Making After School Plans Who: Zane, introducing Nate Hargrove Where: Regan High School When: Monday morning, November 22nd
Nate was your typical teenage boy: he wasn't overly athletic (he could run a decent distance, if he needed to, though), he wasn't particularly tanned and spent way too much time playing video games and reading comic books. His mother often commented that he spent too much time indoors and that he needed to meet a girl, least his father's suspicions about him turned out to be true. He certainly liked girls, but given his geeky nature, he had no idea how to approach them – and really, what was the hurry, anyway?
He stretched as he made his way into the library, dressed in jeans and a tight-fitting X-Men t-shirt, showing that while completely nonathletic, he still managed to have a slightly muscular build. It was still dreadfully early in the morning, but he hoped that he could get some homework out of the way while it was quiet. Finding a table, he set his backpack on it and sat down.
When Nate arrived in the library, Zane had already been there for fifteen to twenty minutes doing research for a report she needed to do for one of her classes. A fact quite evident by the couple open library books scattered out on the table she was sitting at. With no room to spare, Zane had stowed her backpack away underneath the table and was at the moment engrossed in one of the open books in front of her every moment or two was taken to scribble something down in her notebook.
Nate glanced over to Zane and smiled faintly, wondering if she was the serious-type to get homework done so early, or if she was the forgetful-type, leaving it at the last minute. He was the former, himself, if only because his education was important to him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, letting her know that she wasn't alone, before pulling his own books out of his bag.
Zane was actually there at such an early hour because the library was really the only place she could get any school work done in quiet, and without interruption. It was also where the books she needed for her report could be found. She didn't catch on right off, a few short seconds passing before Zane realized she wasn't alone and gave a glance over to the boy sitting at the next table. "Thought I was the only one who utilized the library so early in the morning." She commented with faint traces of a smile as she watched Nate extract books from his bag.
"Well, there aren't many students in their right mind who would come here this early, which suits me fine," he commented, before realizing a critical error in that statement: "Not to say that you're not in your right mind, or anything. I'm sure you're perfectly sane." Sigh. There was a reason he didn't speak unless spoken to and even then he still managed to make a colossal fool of himself. "I'll just... not talk now." He set the books on the table and opened them to the pages he needed.
Zane smiled amusedly listening to the boy. Conversation certainly seemed to not be one of his strong suits. "Students with any amount of sanity are smart enough to still be in bed at this hour." That was a luxury Zane had lost ever since giving birth to Cameron and she was envious sometimes of her brother, Donovan, who could still enjoy those few extra moments of sleep.
He chuckled, "Then I guess we're the rare exceptions. But really, what's so good about being sane, anyway?" He had a point. Feeling quite chuffed with himself, he started working on his math homework, frowning thoughtfully. It wasn't often (at all, really) that a girl spoke to him because she wanted to. It wasn't to say that he was unattractive, he just tended to give off the creepy vibe, more often than not. "What are you catching up on?" He asked after a few moments silence, looking over in her direction.
"Research for a report I have to do for history class." Zane said without a glance up as she quickly scribbled more info into her notebook. "Joseph Nicephore Niepce." Zane added when she finally looked up and across to Nate. While most in her class chose more familar persons from the past, Zane went a little more obscur by chosing the man who was one of the inventors of photography.
"Impressive," he replied with a nod. "I would have gone for da Vinci myself, but I can see why you went with him. What would we do without photography?" … Did I mention that Nate was a nerd? It shouldn't come as a surprise that he knew that. "When's it due?"
"Exactly. What better subject to cover then someone who originated the field I'm planning on going into." Zane felt a certain pride in doing a paper on one of the people responsible for the revolution of photography. If it hadn't been for them she might not be drawn to her preferred profession. "Tomorrow." She told Nate in answer to his inquiry or when the assignment was due.
"Would you say that you're almost done?" Call him curious. He always wanted to know how other people went about things, at the very least to see how the mind worked. He'd considered going into psychology himself, but there was always something about journalism that spoke to him. So he might do that instead.
"Halfway?" Zane answered with a questionable look on her face. It wasn't that she slacked in her school work, Zane just didn't have the time available to her that her peers did. Which had the aspiring photography pushing her self harder to get her school work done in less time. "Hopefully tonight I can get everything compiled into a decent report to hand in tomorrow."
"That sounds do-able," he replied as he flicked through his papers, wondering if he'd left any math homework to do today. Oh well. He'd better check his answers, just in case. "I could always proof-read it, if you need," he offered. He wasn't on the school newspaper for nothing, you know.
"That's nice of you to offer." Zane replied, and it was then she realized why he seemed so familiar to her. They both worked for The Regan High Voice. Her as photographer and him as a reporter. "And actually I would appreciate you doing a proof read of my paper."
He'd recognized her, of course, but given that he hardly spoke to anyone unless they spoke to him directly, it wouldn't come as a surprise that she took a little longer recognizing him. "Let me know when you're available?" He suggested. Well, wasn't he sweet?
"After last class?" She answered a bit questionably as Zane was unsure if then would be a convenient time for the boy. It would give her time enough, hopefully to get a rough draft done of her report.
"That sounds fine." He'd only planned to go to the comic book store after school, anyway. He could always do that afterward. "I'll meet you back here then," he added, smiling awkwardly.
"You've got yourself a date." Zane responded with a smile. Not that it was an actual date, more like a afterschool meeting to get something done. "I'll meet you here after last class."