fic: In The Game - Chapter Three, PG-13
TITLE: In The Game - Chapter Three
SUMMARY: When he spun on his heel with the receipt for his order, and found Teyla leaning against the condiments bar, smiling up into the pointed features of Michael Kenmore, John was unpleasantly surprised.
CATEGORY: high school AU, drama
CHARACTERS: John, Teyla, Rodney, Elizabeth, Ronon, Carson, Laura, Michael Kenmore, Bates...in a story of high schoole gonne madde...with 1,000 elephants!
RATING: PG-13
NOTES: Based on the concepts envisioned in the community shermer_high and a sequel to Wrong Kind Of Guy! Sorry it's been nearly a month since I updated this story - I've been waiting on a beta. Thanks so much to vipersweb for reading through it.
In The Game: Chapter Two - "Made For Walking"
Chapter Three - Settling And Sorting
The local Shake 'n Steak was already filled with Shermer supporters when the team arrived. After each away game, Coach got the bus to stop at the restaurant, giving the hungry players about thirty minutes to get a meal after the game.
"Hey," John snagged Teyla's arm as she headed towards the table where the gang had already taken their food. "You're not hungry?"
She glanced up at the menu and shrugged. "I will return in time to order," she said, "if you will hold my place." Then she was off across the restaurant to where Ronon was gesturing with a mayonnaise-dipped fry that was coming rather closer to Rodney's hair than Rodney liked. Encouraging shouts and the catcalls of Shermer supporters marked her path as she passed by them.
"Popular girl," Ford murmured.
"After tonight? Yeah," said John.
"Heard she broke up with Lorne," said Slick Harrison from behind, his eyes fixed on the menu. "Wonder if she's got a date to Homecoming next week."
"After tonight's game?" Lichfield snorted. "She'll have a date by the end of the night. Someone's sure to ask."
Someone already has. John caught the glance Ford directed at him. He ignored it. Sure, he'd asked, but Teyla hadn't yet said 'yes.' And Lichfield was right. After the game against Dalton, she'd have her pick of guys from Shermer. Probably even her pick of guys from Dalton if she wanted. "Thinking about it?"
"Maybe," Harrison grinned, his long frame looking even longer and thinner out of the padding. "Try my luck."
"No way you're going to be that lucky," Ford muttered.
John ignored the second glance Ford sent his way and looked out to where Teyla was leaning on the table where the others were sitting, sneaking fries from Rodney's plate as he protested, while laughing at something.
"Someone's gotta get lucky," Harrison reasoned as Teyla laughingly dodged the fry Laura pelted at her for whatever she'd just said. "Why not me?"
Because I asked first, John thought to himself. "Have you asked?"
"Well, okay, once I actually ask..." Harrison began, only to be interrupted by a yelp from across the restaurant.
"Sheppard asked what?"
Dammit, Rodney.
Ronon's dark eyes gleamed with wicked amusement as he roared. "Go, Sheppard!" Liz said or did something that made him flinch, but she looked like she was also trying to hold back a smile.
Teyla's usually tanned skin was a dusky pink as she snapped something at Ronon. Heads turned to regard them, before swivelling around to where John was waiting in the queue.
Oh, shit.
The guys around him were looking at him with varying expressions of disbelief and envy - or narrow-eyed calculation.
"Oh, you so did not," Harrison said, turning on John.
John spread his hands wide, about to say that he'd only asked her to Homecoming, and it had only been just before the game, and she hadn't even said 'yes', when Ford interrupted, making no attempt to hide his glee. "He so did!"
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Ford was grinning, wide enough to break his face in two.
John felt like smacking the smile off the younger guy's face. "Look, I just asked her to Homecoming. We're not dating."
"Just Homecoming?" Lichfield inquired, smirking. It was a smirk that was echoed on the faces of a lot of the other players - with a couple of exceptions, Bates among them.
"Sneaky bastard," complained Harrison.
"He asked just before the game, Slick," Teyla said, walking up to them. "And it was just Homecoming." Her face was still dusky with embarrassment, but the look she levelled at Harrison was fierce enough to make him put up his hands.
"Okay, okay. Can't blame a guy for hoping," Harrison muttered, but with good humour. Slick wouldn't have any trouble finding another girl to take to the Homecoming dance - he never seemed to have trouble getting dates.
"She hasn't said yes, yet." John glanced at Teyla, who rolled her eyes.
"You need an answer?" She pushed past him to the counter to order her meal.
"It would be nice." There were probably better places to hold this conversation than in the middle of a public restaurant full of Shermer students and the football coach, but John figured that he was already in deep shit after Ronon's call across the restaurant and he might as well go for broke.
Teyla counted out her change and handed it to the attendant, whose expression showed no appreciation for the dating lives of her customers as she dumped the coins in the till and handed Teyla her receipt, telling her to wait for her order to be called, before reaching down to get a cup for Teyla's drink.
Then Teyla turned so she could see John out of the corner of her eye. "Yes."
"Yes?"
She'd hooked her hair behind her ear, and John saw the pinkish tinge to the curve of her ear. Embarrassment at having to go with him or embarrassment at the fact that most of the people waiting for food were listening in? John really hoped it was the second rather than the first.
But she answered clearly. "Yes."
"Great. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Teyla turned around to give him the mother of all exasperated looks, and John knew he was okay, although he winced when she punched his shoulder as she passed him - a friendly punch. He considered grabbing her arm and wrestling with her, just for fun, but the attendant's grumpy look persuaded him that he'd be better off to get his order in. Later, maybe.
As he was ordering, he heard the restaurant door opening, heard new voices enter and strike up conversations.
If he'd been paying a bit more attention, he would have noticed that the tenor of conversation behind him had changed. But all he was thinking was that he'd be the envy of the senior and junior years when they found out Teyla was his date for Homecoming.
It came pretty close to making up for being dumped by Chaya and deserted by his friends.
So when he spun on his heel with the receipt for his order, and found Teyla leaning against the condiments bar, smiling up into the pointed features of Michael Kenmore, John was unpleasantly surprised.
St Rait's was the local private high school - mostly boys, although the junior and senior years included girls. One of the few private schools in the area fielding enough players for a full football team, they had a reputation for ruthlessness when dealing with the other schools in the district and had been Shermer High's nemesis for decades.
'Bad blood' was an understatement.
Kenmore was one of the offensive players for St Rait's and had been the one watching the game earlier tonight - not that there was anything illegal about that. But now that the guy was here and chatting up Teyla, John wondered how much of Kenmore's interest was in Shermer's game, and how much was in Shermer's only female player.
John went and got his drink, then positioned himself next to Teyla. Not so close that he was in her personal space, but definitely within 'concerned party' radius. Teyla gave him a brief smile, but Kenmore's eyes rested on him for a calculating moment before returning to Teyla's face and finishing his sentence.
"...were some smooth moves out there."
"Yeah," John said, emphatically. "Her game was amazing."
Teyla shot a dark look at him in warning, but Kenmore merely flicked a glance his way, almost dismissive. "Sheppard."
"Kenmore." From the corner of his eye, John could see the other players from Shermer drifting over, casually eavesdropping on the conversation. Good, he had backup in case things got punchy. The other St Rait's boys were already in line, chatting among themselves, but John could see them also keeping a watchful eye on the situation. And Coach Caldwell was keeping a dark, measuring eye on them all from the corner where he was chatting with the restaurant manager.
