He’d made the JV squad. He was only a freshman. Wait ‘til Jeff found out. Jeff would think it was cool, no doubt…maybe then he would get Chad off of Jared’s back and let him hang out with them from time to time. It didn’t have to be all of the time, but some of the time at least.

 

Jared totally understood the whole social hierarchy of the high school world and all of that. Seniors just didn’t hang out with freshmen, but Jeff was his brother. That had to count for something.

 

He trudged past the guys in front of him and went up to the cafeteria where he was sure that Jeff and Chad were holding court for the group of cheerleaders and guys who looked up to them. He spotted Jeff’s dark hair and trounced into the cafeteria to tower over their crowded tabled.

 

“Hey, guess what, I made JV,” Jared called out a little breathlessly. A couple of the cheerleaders smiled at him, but Chad grimaced and Jeff was too busy trying to brush his fingers against the side of a girl’s chest to pay him any attention.

 

“Jeff, bro, did you hear me?” Jared asked quickly. “I made JV, man. Dad’s gonna be so stoked.”

 

Jeff turned to give him a half-grin, but Chad cut it off.

 

“Sorry, Padalecki, but didn’t anybody tell you that JV is just a poor substitute here for the Varsity team?” Chad asked.

 

Jared flushed a little at the fact that every one of Chad and Jeff’s clique had quieted down and was listening to the exchange and it was obvious from the look on Chad’s face that he was going to be the usual pain the ass. Jared clenched his teeth.

 

“I was talking to my brother Jeff,” Jared said spitefully.

 

“Hate to bust your little happy bubble, kid,” Chad said with a shrug and shook his head pityingly.

 

“But I’m a freshman and I made JV,” Jared pointed out firmly.

 

“Iggy here’s a freshman and he made varsity,” Chad said, gesturing behind him to a gigantic ape of a guy with exaggerated muscles and rough stubble on his chin. Iggy looked like somebody’s dad. There was no way he could be a freshman, but the big guy just grunted and everyone turned their attention to him. Jeff started patting him on the back and going on and on about how Iggy was fearless on the field and was going to help them get to State that year. Chad’s eyes flashed over to Jared’s sullen face carelessly.

 

“Anyway, congratulations, kid,” Chad said and went back to eating.  Iggy had started flexing his muscles and Jeff was cackling maniacally to the amusement of most of the people at the table.  Jared’s shoulders slumped as he turned away.

 

 

***

 

Did you see his thighs? He could crack walnuts with those thighs? Jensen read the hastily scrawled note that Sophia had passed him and bit his lip to keep himself from giggling out loud. He pretended to write his thesis outline in the notebook in front of him for a moment before lifting his eyes to peer at Mr. Cowley’s legs in the clinging khaki pants he was wearing.

 

God, his thighs. Jensen practically salivated. They were like shapely, curving bricks. Who would have thought that an English nerd like Mr. Cowley had the body of a Greek god? Jensen shot Sophia a lust-filled look and scribbled on the paper.

 

He could crack me open with those thighs, Jensen wrote quickly. A body like his should be outlawed in the classroom. How am I supposed to focus on a stupid thesis paper when I’m thinking about Anatomy?

 

He passed the note to Sophia quickly and went back to writing his thesis. When he looked over at her again, she was smiling and writing more. He took the note when she slid it to him. He read it.

 

 

Jensen shot her a wide-eyed look and wrote back.

 

 

Sophia pretended to drop her pen and grabbed the note he offered her. Jensen discreetly watched her face as she read, enjoying the way she crinkled her nose and held in her laughter. She wrote back and tossed the note on his desk. Jensen read it quickly.

 

 

Jensen was silent for a long moment before he wrote back.

 

 

Sophia took the note and read it. Jensen hoped that she just accepted the change of subject and didn’t give him any grief the way she normally did. When she was still writing back three minutes later, Jensen let any hope of avoiding her lecture go and waited patiently.

 

When she finally gave him the note, Jensen peered down at its length and sighed.

 

You need to stop putting yourself down. Seriously. You’re extremely cute and plenty more guys would be interested in you if you didn’t hide from them all the time. You never want to go out to clubs or to those GSA dances or anything. You went to one GSA meeting. One. And then when they called and tried to get you to come to more, you didn’t return their calls. Whether you lose weight or not, there’s a guy out there for you if you open yourself up to it. But, anyway, I’m thinking about giving Tom my number. What do you think?

 

Jensen was in the middle of writing back when the bell rang. He shoved his pen in his pocket and crumpled the note. He was standing up when a rough hand shoved him back into his seat, knocking him and everything he was holding down.

 

Jensen looked up to see Chad Murray smirking at him nastily and Jensen rolled his eyes, looking away as Chad pushed past him, Jeff hot on his heels. Sophia stood and watched the exchange, her arms folded over her chest and her eyes shooting daggers at Chad when he looked her way. Chad made a kissy face at her before he and Jeff headed out of the classroom.

 

“Assholes,” Jensen muttered, red-faced as he stood up, gathering his notebook and backpack. Sophia shook her head.

 

***

 

Jeff was leaning against the locker beside Chad’s, quiet while Chad chatted up Sandy McCoy slyly. Chad was trying to get a date for the weekend, for a party after the game. Jeff unfolded the crumpled up piece of paper that he’d scooped up when Chad was shoving Jensen around in class earlier. Jeff read the exchange between Jensen and Sophia with avid eyes. 

 

He knew it. Jensen Ackles was one hundred percent, completely gay!

 

Jeff read it again, smirking to himself. Chad would have a field day when he told him.