I dragged myself to work after school. No really, that's how it felt. Since I sorta forgot my bike at the cemetery, I had to go get that first before transporting myself to work. "Hey Cora," Liam greeted me in his monotonous tone as I walked in. "Afternoon lis- I mean Liam," I cleared my throat. Liam narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. After I'd changed and gotten back to the front desk, Liam handed me a clipboard. "Mr Ross wants you to look over the deliveries to make sure they got everything.""On it."This is part of the job I like. But unfortunately good things don't last forever..or even a whole shift. I spent the next few hours reorganizing and checking items off the list and I especially enjoyed sorting through the new RAMs and GPUs, of course calmly and professionally and totally not drooling over. I also didn't squeal and jump excitedly when I saw the solar powered control panel that Mr Ross let me order for my project. Well technically I'm paying it off with th
Aand that's how I found myself at a restaurant with Jin despite my numerous protests. And numerous they were. The sunny side diner had a sleek, minimalist design yet still managed to remain chic and contemporary dining. The restaurant’s exterior was a blend of glass and steel, with large windows that showcase the vibrant interior. Low, ambient lighting casted a warm glow over polished wooden floors and high-backed leather chairs of the booth we seated at.I just sat there with my hands crossed shooting glares at Jin despite agreeing to the whole thing. "You look cute when you pout," Jin complimented while my face caught fire. "Don't just say random things you don't mean," I said through gritted teeth even while my face remained uncontrollably hot. Jin's perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrowed just the slightest. "And you know I don't mean it how?""W-well I mean..it's obvious isn't it? You're just flattering me..""And you think that because..?""Because," I started harshly but my t
Turns out the chemistry pop quiz I missed on Monday was actually ten percent of our grade. Just my luck right?But the class rep informed us after homeroom that there was going to be a make-up test for it just after lunch for those of us who missed it. Mr Manners is really the nicest.This time though, I have to be in the right headspace. Surprisingly, it hasn't really been that hard to do..Theo's been less annoying all day. All week if I'm being honest. Not that I'm complaining. I think it started after school on Tuesday, after this man came to talk to him. Who the man was he never said but he's been pretty restrained since then. "Hey Cora, you don't mind if I join you, right? Thanks!" A familiar blonde plops down next to me. This doesn't feel familiar at all. "Yeah of course Hailey. Go ahead." Unfortunately (fortunately?) she didn't seem to notice my sarcasm. "Hi Cole, Theo," Hailey waved instead towards them. "Hi," Cole greeted back, while Theo acknowledged her presence wit
Theo's POV I get awakened from my peaceful Monday morning nap by the sound of loud voices. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes trying to look for the source of the noise which just happened to be in front of the class. A student slammed his hand on a nearby desk, effectively bringing me out of my stupor. "Threw it all away, huh? You don't think this counts as 'throwing it all away'?" I can't believe I'm getting disturbed by this. "It doesn't have to be," a familiar voice said quietly. Wait..is that Cora? What's she doing here? He reached out for Cora's arm and held it. "You're right. It doesn't have to be..you could still say yes." "Tony..you're hurting me." Tony..? Isn't that the guy who had a problem with me the other day? More importantly..did she just say he's hurting her? I got the answer to that question pretty quickly. From my vantage point, I could see the tight grip he had on her hand. Normally I don't like interfering with people when they're having
I blinked awake, wincing at the filtered light coming in through the window. I tried to sit up but a hand pushed me back down. My head hurt and my throat was so dry it felt like I'd been in the desert for weeks without water. "Hey sleepy head. You're finally awake," Hailey smiled at me, handing me a glass of water, which I drank eagerly. "Hey..slowly now," Hailey cautioned after I started coughing."What happened?" I croaked. "Where are we?"Hailey furrowed her eyebrows. "You don't remember? You fell. We're in the infirmary, "Hailey handed me my glasses.The room in the infirmary featured a single examination bed, covered with a clean, disposable sheet. The walls are painted in soft, calming colors and adorned with educational posters that were meant to be soothing.Bits and pieces started coming back to me. "I fainted..in the chemistry lab."Hailey nodded. "So I heard. We were in the art studio when we heard a commotion over at the lab adjacent to us, so we went to check it out.
The snowstorm outside had painted the windows with thick layers of frost, muffling the world beyond, a stark contrast to the swirling chaos outside. Theo stood at the door looking ethereally resplendent amongst the snow. He'd worn a black turtleneck and dark wash pants with a grey suit jacket. I finally dragged my eyes up to his deep blue ones, which seemed..concerned? A flurry of snowflakes swirling around him as he stood there, bundled against the storm. "Cora," Theo's voice was a soft echo in the frosty air, concern etched in the lines of his face. "Can I come in?" I nodded, stepping back to allow him entry. I watched as he brushed snow from his jacket, the tension in the room palpable. We stood facing each other, words hanging unspoken between us like icicles ready to shatter. "I had to come after what happened," Theo finally broke the silence, his voice low but steady. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. "Just...dealing with the fallout." Theo's e
I had a light bulb moment when I thought, 'hey, these two are here because of me right? If I can just find some other common ground, something that can these two occupied so they won't be at the other's throat, won't that be great?'But all thoughts of settling this tension went over my head the moment I stood up. An intense, debilitating pounding headache overtook me, and my hand flew over my mouth as an overwhelmingly nauseating feeling passed through me, making me regret my decision to have dinner at all.Theo stop up, reaching out but not quite touching me. "H-hey, are you good?""She's fine," Jin retorted from his position, still seated. "She's not some damsel you need to rescue you know?" He turned to me, "Right, Cora?"I couldn't even bring myself to reply. My limbs felt flaccid like my body wanted nothing more than to crumple to the floor. Which would be two times too many. And the last thing I want is to look weak. Through a miracle or the sheer force of my will, I made it
The soft glow of morning filtered through frosted windows, casting a serene light across my room as I stirred from my sleep, my mind gradually clearing from the haze of the previous night's migraine.As I blinked awake, the faint scent of pine needles and cinnamon wafted through the air, reminders of the holiday season. My gaze drifted to her bedside clock.It was still early, the sun barely cresting over the horizon. Winter break meant no rush to get ready for school, a rare luxury I cherished. Yet, the events of the previous evening lingered in my thoughts. I eased myself out of bed, careful not to disturb the peace that enveloped my room for some reason. As I took a quick shower, I tried to recall what happened after the 'temporary truce' between Theo and Jin last night but it felt like waking up from a dream. The more you get awake, the less you remember.Padding across the floor, I wrapped herself in a cozy sweater against the chill. Downstairs, the aroma of freshly brewed coff