Computer Lab

[rose, "I did NOT see your incredibly broad shoulders there."]

~RP

[rose, "I did NOT see your incredibly broad shoulders there."]

Instead of her usual perch in her favorite window of the library, Peyton had traded that spot in for the computer lab. She decided to mix things up today, and maybe something would turn out in her favor? Or maybe it was because there were a lot of people in the library using computers, and this was her only other option, since her apple laptop had completely crashed to the floor and the screen was done.

Peyton sat in her chair, legs crossed and sitting tall. As per usual, her hair was up and she was wearing a light blue scarf with her white shorts and gray tank top. She just blended in, wearing pastels--like always.

[Adena, With great power, comes a great electricity bill.]

RJ heard the slight squeak of one of the swivel chairs and poked his head up over the top of his computer screen. He was startled to see Peyton sitting there. He hadn't heard her come in and she looked like she had been sitting there for a while. How long he she been there and how on earth had he not noticed her sitting directly across from him. Sure he had one earbud in, but his music wasn't even that loud. If he had heard the slight squeak of her chair, it seemed unlikely that he wouldn't have heard her typing or clicking the mouse. In all honesty, RJ had always found her a little disconcerting, the way she always seemed to blend in perfectly with her surroundings. Actually, if faced with the choice between the two, he would probably feel more comfortable talking to an armed gunman than to Peyton, but he never let his own comfort alter his actions.

"Howdy," he said, pulling his earbud out. Only RJ could greet people like that and not sound like the spawn of Ned Flanders. "So," he said, fishing for conversation. "Not to sound strange or anything, although that's usually what ends up happening, but exactly how long have you been sitting there?" he asked. He was looking straight at her and still felt like she wasn't there. He suspected it had something to do with the colors she was wearing.

[rose, "I did NOT see your incredibly broad shoulders there."]

Believe it or not, Peyton wasn't in the computer lab on any social networks or anything else teenager-y like that. Or maybe you would believe it... this was Peyton, after all. She was actually on google chrome, emailing her parents and sending screenshots of her grades and assignments. Because they didn't want overall grades, they wanted individual tests and everything else of the like. Even though it was only the first week of school, Peyton didn't get a grace period.

So it probably looked pretty suspicious to RJ that she minimized the program before she turned in her chair to face him. Peyton didn't want anyone reading her emails, that would just be awkward. They would know for real how much of a little nerd she was--sure, she acted the part, but no one really knew how deep to the core her attitude went. "Why, are you doing something I shouldn't know about?" she asked, raising a brow. Of course that was a tad hypocritical, but she would cross that bridge when the time came. Peyton smiled, folding her hands in her lap--she wasn't going to go back to her computer until he lost interest, so she was kind of a sitting duck. "I've been sitting here for approximately-" she looked down at her watch, because yeah, she wore a watch, "Twenty-three minutes. What does it matter?"

[Adena, With great power, comes a great electricity bill.]

The corners of RJ's mouth pulled up into his signature smirk. "Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." The truth was, he was trying to finish an assignment that was due in two hours for his English class. Nothing sinister there. He was a smart kid, but some might say that he lacked motivation. In actuality, he was just lazy. RJ could have finished this paper in twenty minutes the night before, but instead he'd decided to hang out with friends and was now sitting in the computer lab, almost finished after forty minutes of work. He had a bad habit of making things difficult for himself. Now, however, was less interested in his English assignment and more interested in the window Peyton had just closed on her computer.

"Twenty three minutes? Wow. Either you make absolutely no noise when you move, or I am just embarrassingly unobservant," RJ said. He gestured towards her screen. "If you don't want anyone seeing what you're doing, why not just use a laptop?" he asked. He had nothing to hide, but even so, the school computers were not his first choice. "I guess you could ask me the same question. Well, my laptop happened to have an unfortunate run in with a flash flood in South America. It really is a riveting story," he said with a smile.

[rose, "I did NOT see your incredibly broad shoulders there."]

Peyton allowed herself a smile, but it was still refined in its own right. She wasn't about to give him any kind of satisfaction, or appear flirty--she wasn't going to encourage him. Though... she did have to smile a little bit, he was funny, whether he was trying or not, she wasn't sure. But funny he was nonetheless. She did wonder what he was doing... but when he explained his unfortunate computer situation, she understood.

"Embarrassingly unobservant sounds about right." she replied, shifting in her chair. Peyton didn't like how he suggested she was doing something she shouldn't be... not wanted people to know what she emailed other people wasn't a crime, it was logical. It wasn't her fault she didn't like carrying around her phone, it wasn't practical. "My laptop has also met an unfortunate end. It hit the ground at an odd angle, causing the screen to shatter." She wasn't lying. Peyton just choose to leave out how the electronic met the floor... that would just lead her to explain her emailing relationship with her parents.

[Adena, With great power, comes a great electricity bill.]

RJ rolled his eyes when she confirmed that he was embarrassingly unobservant. "Gee, thanks a lot. I guess we're both having some laptop problems," he said. He glanced over at his computer screen. He had two options here: end the conversation and get some work done or keep procrastinating and talking to Peyton. Not surprisingly, he chose the latter. Who wouldn't, when the choices were between homework or a pretty girl?

"So," RJ said, focusing his attention back on her. "What could be so important that you're wasting your free period and sitting in this stuffy old lab?" he asked. "You should be out doing something more... well, fun," he said with a shrug.