Chapter Text
CA always seemed boring despite being a program all about being creative and artistic, and it was! Well, kind of. The classroom–the one the juniors/seniors used anyway, seemed more like an office, with both main walls decorated: one with framed artworks, and the other a giant mural of all the past graduate classes.
So, there they were, 15 boring students, one extremely boring teacher, and those two. JJ and Cory were always near each other, no matter the project, even out of school. Most joked that the two were together, that was the most common teasing friends got.
Although, they probably prefer the smooching noises over being called a fag by the automotive kids next door, or being barked at by collision repair.
Yeah, teasing was 100 times better.
Deadlines were rolling in, and 1 week was left to finish their board games. And while other students were finishing up final touches and putting them together...Cory was still unorganized. Now whether it was because of bad planning, or spending more time typing up a new script instead of typing a rule book, that was between her and Cagno.
Cory sat in her seat, lips pursed as she stared at the half-assed, messy game plans that covered her tiny desk area. She had her idea, had her prototype, but building? She was having trouble, and it wasn't helped by the noise the "3 amigos" were making, probably watching another mukbang on Sams desktop. Cory leaned back in her chair, looking across the room to her friend, quietly wishing she hadn't moved her seat right before he did, because then maybe they could've sat closer. Unlike Cory, JJ was working on his game vigorously, he already had most of it done, well, he just had to print everything out. The light approach of footsteps brought JJ out of his focus, his eyes darting to the ginger approaching him.
"Oh, hey." JJ hummed, head tilting towards his friend while his eyes moved back onto his computer screen, hands still typing like his life depended on it. Cory let out a grunt, hoisting herself up to sit on the desk next to JJ's before sighing "I really don't wanna work on this"
"It's worth 400 points."
"I knowwww..." Cory whined "That's the worst partttt"
JJ scoffed, although his lips twitched to form a smirk, "It's not that bad."
"You don't get to talk, you're almost done!"
"I just get my work done faster."
Cory groans again, swinging her legs as she looks down at JJ again "Like..if I don't get this finished, imma jump"
"No you won't"
"Yeah huh"
JJ slowly stood up, cracking his back before stepping a bit closer to Cory, his body shifting between her legs "I might take a break from it, that or I'll ask Nori to print my stuff."
"Pretty sure Nori will fight you; it's tech week, remember?"
JJ sighed, laying his forehead on Cory's shoulder "Ugh..forgot about that." He pulled away slightly, looking up at Cory through half-lidded eyes "You doing ok?"
Cory shrugged, patting JJ's back "Tired, but not as bad as Blaise" she muttered, glancing over at their vampiric classmate, who was half-asleep.
"Alright, good point" JJ responded.
The silence that followed was far from awkward, the two friends just looking at each other and then to their classmates.
Cory's eyes were grazing JJ up and down as she whispered, "I should...really get back to work"
"Yeah," He whispered back, moving out of the way so she could get down. "Normal spot at lunch?"
Cory rolled her eyes, "Unless the Collision kids steal it again."
He watched Cory walk back across the room towards her desk, leaving him standing there awkwardly before he scrambled back to work on his board game
The rest of the day went slow, boring, the usual. Although no matter how loud the music in JJ's headphones were, he couldn't pry his attention away from the ginger that sat across the room. Something about the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, or how her hair almost seemed to glow when the warm table lamp hit it just right made his cheeks hot.
It was just friendly thoughts, of course. Cory was friends with nearly everyone, it's just who she is. If JJ didn't think these, then that would be a problem. He'd be a bad friend if he didn't pick up on every detail that made Cory her usual self.
Of course. Nothing different.
Maybe next shop day, the two friends could relax together. That, or JJ helps with her project...