6:45 PM
The cafeteria doors opened again, and this time a different tide flowed in.
Girls.
They entered in a steady stream, gray uniforms identical to the boys', their faces ranging from cautious to defiant to blank. The energy in the room shifted immediately, conversations grew louder, postures straightened, eyes tracked movement with renewed interest.
Glenn watched from his table near the back wall, seated across from Gwen. His tray sat untouched in front of him, the food congealing into an unappetizing mass.
"So they're alternating," Glenn muttered, more to himself than to Gwen. "Boys one day, girls the next."
"Looks like it," Gwen replied, her eyes scanning the incoming crowd with the same analytical intensity Glenn recognized in himself.
Glenn's attention drifted back to the serving line, where a familiar figure was moving through with mechanical precision.
Matthew Winters.
Tall, lean, green hair falling just slightly over his forehead. His movements were economical, purposeful, grab tray, accept food, move forward. No wasted motion. No unnecessary interaction.
Glenn felt something loosen in his chest, a knot he hadn't realized was there.
"Matthew Winters..." Glenn said quietly, almost reverently. "Man, am I glad to see you..."
"Ahem."
The sound was pointed, deliberate.
Glenn's eyes snapped to Gwen.
She sat with her arms crossed, one eyebrow arched, her expression somewhere between amused and annoyed. Her green eyes, so much like his own, fixed on him with unmistakable expectation.
Glenn blinked.
"Oh. Right." He shifted in his seat. "You too, I guess... even tho, we knew we'd see each other again."
"Mm..." Gwen's jaw tightened. Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
"Speaking of which," Glenn continued, oblivious or choosing to be, "where were you and the girls?"
Gwen's irritation flickered across her face for a brief moment before she smoothed it away with a long, controlled exhale.
"We came here two days ago," she said evenly, her tone carefully neutral. "Yesterday was when I took over my past self."
Glenn leaned back, processing that. "Two days..."
"Mm-hmm." Gwen picked at a piece of bread on her tray, tearing it into small pieces without eating any. "I've been waiting for you to show up. Thought maybe you'd jumped earlier, but..." She gestured vaguely at him. "Guess not."
"I jumped into mine today," Glenn said. "After taking a pill."
Gwen's hands stilled. "Seriously? That's abit—"
"Yeah. And guess what..." Glenn paused, building the moment, then barreled forward before she could respond. "My marks began to appear on my neck."
Gwen leaned forward immediately, her eyes sharpening with focus. "Seriously? I thought it was the injections that have to make them appear—"
"They're supposed to," Glenn interrupted, his voice dropping lower. "Guess the rules changed for this redo."
Gwen stared at him, her brow furrowing as she processed the implications. She opened her mouth to respond—
"Incoming," she muttered instead, her eyes flicking past Glenn's shoulder.
Glenn turned.
Jacob Hathaway was approaching their table, tray in hand, his steps hesitant and uneven. His round glasses had slipped slightly down his nose again, and his gaze darted between Glenn and Gwen like he wasn't sure he was allowed to be there.
"H-Hi..." Jacob stammered, stopping just short of the table. "G–Guh Glenn. It's me, Jacob."
"Jacob," Glenn said flatly, turning fully to face him.
"Don't need to tell me your name again. I don't have dementia."
Jacob flinched slightly, his grip on his tray tightening. "R-Right... Sorry."
There was a beat of awkward silence.
"Can I..." Jacob's voice was barely audible over the cafeteria noise. "Can I join you guys?"
Glenn's mouth opened, but no words came out. His eyes shifted immediately to Gwen, a silent plea for backup.
Gwen said nothing at first. She just watched Jacob with that same analytical stare, her head tilted slightly, her expression unreadable.
Then, slowly, deliberately, she spoke.
"Sure, Jacob." Her voice was smooth, almost warm. "The more the merrier."
"Thanks," Jacob said quickly, relief washing over his face.
He slid into the seat next to Glenn, close. Uncomfortably close.
Glenn shifted slightly to his left, putting a few more inches between them.
Gwen placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. She looked at Jacob with a faint smile, her eyes half-lidded.
"I'm Gwen, by the way," she said, her tone dipping into something almost... seductive.
Jacob blinked, completely oblivious. "Oh. A-Are you two related?"
"That's right, Jacob," Glenn said, his voice tight. "She's my younger sister."
"Nice to meet you."
"C-Cool, nice to meet you too," Jacob stammered, nodding earnestly.
There was another pause. Jacob fidgeted with his fork, his eyes darting between his tray and the table.
"So, uh... what were you guys talking about?"
Glenn didn't miss a beat. "Family business."
Gwen's brows furrowed slightly, her gaze sharpening as something clicked in her mind. She glanced at Glenn, then back at Jacob.
Low self-esteem.
It was written all over him, the hunched shoulders, the nervous fidgeting, the inability to make eye contact for more than a second. This wasn't the Jacob from the other loops. This was someone broken.
Gwen's eyes slid back to Glenn, her expression shifting into silent confusion.
Glenn caught her look immediately. He tilted his head just slightly, raising his right eyebrow in a quick, subtle gesture.
Shocking, I know...
Gwen's lips pressed into a thin line.
"O-Okay," Jacob said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry for... interrupting your talk."
"It's okay," Glenn said, his tone softening just a fraction. He placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder, giving it a brief, reassuring squeeze. "We understand."
Jacob's face brightened, just for a moment. He nodded, a small, fragile smile breaking through. "Thanks."
Gwen leaned back slightly, her smile returning, though this one was different. Softer. More genuine.
"Yes," she added. Her eyes stayed on Jacob, studying him. "Why don't you tell us about yourself, Jacob?"
Jacob's smile vanished. His eyes dropped to his tray, and he began scratching absently at his forearm.
"I... I'd rather not," he muttered, his voice thin and shaky.
Glenn and Gwen exchanged a glance.
Glenn's hand was still on Jacob's shoulder. He gave it another squeeze, firmer this time.
"It's okay," Glenn said quietly. "We understand."
Jacob nodded again, his smile flickering back for just a second before fading.
Glenn and Gwen both looked at each other.
And in that shared glance, they both knew what to do.