Riverdell High (1x1)

[Zahkr]

Christopher pulled out another cigarette from his pocket — and let it hang from his mouth as he tightened his discoloured boots. He never particularly liked prolonged smoking sessions, but he would only be waiting around otherwise, and using the partially deserted school grounds to his advantage — he made his way back to the main entrance where he could see more than just the light his cigarette provided.


Roaming as he scrolled through his phone, he took a slow walk back — every text message from dad, the latest one reading nothing but blended letters and punctuation. He shunned, as though this was any teenager's normality. But despite that, the sodas were gone, he had the money — plus profit, he was good.


When deep in thought, Christopher spotted a figure in the distance — til’ he got closer, he realised that was Cora, items sprawled around her. He ran towards her, cigarette still hanging between his thin lips, he towered over her for a moment — before holding out his injured hand.


(Pressed enter again, editing)

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Cora had hit the floor rather hard, and could already feel her boney knees forming bruises that would rival ten year old her, and she realised that people, rather than helping her, were just walking around her. Her stuff was all around her, her journal open on the floor, bending the pages to the side slightly, and as she looked up she saw Chris's outstretched hand. She takes it gently and pulls herself up using him, her face bright red with embarrassment. "We meet again," she laughs lightly before turning around and kneeling down, picking up her stuff from the floor. Her pens and pencils were scattered, and as she shoved those into her bag, she reached for her journal and assessed the damage, flicking through some of the pages. It would be fine, so she shoved it into her bag before standing up straight and smiling up at Chris.


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[Zahkr]

Christopher retrieved his cigarette from between his lips, as he used another hand to support her. "Gotcha," He reassured, barely above a whisper — then letting go the second her stability returned and motioning over to the school building when she looked. "I was just about to go inside — you still coming?" Christopher asked.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Yeah, sure." She says and she momentarily remembers the jam stain on her shirt, she blushes once again, she must look like a mess. She really hadn't planned on any of this happening, so she hadn't brought a spare tshirt, and the weather was warm so she hadn't brought a jacket to cover her already long sleeved shirt. She sighs slightly and then begins to walk to the entrance again, so that she could get to the library, trying to cover the stain on her front.


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[Zahkr]

Christopher seemed to amble hesitantly ahead. He figured going to the library after school weren't the smartest thing to do — yet again, neither was smoking, fighting and selling goods on premises. Regardless, he would still have to lay low — and the fight still remained a matter he would rather not talk about.


Christopher, quiet as he scrolled through his text messages, glanced back to Cora who attempted to conceal her stained shirt. He quickly checked his pockets as they continued to walk — then, with ease, he removed his hoodie to reveal his slender frame. Christopher was quite on the thin side, despite his terrible diet, and carried multiple splotches on his right arm, purple and green, and some blue.


With the coat firmly in his grip, without inducing eye contact, he handed out the hoodie — stealing a glance when she didn't accept right away. He seemed to be striding fast towards the building, with some concentration on his face, temporarily clouding his true expression. He then turned to a slow stroll. "I don't mind," He briefly smiled, to then stare ahead, prodding his jacket towards her. He remained distracted, as they entered the building side by side.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Cora looked suspiciously at the hoodie being held out to her, and then at Chris, raising her eyebrows. She didn't take it at first, not because she didn't want to, but because she was confused as to why he was offering it to her. When he told her that he didn't mind, she reached out and took it from him as they walked through the entrance doors. "Are you sure?" She asks him, before she managed to put the hoodie on quickly while she still held her bag in one hand, then pulled her bag onto her shoulder and smiled up at Chris. The hoodie was large on her, but extremely comfortable, and she made a mental note to try and find out where he got it from, that or steal it from him by just running away with it and refusing to give it back.


As they marched through the corridors towards the library, Cora spoke up. "Thanks, I mean I didn't really prepare to have a jam sandwich thrown at me today." She smiles at him, raising her arms up and tightening her ponytail, because it felt loose. There were hairs that had got loose, strands coming down at either side of her face, but she couldn't be bothered to fix those for now.


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[Zahkr]

His voice resounded as they reached the hollow corridors, nobody seemed to be around, and you could easily question today's date — most students really didn't fuck around when the bells went, the corridor carried an eerie draft. "Funny," He reflected. "I thought I saw Miss Vine," He smirked, taking one last look around, as though he had been seeing things.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"You best be careful." Cora warned as she walked slowly behind him, "she'll have your head for skipping out on her punishment, you know." She says seriously, and though she wasn't sure if he had seen Miss Vine, Coras eyes scanned the hallways just to make sure. She didn't want her to come along and ruin her plans by taking Christopher away and punishing him some more. Cora finally gets fed up of the hair that was getting in her eyes, and uses her fingers to brush it away, grabbing a hair grip that she had attached to her skirt and clipping it back out of her eyes.