John kept things light and offhand. "Don't usually see you gracing this humble chain restaurant."
"Not usually in the vicinity." Kenmore's smile was more of a bare-teeth challenge. "But I know your team stops over here after most games, and I wanted a word with Teyla."
"And I see you've already had several."
"He is allowed several more," Teyla said in a voice that spelled trouble if John made anything more of this. Okay, so John wasn't always the clueiest of guys, but he knew that tone of voice meant that he should sit down and shut up, or risk being cut off at the balls.
Kenmore smiled once more, again, with a flash of pale teeth. "I'll use them carefully, then," he said, smiling at Teyla. "Are you doing anything Saturday night?"
It wasn't that anyone growled. John certainly didn't. But the atmosphere grew gently charged all the same. Maybe it was the way Slick Harrison and Kevin Padjamolous drifted back to the condiments table from the counter where they'd placed their orders, or the tall, tense figure of Ronon up and stalking towards them down the aisle of tables. Maybe it was just John's imagination.
"We're at Liz's this Saturday," John reminded her, pleased when Kenmore's eyes flickered over to him. He hadn't actually said it was a date or that they were going together, but it could be interpreted that way.
Teyla didn't even glance at John as she answered Kenmore. "I spend time with my friends on Saturday nights."
"So, I don't count as a friend?"
"Not yet," Teyla replied, a teasing twinkle in her eye. "You may have to work at that."
"Number sixty-four! Order for number sixty-four!"
Teyla glanced at her ticket, then over at the serving counter. "That is mine," she said, digging in her jacket pocket for the receipt.
Kenmore caught her arm before she could turn away. "So are you free Sunday, then?"
John nearly opened his mouth but thought the better of it.
If Teyla was aware that at least half a dozen people were listening to this conversation and invite, she didn't give any hint of it as she neatly disengaged herself, simply answering. "I'll have to see."
"Order for number sixty-four!" The woman at the counter was getting annoyed and Teyla hastened to pick up her order. She didn't come back their way. Ronon neatly intercepted her on the way back, diverting her towards the gang before he continued on, shooting John a casual wink as he pushed the restroom door open.
It was as neat as any choreographed play and just as deliberate. Ronon didn't like Kenmore at all.
The expression John caught on Kenmore's face when he turned back was...unsettling. The guy was watching Teyla make her way across the restaurant the way a starving man looked at his next meal.
John had never thought that much of Kenmore other than as an opponent on the field. He wasn't thinking of the guy as a rival now - certainly not over Teyla - but he felt a brief spurt of active dislike at Kenmore's casual ogling.
Kenmore turned back to him, casual as a cat. "So is she still with the hockey guy?"
John played dumb. "The hockey guy?"
"The guy she was dating before."
"Is it any of your business?"
One hand ran through short blonde hair as the Rait grinned - a smile that was all teeth and little humour as the pale eyes turned back to track Teyla's progress across the room. "I'd like to make it my business."
Behind Kenmore, Harrison shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. John caught his eye and shook his head slightly. Harrison shrugged.
"I'm just asking," said Kenmore. "I can find out from someone else."
"She's not." John figured that letting out that piece of information was okay.
Or maybe not, since Kenmore immediately turned on him "So is she with you?"
He thought about saying 'yes', just to get Kenmore off Teyla's back. And it was true in a way - Teyla was with him for the Homecoming dance, at least - just not the way that Kenmore intended.
"Number sixty-eight! Order number sixty-eight!"
Perfect timing. John smiled, pushed himself off the condiments bench, and went to get his order without answering Kenmore's question. The other guy might push for an answer, or he might not. Either way, John was going to let him stew.
It wasn't that he wanted to date Teyla - she was a friend, one of his best players on the team, good company, good looking, and damned sexy on top of it. It was just that he didn't like Kenmore.
He particularly didn't like the smirk the other guy gave him as he walked past him to the drinks dispenser, as though he not only knew of John's dislike, but was also amused by it. But he got his drink and headed out to where Liz was trying to orchestrate the takeover of the next table so there'd be enough room for Teyla, Ford, and John to sit down.
Maybe it said something that when his crowd of other friends skittered off elsewhere, the 'oddball' gang he'd left behind opened up to receive him back, no questions asked.
Well, almost no questions asked. After all, one of the 'oddballs' was Rodney McKay.
Ford caught up with him halfway down the row. "You should have punched him in the face. I'd have backed you up."
"Would have felt good," John agreed. "But with Coach on the other side of the room and a restaurant full of people? We'd have been benched for next week's game."
"You think the Rait are here to stir the pot?"
John hadn't thought that, actually. But now that Ford mentioned it, it made sense. Rile the Shermer players, cause trouble, get at least a few players in trouble. If they were lucky, they might get a couple of players banned from the next game; at worst, they'd be walking into a grudge match next Friday night. "Probably. Let's not give them a reason."
"Next week's game isn't enough reason?"
"Okay, let's not give them more reason."
Teyla was already taking teasing from Laura and Ronon about Homecoming when John set his tray down opposite hers. Ford paused by them, intending to sit with them before he was called over by another group - one that included a girl John knew the junior had a crush on.
"You never said you were going with John," Laura was saying across the gap between the tables as John sat down. Her voice was just short of interrogation. "When did this happen! Details!"
"He only just asked," Teyla explained. "Before the game. That is why you have not heard it."
"Fast mover," Ronon muttered. Then he made a half-muffled choking noise. Liz had probably given him an elbow in the stomach to go with the severe look.
"Well, it's good that you've got someone to go with," Liz said, sitting back. "Both of you."
"And she only just said 'yes,'" John added. "When did Carson ask you to Homecoming, Laura?"
The blonde girl smirked at her boyfriend. "He didn't. I asked him."
"I assumed we were going together," said Carson pointedly. "You weren't planning on going with anyone else, were you?"
"Oh, I thought about it for a moment, because Slick was being chatty last week, but-- Aah!" Laura's squeal of surprise as Carson pulled her towards him ended in a kiss that was long enough to make even John raise his eyebrows.
Rodney glanced up after a second or two and wrinkled his nose. "Get a room, you two. You're putting me off my food!"
"An extremely challenging enterprise," Teyla murmured, just loud enough for John to hear and grin. Rodney did love his food - even if he spent quite a lot of his time grumbling about his citrus allergies.
"Grow up, Rodney," Carson told him, exasperated.
"Or get a girlfriend," Laura added.
"Look, I'm already busy," Rodney snapped. "I don't have time for a girlfriend on top of everything else."
"Assuming anyone wanted you in the first place," Carson said.
"Cadman wanted you," came the reply. "And Liz is dating Ronon, so it can't be that desperate. Besides, now that Teyla's finally succumbed to Sheppard--"
"Finally?" John asked. Rodney had made it sound like he'd been chasing Teyla for months or something.
"Succumbed?" Teyla queried, apparently equally miffed by Rodney's choice of words.
Ronon laughed. Loudly. "I think we should order a casket," he said.
"I think we should decide what we're going to do before the dance," Liz replied as she swirled a fry in ketchup before popping it in her mouth.
Ronon pulled back to look at her. "I thought we were doing dinner?"
"Well, I just thought that we could do dinner with everyone. A group dinner."
