Chapter Text
Jared sat in the front of the room and stared at the chalkboard with glazed over eyes. Mr. Edlund was droning on about something but god knows which class Jared was even in. Edlund’s monotonous voice was putting Jared into a trance. It was the only class that “teacher’s pet” Jared Padalecki couldn’t stay awake in. He was jerked to alertness by a sharp rebuke by Edlund directed to the back of the classroom. “Ackles!”
Jared stifled a groan. Of course. Jensen Ackles. Blowing off his studies with his arm probably thrown around Danneel. Typical high school couple. Football quarterback and head cheerleader. The entire thing was taken right out of a bad movie and jammed into Jared’s life.
“Do you think you and Miss Harris could possibly tear your eyes off each other long enough to figure out what’s going on in the class?” Mr. Edlund continued.
“Doubt it, Eddie. We’re in our own little bubble right now.”
“Ackles, call me Eddie one more time and I’ll have you thrown in detention for the rest of the year.”
Jensen snorted. “Sure, the few precious weeks that are left. Then I’m out of here.”
“If you graduate,” Edlund shot back. Jared bit his lip. Was Jensen really not going to graduate? “You know what,” Edlund pressed on, “I have a better idea. Talk to me after class. You too, Mr. Padalecki.”
Jared’s head shot up. “Me? What did I do?”
Jensen and Danneel tittered in the back of the room, along with a few of their croonies. Edlund sighed. He was just as eager to be rid of the students as they were to be rid of him. “Nothing, Padalecki, just wait after class.” Their grouchy teacher faced the board again. “Now, as you can see from the diagram here…” Jared slipped back into his comatose state.
When the bell rang signaling the end of class there was a flurry of movement to get up and dart out of the classroom as quickly as possible. Edlund assigned some homework assignment that half the people in the class probably wouldn’t end up doing—including Ackles. Which reminded Jared, “Fuck, I have to stay after class.” Jared threw his books aggressively into his bag and slouched against the front of his desk. Jensen fucking sauntered to the front of the room and kissed Danneel goodbye in front of Edlund.
“See you after class, baby.”
“Bye,” Danneel giggled. She didn’t even glance at Jared as she bumped into him on the way out the door. Bitch.
When the last stragglers had exited the classroom and it was just the 3 of them, Mr. Edlund began to speak. “So, Ackles, your academic career is quite disappointing. Hopefully it’s just my class you’re failing, though I have a feeling it’s not.”
“Straight D’s,” Jensen said proudly. “At least I’m consistent.”
“You’ll be consistently coming to school here until you die unless you get your grades up.”
Ackles only shrugged. “Just more time to see your bright, smiling face.”
Edlund looked like he was trying not to jump across his desk and strangle Ackles. He took a deep breath and said, “Well, I’m getting sick of your face. So I’m hiring a tutor for you.”
Jensen raised an eyebrow. Jared’s stomach plummeted. He was a straight A student, Jensen was failing. Jensen needed a tutor. Fuck. “A tutor?” Jensen and Jared said in unison. Jensen’s voice was a low drawl and Jared’s was borderline shriek. Ackles shot him a look.
Edlund sneered at Jensen. “Yes, Ackles, a tutor. Mr. Padalecki has straight A’s. I’m sure he’ll be able to help you. Of course, you’re damn near a lost cause.”
Jared cleared his throat. “Um, I’m sort of swamped with other things at the moment so…”
“Yeah, your social life keeps you really busy,” Ackles snorted. “All the friends you have.”
Jared felt a blush rising in his cheeks. “Academic stuff. College apps.”
“Something you haven’t even considered, Mr. Ackles,” Edlund scolded Jensen. Jensen only rolled his eyes.
Jared so didn’t want to do this. There were so many reasons why he didn’t want to do this. “I’m busy.”
Edlund sighed. “I’ll give you extra credit, Padalecki, if you can whip this mediocre student into a college applicant.”
Jared really didn’t need extra credit, and no amount could possibly persuade Jared into helping a pathetic case like Ackles. “Mr. Edlund…”
“Yeah, come on, neither of us want to do this. Let’s just leave it alone,” Jensen agreed.
