Unwanted Attention

Chapter 1: Out of My League

There was a certain rhythm to Jason Carter’s life. Wake up, work out, go to school, score a few touchdowns, reject a few girls, rinse, and repeat.

The last part was the most exhausting.

“Jason! Are you going to Kelsey’s party this weekend?”

“Jason, I saved you a seat in history!”

“Jason, you’re single, right?”

The voices blended together as Jason shut his locker, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. He forced a smile at the small crowd of girls lingering nearby. “Uh, thanks, but I’ve got plans.” That was his default excuse.

It didn’t matter that it was never true.

They always sighed in disappointment, and some of them giggled, probably thinking it was some kind of challenge. He didn’t get it. He never did. Dating, love, sex—it all seemed exhausting. The idea of kissing someone made his skin itch, and he didn’t understand why everyone else was so obsessed with it.

His best friend, Ryan, nudged him as they walked down the hall. “Dude, you’ve got, like, a fan club.”

Jason groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Ryan snorted. “Most guys would kill for this attention. What’s your deal?”

Jason shrugged. “I just don’t care.”

“You’re the weirdest jock I’ve ever met.”

Jason didn’t argue. He knew he was weird. Football came naturally to him, his body was built for it, and he liked the competition. But everything else that came with being the star athlete—parties, hookups, relationships—felt like noise.

Ryan babbled on about something, but Jason wasn’t listening anymore. His gaze had drifted across the hall to Elliot Monroe.

Sitting alone at a lunch table, nose buried in a thick fantasy novel, Elliot had the same messy brown hair he always did, glasses slipping down his nose. His sweater was two sizes too big, his jeans had a tear in the knee that didn’t look intentional, and his bag was decorated with pins of video game characters Jason couldn’t name.

Jason swallowed.

Elliot wasn’t part of the noise.

Jason didn’t like a lot of people, but he liked Elliot. Not in the way the girls liked him, or the way Ryan liked to flirt with anyone who looked his way. It wasn’t about dating or making out or whatever people obsessed over.

It was different.

It was quiet.

It was wanting to sit next to someone and not have to talk. It was wanting to hear what they were reading, even if Jason wouldn’t understand it. It was wanting to see them smile—not at him, just in general.

It was Elliot.

And Elliot didn’t even know Jason existed.

Ryan must have followed his gaze because he let out a low whistle. “Dude. You’ve been staring at Monroe for, like, a full minute. You got a crush on him or something?”

Jason shoved him. “Shut up.”

Ryan just laughed. “You totally do.”

Jason sighed. Maybe he did. But he wasn’t about to do anything about it.

Elliot was out of his league. Not in the way people usually meant it. Jason had the popularity, the athleticism, the girls hanging off his arm. But Elliot had something Jason didn’t—someone who didn’t see him as a trophy.

And Jason had no idea how to reach out without breaking whatever little fantasy he’d built in his head.

For now, he settled for glancing at Elliot one last time before heading to class, pretending he didn’t feel like the biggest idiot in the world.

“Carter! A word.”

Jason had barely taken his seat in English before Coach Reynolds’ voice rang out from the doorway. A few heads turned, but no one was particularly surprised. When the star quarterback got called out of class, it was usually about the team.

Jason stood, ignoring Ryan’s smirk, and followed his coach into the hall.

Reynolds was a brick wall of a man, bald, with a permanent frown that only ever disappeared when they won a game. He eyed Jason like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“You doing alright, son?”

Jason blinked. “Uh… yeah?”

Reynolds crossed his arms. “Listen. You’re young, in your prime, and you got every girl in this school hanging off you. But lately, you’ve been… distracted.”

Jason stiffened. “I’m fine.”

“You sure? Ain’t interested in anyone? Not even Kelsey? She’s been batting her eyelashes at you since sophomore year.”

Jason barely held back a groan. Why did people care so much? “Coach, I just wanna play football.”