John glanced at Teyla. She seemed okay with the suggestion. A group dinner would make it feel less like a proper date, which was pretty important because they weren't a couple like the others at the table. He'd asked her to Homecoming because they were friends and neither of them had dates. And because his usual internal censors had shut down during that conversation in the corridor and he'd blurted out the invitation before they managed to get up and running again. Not that John minded the way things had turned out; in fact, he was quite pleased with it.
Then there was Rodney to consider, who might or might not be going to Homecoming at all. If he was, then it was unlikely he'd be bringing a date along. The only reason he'd taken Miko to the Founders' dance was because John had ribbed him about getting a date, and the little Japanese girl had been hanging off Rodney's every word at the time.
The Whitlams had it wrong. There was no aphrodisiac to Rodney McKay like a girl who thought he was the most amazing thing since sliced bread. It helped if she was blonde and pretty, of course, but brainy and adoring would suffice.
John picked up his burger. "Since you brought it up, I'm guessing you've already got something in mind?"
"Dinner at a restaurant," said Liz, immediately. "Santini's is offering a special deal for Homecoming - most of their dishes will be reduced for students from Shermer. It's a nice restaurant, they offer a varied menu, and we won't have to listen to Rodney insisting that they detail the practises by which each dish is created so he knows whether he can eat it or not."
Rodney pointed a fry in Liz's direction. "If you had to worry about dying from one drop of citrus, then you'd be detail-oriented, too." Then he jerked it back when Ronon lunged forward to snap at it with his teeth. "Hey. If you're that desperate, steal from Liz."
"So we'll be sharing the restaurant with the rest of the school?" John asked. "Sounds fun," he said sarcastically.
"Did you have a suggestion for somewhere else?"
John didn't.
Teyla shifted her grip on her burger, licking her fingers of the juices running down them. "Since Rodney is the one whose tastes must be accommodated, perhaps he should choose the restaurant?"
"Not Denny's," said Laura immediately. "Not Appleby's, any fast-food joint, or steakhouse."
"IHOP."
"Not that either."
"Look, it's not my fault I have allergies!"
"No, but it is your fault that you won't try anything new!"
"The Melting Pot is supposed to be good," Ronon said.
Rodney spluttered his way through a mouthful of burger. "The Melting Pot is expensive."
"Bloody expensive," Carson added.
John agreed, but didn't otherwise protest. Chaya had had expensive tastes, and while dating her, he'd gotten used to paying a lot of money for fancy things. Price didn't unnerve him so much anymore, although he'd still go for the simpler option if there was one.
"So?" Ronon asked, outrageous in his casual innocence. "Isn't Cadman worth it?"
Teyla made a muffled choking noise into her burger, the corners of her mouth upturned; Liz rolled her eyes and nudged Ronon, and Laura laughed out loud.
Rodney scowled. "This isn't a Maybelline commercial!"
"Maybe for the Prom," said Carson, hopefully.
"Maybelline for the Prom?" Liz murmured. Ronon nudged her.
"Live in the now, Beckett," Ronon said.
Teyla looked across at John as an argument started up between Ronon, Carson and Rodney about the dinner venue. "You do not have to pay for my meal, John."
"No," he agreed, quietly. "But I'm going to anyway."
"Because Ronon has stung your pride?" She smiled at him, more amused than offended.
"No, because I should."
The smile deepened, tinting her face with warm affection. "And if I said it was right for me to insist on paying my own way?"
"Then I'd say it's right for me to get the tab - it's traditional. Why are you arguing, anyway? You're getting a free meal!"
"We are not dating, John."
Way to state the obvious. "Yeah, I get that. But it's Homecoming, Teyla. And we'll have run our asses off to make it Homecoming the night before. Just...I don't know, pretend we are dating, and leave it. I've got it covered."
She eyed him. "John..."
"Look, do you want me to take you off next week's line-up?"
Teyla snorted, disdainful. "That is not your decision. And you need me, anyway." But she knew he was teasing about benching her; she was smiling as she spoke. "All right."
"All right?"
"I will allow you to pay for dinner."
John restrained a smile at her attitude. "So magnanimous."
"You should appreciate it," she replied. "I do not let just anyone buy me dinner." The way she glanced up made his heart flip-flop for a moment, but the smile was still in place, so he guessed she was teasing.
"So I'm special?" John didn't bother with restraint at the look she gave him. He just grinned openly, and glanced over to see if the restaurant matter was resolved.
It wasn't.
"All right," he said, interrupting the madness. "It looks like Ronon, Liz, Teyla and I are going to The Melting Pot. Rodney, Carson, Laura, you're welcome to join us."
Carson sat back in his chair, throwing up his hands. "Well," he said, his accent growing more pronounced with annoyance, "I guess that's one way to let down the home team!"
"Ow," said John, but grinning. "Come on, Carson. It won't be that bad."
"You don't have seven people in your family," Carson retorted. "All right, then. The Melting Pot it is."
Rodney huffed, then shrugged. "There better not be lemon."
"We can tell them about your allergies, Rodney," Liz said, having stayed out of the conversation until now. "And Carson, the menus at the Melting Pot are big enough that my parents and I can't finish their Big Night Out fondue set - cheese fondue, salad, entrée, and chocolate fondue. One of them will be enough for four of us. Three if it includes Ronon. Ow!"
She glared at Ronon who'd reached out and tugged at her ponytail. "What?"
"You're getting cheeky."
"You're getting bold," she retorted, tweaking one of his dreadlocks.
Ronon caught her wrist. "Hands off the dreads."
Liz just pulled out the other hand and tugged at another dreadlock - with predictable results.
As the by-play started, John rolled his eyes. He'd never figured Liz to be the touchy-feely type. It seemed Ronon had changed her mind on that front.
Teyla had paused in her eating and was watching their friends with an odd expression on her face. It took her a moment to realised he was watching, and a dusky flush stole across her skin. "They are enjoying themselves."
It took him a moment to realise that she was wistful. Until a couple of days ago, Teyla had been in a relationship with Mark Lorne. He'd forgotten it in the hours between their conversation in the locker rooms and this moment, sitting across from her in the Steak 'n Shake.
Then again, until a couple of weeks ago, he'd been in a relationship with Chaya Sar. One that ended with her dumping him for another guy. And didn't John wish he could forget that!
He wondered why Teyla and Lorne had broken up.
"Shermer Panthers! Ten minutes before the bus leaves!" Coach's voice rang through the restaurant, prompting groans from the players who'd sat down with their friends.
John realised he was staring - and that Teyla was staring back at him. "Sorry?"
"I did not say anything," she said, a smile touching her lips. "You were in deep thought, and I would not wish to interrupt that."
"Because I don't think too often?"
She had dimples when she smiled. "I did not say it."
"Thanks."
"So," Carson glanced over at them, "are you two coming around to the Coffee Pot later?"
"Yes," said Teyla.
John hadn't been planning on it, but now he wondered if he should. "I'll see," he said. "But I can give Teyla a lift over."
"What else were you going to do on a Friday night?" Teyla asked. "Homework?"
"Shh," He leaned forward. "Don't say it too loudly - it summons more of it!"
Dimples flashed, then faded into a soft snicker. "You have not been out with us in some time," she pointed out.
"And I'm over at Liz's tomorrow night," he pointed out. He hadn't been out with the others for a while - partly because he hadn't been in the most magnanimous of moods when Liz started going out with Ronon, and partly because he'd started dating Chaya about the same time and she hadn't wanted to hang out with the others.
