LlamaArts--
...
Surprise. XD
***
Jay kept his head down as he walked down the hall, beanie low on his head. The night before had been the absolute worst. He had a pounding headache, and quite frankly, looked ready to punch the next person who spoke to him. Though, really, he wouldn't.

As he made his way down the halls of Maggie's School for the Gifted and Talented, however, nobody uttered a word in his direction.

That is, until he approached his locker. A girl stood there nonchalantly, leaning against the wall with her legs crossed at the ankles. She hugged a sketchpad to her chest and sported a nearly knee-length red sweater with gray leggings and black combat boots. A beanie was tugged over her long black-brown hair and she was wearing headphones. Her eyes were closed as she mouthed the lyrics to a song.

Jay walked up to his locker.

The girl paused her music and pulled her headphones around her neck. She turned her head to face him. "Hey, Jay Jay," she said.

Any other day, he might have chuckled, even ruffled her hair. But today was not the day. "Hi, Ian," he said. Ian continued to watch him as he opened the locker and swapped his books.

"Someone's having a bad day. Something happen?" Ian asked, pushing her glasses up and standing up straight.

"Nah. I'm good," Jay said. "Just tired, I guess."

Ian didn't buy it, but she knew Jay. He'd tell her when- or if- he wanted to. So she let it go. "Oh. Okay then," she said. "Any plans for the rest of the day?"

"School's over, so I'm probably gonna go home and sleep. You?" Jay replied.

Ian shrugged, hugging her sketchbook tighter. "I'm not too excited to go home, honestly. I can't go to Fern's or Diamore's- they're both busy- and I wouldn't go to Jackson's house by myself at all anyway." She looked at the ground, kicking her left foot back and forth. "So I guess I'm going home."

Jay slammed his locker and locked it, looking at Ian. "Why don't you want to go home?" he asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said. Before Jay could say more, Fern walked up to the two in her standard dance attire with a big sweater on top. Diamore and Jackson followed her, conversing among themselves.

"Sup, losers?" Fern asked. "Kidding. But seriously, you two both look like you're about to punch someone. Or cry. Or, possibly both."

Ian quirked a little smile. "Something like that," she said. Fern rolled her eyes.

"I'm not looking forward to babysitting tonight," she groaned. Jay chuckled.

"Guess you just gotta deal with it," he said. Fern shrugged.

The three looked toward Diamore and Jackson, but they were gone. Probably off to their respective obligations. Detention for Jackson, probably. Who knew what Diamore was up to.

"I should get going," Fern said finally. "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"'Kay. See ya," Ian said. Fern launched into a backwards handspring and was gone, leaving Jay and Ian alone in the now-empty hallway.

"I should probably go, too," Ian said with a sigh.

Jay locked eyes with her as she turned away.

"Wait."

Ian looked back at Jay. "Yeah?" She turned to fully face him, a curious look on her face.

"You wanna, I dunno, go do something?" Jay asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Ian smiled a bit, and Jay chewed his lip.

"Sure," Ian said. Jay nodded, heading off with Ian walking alongside him. The two walked quietly until Ian spoke up.

"Dude, stop looking so nervous around me," she said with a laugh.

Jay was caught slightly off guard by the remark. He quickly came back from it, though. Smirking, he countered, "Well, maybe you should stop being so cute then." Ian blushed lightly, but didn't say anything more. "I win," Jay said. Ian rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Jay Jay."

The two exited the school, emerging into the bright sun of late afternoon. "So, what's the plan?" Ian asked. "I already texted my mom, she's cool with me going with you."

Jay smiled a bit. "Sweet," he said. "Although, a plan is the one thing I don't have."

"Figured as much," Ian said with a laugh. "Let's just go for a walk or something, maybe sit in the park."

Jay tilted his head. "The park, huh?" Ian looked at him. "Alright, the park it is." With a satisfied grin, Ian grabbed his hand and started walking. Jay looked at their hands, flustered.

"What, too much?" Ian asked, raising a brow. Then she seemed to fully realize what she was doing, pulling her hand out of Jay's. "Sorry, sor-"

She was stopped short when he grabbed her hand again. He looked forward, as if playing it off as though he hadn't done anything. Deciding she'd test her boundaries a bit, she interlaced her fingers with his. Jay didn't respond; well, not obviously. However, Ian did spot a tinge of red across his face, and she smiled.

Soon, they reached the park. The two gazed at it, silent. Nobody was there but them. Ian sat down on the top of the hill leading down the the playground and patted the ground beside her. Jay sat down, careful to remain at a friendly distance, and watched her as she opened her sketchpad and took a pencil from behind her ear.

As Ian sketched, the sun started its descent. The park was bathed in a warm, golden glow, and a gentle breeze blew through the valley. Jay continued watching Ian draw, transfixed. Then, he moved a bit closer and put an arm around her. Ian looked up, surprised.

And with a smile, she leaned into Jay and watched the clouds pass the sunset. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

As the sun settled down somewhere over the horizon, Jay chuckled. "That had to be the most cliché thing to ever happen," he said.

"Agreed," said Ian. "Let's shake things up a bit, yeah?"

And with that, she pushed Jay down the hill and tumbled after him. They landed in a heap at the bottom, both unharmed (it wasn't a very big hill). Ian was on Jay, head on his chest, and Jay lay there on his back. Neither moved.

"That shaken up enough?" Ian said into his shirt.

"Still a bit cliché," Jay said, "but I think I like this."

Ian was glad the darkness masked her blush.

Jay laughed. As he did so, a glowing yellow orb appeared and faded out right in front of his face. Another one appeared somewhere else. In fact, they were everywhere. "Fireflies," Jay said. The fireflies danced around them as they cuddled in the grass. "How much more cliché can this get?"

Ian chuckled softly. "It could start raining. Kissing in the rain is about as cliché as it gets."

"Very true," Jay said, looking at the rain clouds gathering overhead. "Come on, it's late. Let's get you home."

The two got up and ran up the hill, laughing and pushing each other. Ian picked up her sketchpad and returned her pencil to its home behind her ear, slinging her bookbag over her shoulder. Jay put his on, too, and they walked hand in hand back down the street. Jay kept an eye on the clouds, willing it not to rain on them. Soon, though, a raindrop fell on Ian's nose. She shook her head and smiled, tilting her head up to the sky. She stopped to put her sketchbook and beanie in her bookbag as the drops fell harder.

"Y'know, running through the rain is pretty cliché, too," Jay commented. They locked eyes for a second, and with a shared grin, they sprinted down the street. They were laughing and stomping through the puddles as they went, clothes clinging to them like magnets.

They finally reached the safety of Ian's porch, panting, dripping wet, and happier than they'd been in a while. They faced each other under the porch light, still breathlessly laughing. "Thank you, Jay," Ian said, "for everything." She hugged him tightly around the neck and laughed into his wet shirt.

"Being cliché is kinda fun," Jay said then, smiling. Ian pulled back a bit to look at him.

"Totally," she agreed. She then leaned forward and kissed him gently. It lasted but a second, and she winked at him as she stepped away.

"See you tomorrow, Jay Jay."

The rain slowed to a stop as she stepped into her house and shut the door.
***

AHH HOLY CRAP I FIND THIS REALLY CUTE.

THIS SHIP.

THIS. SHIP.

LlamaArts--
LlamaArts--
LlamaArts--