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chaletianTitle: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Part 1/2
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chaletian
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: On the one hand, none (they’re teenagers playing basketball); on the hand, the whole film.
Summary: There’s no love lost between Riverside High’s basketball captain, Spock, and the player he got kicked off the team for cheating: Jim Kirk. But the team’s slated to play Romulus High in the state championship final, and Jim might be the only choice if they don’t want to forfeit the game. High school AU (obvs!).
Author’s Notes: Formorganmuffle - happy birthday!
Monday
“Hey, you hear the news?”
Jim Kirk slammed his locker door closed, and looked up to see Christine Chapel. She was wearing one of her usual preppy shirts, not a blonde hair out of place.
“Hey, Chrissie,” he said charmingly. “Miss me?”
Christine glared at him. “I told you not to call me that,” she said coldly. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought Monday was your day for bunking off school and robbing liquor stores.”
Jim smiled again, all teeth this time. “Sometimes I like to reschedule to Tuesdays, just for the kicks.”
“What news?” asked Leonard McCoy, deciding it was best to intervene before those two got into it and either (a) Christine broke her perfect behaviour record and never spoke to him again or (b) Jim got suspended. Again. Which was more likely.
“About the basketball team,” said Christine, pointedly turning her back on Jim, who just shrugged, and slouched against the lockers.
“What about ‘em?”
“Someone ran their bus off the road on the way back from the game in Des Moines on Friday,” she elaborated. “Half the team’s in the hospital.”
“Woah,” said Leonard, one eyebrow arching up. “You’re kidding me!”
Christine shook her head. “No way. How did you two not hear this? Everyone’s talking about it. The state championship final’s only a week away, and we’re probably gonna have to forfeit.”
“Who the fuck cares?” said Jim, levering himself off the lockers and looking moody. “The basketball team’s a bunch of jerks anyway. Probably serves them right.”
Christine looked at him knowingly. “Don’t be such a tool, Kirk. You know you’re only sad and bitter because Spock got you kicked off the team in freshman year.”
Jim glowered at her, and ignored Leonard banging his head on his locker and saying, “Good God, woman, you just had to go there, didn’t you?”
“He accused me of cheating on a test!”
“Newsflash, Kirk: you did cheat on a test!”
“I redefined the parameters of the test!”
Christine smirked. “Too bad Principal Archer didn’t see it that way.”
“Yeah, well, if Spock hadn’t---”
“Give it up, Kirk! That was three years ago. We’re seniors, now, and Spock’s the captain of the basketball team, and you’re a total loser who is never going to graduate. Live with it.”
oOo
Coach Pike kicked back in his chair, and watched the captain of his basketball team pace the office. Spock was a little paler than usual, a little more wound up than his restrained personality usually allowed, and had a small dressing on his forehead, but otherwise had escaped unscathed from the bus accident after their Friday game.
“What do you think?” he prompted.
Spock spoke abruptly. “We will simply have to forfeit. There is no alternative. The game is in five days. Puri and Hawkins certainly won’t be out of hospital by then. It’s unlikely that Robinson or Oyewale will be. We do not have a sufficient number of players.”
“Well, that’s a big decision, Spock. This is the state championship we’re talking about. What about bringing up some of the JV players?”
Spock shook his head. “They’re not good enough. Except…” He paused, thoughtful. “There is perhaps one. The freshman from Russia. I believe his name is Pavel.”
“Chekov?” Pike considered the young freshman. “He’s good. Young, though. Pretty small.”
“But he is quick,” Spock pointed out. “I watched the JV practice last week ago and I was… impressed. I believe he would be adequate.”
“Well, there you go, then.”
“He is only one player. We will need at least two more.”
“Maybe you should pay JV practice a visit again – see if anyone else catches your eye.” Pike stood up, and rounded his desk to clap Spock on the shoulder. “I know you’ll find your team – captain.”
He patted Spock again, and left his office, Spock following him out, frowning thoughtfully. He hadn’t got three yards, when Hikaru Sulu, Riverside High’s shooting guard, appeared at his elbow.
“What’d Pikey say?”
“On what subject?”
Hikaru rolled his eyes. “About the team, genius! What’re we gonna do on Friday?”
“Coach Pike suggested that we examine the possibility of recruiting players from JV,” said Spock. “I believe that Pavel Chekov would be an acceptable choice.”