So maybe he'd been a little too caught up while dating Chaya. Between schoolwork, football, and trying to keep up with his girlfriend, John had been busy these last couple of months. He'd been so busy that, a week before the break-up, Rodney had complained he never saw John anymore. When Rodney noticed that people weren't spending time with him, then things were bad - Rodney rarely noticed anything other than his projects and Ms. Carter, the Physics teacher.
"You led the team to victory," Teyla said, brushing a wisp of fringe from her face. "Does that not entitle you to a night off?"
Well, maybe it did. And now that he didn't have Chaya suggesting they do stuff with her friends, he could spend some time with his friends again.
He started to answer, and then realised Teyla's attention was elsewhere. Across the restaurant, the blond player from St. Rait's turned back at the door with a smile for Teyla before sauntering out the door with the other Rait.
John's eyes narrowed briefly, but all he said when Teyla turned back was, "Maybe it does."
--
"You guys don't wanna come over?" Lichfield asked in the school parking lot. "My brother's downloaded some of the latest movies and we're going to watch on Dad's plasma." He waggled his eyebrows. "The Omen! Now showing at Lichfield cinema!"
Teyla laughed. "Thank you, but no."
Lichfield rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sheppard?"
John popped the trunk of his car and dumped his gear in, holding it open for Teyla. "No, not tonight."
"Got a headache?" Lichfield quipped archly. Then his eyes flicked to Teyla as she put her stuff in the trunk. He lowered his voice, barely loud enough for John to hear. "Don't blame you."
"Lichfield..." He didn't need this, and neither did Teyla.
The other guy just grinned. "See you guys at practice tomorrow."
As they climbed into the car, John reflected that asking Teyla to Homecoming might not have been the most strategic decision he'd ever made given that he was the captain of the football team and she was the only girl player on the team.
Too bad. He'd asked, she'd accepted. They'd deal.
At least they weren't dating.
"You can go to Lichfield's house if you wish," Teyla said as they drove out of the parking lot. It wasn't a fancy car, just a station wagon, although he was allowed to borrow his mom's car for important events. Like Homecoming.
John gave her a sideways look. "I said I didn't want to."
"I thought..." She paused. "I thought that perhaps you felt responsible for getting me to the café."
"Well, I do. But you already pointed out that I haven't been socialising with you guys lately."
They passed several streetlights before Teyla answered. "You have been missed."
"So Rodney tells me."
"Rodney told you?"
"Who else would?"
"Elizabeth. Carson."
John thought about that for a moment. "I figured they were busy dating and all that stuff."
"Dating does not mean you forget your friends," Teyla said.
They were at a set of lights, so John turned to look at her, wondering if she'd meant to be as severe as she sounded. "Is that a criticism?" He tried to keep his voice level and had a feeling he failed.
"If you wish to take it as such."
"Don't be snippy."
One delicate eyebrow arched. "Do not be over-sensitive."
John scowled and looked back at the road as the lights went green. "So if, say, you started dating Michael Kenmore, we'd still see you at these hang outs?"
Her silence was deafening, even with the rumble of the low-volume bass filtering through the back speakers. "I am not dating him."
"Not yet, maybe." Okay, so probably not the wisest thing to say. Why give her ideas?
"Are you implying--?"
John was, but he wasn't going to go there. "I'm saying it's pretty obvious he's interested."
He saw her glance out the window as the neon lights of a group of restaurants flashed past them. "Would I be thrown off the football team if I began going out with Michael?"
"No," was John's immediate response. It was an honest answer, at least from him. He wouldn't like it, but throwing her off the team for her choice of guy wasn't any more sane than throwing any of the guys off the team for their choice of girlfriend - at least, not to John. How the other guys would look at it, or even Coach Caldwell, was another matter. Bates would have a field day. But it wasn't a crime to date a player from another team.
It just wasn't very common.
"Would you bring Kenmore along to one of these nights if you were dating him?"
"I am not, so it does not matter."
"But if you were?"
"Ronon would not be pleased."
"And Liz probably wouldn't have been too happy with Chaya around."
Teyla looked at him. "You underestimate her graciousness. Or overestimate her feelings for you."
"Are you saying Ronon's got a crush on you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Ronon does not suffer the Rait. Any of them. It is a very different situation."
"You guys wouldn't have wanted Chaya around."
"And you do not want Michael around should I ever begin dating him," said Teyla.
John noted that she hadn't denied that Chaya hadn't been welcome among the gang. Then he frowned at her admission that dating the St. Rait's guy was even a possibility. He didn't trust Kenmore at all - and it had nothing to do with the traditional enmity between Shermer and St. Rait's and everything to do with the way the guy had watched Teyla. Of course, he wasn't going to say that. Bad enough that they were even having this conversation.
"You said that dating doesn't mean you forget your friends," he said, steering the conversation back to the original topic. "I'm telling you that not coming along wasn't about 'forgetting friends' - it was about being comfortable. Both Liz and Carson are dating and still hang around with the group because Ronon and Laura are okay with that. If you're dating someone who isn't so happy to be around your friends, you try to find places where you're both comfortable."
"Or avoid being seen as joined at the hip," Teyla murmured.
"Or that." He glanced at her. "How did you and Lorne do it?"
In the passenger seat, she stiffened, her chin went up, and she looked pointedly out the window.
John sighed. Open mouth, insert foot, learn something new.
Topic Number One to avoid mentioning around Teyla right now: Mark Lorne. Obviously, it had been a bad break-up, even if her game hadn't suffered.
Oh well. Sure, John was curious. But he wasn't that curious.
He turned up the music, flipping through the various channels until he found a song he liked, letting the warm, easy tones fill the car and take away the need for conversation.
But when they climbed out of the car in the parking lot, John glanced at her over the roof of the car. "Look, Teyla--"
"Thank you for the ride, John." Nobody on the planet could sound as prim and polite as Teyla Emmagen when she had her back up.
"Dammit, quit being bitchy, Teyla. I'm just trying to help."
"You think I am being bitchy?" Her eyes narrowed. "I will quit being 'bitchy' if you will quit being pushy, John."
John snorted at that. "All right, then." He locked the car and waited for her to come around the front. "I was just asking."
Teyla kept a slight distance as they trudged across the chilly parking lot, like she didn't want to get too close to him. John didn't sigh, but as they reached the entrance to the coffee shop, he blocked her entry into the building with his arm. "Are you going to freeze me out every time Mark Lorne comes up in conversation?"
"I have had enough of people asking questions," she said coldly.
"Yeah, well, I'm not people. I get the break-up between you and Lorne is private. But I don't gossip."
The dark eyes studied him for a long moment. "I apologise. It is not a comfortable topic."
"Break-ups aren't." John could say that.
Teyla's mouth set in a straight line, but she nodded after a moment. "Are we still going to Homecoming?"
"Together? Yeah. Unless you want to dump me, too." Okay, so the 'too' was probably unnecessary. He hadn't meant for it to slip out. And he really hoped she wouldn't ask.
She didn't, although the moment's silence gave him pause. A car squealed through the parking lot, turning both their heads. When John looked back, Teyla nodded once. "Then we are going to Homecoming together."
"Good." John felt relieved that they were still okay. He didn't examine it too closely - it was just the reassurance that he didn't need to go hunting yet another date for Homecoming. Instead, he pushed open the door and they entered the café together.
- TBC -
NOTES: You'll get two more chapters before Christmas (I hope). Life's a bit busier than I anticipated, so I haven't had much writing time, lately.
