#gretchen x you

[jromanoff]

Series

One Shots

➼ Coming soon…

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

NorthShore Nowheres part 1

part 2 || part 3

|| Poly!plastics x fem!reader (bit of Cady x fem!reader) (btw I myself am poly)

|| Warnings: loosely follows the movie musical, with reader being Aaron (slight dialogue changes to fit Y/N), light swearing

|| Summary: you're the leader of the NorthShore Nowheres biker gang/clique. The plastics take an interest in you, but so has Cady...

Requested by Anon!

Requests open!

~~~

The sound of your motorcycle filled the parking lot as you zipped through and parked in your usual spot, taking your helmet off and twisting your head slightly in a way that fixed your hair. For the plastics, who had been watching you from the side steps of the school, time seemed to play in slow motion. Watching as you flick your hair and get off your bike. Your walk radiating pure confidence. The girls shared a look with one another.

"We're all in agreement?" Regina asked her girlfriends, who nodded and looked back at you. Watching as you walked past them, heading up the steps and giving the school's polycue a wink.

~~~

You sat in AP Calculus. Not listening to a word Ms Norbury was saying as she stood at the front, hands on her hips and looking out at the rows of students. You simply folded a paper airplane and tossed it at some random kid next to you, making another stifle a laugh as you smirked. The student swatted the paper plane away.

"Y/N L/N." Ms Norbury gave you that signature warning look, which made you roll your eyes and she continued on with her lecture," Chapter one! Limits and their properties. What the heck are limits, you say? If I write out the equation..."

You started zoning out, hand on your chin and elbow on your desk as you stared at the board blankly.

"The limit equals 3." A voice from behind you spoke up, pulling you from your day dreams.

"That's right." Ms Norbury said, sounding surprised. " Let's try another one. Find the value for K for which the following limit exists."

"K equals -3." The girl says again.

"Damn, girl!" Some mathlete kid piped up.

You looked behind at the girl and smirked," Wow. Are you trying to make the rest of us look like dumbasses?"

"No- I'm- I'm not- trying to it's just sort of happening..." She replied, stuttering as she stared at you. Adorable. You laughed.

"Oh? Is that how it is? Okay. Well..." You leaned a little closer," challenge accepted."

You turned around, looking down at your paper with a sigh. The new girl on your mind. Reaching into your bag, you pulled out your pen then gently trailed your hand through your hair as you began working on your paper. Why did you sign up for AP Cal? This class was going to kill you.

Behind you, you heard something fall to the ground and looked to see Cady's pen. You bent down and picked it up, handing it to her with a smile before looking at the board again. You could have sworn you heard music coming from somewhere...

~~~

After school, you were outside with some of your biker gang. Just chatting and hanging out as you fidgeted with your phone. You happened to notice Cady watching you and gave her a small wave. Then turned your attention towards your gang again; when Cady almost got hit by the bus, your eyes widening slightly. You debated going to check on her. But she said that she was okay. Which made you sigh with relief from where you stood a bit away.

~~~

The following day, you and your gang sat at your usual lunchtable. Rough housing with each other, laughing and spreading gossip as you usually do. You glanced over at the plastics table, watching as Regina got up and walked away.

Karen and Gretchen were talking with Cady. "So, have you seen any guys you think are cute yet?" Karen asked.

"Oh, um- not a guy- but well actually there's this girl in my Calculus class." Cady responded.

"Ohhh, a senior! Who is it?" Gretchen replied.

"Ah, Y/N L/N." Cady replied, Karen and Gretchen shared a panicked look.

"You can't like Y/N L/N!" Gretchen said quickly.

"No, no bad, danger." The danger Karen said was loud enough to get your attention, you glanced at them in confusion then rolled your eyes and focused on your group again. Getting shoved by one of your friends who you playfully shoved back and smirked at.

"We're after her so you can't have her." Gretchen states, looking over at you and your gang's table," Crushes are off limits for friends that's just like the rules of feminism."