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[Zahkr]

Christopher seemed to take a second look around; his thick, dark eyebrows starting to furrow, "You — Look, I know what I'm doing," He replied with a hefty sigh.


Christopher hadn't seen the corridors this empty since the last day — compulsory homework club ‘an that — which his mother made him to go until he caught up with the class. Joel soon got them sent to summer school though, as he routinely did. Chris, sure that the coast was clear, began to wonder more artlessly. "I told you, we're fine."

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Well, I don't understand why we're sneaking around exactly. We're only going to the library." Cora says, raising her eyebrows and walking at pace with him now, her hands on her hips slightly. She grins though, and does a little 360 turn, before putting her hands in the hoodies pockets. "You wear extremely comfortable hoodies, you know that? I'm jealous." She says to him, and as they get to the library door she smiles, before pushing it open and holding it for him.


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[Zahkr]

"Jealous?" Christopher returns a subtle laugh, some question to his voice, as they entered the school library. "For the reference — I've blown my last chance here, I reserve every right to sneak around," Christopher added, speaking through his teeth so he wouldn't be called out and slaughtered by the librarian for speaking.


(Have to go for some time, I'll write a longer paragraph when I return)

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Yes, I'm jealous. I can never find comfy hoodies." Cora whispers to him and her mouth resumes a serious straight line as they walk to a table to sit at while they studied, or read, or did whatever they were planning on doing in the library. "What did you even do? I mean, I know you beat up that guy or something this morning, that's what everyones saying anyway. But why?" She asks him, still speaking quietly, she really didn't want to be caught out by the librarian today.


(Okay!)

 

[Zahkr]

Christopher takes an audible breath, "That's a sore topic — let's just study and get the hell out of here, sound good?" He says with a restless murmur, pacing ahead. Chris, on most days, was like this; moody one minute, and moody the next. He throws his bag onto the table and examines the array of books ahead, without much (or any) thought or aspiration, he picks one, then slumps down onto a vandalised chair.


It was quiet — every student's nose into their books — well, the few that came, anyway. Christopher couldn't have picked a better book; an old and heavy thing that he had no intention in actually reading — which to say the least was the perfect contradiction of his previous words to Joel. Christopher, doing what he does best, doesn't read and looks ‘edgy’ while doing so.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"O-okay." Cora says then bites her lip as she puts her bag on the chair that she was going to sit on, and then walks over to the bookshelves. She runs her fingers along the spines of the books as she looks for something interesting to read, and she quickly passes the non fiction works, the classic novels, and then stops just at the spiritualist sections. She pushes the strands of hair behind her ears and kneels down, her eyes scanning over the book titles. She actually had an interest in reading, and she loved to learn about religions and supernatural things the most. She picks out a book about symbolism of different crystals and the ways they heal, and she moves along the shelf a little and pulls out a book about witchcraft, before pulling both of them into her arms and walking with the heavy books back to her table. She places them down as gently as she can but they still manage to make a large banging noise as they connect with the table, and as she sits down across from Chris, she whispers to him, "where's Joel?"


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[Zahkr]

"Caught up, probably." Christopher candidly replies, initially. "Don't worry, he'll show up — since you're here," He mentioned, while scanning his book for any lines that seem to capture his short attention span, "He wouldn't want to ‘miss out’ on anything."


(I was thinking, to pull them closer and/or shake things up a bit, Jason or someone Cora knows could appear?)

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Oh... Right." Cora says and nods her head slightly before opening her witchcraft book to the first chapter, and she begins to read on the origins of witchcraft before she looks up at Chris. "Say, you know-" her speech fades to silence as she sees someone entering the library, not Joel. Jason. She groans and puts her head down, her hand supporting it as she tries not to be noticed by him. But her brown curls were easily identifiable, as he walks over to their table and pulls up a chair. "Hey baby, we never got a chance to finish our conversation earlier." Jason says, putting his feet up on the table and kicking the books away from Cora, who looks slightly panicked, and very annoyed.


(Ta da!)


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[Zahkr]

Christopher's frustration quickly arose as he spotted him. He seemed to be coming over — even though the pair weren't particularly enemies, he despised him; walking around with that arrogant smile like he owned the place. As Jason sat down, Chris pushed his book aside. "Baby? Really?" He mocked, despite his extreme irritation. "Look, Jason," He quickly rose to his feet, smiling to avoid acting on his enragement. "Before I do something I regret—"


Chris’ fists remained clenched, but his words seemed to fade out as he was hit with multiple stares. "She's not interested, okay?" He lent down slightly so there wasn't such a contrast between heights. His steely stare strengthening.