“What, the kid who started high school about a week ago?” asked Hikaru drily. “OK, but then who? We were both there last week – you know he’s the only one who’d stand a chance against Romulus High.”
“Then we must look elsewhere,” said Spock. “I propose we should have a team meeting to discuss the matter.”
Hikaru slowed to a halt. “Look, man, don’t kill me, all right?” he said hesitantly. “But… you know there’s an obvious choice, right?”
Spock’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at his teammate. “I am not asking James Kirk to join the basketball team!” he said loudly, and strode off.
Hikaru sighed and watched him leave.
“I’m guessing he didnae go for it,” came a voice from behind him. He shook his head.
“Not yet. But Scotty – I’m pretty sure he’ll have to. We don’t have any other choice.”
oOo
“So, your boy Spock seems all angsty today,” said Gaila, leaning forward to get a better look in the girls’ room mirror as she applied her lipstick. “Guess the whole bus crash thing’s been hard.”
“No kidding,” said Nyota Uhura drily as she brushed her hair with quick, neat strokes, then pinned it up with a red ribbon to match her cheerleader uniform. “Bad enough half his team’s in hospital, but with state coming up…” She shook her head. “Timing could not be worse. A bunch of them have scholarships riding on it, as well. It sucks so much.”
“I hear they’ve asked that kid Pavel,” said Gaila, moving on to mascara. “He’s so cute, I just want to eat him up.”
“Gaaaila,” said Uhura warningly, and Gaila smiled innocently.
“What?”
“Down, girl! He’s about fourteen!”
“So? He’s adorable! But it doesn’t matter. Guess who I’ve been hooking up with!”
Uhura groaned. “God, I am about 95% sure I don’t want to know.”
Gaila grinned. “Jim Kirk.”
Uhura’s eyes widened. “Jim Kirk! Are you kidding? He is so… skanky!”
“Actually, he’s pretty cute. And, boy, he is good in bed!” She fanned herself, and Uhura laughed helplessly.
“Well, yeah, but… come on, Gaila, you can do better than Kirk. He gets into fights, he’s failing most of his classes, he sleeps around… you know what his reputation’s like!”
Gaila sobered, and turned slightly to meet Uhura’s gaze directly. “Yeah, I do. And you know what? I know what my reputation’s like, too. It’s not like I’m going to marry him, Uhura. We’re just having some fun. He’s a nice guy, under all that don’t-care rebel-without-a-cause crap.” She hesitated, then cast a sly sideways glance at her roommate. “And according to the Riverside High grapevine, he’s the only chance the basketball team has at state.”
oOo
Jim Kirk sat on the abandoned bleachers of Riverside’s municipal basketball court, a brown-paper-wrapped bottle hanging loosely from one hand. The sun was just starting to set, and he stared sightlessly at the ragged basketball hoop. A noise distracted him, and he looked over.
“Hey, Bones.”
“Jimbo,” said Leonard, climbing up the bleachers to sit next to his best friend, swinging his backpack round to rest between his feet.
Jim cringed. “Jeez, Bones, you know I hate that.”
Leonard shrugged. “Yeah, cuz I love being called ‘Bones’ so much. You gonna drink that, or is it just for decoration?”
Jim handed over the bottle, and bumped shoulders companionably. “Why’d you stick around?” he asked. Leonard raised an eyebrow.
“Guess I’m the only can stand being around your sorry ass,” he said, and Jim smiled bitterly.
“That sounds about right.” He took the bottle back, and drank. They sat in silence for a while, taking turns with the bottle as the sun settled behind the horizon. Leonard glanced across at his friend.
“Your mom off again?” he asked after a while. Jim shrugged.
“Yeah, some science project. I don’t even know.”
“Frank?”
Jim laughed. “Frank. Right. I dunno. You know him and mom: on again, off again. I think they’re off at the moment. Haven’t seen him in a few weeks, anyway.”
“You wanna crash at my place,” offered Leonard, but Jim shook his head.
“Nah, it’s cool. Freedom to party, right?”
“Right,” said Leonard dubiously. “So, I heard something today. About the basketball team.”
Jim’s expression turned sullen. “I don’t care about the fucking basketball team, Bones,” he said.
“Sure you do. Look, Christine got it from Janice, who got it from that girl who’s been going out with Hikaru Sulu. If they don’t want to forfeit state, Spock’s gonna have to ask you to be on the team.”
