Gym Rats - Jackson Olson x OC

12

Jackson's POV

"Where did I go wrong? Did I just not give us any talking stage. Am I like, secretly scary?"

"Oh my god calm down," Dalton says to me as we sit in the dugout at practice. "She will come around. Just give her some space."

"I crave this girl like I crave air," I tell Dalton.

He laughs, "I know. You've been obsessed for two whole weeks. I've had to listen to you, nonstop, for 14 days. You were shy, now I introduced the two of you... now you can't get enough."

"Sorry," I say. With a quick sigh, I pull my phone out of my pocket and go to a last resort.

jacksonolson_: What do I do about Cecelia?

lolarusso: What happened?

jacksonolson_: Did she not tell you about how she rejected me? Like, hardcore rejected me?

lolarusso: Cecelia hasn't been home all day.

We had an earlier practice today, so it was 3 o'clock. I figured she would've been relaxing at her apartment in between workouts.

jacksonolson_: Where is she?

lolarusso: Still at the pool. I don't think she ever left the gym.

Lola's typing bubble comes up, then disappears again. I sigh softly.

jacksonolson_: Has she ever done this before?

lolarusso: She's never been in love like this before. So no.

Really? Does she really love me? Is Lola just saying that so I don't lose hope?

jacksonolson_: Are you just saying that to make me feel better?

lolarusso: No. It's what Cece doesn't say that makes me believe so. She didn't have time for me last week because she was waiting for your texts and calls. She's secretly crazy about you. But her fear takes over.

I sigh at her message before putting my phone down and taking the field to start tossing. It's going to be a long practice.

————

Cecelia's POV

Splash. I dive back into the pool for the god only knows how many time. I've been doing sprints for nearly two hours. I had gotten into my car, watch Jackson drive away in defeat, then went back inside the gym. I hid in the locker room for hours, grieving over the fact that I lost Jackson so stupidly, before coming back out to the pool. I've been diving, sprinting to the turn end of the pool, then walking in the water back to the other side. I told Sean to come early, I just want my day to be done.

Sean walks onto the pool deck as I am finishing up a sprint. He walks over to the turn end of the pool and stands over me, "How long have you been doing sprints for?"

I look down at my Apple Watch, which I've been using to track how many I do, just so I can record my mileage later, "Watch says 2 hours and 45 minutes."

"Nonstop?"

"Not really. I've taken a ton of breaks."

Sean sighs, "That derails the set I was going to have you do."

"I can handle it."

Sean adjusts his sunglasses before turning around to grab the white board, wheeling it close to the pool. He takes the dry erase marker and starts writing down the set.

"I like that Jackson guy I met this morning."

"Don't get too hung up on him, I definitely shattered him."

"What the hell did you do, kiddo?"

"Well he wants to date me. I told him no, and to stop trying." I look down at my fingers, which are prunes at this point. I then take a sip out of my purple Stanley bottle.

"Jesus Cee, you really know how to fuck things up."

"Don't remind me."

Sean instructs me on my set, making sure I understand what he's asking for. Then, my brain empties out as I begin to swim. I make it through the first 30 minutes of my workout until my stomach starts hurting from not eating since this morning. I put my arms on the edge of the pool and rest my head on my arms.

"You're going to ruin yourself if you don't date that boy," Sean tells me. "You don't eat when you worry."

God he knows me all too well. "Remember when I dated Andrew?"

"That annoying butt munch who didn't love you? Yeah, well, Jackson is different."

"Stop!" I look up at Sean, "I can't Sean. We are so close to Paris... it's been my dream."

"I know, Cee, but there is someone out there who can support you. Not weigh you down."

I take another sip from my water bottle, look up at the empty treadmills, before resuming my workout. I try to drain the thoughts out of my head.

Sean gives me a bit of grace as my workout ends only after an hour and a half. I get out of the pool and stuff all of my crap in my bag, wrap myself in a towel, and hurry out of the gym to get home and make food. When I walk through the door, I see Lola standing in the kitchen, making quesadillas. She turns to me, turning off the stove.

"You haven't been home all day," she says in a stern and motherly tone.

"I got busy."

"Busy with?"

"Swim," I say, which I guess is partially true.

"No you got busy with breaking Jackson's heart and being a complete jerk!" She walks back over and puts one of the two quesadillas she made on a plate.

I sigh. She knows. Can't hold anything back now, "Lola..."

"Stop pushing away good things and good people," Lola says, shoving the plate over for me to eat. "I get it, you don't want a boyfriend. At least let him be your friend. I'm not going to be around forever, waiting on you."

I internalize what she says before taking my plate into my room. I sit the plate down on my desk, taking off my backpack before eating the cheese and chicken quesadilla. I know she made this especially for me, hers is definitely just cheese. I pick up my phone and think about calling Jackson. I toss my phone onto my bed, ignoring the world for the rest of the night.