FIC - The Clear Space of Knowing
Title: The Clear Space of Knowing
Authors: rachel_wilder
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Summary: Written for fnl_laundrylist #29 prompt 1 - What was J.D.'s reaction to Matt and Julie's critique of his trophey room? How does he feel about the pressure put on him? Is he ready to be the Booster's golden boy?
JD McCoy pushed open the back door and slipped around the side of the house. He sunk down, next to the garage, squatting in the shadows as if to hide from the whole world.
"They bronzed my first diaper."
God-why had he said that? It was already too weird to be at a new school, on a new team, but now he'd gone and acted like a jackass in front of QB1. And the coach's daughter.
His head snapped up at the sound of a car door closing. No one was supposed to be parked back here-he had heard his mom be real specific with the guys she hired to park cars.
"Hey."
JD looked over. It was a guy in a wheelchair in his driveway. JD McCoy hadn't lived in Dillon very long, but he knew this could only be one person-this must be Jason Street.
*~*
JD jumped up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. "Hey," he replied.
Jason laughed. "This your house?"
"Yeah," JD replied. "I'm, uh…I'm JD."
"Ah, the hope for the future of the Dillon Panthers," Jason replied. He held his hand out toward JD.
JD looked down at the former quarterback's hand. Some of his fingers were curled toward his hand, the others were sticking out straight.
"Just shake the hand, JD," Jason instructed him.
JD slowly took Jason's hand in his. "Nice to meet you, sir," he said, embarrassed that he hadn't known what to do with Jason's offered hand.
"I'm not really old enough to be called 'sir'," Jason responded. "Save that for Coach Taylor and Mr. Garrity."
"Okay, sir," JD replied.
Jason laughed again. "So, the guy at the curb said I could get in the house this way. I promised Mr. Garrity I'd drop off some paperwork before I went out of town for the weekend. Is he still here?"
"Yeah, I think so," JD replied.
"You think he's still here or you think I can get inside?" Jason asked.
"Uh, you can get in-my mom made the door special for my grandma. She had a stroke last year," JD explained.
"Cool," Jason replied. "And Mr. Garrity?"
"Uh, I saw him a while ago, but I can go find him." JD turned to go find the booster, then stopped and turned back to face Jason. "When did you start playing varsity?"
"Halfway through tenth grade," Jason replied.
"And did you have your own coach?" JD asked.
"Yeah," Jason replied. "My mom got a job when I was in Pop Warner and they hired Coach Taylor to work out with me."
"Coach was your coach?" JD asked. He couldn't believe it.
"Yeah," Jason replied. "And JD…"
"Yeah."
"Coach is a good guy-he knows talent and he knows hard work. If he's playing Saracen instead of you it's for a reason and that reason isn't because he thinks he owes it to Saracen. He'll make him earn his start and he'll make you earn yours."
JD nodded.
"And JD, don't let people push you too much-I can imagine your dad's on you a bit and I can see you're already getting it from the boosters and the guys on the radio, but play your own game. I've seen you throw-you have something special, but you're fifteen. You have a long time to be that guy in the starting slot. Make sure you're ready."
JD nodded again. He turned to leave, then stopped and turned back to Jason. "Any other advice?"
Jason smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Keep your head down."
/fin/
A special note of appreciation to devilc whose story inspired me to write this one.
Authors: rachel_wilder
Rating: T (aka PG-13)
Summary: Written for fnl_laundrylist #29 prompt 1 - What was J.D.'s reaction to Matt and Julie's critique of his trophey room? How does he feel about the pressure put on him? Is he ready to be the Booster's golden boy?
JD McCoy pushed open the back door and slipped around the side of the house. He sunk down, next to the garage, squatting in the shadows as if to hide from the whole world.
"They bronzed my first diaper."
God-why had he said that? It was already too weird to be at a new school, on a new team, but now he'd gone and acted like a jackass in front of QB1. And the coach's daughter.
His head snapped up at the sound of a car door closing. No one was supposed to be parked back here-he had heard his mom be real specific with the guys she hired to park cars.
"Hey."
JD looked over. It was a guy in a wheelchair in his driveway. JD McCoy hadn't lived in Dillon very long, but he knew this could only be one person-this must be Jason Street.
*~*
JD jumped up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. "Hey," he replied.
Jason laughed. "This your house?"
"Yeah," JD replied. "I'm, uh…I'm JD."
"Ah, the hope for the future of the Dillon Panthers," Jason replied. He held his hand out toward JD.
JD looked down at the former quarterback's hand. Some of his fingers were curled toward his hand, the others were sticking out straight.
"Just shake the hand, JD," Jason instructed him.
JD slowly took Jason's hand in his. "Nice to meet you, sir," he said, embarrassed that he hadn't known what to do with Jason's offered hand.
"I'm not really old enough to be called 'sir'," Jason responded. "Save that for Coach Taylor and Mr. Garrity."
"Okay, sir," JD replied.
Jason laughed again. "So, the guy at the curb said I could get in the house this way. I promised Mr. Garrity I'd drop off some paperwork before I went out of town for the weekend. Is he still here?"
"Yeah, I think so," JD replied.
"You think he's still here or you think I can get inside?" Jason asked.
"Uh, you can get in-my mom made the door special for my grandma. She had a stroke last year," JD explained.
"Cool," Jason replied. "And Mr. Garrity?"
"Uh, I saw him a while ago, but I can go find him." JD turned to go find the booster, then stopped and turned back to face Jason. "When did you start playing varsity?"
"Halfway through tenth grade," Jason replied.
"And did you have your own coach?" JD asked.
"Yeah," Jason replied. "My mom got a job when I was in Pop Warner and they hired Coach Taylor to work out with me."
"Coach was your coach?" JD asked. He couldn't believe it.
"Yeah," Jason replied. "And JD…"
"Yeah."
"Coach is a good guy-he knows talent and he knows hard work. If he's playing Saracen instead of you it's for a reason and that reason isn't because he thinks he owes it to Saracen. He'll make him earn his start and he'll make you earn yours."
JD nodded.
"And JD, don't let people push you too much-I can imagine your dad's on you a bit and I can see you're already getting it from the boosters and the guys on the radio, but play your own game. I've seen you throw-you have something special, but you're fifteen. You have a long time to be that guy in the starting slot. Make sure you're ready."
JD nodded again. He turned to leave, then stopped and turned back to Jason. "Any other advice?"
Jason smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Keep your head down."
/fin/
A special note of appreciation to devilc whose story inspired me to write this one.