“This is not up to either of you! You’re tutoring Ackles, Mr. Padalecki, and Ackles you are going to cooperate. Your graduation is on the line, Ackles, I hope you realize that.”
“Yeah, yeah, because that’s top on my priority list right now. I’ve got a football championship to look forward to.”
“Well guess what? A few colleges might offer you football scholarships if you can possibly pass a single class.”
Jensen groaned. “Fine. Fine. I’ll go to the damn tutoring sessions.”
Jared wanted to strangle Edlund. “Fine. I’ll tutor him.”
“Awesome. Meet you in the parking lot after school, Padalecki,” Jensen smirked. “I hope you’re prepared to deal with me.”
Jared groaned.
Jared didn’t feel like eating during lunch. He sat down with Mike Rosenbaum, his best friend and put his head in his hands. Mike looked at him with concern. “History didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, did it?”
“I’ve been coerced into tutoring someone.”
“Who?”
Jared lifted his head. “Jensen Ackles.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “Football quarterback, dating Danneel Harris, dream boy Jensen Ackles?”
Jared ducked his head again. “Unfortunately.”
“How’d that happen?”
“Edlund dragged us into it. Trust me, Jensen’s just as enthusiastic about it as I am.”
“How will you survive his nasty little attitude problem?”
Jared shook his head. “Just kill me. It’ll be easier than putting up with that asshole for the rest of the school year.”
Mike gave him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, buddy, as your best friend I’m obligated to keep you alive throughout high school.”
“Fuck high school.”
“Never thought I’d hear Jared Padalecki say that.”
“Shut up, Mike.”
Mike laughed and bit into his sandwich. “Well,” He said with a mouthful of peanut butter, “at least you’ll be able to see Genevieve more often. You’ve been lusting after her, right?”
Jared shrugged. “I guess,” he lied. In truth, he’d been more interested in Genevieve’s boyfriend than Gen, but he hadn’t had the guts to tell anybody. Even his best friend.
Mike patted his shoulder. “I’ve gotta go catch up on calc homework. Enjoy tutoring Jensen Ackles.”
Jared’s head fell back into his hands.
************************************************************
Jensen tapped his pencil on his desk to the rhythm of a country song he heard on the radio. Kripke was the one teacher that he could actually stand. His English teacher was the most laidback teacher that probably existed. “We’re going to explore the hidden depths of the jungle today.”
“The jungle of English class?” Chris scoffed. Jensen grinned at his best friend.
“No, Mr. Kane. The Jungle. It’s a novel by Upton Sinclair. We will explore the meatpacking industry in depth and the horrors that surround it.”
Chris raised an eyebrow. “There’s like, a month left in school. How are we supposed to read a book?”
“Be prepared to spend less time on the football field and more time in the library, Mr. Kane.”
Jensen and Chris simultaneously rolled their eyes. it was highly unlikely either of them would go to the library at any point during the remainder of the school year. Not with the championship approaching so rapidly. Kripke seemed to read their minds because he said, “You too, Mr. Ackles. Just because there’s only a little bit left to push through doesn’t mean you can slack off.”
Jensen sighed. “Yes sir.”
Kripke gave a laidback smile. “Well then, let us dive in to the world of The Jungle.” His soft, possibly stoner voice lulled Jensen into a boredom induced sleep.
Jensen was possibly the most annoyed person at the end of the school day. He didn’t want to go to the damn tutoring session with one of the most obnoxious students and teacher’s pet. Jared Padalecki was stuck up, Harvard bound, overachieving, and obnoxious. Spending any more than 5 minutes with that inflated-head Padalecki would probably drive Jensen insane.
He sank down against the wall outside English. He only looked up when a soft hand touched his shoulder. “Hey, Danni.”
Danneel sat beside him. “Hey baby. What’s up? You barely touched your lunch.”
Jensen placed his elbows on his bent knees. “Edlund signed me up for tutoring.”
Danneel raised a perfect eyebrow. God she was gorgeous. “Tutoring?”
“Apparently he’s suddenly taken an interest in my education. College and shit like that.”
Danni ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “Who’s going to be your tutor?”
“Jared Padalecki.”