One of your friends in your gang wrapped an arm around you and started filming a TikTok. Instinctively you winked at the camera then laughed slightly and looked at your friend, who's name was Julia. But no one called her that, pretty much everyone referred to her as Jules. "Jules, girlie. What weird trend are you hoping on now?" You asked with your usual charming smile. Two things you had a reputation for. Being a bad girl. And then your charm, even if you weren't overly popular people still loved you. You just weren't Apex Predator worthy. Possibly like whatever was a few chains down from that, though.

"That one silent review trend. Featuring you." Jules pointed at you and you couldn't help but laugh.

"Definitely tag me in that." She nodded and you gave her shoulder a gentle pat.

~~~

At the end of the day, you and your gang hanged out at your usual bench. With you sprawled out across it and Jules laying across you. You guys were close friends, though there were rumours you were a thing. One of your friends made a joke and you laughed, though it was cut short as the plastics walked over. Regina with her arms folded, Gretchen and Karen following behind.

Regina's intimidation was enough to scare Jules off you (and the rest of your gang). They excused themselves as you sat up, watching the three in confusion. Once again you swore you heard music... with faint jungle sounds?

"Something I can do for you?" You folded your arms, a little annoyed Regina scared off your friends.

"You. Us." Regina gestures to herself, Gretchen and Karen," Date to the movies Friday night. Wear something nice." She looks you up and down, you glance at your baggy jeans and leather jacket before looking at Regina again.

"Is this you inviting me into your polycue?" If you're being honest, you have wanted them for a while. You just didn't want to risk making a fool of yourself. Regina's gaze tells you everything you need to know, so you nod." Alright. Friday night."

Regina smiles and walks over, kissing your cheek before looking towards Cady who had been watching. She beckons Cady over and then walks away from you. Gretchen and Karen linking arms as they giggle, Gretchen sending you a wink. Your face flushes and you look away, making a mental note to be extra careful. The last thing you wanted to do was piss off all three.

~~~

Feedback is welcomed! Probably going to make this a 3 part story (maybe longer depending), each part being about a half an hour chunk of the movie with extra bits added in between. Just so this doesn't become overly long, yk?

[reginageorgesgirlfriend3020]

Mean girls dating and girlfriend headcannons (Part 2)

Cady Heron:

She met you while you were she was trying out for the school play. She Was fascinated by how well you can act. And knew you’ll be a great actress. She loved how passionate you’re about theater and acting

Asked you out after hanging out with you for a bit while preparing for the school play

Calls you her scream queen

Regina George:

Met you while you’re working at forever 21

Goes there every Friday just to see you and shop but seeing you because she likes to flirt with you

Loves how classy you dress and says you’d look cute in a wife beater or a tank top. And asked you out after she bought a top because she finds you to be adorable

Gretchen Weiners:

She loves to have deep psychological talks with you

Says it’s okay to make mistakes we re all human we all say things in the best of the moment but we all human no such thing as a perfect human being

Asked you out during lunch because she loves how deep you are as a person and how compassionate you are

Janis Ian:

Loves your art and how well you paint

Would always glance at you and look at you just so she could check you out

She turns all gooey and soft like a marshmallow when she’s around you. Asked you out she wrote you a note and you circled ‘Yes’ you’ll go out with her. She smiled

Karen Smith:

Loves how cute you look while wearing pink

Is in the front row of all your improv plays

Believe or not she will stand up for you and be like, “That’s not nice. You’re mean”. And give some jock a mean look. Asked you out afterwards she took you out this diner.

[fetchen]

i think uh gretchen and karen are gay and in love so here’s some of my headcanons about it :3

<3-before they got together, karen was incredibly clingy with gretchen and gretchen only (as i mentioned before, karen is just a very touchy person but gravitated toward gretchen)

<3-karen heard gretchen when she was singing “what’s wrong with me?” and went on a very long and heartfelt rant about how there’s nothing wrong with her

<3-that’s when gretch realised she had feelings for her best friend c:

<3-they literally share everything like if gretchen gets a coffee half of it will be drank by karen

<3-karen loses her things a lot so gretchen’s come to have extras always

<3-they make collaborative spotify playlists :3

<3-they’re always clinging to each other during sleepovers at regina’s and regina is a really big hater about it

<3-they had their first kiss after cady’s party

<3-gretchen was so upset about jason and karen was there for her the whole time

<3- “i dunno why you like him so much. you’re like…really nice and smart and pretty. but he’s so…not nice to you.” among other compliments

<3-gretchen could not believe that karen really felt that way about her

<3-she kinda just stared at karen for a few seconds

<3-they made out very passionately after that (gretchen kissed karen first even though she was terrified to)

<3-it took gretchen like a day after that to tell karen she actually liked her

<3-they were each other’s dates to the spring fling c: they weren’t official yet at that point

<3-when they started dating, karen asked gretchen, “does this make you or me the boyfriend?”

