said "you said you died. that day"

regina blinked slowly, eyes soft "yeah. when the bus hit me. they said my heart stopped for like 15 seconds" she gave a dreamy little smile "isnt that kind of iconic?"

you gave her a look "regina.."

"i died y/n" she turned toward you, sincere now "and when i woke up in the hospital the first thing i asked was if you had called"

you looked away for a second and swallowed "you said you didnt want to go to spring fling with me anymore"

"i know what i said" she was quiet for a moment then added "you didnt fight me on it"

"you said you needed space" you replied with your voice low "you said maybe we werent right anymore"

her mouth parted and she looked down "yeah well i was on a lot of painkillers then too"

you both stood in silence again as your matching outfits mocked you in the mirror. four years of being that couple, homecoming queens, hand holding between classes, late night phone calls, and inside jokes in every hallway, undone in one night

regina reached out and picked up the gloss, twirled it in her fingers, then almost like she couldn’t stop herself, she looked up and said "i miss you"

that made you look at her again. her eyes were big, glassy, and shimmering. for all her regina ness, the cruelty, control, and glittering confidence, she looked small and real for a moment

your voice cracked just a little as you replied "i miss you too"

she stepped closer and the air tightened between you "why did we break up?" she asked. her tone wasnt sharp. it was confused and genuinely lost