He’s late, but he’s saved by the fact that he doesn’t have to change his clothes because his uniform hasn’t come in just yet. “We’re playing a game of dodge-ball, so if you’re up for it, feel free to join in.” The coach says, waving him off toward the already gathered class.
Jensen freezes when he spots the cowboy-hatted figure amongst the players. They’re on the same team, and while the rest of the players on his side introduce themselves, Alvarez says nothing.
“Ready, guys?”
The game starts with all the brutal force two dozen teenage boys would be expected to use. There are three balls in play, and Alvarez gets one nearly immediately. Somehow he takes out two guys on the opposing team with it. And, yes, Jake is watching him more than he’s watchning the game.
Which is exactly the reason why it takes him so goddamn long to see the ball hurtling toward his head. With well-practiced skill, because Jacob Jensen is way more than just a geek, he dodges out of the way, catches the ball and hurls it back at the guy who’d thrown it and gets him out.
“Woo! Nice!” One other guy calls at him – he’d introduced himself as Pooch -and he claps Jake on the back as he runs after another ball. “Cougar, catch!” Pooch yells at Alvarez. Cougar. That’s new.
Jake turns to grin at his teammates, who all seem impressed by the fact that he is not completely useless.
“Hey! Head’s up!” Someone shouts at him, he doesn’t know who, because he’s too busy ducking, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because the bouncing, red ball clubs him in the back of the head despite his efforts to evade it again. His glasses fall off of his face and he hears an all too familiar sound as they hit the ground. Broken, then. And his head is pounding.
He turns to ineffectively glare at the offender who’d hit him – entirely fairly, since he was the idiot who’d turned his back, but still, his glasses…
“Jensen.” The coach snaps at him, and gestures him over – a move which Jake has to squint to see correctly from across the huge room. “Go get your head checked out.” He says, and points the kid out of the gym before he can injure himself further.
The remnants of his glasses in hand, he blindly heads off to do as told, navigating carefully through the locker room to head toward the maze of hallways that somewhere hide the nurse’s office. “Awesome job, Jake. Wonderful job. Break your glasses on day one. Perfect.” He rambles to himself as he walks.
Somewhere just behind him, he hears someone exhale deeply, as if sighing in irritation. He whirls around to see Alvarez.
“Never quiet, are you, Payasito?” A thick Spanish accent carries the words to him from some distance away.
“Cougar, yeah?”
He shrugs, nods his head towards the next hallway and marches on, obviously expecting Jake to follow him to the nurse’s office. Whether Coach sent him or he came by himself, Jensen is not inclined to complain, so he follows.
Maybe today isn’t so bad after all, thinks Jacob Jensen.
part 2
Jensen freezes when he spots the cowboy-hatted figure amongst the players. They’re on the same team, and while the rest of the players on his side introduce themselves, Alvarez says nothing.
“Ready, guys?”
The game starts with all the brutal force two dozen teenage boys would be expected to use. There are three balls in play, and Alvarez gets one nearly immediately. Somehow he takes out two guys on the opposing team with it. And, yes, Jake is watching him more than he’s watchning the game.
Which is exactly the reason why it takes him so goddamn long to see the ball hurtling toward his head. With well-practiced skill, because Jacob Jensen is way more than just a geek, he dodges out of the way, catches the ball and hurls it back at the guy who’d thrown it and gets him out.
“Woo! Nice!” One other guy calls at him – he’d introduced himself as Pooch -and he claps Jake on the back as he runs after another ball. “Cougar, catch!” Pooch yells at Alvarez. Cougar. That’s new.
Jake turns to grin at his teammates, who all seem impressed by the fact that he is not completely useless.
“Hey! Head’s up!” Someone shouts at him, he doesn’t know who, because he’s too busy ducking, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because the bouncing, red ball clubs him in the back of the head despite his efforts to evade it again. His glasses fall off of his face and he hears an all too familiar sound as they hit the ground. Broken, then. And his head is pounding.
He turns to ineffectively glare at the offender who’d hit him – entirely fairly, since he was the idiot who’d turned his back, but still, his glasses…
“Jensen.” The coach snaps at him, and gestures him over – a move which Jake has to squint to see correctly from across the huge room. “Go get your head checked out.” He says, and points the kid out of the gym before he can injure himself further.
The remnants of his glasses in hand, he blindly heads off to do as told, navigating carefully through the locker room to head toward the maze of hallways that somewhere hide the nurse’s office. “Awesome job, Jake. Wonderful job. Break your glasses on day one. Perfect.” He rambles to himself as he walks.
Somewhere just behind him, he hears someone exhale deeply, as if sighing in irritation. He whirls around to see Alvarez.
“Never quiet, are you, Payasito?” A thick Spanish accent carries the words to him from some distance away.
“Cougar, yeah?”
He shrugs, nods his head towards the next hallway and marches on, obviously expecting Jake to follow him to the nurse’s office. Whether Coach sent him or he came by himself, Jensen is not inclined to complain, so he follows.
Maybe today isn’t so bad after all, thinks Jacob Jensen.