<3-gretchen calls karen “mama”, “(mi) amor”, or “kare-bear” if she’s feeling particularly corny and karen calls gretchen “gretch” always

<3-they have movie nights with regina, cady, aaron, janis, and damian and whenever someone picks a horror movie karen gets scared so easily that she just huddles up to gretchen the whole time

<3-gretchen absolutely loves karen’s big brown eyes like there might actually be nothing she loves more in the whole world

<3-karen loves biting gretchen like not in a sexual way she just thinks gretchen looks so edible she will bite her very softly all the time

<3-gretchen will absentmindedly do that thing with her thumb when she and karen are holding hands and it kinda drives karen crazy

<3-they do that cheesy couple thing where they rest their foreheads together like they’re about to kiss and everyone else hates it (affectionately)

<3-karen had feelings for gretchen for a while and made it painfully obvious but just never said anything

<3-gretchen is a lesbian (i’m kinda projecting with this one) jason was just her comphet fr

<3-karen is pan (this is semi canon/confirmed by avantika)

<3-gretchen has insomnia and often calls karen in the middle of the night just to hear her voice

<3-gretchen sometimes has panic attacks and karen is the only person who knows exactly how to calm her down

<3-gretchen picks at her cuticles and karen brings her colourful bandaids and holds her hands to prevent her from doing so

<3-gretchen gets quite jealous easily,, mostly due to being a very anxious and insecure person

okay . i’m done thank u for coming to my ted talk ^w^ (i have more please ask me about them if you want)

[ancentient]

there is NOT ENOUGH karen shetty x gretchen wieners on here, and every other platform (ao3). so here's my overdue contribution to the gay best friends to lovers of the 2024 plastics

only headcanons for now until i can write oneshots about them. (give prompts pls?)

# SFW | cutesy hcs

pre-dating! karen shetty x gretchen wieners

— karen always hangs at gretch's house after school

— sometimes it's just gretch having a full-blown rant session about guys and girls (mostly girls now)

— because gretchen wieners is bi! and starts to focus on girls more now that she dumped jacob

— also... gretchen probably has religious guilt

— and sometimes it's karen forcing gretch to do a tiktok with her

— gretch especially loves learning tiktok dances from karen

— they discovered that setting the a/c on the lowest temperature and cuddling is the best way to end a sleepover

— gretchen uses karen's arm as a pillow

— gretchen gets cold easily... so you know, back cuddles

— gretchen definitely likes karen's back cuddles

— but she likes it more when she's facing karen

— whenever gretch faces her, she overthinks whether to tell karen she's pretty because it might not be appropriate for the situation

— so karen initiates the praises instead; ranging from "you looked good with your shoes today" to "i like how you look at me"

— karen's voice slightly lowers when she's sleepy

— gretch accidentally calls karen "mamí" instead of "mamá" more than a few times

— and gretch plays it cool every time because karen doesn't seem to have heard nor realized it

— but karen DOES. EVERY TIME.

— one time it happened, they were with the whole friend group (regina, cady, janis, damian, aaron) and karen acted like she was busy on her phone to save gretchen the embarrassment

— the group still noticed though, the slip up and the acting; regina wasn't as surprised honestly

— ever since then they had been plotting to get them to realize their feelings for each other; regina and cady agreed to play their secret wingwomen, led by damian (regina gave up after the first few weeks because the two were just too hopeless)

— karen and gretchen don't realize their feelings until college

— speaking of college, they're roommates! (along with cady but girl's always at regina's place)

— still not dating at this point though, just having very normal homoerotic crises about their best friend