“Who?”
“He sits in the front of the classroom in our history class. Messy hair, tall as a tree, always has slouched shoulders?”
Danneel nodded. “You’re being tutored by the teacher’s pet?”
“Unfortunately.” Jensen sighed. “He’s supposed to be waiting in the parking lot. We’re gonna go study and I’m supposed to concentrate and stuff.”
Danni snorted. “That sounds horrible.”
“It’s going to be horrible. Danni, I need you.”
Danneel kissed his temple lightly. “I’m always going to be here for you, baby. Cheering you on, every step of your life. College or not, you’re my boy and I’m your girl. Forever.”
Jensen leaned over to kiss her. “Forever.”
************************************************************
Jared tapped his foot impatiently on the ground by his car. “He’s late. Of course he’s late.”
“Relax, relax, I’m here.” Jensen leaned against Jared’s truck. “Just a little late.”
Jared rolled his eyes. Just get in the truck. We’ll go to your house and-,”
“No!” Jensen said suddenly. “Not my house. Yours.”
Jared raised an eyebrow. “Um, okay, it’s sort of a mess.”
“I don’t care, we just can’t go to my house.”
Jared opened his door. “Okay. Then get in, Ackles.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Jensen hopped in the passenger seat. “Let’s go study, Padalecki.”
Jared pulled up to his house, praying his parents weren’t home. It was the most awkward car ride that Jared had ever been in. Neither of them had made any effort to talk to each other and Jensen had spend the time drumming on the dashboard. If Jensen was trying to make a beat or something, Jared couldn’t tell.
Jensen hummed as he hopped out of the car and kicked the door shut. “Careful,” Jared snapped. “It’s not exactly a new car. Not like your fucking BMW or whatever you drive.”
“You can hate on the BMW all you want,” Jensen replied easily, “she’s a beautiful car.”
“Yeah, if you’re a douchebag,” Jared muttered.
“I heard that.”
“You were supposed to.”
Jared’s small house probably didn’t even compare to Jensen’s gigantic—from what Jared’s heard—mansion. There were dishes in the sink and papers and books littered every surface available. Jared led the way upstairs into his room, waiting for Jensen to make a comment about his house. It never came.
Jared’s little sister was blasting trashy pop music from her room and Jared banged on the door as he passed it. “Megan! Turn it down!”
“What?”
“Turn the music down!”
“What?” Jared heard Megan stifling a laugh and knew she could hear him. He pushed the door open.
“Turn the music down, you little brat!” Jared snapped. Jensen popped his head over Jared’s shoulder.
“Hey,” He chirped. “You Jared’s sister?”
Megan opened and closed her mouth like a fish. “Megan,” She squeaked.
“Cute. I’ve got a little sister, too. Mackenzie.”
“Mackenzie Ackles? I know her!”
“Well I’m Jensen Ackles, and your brother’s gonna help me pass my classes.” Jensen clapped Jared on the shoulder and he shrugged it off. “So if you could keep the music down a little, that’d be awesome.” He shot her a blinding smile. Megan blushed.
“Sure thing.”
Jensen winked at her. “Lead the way, Padalecki.”
Jared turned with a groan and led Jensen down to his bedroom. He opened the door and slammed it as soon as Jensen was inside. Jensen raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything about it. “Let’s get started.” Jensen tossed his backpack on Jared’s bed.
“Fine. What subject do you want to start with?” Jared asked.
“None. I want to go hang out with Danni.”
“Jensen,” Jared groaned. “Please. Meet me halfway.”
Jensen sighed but pulled out his calc textbook. “Hardest one first, right?”
Jared found calculus fairly easy but didn’t mention that. “Okay. Whatever you want.”
Jensen flipped it open. “Um, so I’ve got a bunch of problems to do. So, um. Yeah.” Jensen didn’t look confident, which was a first. Jared wanted to gloat.
“Go ahead. Just ask for help if you need it.”
“Yeah right,” Ackles snorted. Stuck up asshole.
About halfway through Jared looked up and saw Jensen’s eyes furrowed. His pencil hadn’t moved and there was nothing written on his paper. Jared ignored it and continued to work on his own problems but then Ackles cleared his throat and said, “Um, I might, maybe, need some help. I can’t… I don’t know how to…” Jensen sounded embarrassed.