SUMMARY: When he spun on his heel with the receipt for his order, and found Teyla leaning against the condiments bar, smiling up into the pointed features of Michael Kenmore, John was unpleasantly surprised.
CATEGORY: high school AU, drama
CHARACTERS: John, Teyla, Rodney, Elizabeth, Ronon, Carson, Laura, Michael Kenmore, Bates...in a story of high schoole gonne madde...with 1,000 elephants!
RATING: PG-13
NOTES: Based on the concepts envisioned in the community shermer_high and a sequel to Wrong Kind Of Guy! Sorry it's been nearly a month since I updated this story - I've been waiting on a beta. Thanks so much to vipersweb for reading through it.
In The Game: Chapter Two - "Made For Walking"
Chapter Three - Settling And Sorting
The local Shake 'n Steak was already filled with Shermer supporters when the team arrived. After each away game, Coach got the bus to stop at the restaurant, giving the hungry players about thirty minutes to get a meal after the game.
"Hey," John snagged Teyla's arm as she headed towards the table where the gang had already taken their food. "You're not hungry?"
She glanced up at the menu and shrugged. "I will return in time to order," she said, "if you will hold my place." Then she was off across the restaurant to where Ronon was gesturing with a mayonnaise-dipped fry that was coming rather closer to Rodney's hair than Rodney liked. Encouraging shouts and the catcalls of Shermer supporters marked her path as she passed by them.
"Popular girl," Ford murmured.
"After tonight? Yeah," said John.
"Heard she broke up with Lorne," said Slick Harrison from behind, his eyes fixed on the menu. "Wonder if she's got a date to Homecoming next week."
"After tonight's game?" Lichfield snorted. "She'll have a date by the end of the night. Someone's sure to ask."
Someone already has. John caught the glance Ford directed at him. He ignored it. Sure, he'd asked, but Teyla hadn't yet said 'yes.' And Lichfield was right. After the game against Dalton, she'd have her pick of guys from Shermer. Probably even her pick of guys from Dalton if she wanted. "Thinking about it?"
"Maybe," Harrison grinned, his long frame looking even longer and thinner out of the padding. "Try my luck."
"No way you're going to be that lucky," Ford muttered.
John ignored the second glance Ford sent his way and looked out to where Teyla was leaning on the table where the others were sitting, sneaking fries from Rodney's plate as he protested, while laughing at something.
"Someone's gotta get lucky," Harrison reasoned as Teyla laughingly dodged the fry Laura pelted at her for whatever she'd just said. "Why not me?"
Because I asked first, John thought to himself. "Have you asked?"
"Well, okay, once I actually ask..." Harrison began, only to be interrupted by a yelp from across the restaurant.
"Sheppard asked what?"
Dammit, Rodney.
Ronon's dark eyes gleamed with wicked amusement as he roared. "Go, Sheppard!" Liz said or did something that made him flinch, but she looked like she was also trying to hold back a smile.
Teyla's usually tanned skin was a dusky pink as she snapped something at Ronon. Heads turned to regard them, before swivelling around to where John was waiting in the queue.
Oh, shit.
The guys around him were looking at him with varying expressions of disbelief and envy - or narrow-eyed calculation.
"Oh, you so did not," Harrison said, turning on John.
John spread his hands wide, about to say that he'd only asked her to Homecoming, and it had only been just before the game, and she hadn't even said 'yes', when Ford interrupted, making no attempt to hide his glee. "He so did!"
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Ford was grinning, wide enough to break his face in two.
John felt like smacking the smile off the younger guy's face. "Look, I just asked her to Homecoming. We're not dating."
"Just Homecoming?" Lichfield inquired, smirking. It was a smirk that was echoed on the faces of a lot of the other players - with a couple of exceptions, Bates among them.
"Sneaky bastard," complained Harrison.
"He asked just before the game, Slick," Teyla said, walking up to them. "And it was just Homecoming." Her face was still dusky with embarrassment, but the look she levelled at Harrison was fierce enough to make him put up his hands.
"Okay, okay. Can't blame a guy for hoping," Harrison muttered, but with good humour. Slick wouldn't have any trouble finding another girl to take to the Homecoming dance - he never seemed to have trouble getting dates.
"She hasn't said yes, yet." John glanced at Teyla, who rolled her eyes.
"You need an answer?" She pushed past him to the counter to order her meal.
"It would be nice." There were probably better places to hold this conversation than in the middle of a public restaurant full of Shermer students and the football coach, but John figured that he was already in deep shit after Ronon's call across the restaurant and he might as well go for broke.
Teyla counted out her change and handed it to the attendant, whose expression showed no appreciation for the dating lives of her customers as she dumped the coins in the till and handed Teyla her receipt, telling her to wait for her order to be called, before reaching down to get a cup for Teyla's drink.
Then Teyla turned so she could see John out of the corner of her eye. "Yes."
"Yes?"
She'd hooked her hair behind her ear, and John saw the pinkish tinge to the curve of her ear. Embarrassment at having to go with him or embarrassment at the fact that most of the people waiting for food were listening in? John really hoped it was the second rather than the first.
But she answered clearly. "Yes."
"Great. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Teyla turned around to give him the mother of all exasperated looks, and John knew he was okay, although he winced when she punched his shoulder as she passed him - a friendly punch. He considered grabbing her arm and wrestling with her, just for fun, but the attendant's grumpy look persuaded him that he'd be better off to get his order in. Later, maybe.
As he was ordering, he heard the restaurant door opening, heard new voices enter and strike up conversations.
If he'd been paying a bit more attention, he would have noticed that the tenor of conversation behind him had changed. But all he was thinking was that he'd be the envy of the senior and junior years when they found out Teyla was his date for Homecoming.
It came pretty close to making up for being dumped by Chaya and deserted by his friends.
So when he spun on his heel with the receipt for his order, and found Teyla leaning against the condiments bar, smiling up into the pointed features of Michael Kenmore, John was unpleasantly surprised.
St Rait's was the local private high school - mostly boys, although the junior and senior years included girls. One of the few private schools in the area fielding enough players for a full football team, they had a reputation for ruthlessness when dealing with the other schools in the district and had been Shermer High's nemesis for decades.
'Bad blood' was an understatement.
Kenmore was one of the offensive players for St Rait's and had been the one watching the game earlier tonight - not that there was anything illegal about that. But now that the guy was here and chatting up Teyla, John wondered how much of Kenmore's interest was in Shermer's game, and how much was in Shermer's only female player.
John went and got his drink, then positioned himself next to Teyla. Not so close that he was in her personal space, but definitely within 'concerned party' radius. Teyla gave him a brief smile, but Kenmore's eyes rested on him for a calculating moment before returning to Teyla's face and finishing his sentence.
"...were some smooth moves out there."
"Yeah," John said, emphatically. "Her game was amazing."
Teyla shot a dark look at him in warning, but Kenmore merely flicked a glance his way, almost dismissive. "Sheppard."
"Kenmore." From the corner of his eye, John could see the other players from Shermer drifting over, casually eavesdropping on the conversation. Good, he had backup in case things got punchy. The other St Rait's boys were already in line, chatting among themselves, but John could see them also keeping a watchful eye on the situation. And Coach Caldwell was keeping a dark, measuring eye on them all from the corner where he was chatting with the restaurant manager.
John kept things light and offhand. "Don't usually see you gracing this humble chain restaurant."