— it was driving gretchen absolutely maddd

— didn't help that karen was popular with the crowd

— as a result of overthinking, gretchen ended up ignoring karen; karen took a while to notice though

— by the time she did, gretch has curled up in her bed, all swollen up from crying all weekend

— karen had pink flowers to give gretchen that night

— karen dried gretchen's eyes first before confessing (my karen shetty gentlewoman, gentle giant agenda)

— karen only kissed her hand, knowing that gretchen was at a place where she needs to take it slow or else she'll get overwhelmed with things again

— that night, gretchen slept on karen's chest

— the gang arrived the next day to spot them cuddling, and took pictures for future purposes

well, that was longer than what i initially had in mind BUT IT HAD TO BE SAID.

i NEED more of them please im begging

[sexycornenthusiast]

the main reason I ship regina/gretchen is that I think if they hooked up sloppy style even once it would fix both of them

[uselessgayshit]

okay so after watching the movie, I don’t really ship cady x regina. like I see it, I definitely see it but I am here for regina x gretchen or regina x janis

[judasisgayriot]

strange attractors. kind of like we could be?

[puthyflapps]

I have an intimate truth to share: I think Sunday would be a very cute name for a shoni baby who lives on a farm with her two moms. Sunday Shalifoe??? They could call her Sunny!! C’mon it writes itself!! And if she looked just like Shelby?? The material is there!! 😭😭😭

[catty-words]

[r2in2p]

- MEAN GIRLS (2024) BOTLIST -

✮⋆˙ - REGINA GEORGE

✮⋆˙ - JANIS IMI'IKE

✮⋆˙ - CADY HERON

✮⋆˙ - KAREN SHETTY

✮⋆˙ - GRETCHEN WIENERS

(characters with no hyperlinks mean there aren't any bots created yet)

<< back to main botlist

[reginageorgesgirlfriend3020]

Mean girls dating and girlfriend headcannons

Regina George:

First date: First date is at the mall. Iced coffee first then going to literally every store in the mall. Trying on clothes then buying clothes. As your girlfriend:

Is the big spoon definitely

Craves touching you

Loves talking to you on the phone for hours

Loves when you sing to her

Gives everyone the death glare when they look at you so weird but Regina will let everyone know you’re hers and that’s that

Will always have her hand on your ass because she thinks she owns it hehe ;)

Karen Smith:

First date: At the beach. With sandwiches and soda and potato chips too. She will watch you walk. And think about how cute you are. And how you would look even more cute with her hand in yours.

As your girlfriend:

She has a short attention when you’re talking about how you saw your parents make out by accident. And it grossed you but will comfort you with a hug

Loves to take you out to Taco Bell for lunch after school

Is bad at sports but will cheer you on when you’re on the same team as her playing volleyball

Can’t dance but loves watching you dance

Doesn’t understand rap music but loves it because you love it and hearing certain lyrics confuse her. So she needs you to explain the lyrics

Will always ask to kiss you because it’s polite of her to ask you. You always say yes

Janis Ian:

First date: During the month of Halloween she will go shopping for popcorn and chocolate. Watching the very first Halloween movie on the couch with you while she cuddles you. And will occasionally give you a kiss on your temple and on your cheek.

As your girlfriend:

When she heard some guy in your class say, “Nice hair on your arm. Do you have some on your chest?”

Janis immediately looked at him like she wanted to hurt him. He looked scared.

Janis said to the guy, “Shut your mouth asshole and go shave your ugly mustache!! And leave my girlfriend alone!!”

”You’re beautiful the way you always look”. Janis said to you. You giggled.

She loves to stand up for you

She’s your super protector

Gretchen Weiners

First date: At a salon getting highlights in your hair and Gretchen getting her hair done too.

As your girlfriend:

Is afraid to kiss you in public because of what people will say

Is afraid to cuddle you because she doesn’t wanna accidentally squeeze you too tight

Will ask permission to hug you because deep down she wants to be the big spoon

Likes it when you’re the little spoon

Loves to play with the highlights in your hair. She’s amused by it

Stood up to coach Carr when he said to stop hugging Gretchen all the time. Gretchen gave him the middle finger

[corpstupous]

NEW REFERRAL CODE: XP-R73-JZP

COMMENT OR MSG ME TO RECIEVE 30 FREE DIAMONDS WHEN YOU USE THE CODE!