Jim didn’t say anything for a minute, then he propped his elbows on his knees and looked down. “I know,” he admitted. “Gaila told me.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
Leonard sighed impatiently. “What will you say? When he asks you?”
Jim looked at him, and Leonard was taken aback by the self-loathing that marred Jim’s usually cocky features. “He’s not going to ask me, Bones. I guarantee it. That pointy-eared bastard is never going to ask me to on his stupid team.”
Tuesday
“They don’t have it!” Montgomery Scott’s voice was muffled as he pulled off his uniform, but his words were unmistakable. “Admit it, Spock, they’re nae good.”
“Perhaps with more practice,” began Spock stubbornly, only for Hikaru to interrupt.
“Spock, we don’t have time for that! The game’s on Friday!” He slid the towel from round his neck and dumped it on the bench in the middle of the locker room. “We need someone now.”
They were still arguing about it when they emerged, showered and dressed, ready for the afternoon’s classes.
“What’s up?” asked Uhura, sliding her arm round Spock’s waist.
“Still trying to make up the team,” said Hikaru. “Talk to him, Uhura. We have, like, one chance here, and he won’t do it.”
Uhura grimaced. “The Jim Kirk thing? I dunno, Hikaru, he’s basically a douche.”
“Oh, what would you know about him?” said Gaila loudly. “Spock, stop being such a dick! Jim’s a great player, everyone knows that. But if your stupid pride is more important than the team…” She trailed off. Everyone looked expectantly at Spock, and he glared at Gaila.
“You are hardly unbiased in this situation,” he said loftily, but Gaila just shrugged.
“Yeah, well, bitch all you like, it doesn’t change the facts. You need him.” She sashayed off.
Spock looked mutinously at Uhura. “I do not believe she is a good influence,” he said. Uhura sighed.
“Don’t be like. She’s a nice girl. And if my parents hadn’t taken her in, who knows where she’d’ve ended up.”
“And she’s got a point,” said Hikaru.
“He’s got a point about her point,” added Scotty. “Spock, lad, just ask him.” He took in Spock’s expression and sighed. “Aye, well. Whatever. I’ll see you at practice later; I’ve got Shop now.” He sketched a quick goodbye, and Hikaru followed behind him, leaving Spock and Uhura alone in the corridor as the bell rang.
“This is proving most worrying,” said Spock, and Uhura put her arms round him.
“Aw, baby, it’ll be OK.”
“Their arguments are logical,” said Spock unexpectedly, and she leaned back to look at him. “James Kirk is an… exceptional basketball player. It is irrational for me to disregard him for personal reasons.”
“Does that mean you’re going to ask him?” she asked.
Spock considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.” He leant down to kiss her briefly, then consulted his watch. “We have AP Latin,” he said. “We will be late.”
Uhura smiled mischievously, and pulled his head back down. “Screw AP Latin,” she murmured.
oOo
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?” said Spock coldly.
Jim sneered. “What, that wasn’t clear enough for you? No. Fucking. Way. I wouldn’t play with you if we were the last two guys on earth.”
Spock’s lips pinched. “Very well, Kirk.” He turned on his heel and walked off. Jim watched him go, and, for want of a better expression of his frustration, slammed his fist into the bank of lockers.
oOo
The rattle of chains echoed in the twilit silence as the Jim tossed the ball through the hoop from the faded three-point line.
“That’s a good shot you’ve got there, son.” Jim spun round to see Coach Pike behind him. “Your father had one similar.”
Jim frowned, off balance. “You knew my dad?”
Pike nodded. “Yeah. He was a good man. I played with him, his last year in high school.” He sauntered over and collected the ball from the side of court, and passed it to Jim. “Can you do that again?”
“Why?”
Pike shrugged. “Just curious. Figured I might have had you on my team. Course, Spock says you turned him down.”
Jim shot again, the chains clinking angrily. “Yeah, well, I was surprised he asked, given how keen he was to get me kicked off the team in the first place,” he said.
Pike smiled. “Well, Spock has a very… rigid sense of morality.” Jim fetched the ball back, and bounced it to Pike.
“No kidding.”
Pike began dribbling casually. “So, Jim, what are your plans after high school?”
Jim laughed shortly. “Uh, guess I haven’t really thought that far. Leaving here.”
“You thought about college?” Jim laughed again.
