Chapter Text
"All right, children. Sit down now!" the teacher ordered, her voice raised.
Most of the class fell silent immediately, leaving only a few murmurs from the students in the back.
"How about we try some different activities?" the teacher asked, and the whole class shouted in joy.
It was PE class. The teacher was new to the school this year and had a different teaching style compared to the other rigid teachers. The children loved her, but none as much as Jackie Taylor.
Jackie had been a hyperactive child from an early age. She had already done swimming and gymnastics, and now she was on her way to soccer. So, when the new teacher, Sarah Nelson, joined the school and started teaching her class, Jackie's excitement increased a thousand percent, as the teacher managed these activities and was always very understanding.
"What kind of activity, teacher?" Jackie asked, with her thin, sweet child’s voice.
"Well, I know everyone here is excited about the introduction of offensive sports in class, but I’ve noticed that many students here have been misbehaving during the games," she explained with immense calm. "Many have been rude to classmates who don’t have the same energy and excitement for sports, and I’ve always taught that in games, you need to have solidarity. Especially at your age. That’s why I decided to introduce a team activit, one that is still competitive, but where teamwork and communication are much more efficient!"
The teacher walked to the blackboard and wrote in capital letters in the center: "MINEFIELD." Most of the students began whispering in confusion.
"How do we play that, teacher?" a boy named Jeffrey asked.
"Well, it’s simple. I will divide you into pairs, and the pairs will have to define their roles in this game: the guide and the walker. The walker will be blindfolded throughout the game and will have to pass through a series of obstacles. To do this, they will have the help of a guide who will be standing a bit further away, directing their steps. The tricky part is: several pairs will be playing at the same time, so you must be very careful when listening," she explained.
"And the winner? What do they get?" another boy asked.
"The winning pair, that is the one that reaches the end of the obstacles before all the other pairs, will have the chance to decide the next class activity!" The teacher said with a smile on her lips, adding at the end, "and they will also get chocolate." The class cheered. "Shhhh," the teacher placed her thumb to her lips. "I will draw the pairs!"
Jackie was thrilled. Not just because of the game; she knew the speech about student behavior wasn't directed at her, as she had always been very kind to her classmates. What she wanted most was to win and choose the next activity. Soccer. Her parents wouldn't let her play because they thought it was a dangerous sport and "not for girls." So, the chance to choose a sport made Jackie very happy.
"Jackie and Shauna," the teacher announced after calling out a few pairs.
Jackie stood up from her chair and looked for the shyest girl in class: Shauna Shipman. Jackie didn't know much about her; what she knew was only what she could see and hear from afar. Shauna was a bit older, very quiet, smart, cute, liked books and plaid-patterned clothes. Taylor had always been very extroverted and had even tried to talk to Shauna a few times, but Shauna always avoided her gaze and became excessively nervous around her. It was cute, Jackie thought, but frustrating too.
It didn't take long for her to find Shauna, a bit far from her desk, huddled in her seat. She also seemed to be looking for Jackie, but when their eyes met, she looked away immediately. Jackie then headed toward her.
"Hi!" she exclaimed, sitting in the empty desk next to Shauna.
"Hi," Shauna greeted, but her voice was lower than usual.
"So, we’re together," Jackie noted and then smiled. "I’m sure we’ll make a great pair."
"I doubt it, Jackie. Honestly, I’m not very good at sports or these kinds of games..." Shauna said, embarrassed.
"bullshit," Jackie affirmed, moving her chair closer to Shauna, dragging it across the floor. "We’re going to do great, I’m sure of it." She smiled warmly at Shauna. "So tell me, what do you want to be?"
"Hmm, I don't know," Shauna murmured, finally looking at Jackie with her large brown eyes.
"Then let's evaluate." Jackie rested her chin on her hand, which was sharing the desk with Shauna.
Jackie was like that, always very comfortable with proximity, but Shauna was nervous.
"You’re a great listener, always very attentive in class. In fact, I remember that time you made an observation about something we had last year! Crazy." Shauna’s cheeks flushed. "I, honestly, never stop talking. Well, that’s what my parents say." Jackie laughed, but the laugh didn't seem entirely genuine. "So, I think if you were the walker and I was the guide, we could win this easily!"
"Um, I don't know, Jackie. I... I don't want to let you down. I’m not very good with obstacles," Shauna confessed, but Jackie smiled affectionately.
"Hey, don't worry, okay? No one is going to be prepared, everyone will be blindfolded just like you, so it doesn't matter if someone is good at sports, everyone will have the same difficulty." The look Jackie gave Shauna made her relax completely.
"Right..." The corners of Shauna's lips lifted slightly. "Let's do it that way." Jackie smiled from ear to ear.
"We’re going to win this, Shipman!" She winked at Shauna.