[fetchen]

idk if you guys know this. but i love fetchen and they’re one of the only things i think about at this point. they’re the sapphic ship ever. just know that even when i’m not posting about them, i’m thinking about them

[maybeimamuppet]

"if there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that". regina x gretchen pretty please 🙏

send me a song lyric and a ship and i’ll write something based off it!!

tw for mentioned outing and mental health discussion things and mild fatphobia

It’s entirely possible that Gretchen Wieners has the worst judgement in the entire world.

Well, okay, it’s not like she chose to become friends with Regina George. And then best friends. And then fall madly in love with her. It just… happened.

But it clearly didn’t for Regina.

She sent Cady a candy cane? Thanking her for being such a great best friend?

And Gretchen didn’t get anything? Regina didn’t even look at her this morning.

She hates herself for it, but Gretchen snarls at a group of freshmen in the bathroom during her study hall. They leave in a panic, knowing she still has a serious in with the queen of the school.

In actuality, Gretchen just didn’t want them to see her break down.

She drops her designer bag on the revolting floor and manages to hoist her way up onto the ledge by the window. It’s snowing lightly. Gretchen’s tears flutter down her cheeks as the snow does the same in the courtyard outside.

She knows she should be in study hall. She has got to study for her algebra midterm. She would’ve gone to Cady, but… she’s not sure now.

“Go away,” she grumbles when she hears the door creak open.

“Gretch?”

“Shit,” Gretchen hisses, whirling her way down and into a stall before Regina can see her. She makes her voice higher and squeakier before she says, “No. She’s not here.”

“I recognize your bag, Gretchen,” Regina replies. “Ew, are you crying?”

“No!” Gretchen insists hastily. She unlocks the door and holds her hands out to her sides so Regina can see she’s definitely not crying. “See? I-I’m totally fine!”

“No, you’re not,” Regina replies, almost gently. “Did someone say something? I swear to god if-”

“No, Regina,” Gretchen says. “Really. It’s fine. I have to go, I’m late for study hall.”

“Well then why the hell are you crying?” Regina calls as Gretchen grabs her bag and tries to rush out the door.

“Why don’t you ask your best friend?” Gretchen gripes under her breath.

“What are you talking about?” Regina asks in exasperation. Gretchen whirls around and stalks over to her.

“You sent Cady a candy cane? Cady?! We’ve known her for three months! And now she’s… she’s your best friend?” Gretchen says. Don’t cry now, not in front of Regina, no, stop it, stupid-

“What? I never sent Cady a candy cane,” Regina says.

“She just got one from you last period!” Gretchen insists. “Thanks for being such a great best friend, from Regina.”

“I didn’t send her anything,” Regina repeats. “You know I don’t send them, I just get them.”

“Then… she’s… not…”

“Of course she’s not my best friend, Gretchen,” Regina says softly. “She’s not the one I met in preschool. She’s not the one I used to trade Twinkle Toes with.”

“You remember that?” Gretchen chuckles wetly.

“Yeah,” Regina says. “Cady’s… good for the group. But she’s not you.”

“She could be,” Gretchen mumbles, looking down at her shoes. These are her favorites. Regina complimented them when she first bought them and Gretchen has loved them ever since. “You said it yourself.”

“I did?” Regina asks. “When?”

“At the Halloween party,” Gretchen says. “You said she’s the same kind of exotic cute as me only fresher so I should watch out.”

“Jesus,” Regina whispers under her breath. “Okay, look. You wanna ditch the rest of the day?”

“Huh?”

“Did I stutter? Do you wanna leave?”

“Y-yeah,” Gretchen says. “Where are we going?”

“I dunno. Smoothies?” Regina asks, strutting those perfect legs out of the bathroom and towards the doors to the building. Gretchen feels like a little pet scurrying after her wiping tears from her eyes.

“O-okay.”

Regina leads her to her convertible and tosses her bag carelessly into the backseat. Gretchen gently does the same with hers and slides into the passenger seat. She had been banished to the backseat with Karen to make room for Cady, but she hopes this time is okay because it’s just the two of them. Hopefully. Oh, god, what if she gets-

“I’m sorry,” Regina begins as she turns the engine over and pulls out of the student parking lot. Huh?

