Work Text:
-May 19th-
*GRAND OPENING*
It’s plastered across a banner in big pink writing and messy script, the three founders standing across the street just.. Looking at it. Jay’s heart swells with pride - that this is what is best, it’s her business, after all, (though Chip and Gill insist they help, so she puts them on admin she’d rather die than do, so she can teach classes).
There is a crowd, not a huge one, but any crowd draws more people. A jostling group chattering excitedly about something new. The same 15 stores have been knocking around this damn town for years, and something as out there as an archery range draws their attention. Between the three of them, they've answered the same “what is this?” question a hundred times, and they’ll never get sick of it.
Crossing the street, the joy in her heart sours to dread, oh, fuck. I have to make a speech. But with Chip on her left, and Gill on her right, both flashing grand smiles, she swallows her anxiety and taps the microphone.
“Oh, Hi! My name is Jay, and I’m the owner of the Eagles Den archery range! I’ve been working towards this for years and I'm overjoyed that it’s finally real! We’re running with a relatively small crew here, so we’re only running one class at a time, the schedule is just over there.” she says, pointing to a little board just by the walkway, “I’ll be running classes, any questions come and speak to me! I’m gonna let my team introduce themselves to you, so you can decide who you’ll need to talk to with queries.”
Taking her place at the mic, Chip introduces himself first, “Hey everyone! I’m Chip, I’ll be handling memberships and all that stuff, payments, you get it. And this is Gill,” he adds, dragging him by the arm to his protest.
“Yeah, Chip, I know! Hi there! I’m Gillion, Gill. and I'll be pretty much anywhere! General help, that sort of thing.”
With that, Gillion pulls a comically large pair of golden scissors from his bag, and hands them to Jay, who laughs so hard as the sight she nearly tumbles over. But she makes her way to the extravagant ribbon across the front doors and cuts the ribbon in a dramatic gesture, and poses with Chip and Gill for pictures.
-August 30th-
From two or three kids in one beginner class, Jay’s enrolled pupil list grows exponentially. Now having fifteen pupils in one class she couldn't be more proud. Each kid she sees through her doors is a unique case, looking at each one’s posture and confidence, there’s always a way to enable them to be great archers. She lives for the wild joyous grin that shoots across their faces when they hit a target dead on, or when they just hit something, even when she just gives them praise.
Of course, as all teachers do, she has favourites. Oliver seems particularly promising, starting a bit higher than the rest, and shooting up the class; threatening to join the class for older kids. But her favourite thing is how happy he is, his little face glowing with joy as just about anything, shooting huge smiles at her and John (who she assumes is his.. Dad? Adopted? Who knows, but he’s Ollie's emergency contact, not like he's ever far.) with both of them cheering for him as if he just broke a world record, but for him, he has.
It’s not just Children’s classes, either, a group of adults meet with her once a week to improve. The class is a hodgepodge of people with varying degrees of excitement, Gill dragging Chip to the class just to support her, Aslana with her intense yearning to do something exciting, and.. Who’s that? She hasn’t seen her here before, and she’s never missed a class. As she introduces the work for the week she finds her eyes dragging on the woman, who’s grey-eyed gaze hangs on her in return. Her brown locs tied into a high bun on the top of her hair, the decorative beads jingling lightly as she rocks on her heels.
“Right, you know the drill, grab a bow and get going, let me know if you need anything!”
She sets to wandering back and forth behind the group, giving out praise like its candy and correcting here and there. And even when she rushes over to fix Chip’s aim before he kills someone her eyes search for the newest group member.
Riiiing!
Her phone buzzes with the end of class, as the bows go back in their holders, and they file out, chattering with friendship.
“Hey! Sorry, I didn't catch your name.. I’m Jay, but I guess you know that.” She chimes, catching her on her way out.
“Oh, Hi! I’m Lizzie. I meant to introduce myself earlier but I completely forgot.”
“No, don’t worry! I’m sure you’ll fit in just perfect. You coming back next week?”
“Yeah, I think so, if not just to see you..” Lizzie says playfully, sweeping out of the range’s doors.
In response, Jay sputters at the door as it closes with a thunk. Lizzie.. Her mischievous words echo in her mind as she clears up arrows and sets out little bows for the children’s class tomorrow, what did she mean by that? Did she mean to look her up and down as she left? She’d chosen her usual white halter and jeans, her blue jacket discarded in the heat, nothing too special. In all fairness, she’d definitely started it, if not with accidental wandering eyes.
“Flustered, Jay?”
She whips around in panic, but only finds Chip with a shit eating grin.
“Oh fuck you, Chip.”
“I don’t blame you, she's pretty. But I wasn't expecting the Jay Ferin to be all bothered by one little comment.”
“Pretty? Come on, she’s gorgeous! And one little comment was the most I've been flirted with in months!” Jay quips, her pale skin deepened in blush.
“Oh, you are such a wet cat, Jay! Just don’t go all bashful in a class!” he chuckled, letting the door close behind him as he left her to her thoughts.
-October 17th-
As the weather cools down and frost starts to settle, Jay’s motivation dwindles. It’s been what, six months? How can she be running out of steam already? Each day that passes weighs on her shoulders, except for Thursday, when the bright red text of the “Adult Intermediate class” pings on her home screen, and her posture perks up just a bit, keeping only half an eye on the clock until 6, until she can see her again. Once that heavy door swings open and Lizzie meets her with a chipper smile. She waves hugely and feels her own face rise into a grin in return. Each time she does it, Chip’s face grins too, but with the inevitable teasing that will come the next time the three hang out on their own.
As she teaches, Jay's eyes find their way back to her, and more often than not Lizzie’s gaze flits away panickedly, caught in her staring.
She introduces a harder technique to the group, hovering around their shoulders like a worried mother and guiding them to not accidentally shoot themselves in the foot. Keeping to herself that she mostly taught this skill to watch Lizzie’s mind work as she fumbles with her bowstring.
“Need some help?”
“I think I do.. You’ve stumped me with this one.”
“May i?” she hints, putting her hands on Lizzie’s.
“You may..”
Lizzie lets her hands be guided by Jay’s, feeling her breath against her neck, and in reality knows just what she’s doing. In fact, the skill she’s playing dumb too isn't really that hard, but they have more classes if others make progress slowly (hence the intermediate class).
Riiiing!
Most of the class sighs with the end of class, as they don’t quite grasp the skill, but Lizzie sighs that she has to wait another week to see Jay again, unless..
“Need help clearing up?”
“Huh? Sorry, i was miles away.”
“Need an extra hand?” Lizzie invites, gesturing to the many extra arrows strewn about the range.
“Oh, i’d like that.” Jay responds, “Better get to it, then.”
Between them, the clean up doesn’t take as long. Gathering up armfuls of arrows into a big box and replacing bows. They don’t say much, just little statements here and there about where things go. Both of their faces turn pink by the task’s end, the air crackling with tension, but the gap between them closes with Lizzie’s hand on Jay’s.
“You’re beautiful, Jay.” Lizzie breaks the silence, looking down at her flustered face.
“Thank you, Lizzie, you aren’t so bad yourself.” she replies, giggling at her own unflirty nature.
“Would you want to go for coffee or something sometime?”
For Jay, the pin drops. Wait, she’s asking me out?? Me? She’s into me?
“Yeah! Sorry, that was a lot, i’d like that. After we’re done here?”
“Sure thing, that sounds wonderful.”
After the final arrow is returned to its quiver, Jay feels as though she’s been struck by her own. The warm feeling in her chest spreading like honey in her veins. She turns the key in the lock, leaving the Eagle’s Den safe and secure. And walks side by side with Lizzie into a second new adventure.