fic: In The Game - Chapter One, PG-13
TITLE: In The Game - Chapter One
SUMMARY: John Sheppard's got a game to be played and won, but the stakes may be higher than he realises.
CATEGORY: high school AU
RATING: PG-13
BETA: The story has been beta'd, however the betas differentiated on several points of game terminology and degrees of ruling, so there may still be errors in the story. I've done what I could where I could, but please forgive the errors and inaccuracies where they occur - they're entirely mine.
NOTES: The background to this story is provided in the shermer_high AU fic ' Wrong Kind Of Guy' - this is a sequel of sorts. Of sorts, because this one's being structured differently and is running with a different focus. It's a WIP with 18,000 words and counting. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter One: Time For A Game That Counts
John was weaving through the Friday afternoon crush when Bates caught up to him in the corridor, slipping past a couple of freshmen too eager to get out of school to look where they were going.
"About tonight's starting line-up," Bates began.
"Yes, Teyla's in the starting line-up." John answered without letting the other guy finish. He knew where this was going - Bates was very predictable when it came to some things. His dislike of Teyla on the football team came up with clockwork regularity. "Coach's call as well as mine."
The final bell had rung and the corridors were rapidly clearing as the students of Shermer High headed out to catch their buses or walk home, depending on where they lived.
John caught a few eyes as the students went past, took a few friendly slaps from his buddies, and got a few calls of 'good luck' for tonight's game against Dalton. With the final games of the football season lining up, the pressure was on. Shermer wasn't one of the best schools in the league, but they had a reasonable chance for the league title, and these last two games would be the deciders.
"You know Lorne broke up with her?" Bates commented, having kept in step with him all the way down the corridor, sticking with John like a limpet.
John hadn't known. He frowned, wondering what the hell that had to do with him. Or Bates, if it came to that.
"What's that got to do with the line-up?"
"She's a girl."
John glanced at Bates. "You noticed."
The prod might have gotten a blush from a guy with paler skin. Bates just looked a little uncomfortable. "Girls get emotional when they've been dumped. Her game might be a little wobbly."
"Are you sure you're not just angling to keep her off the field?" The enmity between Bates and Teyla was legendary. Bates was of the opinion that a girl - especially a junior - had no call being on the varsity football team, no matter how good her eye, how true her throws, or how fast she could run. And he let Teyla know it. Naturally, Teyla wasn't at all happy to have her position on the team questioned, and could be very pointed towards Bates when they clashed.
Coach Caldwell - and John, for that matter - were of the opinion that if you were good enough for the varsity football team, you were good enough for the varsity football team. And since Teyla was one of the best receivers Shermer had, her gender was deemed irrelevant in so far as selection for the team went. Caldwell was the coach, and John was quarterback and captain, they were behind her one-hundred percent, and that was that.
It had never stopped Bates from trying to get her taken off the field.
"These next two games are important - Dalton and St. Rait's. Dalton's presently on a winning streak, and St. Rait's...well, you know the Rait."
St. Rait's Boys were Shermer's sworn enemies and had been for decades. It was a matter of honour to win against them - no matter the cost in energy or effort. "We screw these games up and our chances for State go down the drain."
"You really think I'd throw away our chances for State?" John asked, stopping in the middle of the rapidly-emptying corridor and not caring that two exasperated juniors had to detour around him. "Teyla's a solid player - one of our best. If her game was a problem, Coach would have picked it up and we'll deal with it then."
Bates shrugged, although his expression was sour. "I'm just pointing out that the break-up could have a bad effect on her. You know how girls are."
John kept the grimace from his expression in an act of will. Yeah, John knew how girls were. He didn't much want a reminder right now.
"Thank you for bringing it to my attention." He headed for his locker. "Don't let me keep you."
"Sheppard..."
"Bates, I said that if there was an issue with Teyla's game, we'd deal with it then, okay?" John was feeling just angry enough to push back now that Bates had shoved him far enough. "That's as much as you're going to get right now. And," he added when Bates opened his mouth to protest, "if you keep going this way, then we've got another problem and one that I will bring up with Coach before the game."
It wasn't a direct threat to have Bates dropped from the evening game, but it shaved things pretty close. John was annoyed enough not to care.
Bates gave him a narrow-eyed look but just said, "Fine," before walking off.
John exhaled quietly to himself as he rummaged through his backpack to work out what he wasn't going to need for the weekend.
So Teyla and Lorne were no longer an item.
John was surprised by that. Last time he looked closely, the two had been pretty into each other.
He wondered what - or who - had happened to turn things sour.
John grimaced as he tossed his Trigonometry textbook into the locker and hauled out AP Physics.
Break-ups were presently a touchy subject for him, ever since Chaya Sar had decided to 'move on' - her words, not his. She'd told John he was sweet and a really nice guy--
John had stopped listening about the time she hit the words 'really nice guy'. There was no such thing as 'a really nice guy who got the girl in the end', there was only a 'but...'