“It’s okay,” Gretchen says automatically.

“No, Gretch, it really isn’t,” Regina sighs. “Do you know what borderline personality disorder is?”

“Not really,” Gretchen says. “They mentioned it in psych but we never really went into detail.”

Regina nods. “I have it.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry,” Gretchen says. What is she supposed to say in this situation?

“It’s caused by… well, that doesn’t matter. But I feel things a lot more intensely than normal people do. Happiness, which, yknow. Pretty amazing. But anger and depression and shit too. I have a harder time keeping a lid on it,” Regina says.

“Oh.”

“I get angry a lot. Really easily,” Regina continues quietly. “And every time I do, it gets even easier. I’ve been in…”

“A fog?” Gretchen asks softly.

“Yeah,” Regina says. “I’ve been in a fog, of just… so much anger. Hate. Rage. For years. I think it started when my dad left. And it peaks and dips. But I lash out when it peaks. Like everything I… everything I did to Janis. And when I said that shit to you at the Halloween party.”

“That’s not your fault,” Gretchen says.

“Maybe not the root of it, but it’s not like I’m not in control of myself, Gretch,” Regina says. “I’m still responsible.”

“But you-”

“God, can you let me talk?!” Regina barks. Gretchen nods frantically and cowers down in her seat. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t- fuck, Gretch. You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”

“Everyone is,” Gretchen says softly. “You’re the queen.”

“Dictator, more like,” Regina says dryly. “I knew everyone else was, but you… you’re my best friend, Gretch.”

“You wouldn’t have kept me around if I wasn’t,” Gretchen says.

Regina is quiet as she mulls Gretchen’s words over in her mind. Gretchen isn’t sure if she should speak or not, so she settles for looking out the window at the two-lane road they’re hurtling down.

Eventually Regina pulls into the parking lot of a dinky little diner. It’s most certainly not somewhere befitting the Plastics today, but it was their favorite spot back when Janis was still with them.

Regina walks in like she owns the place, right past the very confused hostess and into their booth in the back corner. Gretchen is amazed she even remembered where they sat as she rushes after her.

Regina always makes Gretchen order their food. Gretchen always gets terribly anxious ordering the food. Regina never notices.

But this time, she does. She looks at Gretchen oddly as she starts quietly coaching herself through her deep breathing exercises to get herself calmed down enough to speak.

“Are you okay?”

“Mmhmm!” Gretchen hums frantically. “Mmhmm.”

“Don’t lie to me, Gretchen.”

“I’m not!” Gretchen insists.

“You sound the same as when you told me you were okay in the bathroom. You’re lying,” Regina insists. “What’s the matter?”

“I hate when you make me order the food because I always get really anxious when I have to talk to people I don’t know and I don’t know what to say and then I mess up and I’m always afraid someone’s gonna laugh and I’m more afraid it’s gonna be you because you-”

“Because I what?”

“Nothing,” Gretchen says softly. “Never mind.”

“I’ll order. It’s fine,” Regina says. Gretchen is torn between being relieved and absolutely fucking terrified. They had a nice moment in the car, but what if it was all fake? Regina could crucify her for this. “What do you want?”

“I can do it,” Gretchen says.

“I’m fucking ordering, Gretchen, what do you want?” Regina insists.

“Chicken tenders and a strawberry smoothie,” Gretchen says. “Please.”

Regina nods and repeats the order to the waiter when he comes up. She gets her own smoothie, too, but nothing else.

“You’re not gonna order anything?”

Regina shakes her head. “I’m on an all carb diet. I can’t.”

“Oh, right,” Gretchen says. “That sounds rough.”

“It is! And it totally isn’t working, I’ve got to talk to Cady. If anything I’m gaining weight.”

“You look amazing,” Gretchen says. “Like, super hot. Oh my god, why did I say that?”

“You think I’m hot?” Regina asks with a scrutinizing look in her eye. Gretchen doesn’t say anything and pointedly refuses to make eye contact. “Gretchen.”

