Chapter Text
"You absolute perv," the blonde chuckled, pulling a lollipop from her lips as she leaned back against James' motorcycle. She crossed her legs at the ankles and shook her head, tutting at her friend, mildly amused with his infatuation with a high school girl.
James had first spotted Queenie competing at a school swim meet. At that time a year ago, his girlfriend's little sister was on the team, and she had promised to put out if he let her drag him along with her. He avoided school functions as a rule when he had been there the year before, but he'd been waiting for her to give it up for a while now, so how could he refuse such an offer? After the event, however, she denied ever offering that, claiming that he had misunderstood, and he was just a sex craved maniac. Hook let it slide, because the afternoon hadn't been a complete waste. He'd seen her.
With Gwendolyn back at university overseas, Hook didn't have much to do except think of the swimmer. Still, Aurora was there to remind him that waiting outside the high school on the first day back from summer holiday was a bit creepy.
"I'm not a perv, she's eighteen," James muttered, sticking a cigarette between his lips. "She was only two years behind us in school," he added, lighting up.
"And how exactly do you know that?" Rory asked, brow raised, a smirk on her lips.
"I may have...*mumble*," James cleared his throat, avoiding Aurora's gaze while conveniently scanning the school track field. When his eyes fell back to Rory, she wore an unimpressed expression. He groaned and looked to the school gym door. "I called Mags, okay?" He managed through gritted teeth.
There was a half a moment of silence from Rory, which made Jimmy chance a look at her; this turned out to be a mistake, as she immediately burst out laughing.
"You called my grandma?" Aurora asked through peals of obnoxious laughter. Rory's grandmother loved James, and just so happened to work at the high school as secretary.
"So what if I did, huh? Isn't it good to know she's not a minor?" He huffed, flicking his cigarette.
"Jimmy, you prick, aren't you still dating my cousin? Don't think Gwen'd think that's good," she tested, raising a brow before laughing again.
Rory had no great affection for her cousin, but she was asking for his own sake. She had been close friends with him for far longer than he and Gwendolyn ever started dating. In truth, Rory didn't even understand why the two were even together. Gwen seemed to just like the idea of Hook, and kept him close just so no on else could have him. Gwen was pastels, bows, and dresses, and James was leather, cigarettes, and black eyes. She supposed politics played a role in their relationship; his parents owned half the big businesses in town, which made him the richest kid at school. Gwendolyn was also the eldest child of rich, high society parents that wanted her to marry up; apparently as a senior in high school she'd set her sights on him for that role. She strung him along with all sorts of promises, but as far as Rory knew, her cousin never followed through.
"Oh come off it, I'm just--" James stopped mid-sentence as the gym door opened and students in track clothes poured out. "Do you see her?" he asked, all common sense flying out of his head. After a moment, his eyes fell on the blonde in question, and his shoulders relaxed. She was laughing alongside a girl with mermaid blue hair.
"Ooh, that's Ronnie! Her dad owns that hookah bar--" Aurora started speculating, but Hook shushed her.
"Shh, there she is," he muttered, before taking another drag, eyes fixed on the blonde who began stretching for a run.
"Oh great, my best friend's a perv AND a creep."
**
Queenie sighed and pulled her hair back into a pony tail. In the locker room, girls were pulling on skimpy outfits that they hoped wouldn't be contested by the school because of the heat. Her friend Veronica was adjusting her barely butt length shorts and primping in the mirror.
"I can't wait for fall," the blue haired beauty groaned, smoothing her tank top. "I haven't even started running and I'm melting already," she added with a huff. "I don't know how you're wearing that," Ronnie commented, motioning to Queenie's outfit, and the blonde gave a good natured smile.
"I don't mind the heat," she commented, pulling her long sleeved, swim team jersey top on over her sports bra and capri leggings. "Plus, I can't afford the risk of a wardrobe write up," she added, a gentle reminder to her friend of her situation.
Queen Anne's High School was the best educational facility money could buy in the area, but it was a private school. Most of the students here were paying tuition to be there, but a few, like Queenie, had gotten in on a sports scholarship.
Veronica nodded, but didn't say much. The blue haired girl was a good person, but a little self centered. Queenie didn't mind that though; it was nice to go out and do things and not have to worry about having the attention on her at all.
"God, I can't wait for John to pick me up after school, I'm going to shag him silly," Ronnie said brazenly as they stepped out into the sweltering heat. "On second thought, maybe we'll just go get ice cream," she groaned, putting her hand on her head.
Queenie burst out laughing at the quick change of heart, and sighed, beginning her stretches.
"We're meant to run in this?" Veronica asked, side eyeing their teacher. "Mancini's a sadist, I swear."
"You're telling me," Queenie agreed, shaking her head. "Some of the swim exercises he had us do last year had me sore for a week. I just want to swim," the blonde stretched her arm across her chest and bent her legs one at a time.
"I forgot he coached the swim team too, that just seems skeevy," Ronnie cast another disapproving look at their teacher.
"Oh Ron, stop it. He's like sixty and is married. He may be harsh, but he's not a creep." Queen protested, feeling a little protective of the old man.