"Attention children, let's all go outside!"
All the pairs began leaving the room together, lining up behind the teacher toward the courtyard. Shauna was visibly anxious, so Jackie put her arm around her neck and started talking about strategies the whole way.
"Maybe it'll be hard for you to recognize my voice during the game. I think if I make it higher, you might be able to-"
"I don't think it'll be hard..." Shauna interrupted, avoiding Jackie's gaze. "Um, your voice is... quite unique." Shauna's cheeks were so red that anyone would notice.
"Oh!" Jackie smiled, embarrassed. "I hope that means something good..."
"Of course... in the best way possible." As soon as Shauna finished speaking, they reached their destination.
It was a large courtyard where recess took place, but it was also used for physical activities by the teachers. The teacher asked all students to wait until all the obstacles were ready. She had the help of another teacher from the department in the process, so it didn't take long for the first pairs to be positioned at the starting line.
The class had a total of twelve pairs, and six obstacle courses were set up. There would be three rounds: the first six pairs would go and only one winning pair would emerge; the second round would be the same with the remaining pairs; the last round would be the competition between the winning pairs. It was simple, and since Jackie and Shauna weren't in the first group, they watched how the dynamic worked.
"We're going to do great at this!" Jackie whispered.
When the round ended, a boy named Jeffrey and another named William won. It was a total mess! Many pairs ended up colliding slightly with the obstacles because of all the shouting, and those who got lucky were also affected by the noise.
"Next pairs!"
Jackie and Shauna moved toward the obstacles they would pass through. There were some chairs, hula hoops, and other objects that cluttered and formed the path to the finish line. Shauna was nervous, she really didn't want to be doing all this.
"Everything is going to be fine, okay?" Jackie said behind Shauna as she tied the blindfold. "Is it too tight?"
"No, it’s fine." Now Shauna was blindfolded and struggling to adjust.
"Here..." Shauna felt Jackie's hands guiding her to the line where it started. "Ready?"
"No..." Jackie laughed.
"I’m here for you." Shauna felt a squeeze on her shoulder before Jackie’s hands left her body and she stepped away.
"Everyone ready?" Some children shouted in confirmation. "Then... Begin!"
And the round for Jackie and Shauna was...
Extremely successful!
They worked so well as a team that they were the first to reach the end, and when they did, Shauna swore she had never received a hug as tight as the one Jackie gave her in her whole life.
"We did so well, Shipman!" Jackie exclaimed, totally excited, clinging to Shauna as much as she could.
Shauna could hardly formulate a word because she was smiling so much. Who would have thought she’d manage to make a good impression on Jackie at some point?
"Okay, children!" the teacher called out. "Now we’re heading to the final round, where Jeff and Will will face Jackie and Shauna! But first, I want to say that all of you worked very well as a team, and that only makes me happier to continue our classes together." The teacher’s smile was contagious. "But without further ado, let’s get to the final match!"
Shauna positioned herself at the line, receiving a smile from Jackie before the blindfold returned to her face and the world went dark. Now it would be easier, there would only be one other voice besides Jackie’s, so Shauna wouldn't have to struggle as much to hear her almost-friend.
"Ready?" Shauna whispered a 'yes', even if the teacher couldn't hear it. "You may begin!" The whistle blew, and Shauna started walking slowly.
The obstacles had also been moved, so she was no longer sure where she was walking, and if she didn't have Jackie, she would surely have fallen at the start.
"Left, Shauna, left!" Jackie directed from a distance. Shauna followed the words and moved as Jackie guided. "You’re doing great, now go right!" Shauna simply obeyed, though the fear of hitting something made her steps hesitant.
Everything was going well. Jackie felt they could win the game since they were so close to the end, but something unpredictable happened. A stone was in Shauna's path, and without noticing, Shauna tripped and fell to the ground.
Her eyes automatically teared up as she felt the sting in her arms and chin, which suffered scratches from the fall. Since she couldn't see anything, she was startled when a pair of hands touched her body.
"Shauna!" It was Jackie. "My God, teacher! She’s hurt." Jackie's concerned tone was obvious, but Shauna didn't want to give up.
"No... Au... It shouldn't be that bad..." Shauna said, grimacing in pain as she tried to sit up.
"Careful!" Jackie helped her.
"We can still win, Jackie." But as soon as she said that, her blindfold was removed.
The first thing she noticed was Jackie kneeling in front of her, eyes wide with worry and lips almost trembling.
"Here, teacher, on her arms too!" Jackie ignored Shauna and talked to the teacher, who knelt down with a small first-aid kit;
"Oh my, little Shauna." The teacher also grew concerned as she looked closer at the student’s condition.
Shauna had large scrapes on her arms with small amounts of blood, as she had sprawled out on the ground while wearing only a short-sleeved shirt. But the worst was her chin. She must have hit something sharp on the ground, because there was a nasty cut filled with dirt and blood.