“Everyone does!” Gretchen squeaks frantically. “I just… don’t think you look like you’ve gained anything. And if you have that wouldn’t be bad. And if you have you look great too.”

Regina hums quietly. They’re silent while they wait for their food. Neither of them know quite what to say. It’s weird, now, being alone without Karen or Cady to fill conversation.

Gretchen happily digs into her chicken tenders when the basket is placed in front of her. Regina sips slowly at her smoothie and watches with envy burning in her eyes.

“Fries are a carb,” Gretchen says softly. “I think.”

Regina gives her a half-smile and takes a couple fries. Gretchen pushes one of her little cups of ketchup closer to her, and the half-smile grows to a full one.

“I know I have to change,” Regina says eventually around a mouthful of fry. Gretchen looks up at her from her smoothie she was dipping her fries into. “I’m in therapy. Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. I’m in therapy too,” Gretchen says. Regina looks at her in apparent shock.

“For what?” she asks. “No, that’s personal, sorry.”

“I have an anxiety disorder,” Gretchen says. Regina’s face falls.

“Because of me?”

“No! No, it’s genetic,” Gretchen says. “It’s not your fault. It’s my parents’.”

“I probably don’t help,” Regina mumbles.

“If you’re serious about this, you will,” Gretchen replies, gently nudging her with a foot under the table. Regina nudges her back.

“I am. I know I’ve been horrible and I have to change and I’ve been a bitch. I want to, but it’s… I’ve done so much damage it’s gonna take a really long time,” Regina sighs. “Sometimes I wish I’d just get hit by a bus or something so I can claim I’ve seen the light and know the error of my ways now. Then nobody would ask questions.”

“You what?”

“That’s another BPD thing,” Regina chuckles. “Wanting to be injured for attention. But I’m kidding about the whole bus thing. Mostly. It’s only fair I take my time undoing what I took my time doing in the first place. And I wanted to start with you, anyway.”

“You did?” Gretchen asks as she stacks their dishes by the edge of the table to make it easier on the waiter. “Why?”

Regina sighs as she stands up and leads them back out of the diner. “Because you’re one of the ones I hurt the most, but you still see enough in me to be around. And…”

“And?” Gretchen asks, pausing outside the door. Regina freezes in her tracks, whirls around, and kisses her.

Gretchen freezes. This can’t be happening. The thing Gretchen has dreamed of for years, happening? No. No chance, no way.

But it is.

Regina’s lips are so soft. She knew they would be. Regina is never without lip gloss or, only in emergencies, a lip balm. She tastes faintly of the smoothies they just drank, and something minty. Her toothpaste, maybe. Either way, it’s beyond amazing.

“Whoa,” Gretchen gasps when she pulls back. “Wait, what about Aaron?”

“I broke up with him weeks ago,” Regina whispers. “I guess I technically started with him. Wasn’t fair to lead him on just to tease Cady. And… I have feelings for someone else.”

“Me?”

“Do you see me making out with anyone else in a parking lot, Gretchen?”

“No, no, I just… me?” Gretchen asks. “You could have your pick of guys or girls and… me?”

“Yeah,” Regina says. “You’d best not be questioning my judgement, Wieners.”

Definitely. “No, I’m-”

“Yours is pretty rotten.”

“Says you,” Gretchen teases. Regina gasps.

“Hey! Oh, you little shit, get back here!”

Gretchen runs all the way back to the car and hides in the back seat. Regina climbs in after her. They both freeze and blush when they realize Regina has her pinned in a rather compromising position, but neither of them complain about it.

“You’re beautiful,” Regina whispers eventually. “Look at you.”

“Look at me?! Look at you!” Gretchen giggles. “Did you mean all that stuff you said? About… getting better? Changing?”

“Yeah. But I could use a helper,” Regina says. “You have any recommendations?”

“I think Kevin Gnapoor might be free.”

“Do not even joke about that, oh my god,” Regina says. Gretchen laughs and wraps her arms around her neck.

“I’ll do whatever I can to support you,” she whispers. Regina gives a gentle, genuine smile and leans down for another kiss.

“Me too.”

Maybe out loud, they don’t say it. But inside, they both know.

They’re in love.