"How do you know? He could have a little peep hole in his office to spy on the girls in their locker room," Ronnie suggested vulgarly, miming someone looking through binoculars. Queenie made a sound of disgust before gently shoving her friend and laughing.
The two were on their second lap, when Ronnie nodded to a couple standing across the football field behind a chain link fence.
"Who do you think they are?" She asked, huffing between every couple of words.
Queenie, pink and sparkling with sweat looked up and shook her head, squinting.
"Can't...see..." she replied, to which Ronnie grabbed her by the wrist and veered them both off the track and towards the fence. Queenie was too out of breath to speak, and too int he moment to stop moving. "Ron!" She managed, tugging her hand away and coming to stop.
"It's Aurora Smith!" Veronica said exasperatedly. "She comes into dad's shop all the time, let's go say hi!" Ronnie suggested, and waved to the other blonde before looking back to Queenie. "Or are you that desperate to get back to running?" She asked with an arched brow.
Queen glanced back at the track and then sighed, catching her breath now. "Okay, but just for a minute; I can't get in trouble on the first day back," she relented, and wiped sweat from her brow with her sleeve. "Who's with her?"
**
"I'm not a creep," James grumbled, and Rory gave an amused scoff.
"Jimmy boy, this is text book creepy," she commented, and reached for his cigarette. "Gimme that," she demanded, and he held it backwards to her just out of reach, head focused away from her to the field. "You're pathetic," she sighed, leaning forward to take it. Hook stiffened at her words and turned around with a glare on his face.
James was irritated, but mostly because of the truth in her words. More than just hanging around a school to glimpse a pretty girl, but the whole situation with Gwen. Before her, he'd never had to wait for anything or anyone. Girls usually gravitated towards him, and he had bed three girls before Gwendolyn suggested they start seeing each other exclusively. She always danced around the subject, and the two of them never got around to consummating their relationship. Every time he got close to ending things with her, she'd pull him right back in with a kiss, a hand job, and a promise that when the time was right, she'd blow his mind.
And then she told him about her study abroad opportunity, and left him for the summer and upcoming school year. The night before she left, things started getting hot and heavy, but when he came back from the bathroom with a condom she had fallen asleep. It was when she was boarding the plane the next day that he thought he might not want her at all anymore.
Rory kept him company in that regard over the summer. 'Friends with Benefits' she'd called it. He knew she hadn't been judging him earlier for lusting after another girl, but teasing him about keeping up this act that Gwen and he were in a committed relationship.
"Oh look, here they come," she commented after a drag.
"Very funny," James muttered, pulling his helmet off the motorcycle. "Let's go get burgers," he suggested with a sigh.
"Okay, sure, one sec," Aurora handed him back his cig and stood up, walking to the fence. "Hey babes!" She greeted Veronica as the two girls arrived.
"Hi!" Ronnie chirruped, hoisting her shorts a bit and throwing her hair over her shoulder.
James' ears perked up at the sound of another female voice, and turned round slowly. Fuuuuuck. His mouth hung slightly open as Queenie drew near, her cheeks pink and hair blowing in a pony tail behind her. He quickly clenched his jaw shut and gave a small smile.
"If it isn't James Hook," the blue haired girl accused in a friendly tone. He turned to her and nodded.
"Guilty," he replied, sticking his helmet back on the seat. "And you must be Veronica. And you are...?" he turned to the blonde he already knew the name and birthday of. Did she get pinker? The thought of making her blush caused a little grin to tug at his lips.
"Queenie," she said in a small voice. "Queenie Morgan," the girl added, crossing her arms.
"We can't stay," Veronica said, casting a side glance at her friend, as if something unspoken was exchanged. "But Rory, my dad got an order of mango blueberry in if you wanted to come by this week!"
Aurora brightened at this, but James had his attention on Queenie. He was taking in her frame through her dampened top, eyes traveling down her body, and then back up to her face. He spied a slight jump in her pulse, visible above her collarbone, likely from the exercise. His gaze went up her neck, and then to her ears that were growing ever pinker. For some reason, she wouldn't look at him now, but he could see her deep gray-blue eyes going back and forth between Ronnie and Rory as the girls chatted. He chanced a glance at her slightly parted lips, and swallowed a groan, mind wandering far too far for eleven a.m. on a Tuesday.
"Is tonight good? Jimmy and I were wondering what to do tonight. You two going to be there?" Rory asked, and James became very aware of the conversation as he looked at the girls for an answer.
Ronnie began to say yes, while Queenie started to shake her head. The blonde's eyes went a slight shade of worried, and turned to say something to Veronica, only to be talked over.
"Around seven, yeah?" Veronica asked Rory, pulling an arm around Queenie's shoulders to turn her back towards the field. "We'll see you guys there!" And off they went away from them.
James staggered back slightly, and leaned against his bike, a pulsing pain in his groin.
"Might want to take care of that before seven," Rory teased, pulling on the spare helmet, nodding at his crotch. "Don't want to scare her off, now do you?"