Sunnydale AU: two-way street

[americas_son]

Cal is finally attending school on a regular basis again, for the first time since his father's death.

He doesn't consider it much of an improvement. The school day is ending and he's shoving a few things into his locker before heading home. Bringing books home to study is for people who don't have more important things to do.

Comments

[take_youaway]

It's been easy to avoid Cal. Tina blends into the background at the best of times, and since they ran into each other (and did that even happen, or was she dreaming?), she's just... blended even better.

As she walks past his locker, head down and willing herself to blend even more than usual, she really doesn't expect him to notice her.

[americas_son]

Unfortunately for her, Cal closes his locker and turns from it at just the right moment. He brightens when he sees her. Thanks to the vacation at Milliways, it seems like a long time since their last conversation. And he had, after all, promised he wouldn't ignore her at home.

"Tina!" he calls.

[take_youaway]

She stops. She blinks. So that conversation did happen.

This is so fucking weird.

"Oh, hi. Um. How are you?"

It's not like she didn't like talking to him. She did. She just... doesn't know what to do about it.

[americas_son]

He smiles, moving away from his locker to stand closer to her.

"I'm pretty good," he says. "You?"