Chapter Text
Sometimes, projects came together easily for Blake. He was good at what he did. But today the footage just wasn’t cooperating and the audio sounded faintly like static. It was his own fault for not checking more closely at the time, of course, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.
So when the door to the classroom opened he let his eyes wander. In walked a woman who looked oddly familiar. But no matter how hard Blake tried, he just couldn’t put his finger on who she could be.
She walked to the professor and they spoke quietly, too quietly for him to hear. He watched, leaning on his arm, for a while. Until the two of them looked his way. “Langermann, don’t you have a project to work on?”
“Yeah, I- Almost done.” It was a little lie but it might get him off for now. He was quick to return to his work then and pretend he hadn’t been looking in the first place.
He was focusing hard enough on appearing like he was working that he didn’t even notice her approach him until she waved a hand in front of his face.
He slipped his headphones off sheepishly and looked up at her. “Uh, hi.” Real smooth, he thought to himself. But in his defense, he assumed she would only have been talking to him to get on his case for staring. He was too busy bracing for whatever snide remark she would have to be smooth.
She didn’t mention it at all though. “Your teacher said I could borrow you for a project.”
“Nice to meet you too,” he mumbled, glancing at the screen and to his own unfinished project. Maybe that lie had come back to bite him.
He glanced around the room, looking for a free seat but didn’t see one nearby. “Give me one second,” he said, saving and closing down his work. Once he was sure it was safely on his drive he stood and nodded to the door. “Let’s talk outside.”
She nodded and walked ahead of him. He couldn’t help but notice the way she held herself. Confident. Professional. Like this project she was working on was for something real instead of just school. Hell, he didn’t have the details. Maybe it was. The brochures on this place had always been talking about real world experience and internships but somehow he didn’t think this was that.
They walked a few yards to a bench sitting under a tree where she now stuck out her hand. “I’m Lynn.” She gave him a warm smile but he couldn’t focus on that.
He just stared dumbfounded at her for a few seconds because he finally knew where he recognized her from. “Lynn from St. Sybil’s?”
She looked confused and only a little offended he hadn’t shaken her hand. She let it drop to her lap. “Uhm, yes? Do I know you?”
He actually laughed and nodded. “Blake. Nice to see you again.”
Recognition dawned on her face and she leaned back to get a good look at him. “No way! I haven’t seen you since-“ Blake knew how she wanted to finish that sentence and just nodded to let her know it was okay.
They hadn’t seen each other since around the time Jessica had died. Which was also around the time that Blake had started showing psychotic symptoms. Everyone in his family had thought it was best to pull him out of the school and send him to a regular public school instead. Mostly, it had been a very good move but he had missed some things. And some people.
After the initial shock wore off she crossed her arms over her chest, looking a mix between playful and cross. “You could’ve kept in touch, you know.”
They had, for a while. But it had been hard for him. And eventually his therapist and parents had thought leaving all reminders of his past and Jessica behind would be best. So little by little he’d stopped responding to her emails and in late middle school they’d finally lost touch.
He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, hoping to look appropriately cowed. “Guess I’ll have a chance to fix that now,” he said with a chuckle and a lopsided smile.
He found himself now even more embarrassed about their awkward reintroduction inside but the smile he found staring back at him as he looked up through the curls he could never get to stay out of his eyes told him he didn’t have to worry.
It was her turn to watch him now, a task she seemed to be taking much joy in and indulging in shamelessly. He felt his cheeks heat up under her gaze and he coughed and looked away. “So, uhm- You said you had a project you needed some help on?”
She gave him one last look over before nodding, switching back to business mode and pulling out several carefully organized binders. “Alright, Mr. Langermann. I look forward to seeing if you’re as good as your professor said you are.”
He found himself looking forward to it too.