Chaya's 'but' was that she had her eye on someone else.
Chemistry was next - another textbook that was too damn heavy and full of stuff that John would never need to know once he got into the Air Force Academy. That was where he was headed at the end of the year. He'd already submitted his application, applied for the approval of his Senator, and received favourable indications. He had to get through his SATs with reasonable results, but as long as he proved he wasn't some bimbo, he was fairly certain he was in.
At least the old man was good for something.
After the last couple of weeks, John couldn't wait for the school year to be over, never mind that it had only started.
Chaya's new boyfriend was some guy whose dad bankrolled movies and whose mom spent most of her time in the beauty parlour or having morning tea with her friends. His transfer to Shermer had something to do with his godmother thinking he needed to see how the 'unwashed masses' lived sans silver spoon. His popularity among the non-football group had soared and John's had dwindled.
The last two weeks had been a mad whirlygig of fun for John as the girls smirked and whispered and the boys slapped him on the shoulder in commiseration. The girls mostly went along with Chaya, and the boys followed the girls. So John's group of 'friends' - and he was using that term in the broadest sense, now - had mostly drifted elsewhere.
Whatever.
John was getting back into the swing of things, smiling and chatting up the girls who'd been interested in him before the month he'd been with Chaya.
Better make a move soon, he reminded himself. Homecoming's in a week and you're without a date now.
As he slammed the locker door closed, John reflected that things had been easier back when Liz wasn't dating Ronon Dex. He would have just asked her and wouldn't have had to worry about finding a date in the end. Not that he was into Liz that way - they were friends, like he was with Rodney or Carson - but she wasn't ugly and she was there, and it wouldn't have made much gossip after the three years they'd been hanging out together.
Then again, he reflected, if it hadn't been Dex, then Ben Maroney would probably have tried to make a move. Or even Radek Zelenka. Liz had her admirers, most of whom had never done more than stammer their way through a greeting before school began. Then Ronon Dex strolled into Shermer, flexed a few muscles, and suddenly Liz was out of play.
Okay, so there was more to it than that, maybe - the whole thing with Kolya and his goons for a start - but a couple of grins and a few self-defence lessons and Liz had fallen into Ronon's arms like a perfectly-aimed, perfectly-caught throw.
John hefted his backpack and headed out of the school towards the gym locker rooms and put all thoughts of girls out of his mind. He'd done enough fretting over the whole dating game.
Time for a game that counted.
- TBC -
SUMMARY: John Sheppard's got a game to be played and won, but the stakes may be higher than he realises.
CATEGORY: high school AU
RATING: PG-13
BETA: The story has been beta'd, however the betas differentiated on several points of game terminology and degrees of ruling, so there may still be errors in the story. I've done what I could where I could, but please forgive the errors and inaccuracies where they occur - they're entirely mine.
NOTES: The background to this story is provided in the shermer_high AU fic ' Wrong Kind Of Guy' - this is a sequel of sorts. Of sorts, because this one's being structured differently and is running with a different focus. It's a WIP with 18,000 words and counting. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter One: Time For A Game That Counts
John was weaving through the Friday afternoon crush when Bates caught up to him in the corridor, slipping past a couple of freshmen too eager to get out of school to look where they were going.
"About tonight's starting line-up," Bates began.
"Yes, Teyla's in the starting line-up." John answered without letting the other guy finish. He knew where this was going - Bates was very predictable when it came to some things. His dislike of Teyla on the football team came up with clockwork regularity. "Coach's call as well as mine."
The final bell had rung and the corridors were rapidly clearing as the students of Shermer High headed out to catch their buses or walk home, depending on where they lived.
John caught a few eyes as the students went past, took a few friendly slaps from his buddies, and got a few calls of 'good luck' for tonight's game against Dalton. With the final games of the football season lining up, the pressure was on. Shermer wasn't one of the best schools in the league, but they had a reasonable chance for the league title, and these last two games would be the deciders.
"You know Lorne broke up with her?" Bates commented, having kept in step with him all the way down the corridor, sticking with John like a limpet.
John hadn't known. He frowned, wondering what the hell that had to do with him. Or Bates, if it came to that.
"What's that got to do with the line-up?"
"She's a girl."
John glanced at Bates. "You noticed."
The prod might have gotten a blush from a guy with paler skin. Bates just looked a little uncomfortable. "Girls get emotional when they've been dumped. Her game might be a little wobbly."
"Are you sure you're not just angling to keep her off the field?" The enmity between Bates and Teyla was legendary. Bates was of the opinion that a girl - especially a junior - had no call being on the varsity football team, no matter how good her eye, how true her throws, or how fast she could run. And he let Teyla know it. Naturally, Teyla wasn't at all happy to have her position on the team questioned, and could be very pointed towards Bates when they clashed.