Jared really wanted to take advantage of the situation but he looked into Jensen’s eyes and saw honest weakness. Even Jensen didn’t deserve to be mocked right now. “What don’t you get?”
“Um… any of it?”
This is why you pay attention in class. “That’s okay,” Jared found himself saying. “That’s what I’m here for.” Jared moved over and sat by Jensen. “So, which problem are you on?”
“One.” Jensen was blushing. “I just—I’m not smart.”
Jared pitied Jensen in his vulnerable state. “It just takes practice. Here, this problem is just a basic volume problem. Except, with a lot more numbers and letters.”
“I don’t get the letters. Why do they have to involve letters?” Jensen groaned.
Jared bit back a laugh. “If I show you the first one, do you promise to try and do the rest?”
“Can I still ask you for help?” Ackles asked. He turned up to Jared and Jared felt his breath catch when he saw how startling green Jensen’s eyes were.
“Of course,” Jared mumbled. “That’s what a tutor is for.”
Jensen smiled shyly and Jared found himself thinking that this tutoring thing might not be so bad after all.
************************************************************
Jensen was sitting on Padalecki’s bed suffering through his calc homework. Jared had showed him how to do the first problem and it made the rest of the homework easier, shockingly. He’d had to ask Jared for help a couple more times but managed to do the majority of the 50 problems alone. When he was done, he threw his pencil down with a loud, “Ha!”
Jared looked up at him. “What’s up?”
“I’m done!” Jensen exclaimed proudly. “I’ve done all of them!”
Jared smirked. “Finally done what you’re supposed to do.”
Jensen pumped his fist. “Hell yeah I did. I guess thanks to you. So, are you done too?”
“Yeah. Finished calc. And history, and physics.”
“Ugh, fuck you and your smartness.” Jared looked taken aback and Jensen said quickly, “It’s how my friends and I talk to each other. We don’t really hate each other or anything. It’s sort of like, fuck you in a good way.”
“That’s a thing?” Jared asked. His eyebrows were crinkled in an adorably confused way.
“Yeah, Jared,” Jensen said. “That’s a thing.”
“We could do history next,” Jared offered.
“Fucking Edlund. He thinks I’m so stupid.” Jensen kicked the bed in frustration. “Maybe he’s right. Fuck him.”
“I don’t think you’re using it in a good way this time,” Jared replied. It took Jensen a moment but he realized Jared was actually making a joke. He bit back a smile.
“No, this time it’s in the bad way.”
“Figured. So, do you wanna work on history, or English, or science?”
“I don’t need help in English,” Jensen admitted. “I have an A.”
Jared’s eyebrows disappeared into his long bangs. “An A?”
“Yeah, people are always surprised,” Jensen said. It made him pretty sad, actually, that everyone always assumed he was failing everything.
“I thought you had straight D’s?”
“No,” Jensen said. “A in English and C’s in everything else. Except history. I have a D in history. Edlund hates me. I can’t work in a class where a teacher hates me.”
“Well, you sit in the back and gossip with Danneel all the time, that could contribute to the problem.”
Jensen scoffed. “I do not gossip. Girls gossip. I am a man.”
Jared chuckled. “Okay, sorry. Either way, she’s a distraction.”
Jensen shrugged. “She’s my girlfriend. I’ve gotta stick with her. Forever.”
“Forever’s a long time, Jensen.”
“I know,” Jensen groaned. He fell back on the bed. “I know. I just…” I don’t know how to do anything else. “It’s just what I do.”
Jared looked at him. Jensen saw pity in his eyes and it made him angry. Jensen hated when people pitied him. “Look,” Jared said. “Edlund’s wrong. You’re not stupid. You’ve got an A in English. You’ve got C’s, that’s a passing grade. We can bump all these grades up. I guarantee it.”
“Why are you being so nice?” Jensen asked.
“Why are you being so nice?”
Jensen didn’t respond. Jared smirked. Thought he knew everything, did the smartass? Fine. Let him think that. Jensen didn’t care.
