Hopeless Love (☆Scott McCall x OC☆)

Second Chance At First Line

"Why would I do that?"

"Get you some friends. People to hang out with." Jackson replied.

Ashton gaped, reeling back as if the sentence had physically hit him. "I have friends!"

Jackson gave an unbelieving look, his lips pursing into a thin line. "Who?"

"Allison."

"Doesn't count, she's your twin."

"I set with a kid named Boyd at lunch."

"Okay, so one friend."

Ashton rolled his eyes, clearing his throat. "Okay, Mr. Popular, how many friends do you have? And not buddies, I mean actual friends."

Jackson paused, running through the lift of people in his head. He had people he talked to everyday, but only in class or during practice. Truly, there was only two people he honestly counted himself as close too.
"Lydia and Danny."

"Lydia doesn't count, she's your girlfriend. Not the same as a friend. So, technically, you also only have one friend." Ashton retorted, using Jackson's logic against him.

Jackson rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Okay, so we're both not the best at making friends."

"Just another thing we have in common." Ashton replied, giving an amused smile the others way.

"Another?" Jackson questioned, his eyebrow twitching in confusion.

"Well," Ashton began, bringing one of his legs to rest against the back of his chair, his lower back pressing into the arm-rest, turning his body to face the other. "From what I've heard, which is a lot, you do not like McCall. Neither do I."

Jackson hummed, raising his eyebrows. "Why don't you like him?"

"He left my sister at a party that he convinced her to go, in the middle of the night." Ashton replied. "Plus, he's like a puppy. The eyes and personality, total golden retriever energy."

Jackson nodded, an exasperated sound leaving him. "At least I'm not the only one who doesn't like him."

"Yeah, why don't you like him exactly?" Ashton questioned.

"He's always been a pain, y'know. Just always around, constantly. Then he joined the team, been on the bench his entire time. But recently, he got good, and not just decent, I mean first-line good. I swear, he must be on something." Jackson explained, leaning his head back to rest against the wall.

Ashton let out a sound of agreement. "Yeah, I mean, people don't just get good at a sport overnight."

"Unless they take steroids."

Both teens said at the same time, glancing towards each other before letting out a small laugh. The sound seeming to echo around the nearly empty room.

"On a different note," Ashton said after a few moments of silence. "Why are you here?"

"Fucking McCall." Jackson muttered, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He started acting like a maniac during practice today, rammed into me, screwed my shoulder."

"Damn." Ashton muttered.

Jackson nodded before opening his mouth to continue. "So, Coach sent me here. As much as he doesn't actually give a shit, the rules make it to where I can't play until I get it checked out. And as captain, I have to so I can set the 'example.'"

Ashton blinked, no reply leaving him, resulting in a few moments of silence. "Mkay, I can see why you don't like him."

"Whittemore?" A nurse called from down the hallway, clipboard in hand.