III.
Check Yes Juliet"Why the face?"
"Skylar Clark is why the face. She threatened me with mace!" Jackson whines, rubbing his arm in vivid memory of just how hard and how many times she had slammed it in the locker.
Mark howls in laughter and Jackson can't help but think he looks a bit like a deformed seal with his insistent clapping and the multiple sheets he's cocooned in, some wrapped tightly around his face. He'd been sick the last few days, but assured everyone (mostly a overly concerned Jr and frantic Jaebum) that he'd be ready for the game Friday.
"What did you do Jackson?" Mark asks once he's finally calmed down. His nose is red and his eyes are still a little puffy but Jackson's just glad his best friend is feeling better.
"Nothing! I swear, I just offered to hold her books and walk her to class."
Mark looks unconvinced, but says nothing, just eyes Jackson with an unreadable expression.
"What?" He snaps, the lack of reply making him nervous.
"Since when did you become so-"
"It's not cliche!" He exclaims, because it isn't really.
"It's weird. Maybe that's why she was gonna mace you. You probably creeped her out. Besides, don't you guys kind of hate each other or something?"
Jackson cringes.
"Hate is such a very strong word. I don't hate Clark, once you get past the entourage and all the muscle, I actually kind of like her."
He doesn't realize his mistake until Mark raises his eyebrow suggestively in his "oh really?" face.
"Not like that!" He denies, but he's grinning, blushing, and he's also Jackson Wang, so of course Mark doesn't believe him.
"Uh huh"
Jackson groans, instantly regretting his little slip, because Mark Tuan was no help at all. He figures though, you can't really expect too much insight from someone who was coughing their guts out just last week.
_______
It's early Saturday morning when Jackson awakes to the constant vibration of his phone thumping on his night stand.
Early as in four in the morning, the time reads when he unlocks his phone. He's almost positive it's Jaebum, the only person up at this time on a Saturday. Sure enough the group chat with the football boys is stirring.
JBBum: Let's go for a jog
JWang: r u crazy??!!
YJ: Its Saturday though
JBBum: And?
YJ: And, it's Saturday
YGYeommie: Hyuuuuuung, too early
BB: I'm going back to sleep
MTuan: I'm still sick so
JWang: ^ barely
JBBum: No one is going back to sleep. It's never too early to practice! Now, meet me on the field in in thirty minutes or we can do extra laps all week :))))
JR: I'll bring Gatorade
YJ: Jr you too?
JR: me too what?
JWang: oh my gosh
Jackson is pretty sure something is seriously wrong with his captain but he's knows Jaebum is serious about the extra laps. With that in mind he jumps up, dresses quickly, and heads straight for the school.
When he arrives in the school parking lot, he notes in amusement how Mark looks half dead, hanging out the side of his car with his hoodie on inside out and backwards, staring dazedly at half eaten protein bar.
Before Jackson can really say anything though Jaebum comes jogging over, hurriedly rushing them toward the field.
Kunpimook, Youngjae, and Yugyeom wave them over, and Yugyeom is smiling, albeit a bit groggily, at Mark, who's just staring blankly off into the distance.
"Hyung, you look .." He trails off, because Mark looks more disheveled than Jackson on any given Monday.
Mark just glares, but more so in Jaebum's direction. Their captain doesn't seem to have a care in the world though, talking animatedly with Jr as if he hadn't woken his entire team up at four in the morning on a Saturday, which were usually meant for sleeping in, to run a few measly laps.
"Okay, let's warm up, then we'll do five laps and a two mile jog. Easy enough, right?" Jaebum's grin remains in tact despite the lack of response.
"Right!" Jr exclaims, clapping his hands together with a smile way too bright for four in the morning.
They grin at each other and Jackson cringes because it's way too early for this, he thinks.
They all split up to warm up, and that's when Jackson notices the new arrivals. Of course it's Skylar and her team, seemingly unfazed by the time of day as they slip in, warming up easily and chatting animatedly. Jackson is almost sure Jaebum is secretly pleased that at least some people are enthusiastic and will use them to try to get his own team hyped up.
It never fails.
He watches Skylar approach said captain and the pair talk briefly before Jr approaches, slinging an arm around her as they share smiles much similar to the ones from last time that make Jackson frown, because he's not sure what those smiles mean and when she and Jr were on such friendly terms.
"Hi"
He's so caught up in his thoughts he doesn't notice someone standing directly in front of him. It's Skylar's co captain.
"Hey" His voice is a bit raspy because it's still too early.
The girl pauses slightly before nodding to where Jr and Skylar are whispering intently about something.
"I see you and my captain are warming up to each other" She's grinning coyly, and just like with Jaebum, Jackson isn't sure if she's teasing or not.
"If you call warming up to each other, me trying to be nice and her slamming me with or into random objects warming up then oh yeah, it's getting pretty heated between us" He comments dryly.
"It just means she likes you!" She exclaims, but Jackson refuses to believe that.
"I don't see her slamming your arm in lockers" He huffs and he's very much aware of how childish he's being but it's four in the morning, that's enough of an excuse for him.
"I'm not a guy" She shrugs then, but Jackson's not quite sure what that means.
"Because that explains everything" He mutters, but she doesn't bother with a reply this time.