“How do you have an A in English?” Jared suddenly.
Jensen cleared his throat. Somehow it didn’t sound like an insult when Jared asked that question. “Um, I like Kripke.”
“I feel like that’s not the only reason.”
Jensen didn’t like how Jared was prodding him. “Okay, so maybe I’m good at English. I put effort into that class. And I am sort of a good writer.”
Jared grinned. “You can write? And here I thought you were a man.”
“Shut up. There are male authors.”
“Yeah, but you’re not writing books, are you?” Jared asked all too knowingly.
“Essays and stuff.” There was no way Jensen was telling Jared about what he wrote.
Jared dropped the subject for now. “I’m being nice because I’m getting extra credit to give you a fighting chance to get into college.”
Jensen bit his lip. “We both know I’m not getting into college. At this point it’ll be a miracle if I even graduate.”
“You will,” Jared said. The conviction in his voice surprised Jensen. “I know you will.”
Now all Jensen had to do was convince himself.
************************************************************
Jared barely tasted his dinner. His mom had made spaghetti and meatballs, which was a favorite of Jared’s. But Jared could barely choke down a noodle. “Jared,” His dad finally said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jared lied. In truth, his heart still hadn’t stopped beating a mile a minute from sitting a foot away from the hottest guy in school.
“Are you sure?” His mother asked. Her voice was kind and gentle. Jared couldn’t lie to his mom.
“I’m tutoring Jensen Ackles.”
Alan raised his eyebrow. “You’ve complained about him all 3 ½ years of high school and suddenly you’re tutoring him? What brought this about?”
“You can blame Mr. Edlund,” Jared said tonelessly. “I’m getting extra credit for this.”
“You don’t need it,” Sherri said. “You have a 4.0.”
“I know, mom, but he might not graduate without my help.”
“Isn’t he a jerk?” Sherri asked. “You’ve said all he thinks about his football and himself.”
“Yeah, I know I said that. I still think that. But I could be wrong. It’s possible for people to make mistakes.”
“Not you,” Megan piped up. “You haven’t made a mistake since kindergarten.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything, Megan,” Jared snapped.
“Maybe he’s just playing you,” Megan replied, snarkily twirling noodles around her fork. “Maybe he’s just using you to get a good grade.”
God, how Jared wished that was false. Though he couldn’t deny, the thought had crossed his mind. “He’s not,” Jared said stubbornly. “I know he’s not.”
“So, after one tutoring session you’re best friends with the guy? Trust me, when you see him in school he’ll pass right by you.”
“Megan!” Sherri reprimanded sharply. “Don’t say things like that.”
Megan shrugged, not looking the least bit apologetic. “Just saying it like it is.”
Jared picked at his food and found his slight appetite vanish completely. Alan noticed. “Megan’s just saying things. Eat, Jared.”
Jared nodded and lifted the fork to his lips. It was tasteless and made Jared nauseous. Though, the sick feeling could easily be from Megan’s words. Jared hoped and hoped that she was wrong.
But how often do wishes come true?
Jared opened his locker the next morning planning to grab his textbooks. At first he thought it was the wrong locker since everything seemed to have a purple cover on it. Jared looked closer and realized that his textbooks, his books, and pretty much everything that was in his locker covered in a purple pudding-like substance. Jared gaped at the mess before hearing a burst of laughter behind him.
Jared turned sharply to see Steve Carlson leaning on Chris’s shoulder. They were both cracking up. Jared downcast his eyes before they could see the pain in them. “Morning, Padalecki!” Chris said in a sing-song voice. “Something wrong?”
Jared learned early on that responding was a mistake. He kept his head down and took to trying to wipe as much of the purple goop off as possible. It stuck to his hand and repulsed Jared. God how he hated Chris and Steve. Two of the highest members on the hierchy of popularity, and two of Jensen’s football teammates. Jensen. He couldn’t possibly have been in on this.
“What’s going on?” Someone said. “What did you two assholes do?”
Jared recognized the voice. Ackles was here. Maybe… maybe he’d help. Jared turned to look at the three friends. A crowd had started to gather. “Just having a little fun with the teacher’s pet,” Chris drawled. “Not like he’s gonna fight back.”
