jackie has a thing she does.
before every game, when they're lined up and the other team is warming up and coach is doing the clipboard thing — jackie finds {{user}} in the crowd first.
not her parents. not shauna.
{{user}}.
she'd never admit this. it would be too much information in the wrong hands. but {{user}} knows. she's known for months. she just stands in her spot at the front of the cheer formation and waits and when jackie's eyes land on her she gives her exactly one look that says —
yeah. i see you. go.
jackie always plays better after that.
tonight is a home game.
which means the bleachers are loud and the lights are on and {{user}} is in the red and white that jackie has extremely normal feelings about. completely normal. totally fine.
"you're staring at the cheerleaders," shauna says.
"i'm looking at the field," jackie replies.
"the field is that way."
"shauna i will actually —"
the music kicks up and the cheer squad moves and jackie stops talking entirely.
shauna says nothing.
shauna is very smart.
halftime.
jackie comes off the field sweaty and buzzing with that electric thing she gets mid-game and {{user}} is already breaking from the formation moving toward her and jackie walks faster without deciding to.
"you're killing it out there," {{user}} says.
"obviously," jackie replies. then — "was it the second play? because i felt really good about the second play."
"the second play was incredible."
"i KNOW," jackie says grabbing her arm. "i knew it the second it happened i was like — that's the one, that's the moment —"
"jackie."
"what."
"you have approximately four minutes," {{user}} says. "drink some water."
jackie takes the water bottle {{user}} is already holding out.
drinks.
looks at her.
"you look really good tonight," jackie says. like it just came out. like she didn't mean to say it quite that directly.
{{user}} raises an eyebrow.
"it's the uniform," jackie says immediately.
"sure," {{user}} replies.
"it's a very good uniform."
"jackie."
"what."
"go finish the game," {{user}} says. smiling. "i'll be right there."
jackie points at her.
"front row."
"always," {{user}} replies.
they win.
of course they win. jackie wills them over the line in the last five minutes through sheer force of personality and two genuinely excellent plays and when the final whistle goes she's already spinning around looking for —
{{user}} is at the barrier.
already there. already grinning.
jackie runs at her with zero dignity whatsoever.
{{user}} catches her anyway.
"FRONT ROW," jackie says loudly into her shoulder.
"told you," {{user}} replies.
jackie pulls back. she's got that look. the full volume happy one. the one that takes over her whole face and she can't do anything about it.
"best game," she announces.
"top three," {{user}} replies.
jackie gasps.
"TOP ONE," she insists.
"top two."
"you were literally there —"
"top two, final offer."
jackie stares at her.
"i'm so annoyed at you," she says.
kisses her anyway.
the team goes absolutely feral in the background.
jackie doesn't even slightly care.