“Yeah, this is Jim Kirk you’re talking too, not your precious Spock.”
Pike began to edge towards the hoop; automatically, Jim moved to block him. “The principal says your test scores have always been high. He thinks you could do better.”
Jim paused, surprised. “Archer? I thought he hated me.”
Pike paused too, bounced the ball, once, twice, deliberately. “Oh, I think he just hates seeing potential wasted,” he said mildly. “He knew your dad too, you know.”
Jim made for the ball; Pike blocked him. “Gee, seems everyone knew my dad except me.”
Pike catches the ball and stands still, expression serious as he took in Jim’s angry face, the remains of a bruise still apparent on one cheekbone; a scrape along his temple, remainders of a recent fight.
“Yeah, I guess they do. Because you don’t seem to have any idea of what kind of man he was, or what kind of man you could be. You think he’d want this, Jim? His son failing out of high school, even if he’s one of the brightest students his teachers have ever known? Not willing to meet anyone halfway? Not willing to take a chance? To have a dream? You can be better than this, Jim.” He bounces the ball to Jim, who catches it instinctively, and points a finger at him. “I dare you to be better.”
oOo
The Riverside High basketball team was just breaking up its practice when Jim Kirk appeared at the side of the court. He walked up to Spock, looked him in the eye, and said, “I’ll play.”
to be continued…
More Author’s Notes: Sorry, my closest personal experience with basketball is playing netball when I was 15 – so, basically, none, unless you count watching endless One Tree Hill, so apologies for any mistakes. Also, um, yes: working title for this was, in fact, One Trek Hill, except the more I worked on it, the more I realised that OMG LIEK WOAH the plot of Star Trek had many, many elements of the classic teen drama, and I didn’t need to make Amanda into Evil!Dan Scott.
Author:
chaletianFandom: Star Trek XI
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: On the one hand, none (they’re teenagers playing basketball); on the hand, the whole film.
Summary: There’s no love lost between Riverside High’s basketball captain, Spock, and the player he got kicked off the team for cheating: Jim Kirk. But the team’s slated to play Romulus High in the state championship final, and Jim might be the only choice if they don’t want to forfeit the game. High school AU (obvs!).
Author’s Notes: For
morganmuffle - happy birthday! Monday
“Hey, you hear the news?”
Jim Kirk slammed his locker door closed, and looked up to see Christine Chapel. She was wearing one of her usual preppy shirts, not a blonde hair out of place.
“Hey, Chrissie,” he said charmingly. “Miss me?”
Christine glared at him. “I told you not to call me that,” she said coldly. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought Monday was your day for bunking off school and robbing liquor stores.”
Jim smiled again, all teeth this time. “Sometimes I like to reschedule to Tuesdays, just for the kicks.”
“What news?” asked Leonard McCoy, deciding it was best to intervene before those two got into it and either (a) Christine broke her perfect behaviour record and never spoke to him again or (b) Jim got suspended. Again. Which was more likely.
“About the basketball team,” said Christine, pointedly turning her back on Jim, who just shrugged, and slouched against the lockers.
“What about ‘em?”
“Someone ran their bus off the road on the way back from the game in Des Moines on Friday,” she elaborated. “Half the team’s in the hospital.”
“Woah,” said Leonard, one eyebrow arching up. “You’re kidding me!”
Christine shook her head. “No way. How did you two not hear this? Everyone’s talking about it. The state championship final’s only a week away, and we’re probably gonna have to forfeit.”
“Who the fuck cares?” said Jim, levering himself off the lockers and looking moody. “The basketball team’s a bunch of jerks anyway. Probably serves them right.”
Christine looked at him knowingly. “Don’t be such a tool, Kirk. You know you’re only sad and bitter because Spock got you kicked off the team in freshman year.”
Jim glowered at her, and ignored Leonard banging his head on his locker and saying, “Good God, woman, you just had to go there, didn’t you?”
“He accused me of cheating on a test!”
“Newsflash, Kirk: you did cheat on a test!”
“I redefined the parameters of the test!”
Christine smirked. “Too bad Principal Archer didn’t see it that way.”
“Yeah, well, if Spock hadn’t---”
“Give it up, Kirk! That was three years ago. We’re seniors, now, and Spock’s the captain of the basketball team, and you’re a total loser who is never going to graduate. Live with it.”
