For as Sick as it May Seem

2 - The Urge is Getting Stronger

Over the next couple days, Chris would make sure to get to Starbucks around the time Cory would arrive after school. They'd get to chat a bit and catch up on what was going on in each other's lives. It was nice, but they're little chats only lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes before Cory had to leave for work. This was because every day after school, Cory had to go home, get her homework done, make sure Cole didn't need help with anything, get ready for work, get coffee, and get to work by 4:30; and she didn't have a car.

During their short chats together, Cory and Chris came to notice that they had a lot in common. They both sang and played guitar, they both loved the same video games and horror movies, and they both loved hockey. They had a lot of fun together.

Now, they were once again in Starbucks, enjoying their first pumpkin spice lattes of the season. Cory's red and black hair hung over her shoulders and her bright green eyes looked at Chris through her glasses. Cory couldn't see anything more than a few feet in front of her without her glasses, which sucked, because she hated them.

"I think they look cute on you." Chris comments when she tells him this.

He regretted it immediately though. Maybe "cute" wasn't the best word to use. Chris wasn't sure how an 18 year old girl would feel about a guy who would be 28 in a little over a month thinking she was cute. (A/N: This story is set a month or two before Chris turned 28.)

Cory just smiles, "Thank you." She says before taking another sip of her latte.

On the inside though, Cory had an extreme case of the butterflies. Chris Motionless had just called her cute...Or maybe he was just being nice...

Chris smiled, relieved. So she didn't think he was a creep...At least, he hoped she didn't.

"Why don't you just wear contacts?" Chris asks.

"No. I can't. I don't put things in my eyes."

"Why...?"

"Long story. It's an OCD thing."

Chris nods, understanding. He often wondered how much Cory's OCD really affected her life. He never asked though, not wanting to be rude.

The guys still pestered Chris about Cory a lot, but Chris knew they didn't mean any harm by it. The guys knew Chris and Cory were just friends, but the fact that Cory was a pretty girl that was only eighteen was a comedic gold-mine. Chris hasn't told Cory about the joking though. He hadn't even told her that the guys knew about her, mainly because he wasn't sure if he should tell her.

Mandy was constantly riding Cory about Chris. Cory didn't mind though; she'd had that coming when she made the choice to tell Mandy about Chris in the first place. Cory was always able to ask Mandy for advice though. Cory really didn't know how to talk to guys, even ones she was just friends with. Mandy was always a big help though.

Chris often felt guilty about the way he sometimes looked at and felt about Cory. She was a looker, alright. She may have only been 18, but she could easily pass for 24; maybe even 25 or 26. And she acted as such. So, Chris often looked at and thought of her like she was someone of that age. Maybe if Chris knew she was okay with him thinking about her in the way that he did, he wouldn't feel guilty about it.

Then again, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Cory was just so mature for her age. Maybe that was because she was forced to grow up a bit too early. She was only 16 when her adopted parents died, and Chris just assumed that her birth family was out of the question. She was so young when she had to step up and take care of Cole. Cory was just so mature mentally, that it made Chris wonder if she was mature in other areas... (A/N: Adrenalize by In This Moment started playing when I wrote that, haha.)