(Couldn't think of anything tbh, but it should be easier to work with.)

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Jason scoffs slightly as he pushes back in his chair and moves his body so that his feet were now finally on the floor. "Listen here, Christopher. She's not interested in YOU." Jason stands, trying to intimidate Chris, though he probably wasn't doing a good job at it. "I swear, if Carol wasn't here right now? It wouldn't end well for you."


Cora was sat looking up at Chris and Jason, panicking and slightly fearful for one of their lives. She had seen, well heard about, Chris in the corridor, and she knew that Jason wasn't all that friendly, being the captain of the football team and a major bully. If he didn't hit Chris, then his friends probably would.


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[Zahkr]

Christopher took a stride towards him so their faces were only centimetres apart. He became profoundly amused. "Cora — see, you can't even get her name right," He smirked. "But since you're so positive about ending me — I don't mind taking this outside." Christopher's glare gradually turned to a diluted fury.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Jason pretended to think for a moment and then shook his head slowly. "Nah. Nah. Sorry Carol, you're not worth the sweat." He says and shrugs his shoulders as he takes a step back, intending to leave. Cora watches him, but before he leaves she stands up and walks over to him, clearing her throat when she gets behind him. Jason turns and looks at her, raising his eyebrows, confused. Cora smiles sweetly up at him and takes a step away from him, before raising her hand and slapping him across the face with as much strength as she could manage, the sound of it echoing through the library. Calmly, she walks away from Jason, who is now holding his cheek in shock.


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[Zahkr]

Though his ultimate preference would be pounding his own fists into Jason's face. He could be satisfied witnessing his bad fortune — but not presently. Without any remorse, his lips curled. "I'm done here," He simply said, taking a casual walk away, before he could change his mind.


(Ah, kinda feel myself dropping asleep, I'll reply in the morning for sure! Night.)

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Chris!" She exclaims, but saw that he was already leaving without changing his mind. Cora watched Chris go, but didn't make a move to stop him, sitting back down at the table and pulling her books back into position, she opened them and began to read from page one again. In truth, her hand kind of hurt from giving the slap, but it was worth it to see the look of surprise on Jason's face, and she really hoped that it had hurt him. She wondered where Chris was going to go, but she didn't want to stop him, he looked angry and she didn't know what he was like when he was angry, but she presumed much like when they were in the halls earlier.


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[Zahkr]

Christopher walked through the exit and onto the halls at a quick pace. "Christop—" A voice echoed after him, which he scorned, and continued to stride towards the fire exit. Gravelling grey eyes drawn to the floor, eyebrows quickly becoming furrowed.


Christopher seemed to revise recent events, which only ended up contributing towards more pointless enragement. That was the trouble, his rages were pointless, but he was never convinced — to him, violence was the answer and despite being unconvinced that his rages were pointless, he was solely convinced that he'd made the wrong decision by walking away (i.e. not breaking Jason's neck).


He should've beat the crap out of him while he had the opportunity to do so, and he should've made him regret what he'd said. Christopher always did do an absolute job at working himself up; hot to the touch, white knuckles and a tensed jaw, giving his face a more, chiselled appearance. He was like a child, painfully prone to temper.


With that said, and everything ‘carefully’ considered, Christopher took a sharp turn around towards the library and as he did — collided with Miss Vine. "Christopher?" Question to her stern voice, she quickly realised what was happening. "Christopher, stop — you need to calm down before you—" Miss Vine, unlike most teachers, knew him fairly well, yet she still found herself struggling to tame him. "Christopher, calm down," She scuffled, as he fought to be freed from her stubborn grip.


Meanwhile, Joel enters the library through the fire exit, snacks at hand, he looks around for Christopher's distinctive hair, and Cora as a whole.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Cora had her head buried in a book, her mind in the clouds filled with the different versions of witchcraft that she was reading about. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the end of her skirt, the sleeves of Chris's hoodie coming over the edge of her hands slightly, not that she minded. She looked up as she heard the fire exit open, and raises her eyebrows as Joel walks into the library with the snacks. She waves him over, watching him fumble with the snacks, and smiles widely as she finally had some company.


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[Zahkr]

Joel ran over, sure not to trip over his own feet, as he approached the table he removed his bag and chucked a variety of packaged snacks onto the table. "I was held up — the janitor was talking to me about drugs — what a creep." He said, a little too loudly, before taking a seat beside Cora and opening a packet of crisps. He then looked around, "Uh, where's Chris?"