"Not usually in the vicinity." Kenmore's smile was more of a bare-teeth challenge. "But I know your team stops over here after most games, and I wanted a word with Teyla."
"And I see you've already had several."
"He is allowed several more," Teyla said in a voice that spelled trouble if John made anything more of this. Okay, so John wasn't always the clueiest of guys, but he knew that tone of voice meant that he should sit down and shut up, or risk being cut off at the balls.
Kenmore smiled once more, again, with a flash of pale teeth. "I'll use them carefully, then," he said, smiling at Teyla. "Are you doing anything Saturday night?"
It wasn't that anyone growled. John certainly didn't. But the atmosphere grew gently charged all the same. Maybe it was the way Slick Harrison and Kevin Padjamolous drifted back to the condiments table from the counter where they'd placed their orders, or the tall, tense figure of Ronon up and stalking towards them down the aisle of tables. Maybe it was just John's imagination.
"We're at Liz's this Saturday," John reminded her, pleased when Kenmore's eyes flickered over to him. He hadn't actually said it was a date or that they were going together, but it could be interpreted that way.
Teyla didn't even glance at John as she answered Kenmore. "I spend time with my friends on Saturday nights."
"So, I don't count as a friend?"
"Not yet," Teyla replied, a teasing twinkle in her eye. "You may have to work at that."
"Number sixty-four! Order for number sixty-four!"
Teyla glanced at her ticket, then over at the serving counter. "That is mine," she said, digging in her jacket pocket for the receipt.
Kenmore caught her arm before she could turn away. "So are you free Sunday, then?"
John nearly opened his mouth but thought the better of it.
If Teyla was aware that at least half a dozen people were listening to this conversation and invite, she didn't give any hint of it as she neatly disengaged herself, simply answering. "I'll have to see."
"Order for number sixty-four!" The woman at the counter was getting annoyed and Teyla hastened to pick up her order. She didn't come back their way. Ronon neatly intercepted her on the way back, diverting her towards the gang before he continued on, shooting John a casual wink as he pushed the restroom door open.
It was as neat as any choreographed play and just as deliberate. Ronon didn't like Kenmore at all.
The expression John caught on Kenmore's face when he turned back was...unsettling. The guy was watching Teyla make her way across the restaurant the way a starving man looked at his next meal.
John had never thought that much of Kenmore other than as an opponent on the field. He wasn't thinking of the guy as a rival now - certainly not over Teyla - but he felt a brief spurt of active dislike at Kenmore's casual ogling.
Kenmore turned back to him, casual as a cat. "So is she still with the hockey guy?"
John played dumb. "The hockey guy?"
"The guy she was dating before."
"Is it any of your business?"
One hand ran through short blonde hair as the Rait grinned - a smile that was all teeth and little humour as the pale eyes turned back to track Teyla's progress across the room. "I'd like to make it my business."
Behind Kenmore, Harrison shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. John caught his eye and shook his head slightly. Harrison shrugged.
"I'm just asking," said Kenmore. "I can find out from someone else."
"She's not." John figured that letting out that piece of information was okay.
Or maybe not, since Kenmore immediately turned on him "So is she with you?"
He thought about saying 'yes', just to get Kenmore off Teyla's back. And it was true in a way - Teyla was with him for the Homecoming dance, at least - just not the way that Kenmore intended.
"Number sixty-eight! Order number sixty-eight!"
Perfect timing. John smiled, pushed himself off the condiments bench, and went to get his order without answering Kenmore's question. The other guy might push for an answer, or he might not. Either way, John was going to let him stew.
It wasn't that he wanted to date Teyla - she was a friend, one of his best players on the team, good company, good looking, and damned sexy on top of it. It was just that he didn't like Kenmore.
He particularly didn't like the smirk the other guy gave him as he walked past him to the drinks dispenser, as though he not only knew of John's dislike, but was also amused by it. But he got his drink and headed out to where Liz was trying to orchestrate the takeover of the next table so there'd be enough room for Teyla, Ford, and John to sit down.
Maybe it said something that when his crowd of other friends skittered off elsewhere, the 'oddball' gang he'd left behind opened up to receive him back, no questions asked.
Well, almost no questions asked. After all, one of the 'oddballs' was Rodney McKay.
Ford caught up with him halfway down the row. "You should have punched him in the face. I'd have backed you up."
"Would have felt good," John agreed. "But with Coach on the other side of the room and a restaurant full of people? We'd have been benched for next week's game."
"You think the Rait are here to stir the pot?"
John hadn't thought that, actually. But now that Ford mentioned it, it made sense. Rile the Shermer players, cause trouble, get at least a few players in trouble. If they were lucky, they might get a couple of players banned from the next game; at worst, they'd be walking into a grudge match next Friday night. "Probably. Let's not give them a reason."
"Next week's game isn't enough reason?"
"Okay, let's not give them more reason."
Teyla was already taking teasing from Laura and Ronon about Homecoming when John set his tray down opposite hers. Ford paused by them, intending to sit with them before he was called over by another group - one that included a girl John knew the junior had a crush on.
"You never said you were going with John," Laura was saying across the gap between the tables as John sat down. Her voice was just short of interrogation. "When did this happen! Details!"
"He only just asked," Teyla explained. "Before the game. That is why you have not heard it."
"Fast mover," Ronon muttered. Then he made a half-muffled choking noise. Liz had probably given him an elbow in the stomach to go with the severe look.
"Well, it's good that you've got someone to go with," Liz said, sitting back. "Both of you."
"And she only just said 'yes,'" John added. "When did Carson ask you to Homecoming, Laura?"
The blonde girl smirked at her boyfriend. "He didn't. I asked him."
"I assumed we were going together," said Carson pointedly. "You weren't planning on going with anyone else, were you?"
"Oh, I thought about it for a moment, because Slick was being chatty last week, but-- Aah!" Laura's squeal of surprise as Carson pulled her towards him ended in a kiss that was long enough to make even John raise his eyebrows.
Rodney glanced up after a second or two and wrinkled his nose. "Get a room, you two. You're putting me off my food!"
"An extremely challenging enterprise," Teyla murmured, just loud enough for John to hear and grin. Rodney did love his food - even if he spent quite a lot of his time grumbling about his citrus allergies.
"Grow up, Rodney," Carson told him, exasperated.
"Or get a girlfriend," Laura added.
"Look, I'm already busy," Rodney snapped. "I don't have time for a girlfriend on top of everything else."
"Assuming anyone wanted you in the first place," Carson said.
"Cadman wanted you," came the reply. "And Liz is dating Ronon, so it can't be that desperate. Besides, now that Teyla's finally succumbed to Sheppard--"
"Finally?" John asked. Rodney had made it sound like he'd been chasing Teyla for months or something.
"Succumbed?" Teyla queried, apparently equally miffed by Rodney's choice of words.
Ronon laughed. Loudly. "I think we should order a casket," he said.
"I think we should decide what we're going to do before the dance," Liz replied as she swirled a fry in ketchup before popping it in her mouth.
Ronon pulled back to look at her. "I thought we were doing dinner?"
"Well, I just thought that we could do dinner with everyone. A group dinner."
John glanced at Teyla. She seemed okay with the suggestion. A group dinner would make it feel less like a proper date, which was pretty important because they weren't a couple like the others at the table. He'd asked her to Homecoming because they were friends and neither of them had dates. And because his usual internal censors had shut down during that conversation in the corridor and he'd blurted out the invitation before they managed to get up and running again. Not that John minded the way things had turned out; in fact, he was quite pleased with it.