Coach Caldwell - and John, for that matter - were of the opinion that if you were good enough for the varsity football team, you were good enough for the varsity football team. And since Teyla was one of the best receivers Shermer had, her gender was deemed irrelevant in so far as selection for the team went. Caldwell was the coach, and John was quarterback and captain, they were behind her one-hundred percent, and that was that.
It had never stopped Bates from trying to get her taken off the field.
"These next two games are important - Dalton and St. Rait's. Dalton's presently on a winning streak, and St. Rait's...well, you know the Rait."
St. Rait's Boys were Shermer's sworn enemies and had been for decades. It was a matter of honour to win against them - no matter the cost in energy or effort. "We screw these games up and our chances for State go down the drain."
"You really think I'd throw away our chances for State?" John asked, stopping in the middle of the rapidly-emptying corridor and not caring that two exasperated juniors had to detour around him. "Teyla's a solid player - one of our best. If her game was a problem, Coach would have picked it up and we'll deal with it then."
Bates shrugged, although his expression was sour. "I'm just pointing out that the break-up could have a bad effect on her. You know how girls are."
John kept the grimace from his expression in an act of will. Yeah, John knew how girls were. He didn't much want a reminder right now.
"Thank you for bringing it to my attention." He headed for his locker. "Don't let me keep you."
"Sheppard..."
"Bates, I said that if there was an issue with Teyla's game, we'd deal with it then, okay?" John was feeling just angry enough to push back now that Bates had shoved him far enough. "That's as much as you're going to get right now. And," he added when Bates opened his mouth to protest, "if you keep going this way, then we've got another problem and one that I will bring up with Coach before the game."
It wasn't a direct threat to have Bates dropped from the evening game, but it shaved things pretty close. John was annoyed enough not to care.
Bates gave him a narrow-eyed look but just said, "Fine," before walking off.
John exhaled quietly to himself as he rummaged through his backpack to work out what he wasn't going to need for the weekend.
So Teyla and Lorne were no longer an item.
John was surprised by that. Last time he looked closely, the two had been pretty into each other.
He wondered what - or who - had happened to turn things sour.
John grimaced as he tossed his Trigonometry textbook into the locker and hauled out AP Physics.
Break-ups were presently a touchy subject for him, ever since Chaya Sar had decided to 'move on' - her words, not his. She'd told John he was sweet and a really nice guy--
John had stopped listening about the time she hit the words 'really nice guy'. There was no such thing as 'a really nice guy who got the girl in the end', there was only a 'but...'
Chaya's 'but' was that she had her eye on someone else.
Chemistry was next - another textbook that was too damn heavy and full of stuff that John would never need to know once he got into the Air Force Academy. That was where he was headed at the end of the year. He'd already submitted his application, applied for the approval of his Senator, and received favourable indications. He had to get through his SATs with reasonable results, but as long as he proved he wasn't some bimbo, he was fairly certain he was in.
At least the old man was good for something.
After the last couple of weeks, John couldn't wait for the school year to be over, never mind that it had only started.
Chaya's new boyfriend was some guy whose dad bankrolled movies and whose mom spent most of her time in the beauty parlour or having morning tea with her friends. His transfer to Shermer had something to do with his godmother thinking he needed to see how the 'unwashed masses' lived sans silver spoon. His popularity among the non-football group had soared and John's had dwindled.
The last two weeks had been a mad whirlygig of fun for John as the girls smirked and whispered and the boys slapped him on the shoulder in commiseration. The girls mostly went along with Chaya, and the boys followed the girls. So John's group of 'friends' - and he was using that term in the broadest sense, now - had mostly drifted elsewhere.
Whatever.
John was getting back into the swing of things, smiling and chatting up the girls who'd been interested in him before the month he'd been with Chaya.
Better make a move soon, he reminded himself. Homecoming's in a week and you're without a date now.
As he slammed the locker door closed, John reflected that things had been easier back when Liz wasn't dating Ronon Dex. He would have just asked her and wouldn't have had to worry about finding a date in the end. Not that he was into Liz that way - they were friends, like he was with Rodney or Carson - but she wasn't ugly and she was there, and it wouldn't have made much gossip after the three years they'd been hanging out together.
Then again, he reflected, if it hadn't been Dex, then Ben Maroney would probably have tried to make a move. Or even Radek Zelenka. Liz had her admirers, most of whom had never done more than stammer their way through a greeting before school began. Then Ronon Dex strolled into Shermer, flexed a few muscles, and suddenly Liz was out of play.
Okay, so there was more to it than that, maybe - the whole thing with Kolya and his goons for a start - but a couple of grins and a few self-defence lessons and Liz had fallen into Ronon's arms like a perfectly-aimed, perfectly-caught throw.
John hefted his backpack and headed out of the school towards the gym locker rooms and put all thoughts of girls out of his mind. He'd done enough fretting over the whole dating game.
Time for a game that counted.
- TBC -