There's a small pause in which they both finish their stretches, before she offers her hand with a small smile.
"I'm Logan"
"Jackson, Jackson Wang"
They shake hands and Jackson cringes a little at the strength in her grip, but he can't help but think that she's much easier to get along with than Skylar.
'And she has a cute smile' He thinks, but said thoughts are interrupted by a rather forced cough. Of course it's Yugyeom, Bambam, and Youngjae, waiting to be introduced, and this is the most angelic Jackson has ever seen them, but he's pretty sure these are the same guys who were fighting over the last slice of pizza the other day.
"Logan, this is Youngjae, Yugyeom, and Bambam, guys meet Logan" He introduces, and they all exchange greetings enthusiastically.
"Logan!"
They all whip their heads in the direction of the shout, and of course it's Skylar, Jackson thinks, possibly the only person with enough energy to be angry this early in the morning, and she does look angry, if how tightly crossed her arms were is any indication.
"Woops, gotta go! Captains calling, but it was nice meeting you guys!"
Jackson blinks and the girl is already halfway across the field. Skylar still looks a little angry and when Jackson catches her eye, she quickly looks away.
Jackson frowns.
___
Later that same day Jackson finds himself stuck at another "family dinner", except really, it's just two hours of watching his cousins shove the grossest thing they can find in their mouths.
Jackson would rather not be here, but he doesn't really have an excuse to leave. So, he's stuck at a table with all of his cousins who are several years younger than him. They're bugging him about the game Friday, but Jackson's only half paying attention. He's more focused on the girl at the table in the corner, accompanied by an older gentleman and a young boy, because she looks so familiar.
Jackson thinks she's really pretty even though she's so far away, and it can't be who he thinks it is because her hair is down and she's wearing a frilly, floral dress.
All of a sudden the girl stands, excusing herself from the table, and without thinking, Jackson does the same.
He watches the girl saunter off and disappear around the corner where the bathrooms are, so Jackson does the same, ignoring the shouting from his cousins.
When Jackson rounds the corner, a hand grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him down. The next thing he knows, he's face to face with a very impatient looking Skylar.
"What are you doing here Wang?"
He has to blink multiple times just to make sure he's seeing correctly. He's never seen her in anything besides athletic wear and the school uniforms, or with her hair down, so he's a little taken back.
She looks really good and Jackson only realizes his lack of reply when she smacks him in the chest.
"It's Jackson, and having dinner with my family of course. I guess the same could be said for you" He says finally.
She seems satisfied with his reply and appears ready to walk away when Jackson blurts out.
"Come meet my family"
"What?!"
Her eyes have gone wide and she looks mildly horrified at the suggestion. For some reason, Jackson finds it really cute.
"I said, come meet my family. They're really nice." He insists, reaching for her hand.
"Are you crazy? No!" She whispers harshly, shoving his hand away and backing up when she notices just how close they are.
He wraps an arm around her to guide her but she abruptly stops causing him to stumble slightly, she uses that opportunity to twist his arm above her head and slam him into the wall, none too gently.
"When will the abuse stop?" He whimpers, but he's just joking.
"Sorry" Is the murmured reply but Jackson doesn't think she actually means it because she's smirking and he doesn't really think that associates with being sorry.
"All of my friends have met my family" He whines, pouting.
"We're not friends, Wang" She giggles, crossing her arms over her chest. Jackson has come to find that means she's either really angry, shy, disagrees with something, or embarrassed.
He's not really sure which one it is at first but the next thing he says lets him know his teasing actually brings out shyness in her.
Jackson Wang really shouldn't find Skylar Clark this cute, or adorable, at all.
"Says who? Apparently we can't keep away from each other" He teases, making kissy faces.
"Gross" She grins, pushing him away, lightly this time Jackson notes in astonishment.
He notices they have an audience then, a table to the far right, obviously puzzled by their shift in dynamics. Jackson figures he'd be probably be confused with the sappy faces they're making at each other.
This reminds him of something.
"Hey, remember when you asked me what I wanted from you?-"
"Are we really going to talk about that now? Just go Wang!" She interjects before he can really say anything.
He figures he shouldn't push it since she's being so nice and it's all kind of weird really, but he's not too freaked out.
"Fine"
The table to the far right is still watching them and since he has an audience, Jackson decides it's only right to give them a show. Before Skylar can question why he's still standing there Jackson leans forward and kisses his sworn enemy slash friend (sometimes) since middle school, the same one that threatened to mace him, the very same one who beats him up every chance she gets, on the corner of and her cheek before he all but flees.
"Bye Honey!" He coos as he scurries away, blowing kisses in his haste.
When he returns to the table of course his cousins bombard him with questions.
"Who was that girl?-" "Yeah, we saw you follow her!" "She was cute" "She looked strong .." "Was that your girlfriend?"
He ignores them though because Skylar chooses that moment to round the corner and she looks murderous. He smirks at her before his lips and he's sure that if her father, he assumes, hadn't called out to her, he wouldn't make it to the first game.
Jackson figures it's a really good Saturday though, if he managed to shock Skylar Clark into silence, that and he can still taste the vanilla from her lipgloss throughout the rest of the day.
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