Steve eyed his body. “You’d be a perfect football player. If you weren’t so bad on your feet.”
As if to emphasize Steve’s point, Jared slipped on a bit of the goop that had fallen onto the floor. He winced as his ankle twisted in a wrong direction. Chris and Steve erupted into a fresh bout of laughter. Jensen wasn’t laughing, but he wasn’t making any move to help Jared, either. Jared looked up at him with helpless eyes and Jensen bit his lip. He moved slightly forward as if to help but stopped mid step. Jared sighed. Megan was right. Jared stood up and continued to clean his books off as much as possible.
“Come on, you assholes, get out of here,” Jared heard Jensen say. “You’re gonna be late for class.”
“Since when do you care about class?”
“Go, Chris,” Jensen commanded. “You too, Steve.”
“Yo, Ackles, see you at the party tomorrow?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Jared kept his head buried in his locker until he felt a movement next to him. He pulled his head out too quickly and bumped it on the top of the metal. Jensen was leaning casually against the row of lockers. “You alright?”
Jared glared. “Fine. Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Shouldn’t you?”
“I would be, but your asshole friends covered my books with…” Jared threw his hands up. “Hell, I don’t even know what this is!”
“Vanilla pudding with purple food coloring.” Jensen swiped his finger in it and licked it. “See?”
Jared rolled his eyes. “Well, edible or not it’s covering my books.”
“Do you want help?”
“No. Get the hell to class.”
“We’re still on for tutoring, right?”
Jared looked into Jensen’s earnest green eyes. “Of course. Parking lot at 3.”
“I’ll try not to be late this time.” Jensen flashed a smile. “Bye, Padalecki.”
“Bye,” Jared muttered. Jensen was already gone.
************************************************************
Jensen felt bad about Chris and Steve’s prank. He’d known they were going to pull something on someone. Thursday morning they always got riled up. It was the day before their football games and they needed to burn off some nervous energy. It didn’t stop Jensen from feeling guilty, especially when he saw the pain in Jared’s kind eyes.
A day ago Jensen would have been laughing alongside his friends. Hell, he might have even helped them. Today, all he could think about was Jared talking him through his calculus homework and being patient when Jensen got frustrated. Jared was kind and funny and yeah, he was smart, but that didn’t make him a bad person.
Jensen was a bad person for standing there and watching as a kind soul was humiliated for no good reason.
He doodled on his physics notes. There were a few things written down but it’s not like he understood them anyway, so what was the point? Jensen wasn’t going to graduate. He wasn’t going to college. He was a failure. Mr. Edlund was right. Ever insult, every critic, every remark that Edlund had ever made about him was true; Jensen was going nowhere. He pressed down too hard with his pencil and it snapped. Fuck.
One more thing to fix.
Jensen slumped out of the classroom. After about 30 minutes he’d given up on taking notes and figured he’d just copy Padalecki’s at tutoring today. This way he wouldn’t have to really think. Maybe Jared would even help him with the problems like he’d done with Jensen’s calc homework.
Jensen felt a sudden weight on his back and a girl squeal, “Hi, Jenny!”
Jensen laughed. “Hey, Danni.”
Danneel placed a kiss on his neck. “How was tutoring?” She whispered.
Jensen groaned. “Awful, Danni. I don’t know anything. He’s so fucking smart. It’s just another reminder that I’m going nowhere.”
Danneel slid off and turned Jensen to face her. “Jensen. You’re one hell of a guy. Fuck Edlund, fuck everyone if they don’t see what I do. I don’t care about college. I want to be with you. You’re smart and clever and charming and always a team player, on and off the field. I’ve never met another guy that makes me feel the way I do.”
Jensen smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. “How’d I get so lucky with you, Danni?”
Danneel smirked. “You’re a lucky guy, Ackles.”
“Well hopefully some of that luck carries to the game tomorrow. Only a few more games until the championship.”
“You’ll win,” Danneel said confidently. “I’m sure of it.”
Jensen wondered where everyone was getting their confidence in him from. Jensen certainly didn’t see the guy everyone else did. Jensen didn’t see anything.