Then there was Rodney to consider, who might or might not be going to Homecoming at all. If he was, then it was unlikely he'd be bringing a date along. The only reason he'd taken Miko to the Founders' dance was because John had ribbed him about getting a date, and the little Japanese girl had been hanging off Rodney's every word at the time.
The Whitlams had it wrong. There was no aphrodisiac to Rodney McKay like a girl who thought he was the most amazing thing since sliced bread. It helped if she was blonde and pretty, of course, but brainy and adoring would suffice.
John picked up his burger. "Since you brought it up, I'm guessing you've already got something in mind?"
"Dinner at a restaurant," said Liz, immediately. "Santini's is offering a special deal for Homecoming - most of their dishes will be reduced for students from Shermer. It's a nice restaurant, they offer a varied menu, and we won't have to listen to Rodney insisting that they detail the practises by which each dish is created so he knows whether he can eat it or not."
Rodney pointed a fry in Liz's direction. "If you had to worry about dying from one drop of citrus, then you'd be detail-oriented, too." Then he jerked it back when Ronon lunged forward to snap at it with his teeth. "Hey. If you're that desperate, steal from Liz."
"So we'll be sharing the restaurant with the rest of the school?" John asked. "Sounds fun," he said sarcastically.
"Did you have a suggestion for somewhere else?"
John didn't.
Teyla shifted her grip on her burger, licking her fingers of the juices running down them. "Since Rodney is the one whose tastes must be accommodated, perhaps he should choose the restaurant?"
"Not Denny's," said Laura immediately. "Not Appleby's, any fast-food joint, or steakhouse."
"IHOP."
"Not that either."
"Look, it's not my fault I have allergies!"
"No, but it is your fault that you won't try anything new!"
"The Melting Pot is supposed to be good," Ronon said.
Rodney spluttered his way through a mouthful of burger. "The Melting Pot is expensive."
"Bloody expensive," Carson added.
John agreed, but didn't otherwise protest. Chaya had had expensive tastes, and while dating her, he'd gotten used to paying a lot of money for fancy things. Price didn't unnerve him so much anymore, although he'd still go for the simpler option if there was one.
"So?" Ronon asked, outrageous in his casual innocence. "Isn't Cadman worth it?"
Teyla made a muffled choking noise into her burger, the corners of her mouth upturned; Liz rolled her eyes and nudged Ronon, and Laura laughed out loud.
Rodney scowled. "This isn't a Maybelline commercial!"
"Maybe for the Prom," said Carson, hopefully.
"Maybelline for the Prom?" Liz murmured. Ronon nudged her.
"Live in the now, Beckett," Ronon said.
Teyla looked across at John as an argument started up between Ronon, Carson and Rodney about the dinner venue. "You do not have to pay for my meal, John."
"No," he agreed, quietly. "But I'm going to anyway."
"Because Ronon has stung your pride?" She smiled at him, more amused than offended.
"No, because I should."
The smile deepened, tinting her face with warm affection. "And if I said it was right for me to insist on paying my own way?"
"Then I'd say it's right for me to get the tab - it's traditional. Why are you arguing, anyway? You're getting a free meal!"
"We are not dating, John."
Way to state the obvious. "Yeah, I get that. But it's Homecoming, Teyla. And we'll have run our asses off to make it Homecoming the night before. Just...I don't know, pretend we are dating, and leave it. I've got it covered."
She eyed him. "John..."
"Look, do you want me to take you off next week's line-up?"
Teyla snorted, disdainful. "That is not your decision. And you need me, anyway." But she knew he was teasing about benching her; she was smiling as she spoke. "All right."
"All right?"
"I will allow you to pay for dinner."
John restrained a smile at her attitude. "So magnanimous."
"You should appreciate it," she replied. "I do not let just anyone buy me dinner." The way she glanced up made his heart flip-flop for a moment, but the smile was still in place, so he guessed she was teasing.
"So I'm special?" John didn't bother with restraint at the look she gave him. He just grinned openly, and glanced over to see if the restaurant matter was resolved.
It wasn't.
"All right," he said, interrupting the madness. "It looks like Ronon, Liz, Teyla and I are going to The Melting Pot. Rodney, Carson, Laura, you're welcome to join us."
Carson sat back in his chair, throwing up his hands. "Well," he said, his accent growing more pronounced with annoyance, "I guess that's one way to let down the home team!"
"Ow," said John, but grinning. "Come on, Carson. It won't be that bad."
"You don't have seven people in your family," Carson retorted. "All right, then. The Melting Pot it is."
Rodney huffed, then shrugged. "There better not be lemon."
"We can tell them about your allergies, Rodney," Liz said, having stayed out of the conversation until now. "And Carson, the menus at the Melting Pot are big enough that my parents and I can't finish their Big Night Out fondue set - cheese fondue, salad, entrée, and chocolate fondue. One of them will be enough for four of us. Three if it includes Ronon. Ow!"
She glared at Ronon who'd reached out and tugged at her ponytail. "What?"
"You're getting cheeky."
"You're getting bold," she retorted, tweaking one of his dreadlocks.
Ronon caught her wrist. "Hands off the dreads."
Liz just pulled out the other hand and tugged at another dreadlock - with predictable results.
As the by-play started, John rolled his eyes. He'd never figured Liz to be the touchy-feely type. It seemed Ronon had changed her mind on that front.
Teyla had paused in her eating and was watching their friends with an odd expression on her face. It took her a moment to realised he was watching, and a dusky flush stole across her skin. "They are enjoying themselves."
It took him a moment to realise that she was wistful. Until a couple of days ago, Teyla had been in a relationship with Mark Lorne. He'd forgotten it in the hours between their conversation in the locker rooms and this moment, sitting across from her in the Steak 'n Shake.
Then again, until a couple of weeks ago, he'd been in a relationship with Chaya Sar. One that ended with her dumping him for another guy. And didn't John wish he could forget that!
He wondered why Teyla and Lorne had broken up.
"Shermer Panthers! Ten minutes before the bus leaves!" Coach's voice rang through the restaurant, prompting groans from the players who'd sat down with their friends.
John realised he was staring - and that Teyla was staring back at him. "Sorry?"
"I did not say anything," she said, a smile touching her lips. "You were in deep thought, and I would not wish to interrupt that."
"Because I don't think too often?"
She had dimples when she smiled. "I did not say it."
"Thanks."
"So," Carson glanced over at them, "are you two coming around to the Coffee Pot later?"
"Yes," said Teyla.
John hadn't been planning on it, but now he wondered if he should. "I'll see," he said. "But I can give Teyla a lift over."
"What else were you going to do on a Friday night?" Teyla asked. "Homework?"
"Shh," He leaned forward. "Don't say it too loudly - it summons more of it!"
Dimples flashed, then faded into a soft snicker. "You have not been out with us in some time," she pointed out.
"And I'm over at Liz's tomorrow night," he pointed out. He hadn't been out with the others for a while - partly because he hadn't been in the most magnanimous of moods when Liz started going out with Ronon, and partly because he'd started dating Chaya about the same time and she hadn't wanted to hang out with the others.