Coach Pike kicked back in his chair, and watched the captain of his basketball team pace the office. Spock was a little paler than usual, a little more wound up than his restrained personality usually allowed, and had a small dressing on his forehead, but otherwise had escaped unscathed from the bus accident after their Friday game.
“What do you think?” he prompted.
Spock spoke abruptly. “We will simply have to forfeit. There is no alternative. The game is in five days. Puri and Hawkins certainly won’t be out of hospital by then. It’s unlikely that Robinson or Oyewale will be. We do not have a sufficient number of players.”
“Well, that’s a big decision, Spock. This is the state championship we’re talking about. What about bringing up some of the JV players?”
Spock shook his head. “They’re not good enough. Except…” He paused, thoughtful. “There is perhaps one. The freshman from Russia. I believe his name is Pavel.”
“Chekov?” Pike considered the young freshman. “He’s good. Young, though. Pretty small.”
“But he is quick,” Spock pointed out. “I watched the JV practice last week ago and I was… impressed. I believe he would be adequate.”
“Well, there you go, then.”
“He is only one player. We will need at least two more.”
“Maybe you should pay JV practice a visit again – see if anyone else catches your eye.” Pike stood up, and rounded his desk to clap Spock on the shoulder. “I know you’ll find your team – captain.”
He patted Spock again, and left his office, Spock following him out, frowning thoughtfully. He hadn’t got three yards, when Hikaru Sulu, Riverside High’s shooting guard, appeared at his elbow.
“What’d Pikey say?”
“On what subject?”
Hikaru rolled his eyes. “About the team, genius! What’re we gonna do on Friday?”
“Coach Pike suggested that we examine the possibility of recruiting players from JV,” said Spock. “I believe that Pavel Chekov would be an acceptable choice.”
“What, the kid who started high school about a week ago?” asked Hikaru drily. “OK, but then who? We were both there last week – you know he’s the only one who’d stand a chance against Romulus High.”
“Then we must look elsewhere,” said Spock. “I propose we should have a team meeting to discuss the matter.”
Hikaru slowed to a halt. “Look, man, don’t kill me, all right?” he said hesitantly. “But… you know there’s an obvious choice, right?”
Spock’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at his teammate. “I am not asking James Kirk to join the basketball team!” he said loudly, and strode off.
Hikaru sighed and watched him leave.
“I’m guessing he didnae go for it,” came a voice from behind him. He shook his head.
“Not yet. But Scotty – I’m pretty sure he’ll have to. We don’t have any other choice.”
“So, your boy Spock seems all angsty today,” said Gaila, leaning forward to get a better look in the girls’ room mirror as she applied her lipstick. “Guess the whole bus crash thing’s been hard.”
“No kidding,” said Nyota Uhura drily as she brushed her hair with quick, neat strokes, then pinned it up with a red ribbon to match her cheerleader uniform. “Bad enough half his team’s in hospital, but with state coming up…” She shook her head. “Timing could not be worse. A bunch of them have scholarships riding on it, as well. It sucks so much.”
“I hear they’ve asked that kid Pavel,” said Gaila, moving on to mascara. “He’s so cute, I just want to eat him up.”
“Gaaaila,” said Uhura warningly, and Gaila smiled innocently.
“What?”
“Down, girl! He’s about fourteen!”
“So? He’s adorable! But it doesn’t matter. Guess who I’ve been hooking up with!”
Uhura groaned. “God, I am about 95% sure I don’t want to know.”
Gaila grinned. “Jim Kirk.”
Uhura’s eyes widened. “Jim Kirk! Are you kidding? He is so… skanky!”
“Actually, he’s pretty cute. And, boy, he is good in bed!” She fanned herself, and Uhura laughed helplessly.
“Well, yeah, but… come on, Gaila, you can do better than Kirk. He gets into fights, he’s failing most of his classes, he sleeps around… you know what his reputation’s like!”
Gaila sobered, and turned slightly to meet Uhura’s gaze directly. “Yeah, I do. And you know what? I know what my reputation’s like, too. It’s not like I’m going to marry him, Uhura. We’re just having some fun. He’s a nice guy, under all that don’t-care rebel-without-a-cause crap.” She hesitated, then cast a sly sideways glance at her roommate. “And according to the Riverside High grapevine, he’s the only chance the basketball team has at state.”
