Aftermath

Grace asked him to help her get her bag from the classroom because she needed to change her clothes; he had been more than willing to help her. It made him feel like a good person, it had been a while since someone needed his help.

Grace emerged from the restroom, feeling much more comfortable in her school uniform and clean body. As she stepped out, she saw Nathaniel still waiting for her, and her heart swelled with gratitude towards him. "Are you feeling better now?" Nathaniel asked, his voice laced with concern. Grace nodded, still unable to form words. She was deeply moved by Nathaniel's kindness, and it made her regret how badly she had treated him before. She had been very mean to him, and he had still come through for her in her time of need.

"I heard it can be really painful," Nathaniel continued, "so I brought you some painkillers." He held out a small packet of pills, and Grace took them gratefully.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice full of emotion. Nathaniel simply smiled in response, his kind eyes wrinkling at the corners. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you before," Grace suddenly blurted out, unable to hold back her guilt any longer. "You didn't deserve it."

Nathaniel's expression softened even further. "It's okay." He said, his voice gentle. "I understand that we all have our moments." Grace felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. She couldn't believe that Nathaniel was still being so nice to her after everything she had said to him. "I promise to make it up to you." He simply shrugged it off, it wasn't like he did it with any expectation in mind.

Finally, they walked out of the restroom in silence. Her hands clutched her stomach as she winced in pain with almost every step she took. Nathaniel was walking beside her, trying to keep up with her slow pace, concern etched on his face.

"Are you feeling okay, Grace?" he asked.

She shook her head, "My cramps have worsened. I think I need to go home."

Nathaniel looked worried, "Do you want me to give you a lift home?"

She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No, that's okay. You've already done so much for me today. I don't want to take advantage of your kindness."

Nathaniel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Grace, I'm genuinely concerned about your health. Let me help you."

Grace looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. She felt ashamed for having to rely on him so much.

Nathaniel seemed to sense her discomfort and said, "I understand that you don't want to be an inconvenience to me, but I genuinely want to help. Let me at least walk you to the bus station."

Grace hesitated for a moment before accepting his help. They then continued to walk side by side, to the bus station. Nathaniel was unsure of what to do; as much as he would like to start a conversation, or do anything that would take her mind off the pain. He was also aware that Grace didn't like to be pestered.

She was a distant person, someone who was intimidating and at the same time very meek. Her eyes were always fierce, as if she was trying to send a warning through them. To him, she was the definition of physical perfection. He noticed the way she hugged his sweater tightly, her hands fumbling with the wool of the material.

"Grace, can I please have my sweater back?" Grace's heartbeat quickened in her chest, and it took a moment before she responded. "I'm sorry Nathaniel, I don't think you'll want it back right now, It's dirty."

Nathaniel looked confused, "Dirty? What happened?" She looked down at her feet. "I used it to hide that stain earlier."

He smiled, "Don't worry about it, Grace. it's not that bad." She bit her lip as she said, "I promise to wash it as soon as I can. I'll return it to you as good as new."

Nathaniel shook his head, "There's really nothing to clean, I gave it to you all sweaty and mushy, it's okay." Grace looked at him sceptically but handed the sweater over to him. Nathaniel put it on and zipped it up, flashing her a warm smile to make her feel better.

As they approached the stop, Nathaniel glanced at her one more time. "I hope you're feeling better." She smiled weakly, "Yes I am." She said, "I really appreciate your help, You're so kind."

Nathaniel grinned, "What are friends for?" It wasn't exactly like they were close friends. Nathaniel watched as Grace boarded the bus, feeling a little worried about her. He wished he could accompany her, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

He walked back to the school to continue his participation in the ongoing sports competition. He then spotted Rose walking towards him. She looked flustered and out of breath.

"Nathaniel, have you seen Grace? I need her for the main event tomorrow." Rose said, looking at him with urgency.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Rose. Grace left early. She wasn't feeling well."

"Nathaniel, what happened to Grace?" Rose asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

Nathaniel hesitated, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm not sure, Rose. She just wasn't feeling well, and she went home early."

Rose looked at him expectantly, "But what was wrong with her? Did she say anything?"

Nathaniel shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really know. You should ask her yourself."

Rose looked a little frustrated, "Nathaniel, I already tried to call her, but I can't reach her, and I'm really worried about her. Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Nathaniel sighed, "I'm sorry, Rose. I really don't know. She just said she wasn't feeling well and needed to go home."

Rose looked at Nathaniel suspiciously, "Are you hiding something from me, Nathaniel?" Nathaniel shook his head, "No, I'm not. I really don't know what happened to her. You should ask Grace when she feels better."

Rose sighed, "Okay, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I hope she's okay."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He offered, peering at some of the books she was holding.

Rose smiled gratefully, "Actually, that would be great. Would you mind helping me with the preparations?"

Nathaniel nodded, "Sure, I'd be happy to help."

As they walked towards the event area, Nathaniel couldn't help but think about Grace. He wondered if she would be okay all by herself, she had looked really weak. He prayed there would be a kind stranger who would help her if she needed some help. But for now, he focused on helping Rose with the event preparations, hoping that everything would go smoothly. Rose and Nathaniel were sitting in the event area, putting the final touches on the preparations for the main event, which was the following day.

After the competition ended, Nathaniel walked Rose to the bus stop just like he had always done, laughing and gossiping as they went.

Rose walked through the door of her house and immediately headed to her room. She was tired and drained from a long day at school. As she threw her bag onto her bed, her eyes caught a glimpse of her phone, and she realized that she had a missed call and a message from her best friend, Grace. She quickly dialled Grace's number and waited for her to pick up. After a few rings, Grace finally answered.

"Hey, Grace." Rose said in a slightly subdued voice.

"Hey, Rose, what's up? I saw that you called me earlier. Sorry, I missed it." She replied.

"It's okay, Grace. I just wanted to ask if you're okay. Nathaniel said you were sick and that something happened to you." Rose asked, a bit concerned.

"Ah… yes, I left school early today, the thing is I suddenly got my period, but Nathaniel helped me out." Grace said.

Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "Nathaniel? What do you mean? He didn't tell me anything about it." Rose said, confused.

"Well, I got my period unexpectedly, and I didn't have any pads with me. Nathaniel saw that I was struggling and offered to help. He went to God knows where and got me some pads. He was so kind and helpful, even though I treated him badly in the past." Grace said, her voice trembling with guilt.

Rose was taken aback by what she had just heard. She had always known that Grace considered Nathaniel to be a bit of a nuisance, constantly bothering Grace and trying to get her attention. But hearing this made her feel at ease, maybe they could finally be friends.

"I had no idea, Grace. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. You see, he's not so bad, right?" Rose said, feeling a bit supportive.

"I feel so ashamed of myself, and what irks me the most is that he is so understanding about it." Grace confided.

Rose nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean, Grace. Maybe you can start by apologizing to him and thanking him for what he did today. I think that would mean a lot to him." Rose suggested.

"Yeah, you're right. I think I'll do that tomorrow." Grace said, sounding a bit more hopeful.

Rose smiled. "I'm glad I could help, Grace. And I'm always here for you if you need me." She said reassuringly.

"Thanks, Rose. You're the best," Grace said, her voice sounding brighter.