Reynolds studied him for a long moment before exhaling through his nose. “Alright. Just checking in. But let me give you some advice, Carter—don’t let a good thing pass you by.”

Jason wasn’t sure if good thing meant girls, relationships, or something else entirely. Either way, he just nodded. “Got it, Coach.”

Reynolds clapped him on the shoulder before heading off, and Jason let out a slow breath before turning back toward class.

Good thing, huh?

Jason’s gaze flickered down the hall.

Elliot Monroe was a good thing.

Too bad Jason didn’t know how to reach for it.

By the time lunch rolled around, Jason was more than ready for a break. Unfortunately, being a jock meant lunch wasn’t exactly relaxing.

He dropped his tray onto the table where Ryan was already halfway through a burger, ranting about their next game.

“I’m just saying, Lincoln High has been running the same defense all season,” Ryan said, waving a fry in the air. “If we push the left side, we can open up a lane—easy touchdown.”

Jason took a bite of his sandwich, nodding. “Yeah, but Coach wants us to play it safe first half. Wear ’em down before going aggressive.”

Ryan scoffed. “Boring. You could run straight through those guys.”

Jason shrugged. “Coach calls the plays.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “And here I thought you were the golden boy. Shouldn’t you have some say?”

Before Jason could answer, a high-pitched voice cut through their conversation.

“Ry-Ry!”

Ryan barely had time to groan before Madison Greene slid into the seat beside him, looping an arm around his shoulders. Madison was exactly the kind of girl who ruled the school—long, perfectly curled blonde hair, designer nails, and a constant supply of lip gloss.

Trailing behind her was Chloe Carter, her best friend. No relation to Jason, but that didn’t stop people from joking about it. Chloe wasn’t as loud as Madison, but she was just as relentless.

“Hey, babe,” Madison purred, kissing Ryan’s cheek. “What are you doing all the way over here? You should sit with us.”

Ryan, to his credit, didn’t completely melt under her attention. “Talking plays with Jason.”

Madison barely acknowledged Jason’s existence before turning back to Ryan. “Ugh, football. Again? Can’t you talk about something fun?”

Chloe, who had slid into the seat next to Jason, grinned. “Not everyone thinks football is boring, Mads. Right, Jason?”

Jason tensed. Here we go.

Chloe leaned her chin in her hand, batting her lashes. “You are playing this weekend, right?”

Jason exhaled through his nose. “Yeah.”

Chloe giggled. “Good. I’ll be watching.”

Jason didn’t respond. He’d learned a long time ago that any reaction only encouraged them.

Madison, oblivious to his discomfort, played with a strand of Ryan’s hair. “Babe, Kelsey’s party is gonna be so good. You’re coming, right?”

Ryan hesitated. “Eh, I dunno—”

Madison pouted. “But I already told everyone we’d be there!”

Ryan sighed. “Fine, fine. We’ll go.”

Madison clapped her hands. “Yay! Jason, you’re coming too, right?”

Jason took a sip of his soda. “Nah.”

Chloe fake-gasped. “What? Skipping another party? That’s, like, a crime.”

Jason forced a polite smile. “Guess I’m a criminal, then.”

Madison rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun.”

Jason wasn’t offended. It wasn’t the first time someone had told him that, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Chloe twirled a strand of hair. “Well, if you change your mind—”

“I won’t,” Jason cut in.

She huffed. “You really don’t like parties, huh?”

Jason shrugged. “Nope.”

“Or dates?”

“Nope.”

Chloe pouted, clearly not used to being shut down. “You’re such a mystery, Jason Carter.”

Jason just sighed and shoveled more food into his mouth.

Ryan, hiding a smirk, nudged him under the table. “You sure know how to charm the ladies, man.”

Jason muttered, “Yeah, lucky me.”

And for the hundredth time that day, his eyes flickered toward the other side of the cafeteria.

Where Elliot Monroe sat, alone, completely unaware of the chaos on Jason’s side of the room.