Work Text:
After school, the once loud halls of Rosemeadow High School were unusually silent. Most students had left the school, unless they were part of a club, had gained detention, or were there for another reason.
Two of these few students, were part of the music club, there was no practice today. However, the club president, Hailey Austin, had decided to have these two stay behind to complete their homework with each other.
Other then that- she hasn’t bothered to elaborate. The two had reluctantly agreed, having nothing better to do.
So, Zander and Jake sat in the music room, notes and homework sprawled out on the wood table. Zander’s side was kept much more neater, whilst Jake’s was more messy and unorganized.
Minutes passed, the sound of clicking pens and foot tapping filled the otherwise silent room as Zander worked and Jake zoned out.
Jake stared at the ceiling, sighing silently before beginning to make a popping noise- that may or may not have made Zander want to rip out Jake’s vocal cords.
After a few minutes of the annoying noise, Zander sighed, “Can you stop making that noise?”
“What?” Jake asked.
Zander sighed again, shaking his head, “Nothing..”
He put his head in his hands, the cool metal and plastic of the pen brushing against his fingers and purple locks. He twirled his fingers and his pen in his hair.
Jake started making the popping noise again.
“That popping noise,” Zander spat, his head poking up, “Can you stop making the popping noise.”
“I’m not making a popping noise though?” Jake mumbled, confused.
“This idiot” Zander thought.
Jake made the popping noise for the third time.
Zander smacked his hand on the table at the speed of light, pointing his finger and glaring daggers at the blonde haired boy, “You’re doing it again!” He hissed.
“Ohhhh!” Jake gasped, “Crap… I didn’t even realize I was doing it, sorry!”
The two stared at each other.
Well, more like, Jake was staring at Zander, and Zander was avoiding his eyes. But still, you get the point.
“How do you not realize-“ Zander started, “Ugh… never mind.” He sighed, exasperated, turning back to his work.
The other boy also turned his attention back to his work, Jake picked up his pen again, clicking it on and looking at the questions that he had yet to start on. With his unoccupied hand, he played with his hair, scratching it and brushing it with his fingers as he began to zone out.
Zander clicked his pen on and off, thinking, before stopping and continuing to write. His fingers lightly brushed the assignment paper.
“Hey, Zander?” Jake blurted out suddenly.
Zander continued writing his notes, humming in acknowledgment.
Jake tapped his foot on the ground nervously, “What if I dated Hailey?”
“What if I broke your neck?” Zander shot back in a matter of seconds.
“Uhm-“ He looked at Zander, who was still writing down answers calmly.
“Maybe…” Jake started, rubbing his neck gently, “..Maybe don’t do that..”
Zander snickered, bobbing his leg up and down, “Yeah, I won’t. You haven’t given me a reason too…”
He trailed off slowly, looking at Jake for the first time in the past ten minutes.
He squinted his eyes, “Unless we’re including being annoying as a reason,” Zander smiled jokingly, raising his head, “Then I do have a reason.”
Jake rolled his eyes, looking back at his notes, scanning over the questions for what seemed to be the millionth time that day.
Zander peered over to look at his paper. He scoffed, “It’s been about a whole hour- yet you barely have anything done?”
Jake shrugged, leaning his head on his hand, “I just keep zoning out and…” He sighed, looking at the table and tracing a pattern with his thumb, “I’m just tired, I guess.”
Zander nodded, “I get it… it’s hard to concentrate sometimes.”
Jake let out a bitter laugh, “Especially with something as boring as school.”
The two continued to work, the sound of pen on paper was one of the only things heard- although that was more Zander than Jake. Zander swayed his legs back and forth, stopping every once in awhile to think, clicking his pen on and off and tapping his fingers on the table, perfectly synchronized.
Jake mostly just hummed, zoning out, slowly blinking. Every once in awhile, he would snap back to reality, answer one or two questions before getting lost in the maze of his thoughts again.
This loop continued on for a while, until-
“Why do you think the club is making us do our homework together?” Zander asked suddenly, clicking his pen.
Jake looked at him, snapping out of his mind, he tapped his foot on the ground, thinking of an answer, “I don’t know.. why’re you asking?” Jake smiled cheekily, “Already getting tired of my company?”
Zander avoided his eyes, “No- No.. I’m just curious..” He put his pen to his mouth, lightly tapping it against his mouth, “Come to think of it, they probably set this up to get us to get along.”
Jake stretched his legs out, his back pushing up against the seat back of the chair, “Yeah, probably..”
And the two boys stayed in silence. The click of pens, humming, tapping, and writing continuing on.