1am

Gwinam and I had now been talking for a couple of days, and I was actually really enjoying it. Sure, it was a little sus why the cool bad boy would want to talk to the weird new student, but I couldn't help but push those negative thoughts to the back of my head while I was laying on my bed talking into the phone to Gwinam.

We were talking about random things about school, and people who we knew, and he was telling me about some of his skating stories, and how he had hurt himself on his skate bored, while I peacefully sat and listened to him.

"Do you know what my friends called you when you first started here?" Gwinam asked me. I was a little confused why he had randomly mentioned something so... random... but I went along with it anyway.

"What did they call me?" I asked back, a little nervous to hear his response.

"An NPC." He laughed a little.

I sighed, having no idea what that meant, yet I had a sour, and bitter feeling inside that it was not going to be good.

"What's that?" I hesitantly asked.

"Don't worry about it. Forget it." Gwinam smiled looking into the camera of his phone.

"No. I wanna know." I started, then opening google on my phone, looking up what an NPC was.

I felt a violent and harsh stab in my heart when I read on google what it meant to be called an NPC.

A non-player character (NPC) is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the game master or referee rather than by another player.

Google told me.

I sighed, opening up one of the drop boxes.

How do you talk like an NPC?Using as few words as possible, being extra loquacious, always using a particular turn of phrase, or turning every statement into a question are all examples of speech pattern mannerisms. Just like physical behaviours, commitment to speech patterns is key in using them to help define the NPC.

"Wow." I whispered, emotionlessly into the phone.

I guess I spoke too soon about Gwinam being a nice guy, and actually enjoying talking to each other. I thought to myself.

"It's not bad," Gwinam began.

"A fucking Non-Player-Character." I snapped back rudely into the phone. I really didn't want to be mean to him, but after everything that had happened at my old school. I left myself with no choice.

"It's fine. Whatever." I sighed. "I've been called much worse anyway." I said, feeling my heart slowly break, and having bitter flashbacks to just a few months earlier.

"They are not being mean. They are just teasing... Teasing me..." Gwinam said, trailing off at the end.

"How are they teasing you?" I questioned, looking up into the glowing phone screen.

"I uh... um... it doesn't matter." He muttered.

"Uh huh." I said, being a little annoyed. "You just texted me as a joke didn't you? And you sent all of our messages to your boys." I said, feeling quite hurt. Who was I to think Gwinam was actually a nice guy. I should've agreed when everyone told me what he really was. A dipshit.

"Maybe." He whispered into his iPhone.

"Wanna try answering that honestly?" I hissed back, not even minding my own tone.

"No." Gwinam responded. "But it's not like that anymore. I actually like talking to you."

"Why?" I asked.

"Why do you stare at me in maths?"

"Why do your friends tease you about me?"

"Why do you stare at me in maths?"

"I'll answer your question if you answer both of mine after." I responded to the boy.

Gwinam paused for a second, probably thinking about what the pros and cons would be of the situation, before finally sighing, and agreeing to trade responses with each other.

"So why do you stare at me?" He asked.

I blushed, feeling both flustered and pissed off at the same time.

"Because..."

"Because...?" He repeated.

"I think you already know..." I whispered.