"Let’s take you to the nurse, come on." The teacher helped Shauna up, accompanied by Jackie, who took Shauna’s hand by instinct.
"It’s going to be okay, Shau-"
"Jackie, I need you to stay here with the rest of your classmates while I take Shauna to the nurse; Professor Martinez is looking after you all." The teacher gently pushed Jackie back so she could lead Shauna away.
"But teacher..." Jackie couldn't finish her sentence because the teacher headed toward the infirmary with Shauna.
...
"She’s fine, Miss Shipman." The school nurse reassured Shauna’s mother. "Fortunately, the cut on her chin wasn't deep, so I just cleaned the wound and applied a bandage. Her arms are better too. I applied antiseptic and gave her an antibiotic just in case of any further issues."
"Thank you." Debora smiled and focused her gaze on Shauna, who was sitting on the exam table.
But her attention on her daughter was interrupted almost immediately when knocks on the infirmary door caught her eye. The nurse opened the door, revealing a little blonde girl who seemed embarrassed by the intrusion.
"Hi..." she whispered so softly it was barely a greeting. "I... I wanted to know if I could see Shauna or at least know how she is." Jackie addressed the nurse, but Debora made sure to smile at the girl and nod.
"Of course, dear. Are you and Shauna friends?"
"Yes, I’m Jackie!" She smiled shyly at the adult and quickly started scanning the room with her eyes. They lit up when she found Shauna, who hadn't noticed Jackie in the room yet.
"Nice to meet you, Jackie. I’m Shauna’s mother." Debora had never heard of a friend named Jackie, but she was happy Shauna had someone other than Taissa.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Shipman. Can I...?" She gestured toward Shauna, and Debora nodded. "Thank you!"
Jackie walked gracefully toward where Shauna was sitting, and it didn't take long for Shipman to notice her approach.
"Jackie?!" Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. "What are you doing here?"
"Duh, I came to see you." Jackie stood in front of Shauna, her eyes curiously inspecting the injuries. "How are you?" she asked worriedly.
"Um, I’m okay, it just stings a little," Shauna said, smiling awkwardly. "Jackie, I wanted to apologize for-" she was interrupted by the girl’s hand over her mouth.
"Don’t even think about finishing that sentence, Shipman." Jackie laughed, and Shauna joined in once Jackie’s hand was removed.
"But seriously, I know how much you wanted to win so you could pick soccer and-" this time Shauna stopped herself when she noticed a huge smile growing on Jackie’s face.
"How do you know I wanted to pick soccer?" Jackie asked with a grin, genuine curiosity in her eyes.
Shauna immediately panicked. Jackie couldn't know that Shauna observed her so much that she knew her tastes and habits.
"I... It’s just... You always..." She fumbled with her words and brought her hand to the back of her neck, a habit she had when she was nervous, which Jackie had witnessed before. "You..."
Seeing that Shauna was flustered, Jackie innocently took her hand to calm her down.
"Right, Miss Shauna-the-Psychic-Shipman. I’ve got my eye on you," she joked, and Shauna managed to relax. "But you really don’t need to apologize for anything. We did great, we were finalists! What matters is that we worked well as a team."
"Yeah, true." Shauna smiled.
Shauna felt something for Jackie, she knew it. Since the beginning of middle school, Shauna had always felt a slight admiration for her, and she knew she wanted to be her friend, but she could never get close. Lately, Shauna had been feeling everything more intensely, but still in a completely innocent and affectionate way. It had stopped being just a desire for friendship and turned into something stronger, to the point of wanting to be the one who could hold Jackie’s hand at recess, just like some teenage boys did with other girls. It was confusing for her, at only thirteen years old.
"I hope you get better soon, Shauna. I was so worried about you."
"I will. And don't worry, I’ll be as good as new in no time," Shauna joked, drawing a soft laugh from Jackie.
"Right..." They fell into silence.
Jackie in the middle of the silnce just got her hand and gently placed it on Shauna’s cheek. Shauna paralyzed instantly.
"I have to go. I told the teacher I was going to the bathroom, but I think she’s already getting suspicious." Jackie flashed a smile before leaning in closer to Shauna. Shauna’s heart raced completely when she realized what Jackie was about to do.
Taylor approached slowly and planted a brief kiss on Shauna’s flushed cheek. Shauna couldn't hide her reaction, which drew a chuckle from Jackie.
"Bye, see you tomorrow." She stepped away from Shauna completely.
Before leaving the infirmary, Jackie said goodbye to Shauna’s mother and headed back to the classroom. Debora, in fact, had been watching everything from the beginning and noticed something that her daughter perhaps didn't even know yet.
She was having her first crush.