#touchdown fic

here you go babe! sorry for the delay, would some touchdown be a good way of expressing how sorry i am?

11. “You are being extra sweet today.”

Jackie takes a deep breath, taps her pen on her notebook several times and pulls herself to meet Nicky’s gaze.

“Well, that’s a very impractical way to do the presentation, but I can consider it,” she offers through gritted teeth. 

If you were to tell Jackie at the beginning of senior year that she’d be paired with Nicky Doll, the quarterback from the women’s american football team, to do a biology presentation for the science fair, she would’ve laughed until tears went down her cheeks. 

Not only because Nicky had never given her the time of the day during their entire high school career, but because Jackie, even if she had a wee crush on Nicky like every lesbian at school, could absolutely not stand to do projects with anyone unless they were Gigi. She was too much of a control freak, and Gigi was easily led. They were a perfect match.

Nicky, however, is too opinionated and stubborn. Jackie does her best to not lash out at her whenever Nicky tries to suggest another way of doing their presentation about plants and photosynthesis, instead of the one they had already settled for because “it was too easy.”

There’s a tick on Jackie’s left eyebrow already, and when Nicky notices she can’t help but to stifle a laugh, setting her chin in the heel of her palm, staring at Jackie as she talks about the different type of plants they can grow for their project.

“You are being extra sweet today,” Nicky comments, thus interrupting Jackie, who cocks a sly brow in her direction. “You’ve toned down your passive aggressive comments today, I consider that an accomplishment,” she teases, chuckling slightly.

Jackie re-arranges her glasses, rolling her eyes. 

“It may be because you’re a lot less talkative today. Do I have to assume practice wears you out? Do I have to mark Wednesdays as the only days I won’t get a headache?” She inquires, her tone a mix between playful and bitchy.

It doesn’t seem to bother Nicky, though; she keeps the amused smile on her face, giggling ever so slightly. Jackie figures Nicky is used to girls being bitchy towards her, as her girlfriend, Crystal, is the queen bitch of them all, fulfilling the stereotype about cheerleaders in movies to a T.

“You’re funny, Jackie, but yeah; I’m tired from practice, so I don’t have it in me to bother you today,” she admits nonchalantly, and Jackie rolls her eyes again. 

you ask and you shall receive!

***

“You probably know my face by heart now,” Jackie protests, trying to contain a loud laugh upon seeing Gigi’s frustration. 

“Well, yeah, but I still need you to be still, Jacqueline,” Gigi complains, her gaze flickering between Jackie, sitting on a chair in front of the window and giving Gigi a side-eye, thanks to the position she’s on. “And, y’know, you shouldn’t complain, you were the one that volunteered to be painted by me,” she points out, eliciting a giggle from Jackie. Gigi bites the inside of her cheek, hoping Jackie can’t see her blush.

“I thought you’d pay me, honestly,” she says, “I mean, have you seen this bone structure? If it wasn’t because my mom wants be to be a doctor, I would be doing pretty good at modeling.” Gigi puts her paintbrush down before she ruins her painting. 

She likes it when it’s just the two of them and she can see the real Jackie, the one that knows how pretty she is and allows herself to be cocky. Not that she likes the Jackie the rest sees any less; the Jackie that buries her nose in her books, constantly has pens and pencils tangled in her hair and blushes a deep shade of crimson if complimented.

oop jaja and amadiva did you say?? i think you did 🤠 (also if i told you this is from the touchdown verse,,, would you believe me??)

***

“Y’know, if you walked up to Dearis to actually talk to her, instead of burning a hole on her neck by staring, I don’t think she’d bite you,” Amadiva comments, trying to sound nonchalant, but it turns out that’s hard to do while she stretches.

Jaja rolls her eyes, bending over to stretch her legs. “You say it as if she knows who I was,” she says, the defeat in her tone palpable even before she had actually done anything to gain Dearis attention.

Amadiva groans, both because her legs are burning and because she’s fed up with Jaja’s self deprecation. It stings, mostly due to the fact that Jaja is her best friend, and Amadiva wants her to be happy - even if it’s with Dearis and not her. She’s past the point of feeling the jealousy monster creeping inside her whenever Jaja stares at Dearis while she’s on cheer practice and they warm up for running the track.

It doesn’t bother her, not at all.

“Well, you’ve had Geography with her for the past three years; she’d be pretty fucking stupid to not notice you after so long,” Amadiva points out, making Jaja chuckle as she pushes her playfully.

In theory, Jaja knows Dearis does know of her existence, if only vaguely. Sometimes she asks her for a pen and Jaja lends her one, so next time Jaja needs something, mostly pens or to pass her something tossed on the ground she can ask Dearis and pass it as wanting to have a favour returned. It has worked for the past three years, but Jaja just can’t gather up her wits and strike up an actual conversation with Dearis.

She just knows she’s a coward, and Amadiva, God bless her, is the best for putting up with her and her uselessness. Jaja no longer complains about Amadiva poking fun at her whenever she can, because she has honestly earned it.

They have to run one more time before they’re dismissed, and Amadiva is about to say her typical comments about Jaja and chasing after Dearis, when Jaja interrupts her.

“If I invite you over to have merienda after training, will you quit it?,” she says playfully, knowing it’ll make her shut up. Amadiva smiles, nodding effusively.