The Jock and the Bad Boy (COMPLETE)

JACKSON

I don't know what I'm doing here. That's not a feeling that I get often. If I did, maybe it would be easier to deal with. I'm going to the dance in a group with Eliott, Carter, Thayer, Faye, Savannah, Lane, and Hazel. It's a comically large group, but we all have the same objective: stop Hazel from thinking about her ex boyfriend.

I wish someone would come stop me from thinking. I've been avoiding Carter as much as possible, which is... not very much. He doesn't deserve it. I don't know what I deserve. Maybe it's watching him dance with a girl all night while I stand alone, which is what I'm doing now.

Someone taps my shoulder. "Do you want to dance?" Savannah asks me.

"What about Faye?" I reply.

She laughs. "Way too cool to dance. I'm surprised she even came. She and Lane are on Hazel duty." She points to the wall, where Faye, Lane, and Hazel are standing and talking in a circle. Faye turns around and waves. "And besides," she adds, "it's not like you'd make a move on me. You're too distracted."

My blood freezes. "Distracted? What do you mean, distracted?"

"You've been staring at the same couple all night," she says gently. "I've seen people come up and try to talk to you, but you've barely said anything to anyone. You haven't done anything but watch."

"That doesn't mean anything," I spit, "It doesn't."

She takes a step back from me. "Are you in love with that girl?" She asks calmly. I look away. I can't answer. And by not answering, I answer anyway. "Alright," she says, "my offer to dance still stands." Not knowing what else to do, I take her hand.

It's not awful. I do like to dance, even though I haven't been in the mood. I haven't really talked to her before. She's a girlfriend of a friend of a sibling of a boyfriend or a friend. And yet, she's looking at me like she gets it. "Does everyone know?" I ask her.

"About what?" She asks.

I sigh. "About... me."

"What about you?" She tilts her head a bit. I'm not going to say it. "Oh, that. I mean, people talk." My stomach drops. "They always talk. I don't think anyone knows-knows. Don't worry. I just recognized it because I've been there."

"I'm starting to think it'll never go away," I admit.

She shrugs. "It probably will. Just, like, logically, you can't really, truly, stay romantically interested in someone for very long without them reciprocating. Eventually you'll move on and fall for someone else."

"That's what I'm scared of," I admit, "What if I stop liking him, and start liking another..."

"Boy?" she fills in. I nod. "You'll survive."

I exhale. I know I will, logically, but I'm scared. "I'm sick of being scared," I say, finally.

"Then don't be," she replies. I roll my eyes. Before I can argue, Faye cuts in without a word. I don't say anything because I was about to leave the dance floor anyway. I guess I'm on Hazel duty.

I start walking towards Lane, then realize they're alone. "What happened?" I ask.

They shrug. "Hazel said she went to the bathroom. She could've bounced, it wouldn't really matter. This dance is shit."

I nod and lean against the wall next to them. "Do you want to dance?" I offer.

"You were just dancing," they reply, "and you didn't look like you were having a very good time."

Being an open book fucking sucks. "How do you know?" I hiss.

"Wow, and my brother is the one with the attitude problem," they laugh.

"I didn't say that," I say. "Who told you I said that?"

They smirk. "I'm not a snitch but it was Eliott."

I look over at Eliott, who I kind of kissed and only sort of regret kissing, who's wearing a dark green shirt and matching lipstick, who looks absolutely incandescently happy with Thayer. Suddenly I can't tell what I'm feeling.

Lane snaps their fingers in front of my face. "Hey, earth to boy wonder. Where'd you just go?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I've been feeling kind of out of it lately."

"Well," they say, clapping me on the shoulder, "Hope you feel better soon. I'm gonna head out."

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how did you guys like this introduction to the next pov character? jackson's story, entitled Play On, starts November 8. Thank you so much for reading!