Jim Kirk sat on the abandoned bleachers of Riverside’s municipal basketball court, a brown-paper-wrapped bottle hanging loosely from one hand. The sun was just starting to set, and he stared sightlessly at the ragged basketball hoop. A noise distracted him, and he looked over.
“Hey, Bones.”
“Jimbo,” said Leonard, climbing up the bleachers to sit next to his best friend, swinging his backpack round to rest between his feet.
Jim cringed. “Jeez, Bones, you know I hate that.”
Leonard shrugged. “Yeah, cuz I love being called ‘Bones’ so much. You gonna drink that, or is it just for decoration?”
Jim handed over the bottle, and bumped shoulders companionably. “Why’d you stick around?” he asked. Leonard raised an eyebrow.
“Guess I’m the only can stand being around your sorry ass,” he said, and Jim smiled bitterly.
“That sounds about right.” He took the bottle back, and drank. They sat in silence for a while, taking turns with the bottle as the sun settled behind the horizon. Leonard glanced across at his friend.
“Your mom off again?” he asked after a while. Jim shrugged.
“Yeah, some science project. I don’t even know.”
“Frank?”
Jim laughed. “Frank. Right. I dunno. You know him and mom: on again, off again. I think they’re off at the moment. Haven’t seen him in a few weeks, anyway.”
“You wanna crash at my place,” offered Leonard, but Jim shook his head.
“Nah, it’s cool. Freedom to party, right?”
“Right,” said Leonard dubiously. “So, I heard something today. About the basketball team.”
Jim’s expression turned sullen. “I don’t care about the fucking basketball team, Bones,” he said.
“Sure you do. Look, Christine got it from Janice, who got it from that girl who’s been going out with Hikaru Sulu. If they don’t want to forfeit state, Spock’s gonna have to ask you to be on the team.”
Jim didn’t say anything for a minute, then he propped his elbows on his knees and looked down. “I know,” he admitted. “Gaila told me.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
Leonard sighed impatiently. “What will you say? When he asks you?”
Jim looked at him, and Leonard was taken aback by the self-loathing that marred Jim’s usually cocky features. “He’s not going to ask me, Bones. I guarantee it. That pointy-eared bastard is never going to ask me to on his stupid team.”
Tuesday
“They don’t have it!” Montgomery Scott’s voice was muffled as he pulled off his uniform, but his words were unmistakable. “Admit it, Spock, they’re nae good.”
“Perhaps with more practice,” began Spock stubbornly, only for Hikaru to interrupt.
“Spock, we don’t have time for that! The game’s on Friday!” He slid the towel from round his neck and dumped it on the bench in the middle of the locker room. “We need someone now.”
They were still arguing about it when they emerged, showered and dressed, ready for the afternoon’s classes.
“What’s up?” asked Uhura, sliding her arm round Spock’s waist.
“Still trying to make up the team,” said Hikaru. “Talk to him, Uhura. We have, like, one chance here, and he won’t do it.”
Uhura grimaced. “The Jim Kirk thing? I dunno, Hikaru, he’s basically a douche.”
“Oh, what would you know about him?” said Gaila loudly. “Spock, stop being such a dick! Jim’s a great player, everyone knows that. But if your stupid pride is more important than the team…” She trailed off. Everyone looked expectantly at Spock, and he glared at Gaila.
“You are hardly unbiased in this situation,” he said loftily, but Gaila just shrugged.
“Yeah, well, bitch all you like, it doesn’t change the facts. You need him.” She sashayed off.
Spock looked mutinously at Uhura. “I do not believe she is a good influence,” he said. Uhura sighed.
“Don’t be like. She’s a nice girl. And if my parents hadn’t taken her in, who knows where she’d’ve ended up.”
“And she’s got a point,” said Hikaru.
“He’s got a point about her point,” added Scotty. “Spock, lad, just ask him.” He took in Spock’s expression and sighed. “Aye, well. Whatever. I’ll see you at practice later; I’ve got Shop now.” He sketched a quick goodbye, and Hikaru followed behind him, leaving Spock and Uhura alone in the corridor as the bell rang.
“This is proving most worrying,” said Spock, and Uhura put her arms round him.
“Aw, baby, it’ll be OK.”
“Their arguments are logical,” said Spock unexpectedly, and she leaned back to look at him. “James Kirk is an… exceptional basketball player. It is irrational for me to disregard him for personal reasons.”