So maybe he'd been a little too caught up while dating Chaya. Between schoolwork, football, and trying to keep up with his girlfriend, John had been busy these last couple of months. He'd been so busy that, a week before the break-up, Rodney had complained he never saw John anymore. When Rodney noticed that people weren't spending time with him, then things were bad - Rodney rarely noticed anything other than his projects and Ms. Carter, the Physics teacher.
"You led the team to victory," Teyla said, brushing a wisp of fringe from her face. "Does that not entitle you to a night off?"
Well, maybe it did. And now that he didn't have Chaya suggesting they do stuff with her friends, he could spend some time with his friends again.
He started to answer, and then realised Teyla's attention was elsewhere. Across the restaurant, the blond player from St. Rait's turned back at the door with a smile for Teyla before sauntering out the door with the other Rait.
John's eyes narrowed briefly, but all he said when Teyla turned back was, "Maybe it does."
--
"You guys don't wanna come over?" Lichfield asked in the school parking lot. "My brother's downloaded some of the latest movies and we're going to watch on Dad's plasma." He waggled his eyebrows. "The Omen! Now showing at Lichfield cinema!"
Teyla laughed. "Thank you, but no."
Lichfield rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sheppard?"
John popped the trunk of his car and dumped his gear in, holding it open for Teyla. "No, not tonight."
"Got a headache?" Lichfield quipped archly. Then his eyes flicked to Teyla as she put her stuff in the trunk. He lowered his voice, barely loud enough for John to hear. "Don't blame you."
"Lichfield..." He didn't need this, and neither did Teyla.
The other guy just grinned. "See you guys at practice tomorrow."
As they climbed into the car, John reflected that asking Teyla to Homecoming might not have been the most strategic decision he'd ever made given that he was the captain of the football team and she was the only girl player on the team.
Too bad. He'd asked, she'd accepted. They'd deal.
At least they weren't dating.
"You can go to Lichfield's house if you wish," Teyla said as they drove out of the parking lot. It wasn't a fancy car, just a station wagon, although he was allowed to borrow his mom's car for important events. Like Homecoming.
John gave her a sideways look. "I said I didn't want to."
"I thought..." She paused. "I thought that perhaps you felt responsible for getting me to the café."
"Well, I do. But you already pointed out that I haven't been socialising with you guys lately."
They passed several streetlights before Teyla answered. "You have been missed."
"So Rodney tells me."
"Rodney told you?"
"Who else would?"
"Elizabeth. Carson."
John thought about that for a moment. "I figured they were busy dating and all that stuff."
"Dating does not mean you forget your friends," Teyla said.
They were at a set of lights, so John turned to look at her, wondering if she'd meant to be as severe as she sounded. "Is that a criticism?" He tried to keep his voice level and had a feeling he failed.
"If you wish to take it as such."
"Don't be snippy."
One delicate eyebrow arched. "Do not be over-sensitive."
John scowled and looked back at the road as the lights went green. "So if, say, you started dating Michael Kenmore, we'd still see you at these hang outs?"
Her silence was deafening, even with the rumble of the low-volume bass filtering through the back speakers. "I am not dating him."
"Not yet, maybe." Okay, so probably not the wisest thing to say. Why give her ideas?
"Are you implying--?"
John was, but he wasn't going to go there. "I'm saying it's pretty obvious he's interested."
He saw her glance out the window as the neon lights of a group of restaurants flashed past them. "Would I be thrown off the football team if I began going out with Michael?"
"No," was John's immediate response. It was an honest answer, at least from him. He wouldn't like it, but throwing her off the team for her choice of guy wasn't any more sane than throwing any of the guys off the team for their choice of girlfriend - at least, not to John. How the other guys would look at it, or even Coach Caldwell, was another matter. Bates would have a field day. But it wasn't a crime to date a player from another team.
It just wasn't very common.
"Would you bring Kenmore along to one of these nights if you were dating him?"
"I am not, so it does not matter."
"But if you were?"
"Ronon would not be pleased."
"And Liz probably wouldn't have been too happy with Chaya around."
Teyla looked at him. "You underestimate her graciousness. Or overestimate her feelings for you."
"Are you saying Ronon's got a crush on you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Ronon does not suffer the Rait. Any of them. It is a very different situation."
"You guys wouldn't have wanted Chaya around."
"And you do not want Michael around should I ever begin dating him," said Teyla.
John noted that she hadn't denied that Chaya hadn't been welcome among the gang. Then he frowned at her admission that dating the St. Rait's guy was even a possibility. He didn't trust Kenmore at all - and it had nothing to do with the traditional enmity between Shermer and St. Rait's and everything to do with the way the guy had watched Teyla. Of course, he wasn't going to say that. Bad enough that they were even having this conversation.
"You said that dating doesn't mean you forget your friends," he said, steering the conversation back to the original topic. "I'm telling you that not coming along wasn't about 'forgetting friends' - it was about being comfortable. Both Liz and Carson are dating and still hang around with the group because Ronon and Laura are okay with that. If you're dating someone who isn't so happy to be around your friends, you try to find places where you're both comfortable."
"Or avoid being seen as joined at the hip," Teyla murmured.
"Or that." He glanced at her. "How did you and Lorne do it?"
In the passenger seat, she stiffened, her chin went up, and she looked pointedly out the window.
John sighed. Open mouth, insert foot, learn something new.
Topic Number One to avoid mentioning around Teyla right now: Mark Lorne. Obviously, it had been a bad break-up, even if her game hadn't suffered.
Oh well. Sure, John was curious. But he wasn't that curious.
He turned up the music, flipping through the various channels until he found a song he liked, letting the warm, easy tones fill the car and take away the need for conversation.
But when they climbed out of the car in the parking lot, John glanced at her over the roof of the car. "Look, Teyla--"
"Thank you for the ride, John." Nobody on the planet could sound as prim and polite as Teyla Emmagen when she had her back up.
"Dammit, quit being bitchy, Teyla. I'm just trying to help."
"You think I am being bitchy?" Her eyes narrowed. "I will quit being 'bitchy' if you will quit being pushy, John."
John snorted at that. "All right, then." He locked the car and waited for her to come around the front. "I was just asking."
Teyla kept a slight distance as they trudged across the chilly parking lot, like she didn't want to get too close to him. John didn't sigh, but as they reached the entrance to the coffee shop, he blocked her entry into the building with his arm. "Are you going to freeze me out every time Mark Lorne comes up in conversation?"
"I have had enough of people asking questions," she said coldly.
"Yeah, well, I'm not people. I get the break-up between you and Lorne is private. But I don't gossip."
The dark eyes studied him for a long moment. "I apologise. It is not a comfortable topic."
"Break-ups aren't." John could say that.
Teyla's mouth set in a straight line, but she nodded after a moment. "Are we still going to Homecoming?"
"Together? Yeah. Unless you want to dump me, too." Okay, so the 'too' was probably unnecessary. He hadn't meant for it to slip out. And he really hoped she wouldn't ask.
She didn't, although the moment's silence gave him pause. A car squealed through the parking lot, turning both their heads. When John looked back, Teyla nodded once. "Then we are going to Homecoming together."
"Good." John felt relieved that they were still okay. He didn't examine it too closely - it was just the reassurance that he didn't need to go hunting yet another date for Homecoming. Instead, he pushed open the door and they entered the café together.
- TBC -
NOTES: You'll get two more chapters before Christmas (I hope). Life's a bit busier than I anticipated, so I haven't had much writing time, lately.