“Does that mean you’re going to ask him?” she asked.
Spock considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.” He leant down to kiss her briefly, then consulted his watch. “We have AP Latin,” he said. “We will be late.”
Uhura smiled mischievously, and pulled his head back down. “Screw AP Latin,” she murmured.
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?” said Spock coldly.
Jim sneered. “What, that wasn’t clear enough for you? No. Fucking. Way. I wouldn’t play with you if we were the last two guys on earth.”
Spock’s lips pinched. “Very well, Kirk.” He turned on his heel and walked off. Jim watched him go, and, for want of a better expression of his frustration, slammed his fist into the bank of lockers.
The rattle of chains echoed in the twilit silence as the Jim tossed the ball through the hoop from the faded three-point line.
“That’s a good shot you’ve got there, son.” Jim spun round to see Coach Pike behind him. “Your father had one similar.”
Jim frowned, off balance. “You knew my dad?”
Pike nodded. “Yeah. He was a good man. I played with him, his last year in high school.” He sauntered over and collected the ball from the side of court, and passed it to Jim. “Can you do that again?”
“Why?”
Pike shrugged. “Just curious. Figured I might have had you on my team. Course, Spock says you turned him down.”
Jim shot again, the chains clinking angrily. “Yeah, well, I was surprised he asked, given how keen he was to get me kicked off the team in the first place,” he said.
Pike smiled. “Well, Spock has a very… rigid sense of morality.” Jim fetched the ball back, and bounced it to Pike.
“No kidding.”
Pike began dribbling casually. “So, Jim, what are your plans after high school?”
Jim laughed shortly. “Uh, guess I haven’t really thought that far. Leaving here.”
“You thought about college?” Jim laughed again.
“Yeah, this is Jim Kirk you’re talking too, not your precious Spock.”
Pike began to edge towards the hoop; automatically, Jim moved to block him. “The principal says your test scores have always been high. He thinks you could do better.”
Jim paused, surprised. “Archer? I thought he hated me.”
Pike paused too, bounced the ball, once, twice, deliberately. “Oh, I think he just hates seeing potential wasted,” he said mildly. “He knew your dad too, you know.”
Jim made for the ball; Pike blocked him. “Gee, seems everyone knew my dad except me.”
Pike catches the ball and stands still, expression serious as he took in Jim’s angry face, the remains of a bruise still apparent on one cheekbone; a scrape along his temple, remainders of a recent fight.
“Yeah, I guess they do. Because you don’t seem to have any idea of what kind of man he was, or what kind of man you could be. You think he’d want this, Jim? His son failing out of high school, even if he’s one of the brightest students his teachers have ever known? Not willing to meet anyone halfway? Not willing to take a chance? To have a dream? You can be better than this, Jim.” He bounces the ball to Jim, who catches it instinctively, and points a finger at him. “I dare you to be better.”
The Riverside High basketball team was just breaking up its practice when Jim Kirk appeared at the side of the court. He walked up to Spock, looked him in the eye, and said, “I’ll play.”
to be continued…
More Author’s Notes: Sorry, my closest personal experience with basketball is playing netball when I was 15 – so, basically, none, unless you count watching endless One Tree Hill, so apologies for any mistakes. Also, um, yes: working title for this was, in fact, One Trek Hill, except the more I worked on it, the more I realised that OMG LIEK WOAH the plot of Star Trek had many, many elements of the classic teen drama, and I didn’t need to make Amanda into Evil!Dan Scott.
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Date: 2009-06-06 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 07:28 pm (UTC)Ooooh the epic drama.
This is fun. :D
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Date: 2009-06-06 07:36 pm (UTC)I particularly love that everyone is 3-dimensional. No one is the cardboard cut-out character.
Also,
“Gee, seems everyone knew my dad except me.”
is a GREAT line.
Can't wait for the rest of this! :D
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Date: 2009-06-06 07:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 09:42 pm (UTC)I love Gaila here, standing up for Kirk against Spock. And how logical Spock still is as a high school kid. I really hope it is continued!
And thank you *g*
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Date: 2009-06-07 07:40 pm (UTC)A Highschool AU that actually, like, works. With IC characters too... in my experience it's pretty rare to find something like this.
Which makes me love it so much more.
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Date: 2009-06-08 09:47 am (UTC)(I watched my first episode of One Tree Hill on Saturday).