Chapter Text
Ian pov
“Alright, everyone beakers down that’s the end of class.” Mr. Cilla announces two minutes before the bell was set to ring much to the dismay of some of his students who hadn’t quite finished their test. “You’ll get the results tomorrow.” He states just as the bell rings and the students of Lucky Junior High begin to file out of the classroom, no doubt heading towards their lockers and getting ready to go home.
“Oh, man that test was brutal!” Ian whines out loud as he picks up his books.
“It’ll be fine Ian.” Ginger tries to reassure him with a small smile as she picks up her things as well. “You took really good notes, don’t worry about.”
“Thanks.” Ian said, returning her smile. “And sorry again about the-”
“It’s okay.” Ginger interrupts. “Just…be honest next time.” Ginger gathers her things and heads out the door with her friends. “Bye Ian.”
Ian watched her go realizing that he got lucky that Ginger Foutely wasn’t so angry at him that she would have really let him fail the test, which is what he would have deserved for trying to use her. As Ian gathered the rest of his things, he finally noticed that Ginger had forgotten to take the soccer jacket he had given her.
“Whoa, she must have forgotten to take it with her?” Ian says out loud to himself as he picks it up, for a second he considered keeping it before shaking his head at the thought. “I better give this to her before she leaves.” Ian then walks out of the classroom heading towards Ginger’s locker.
“What?!” Ian could hear Dodie Bishop nearly shout from around the corner. “I can’t believe what I am hearing?!”
“It’s unbelievable!” Ian heard Macie Lightfoot say as well.
“It’s not that unbelievable, you guys.” He could hear Ginger say to her two best friends with a sigh.
“But Ginger you’ve had a crush on Ian Richton since the third grade.” Dodie proclaims, much to Ian’s shock, he stops in his tracks, standing there frozen as he listened in on Dodie’s rant. “That’s like most of your young life, and now you’re saying it’s over!”
“O-Over?” Ian repeats stuttering to himself in confusion as he listened on from around the corner suddenly feeling a pit in his stomach.
“I have to agree with Dodie here, this is truly unexpected.” Macie chimes in. “Like she said you’ve had this crush on Ian forever.”
“Forever!” Dodie drags out. “And now-”
“And now I’m not so sure if I feel the same anymore.” Ginger explains. “I mean I think I still like Ian…but at the same time I’m still mad at what he did and I…I don’t know, I almost told him but luckily Courtney interrupted me before I could embarrass myself.”
“You almost told him?!” Dodie and Macie shouted at the same time.
“She almost told me?” Ian repeats thinking back to their Chemistry class, there was a point where it seemed that Ginger was about to say something but then Courtney did show up.
“Yes, I almost told him but now I’m glad I didn’t because-” Ginger starts to say before trailing off.
“Because?!” Dodie and Macie asked in an anxious tone.
“Because?” Ian couldn’t help but whisper to himself, while holding his breath.
“I don’t know yet guys.” Ginger answers honestly. “I guess it’s going to take some time to figure out.” With that said Ian hears the three girls walk away from the lockers and head towards the exit, leaving Ian alone with his thoughts.
Later that night
Ian was in his room sitting down behind his desk drumming mindlessly on his notebook with his pencil, he should be working on his homework especially his chemistry homework. But he was lost in thought as he played over what he had heard in the hallway again in his head.
“But Ginger you’ve had a crush on Ian Richton since the third grade.” Dodie proclaims, much to Ian’s shock, he stops in his tracks, standing there frozen as he listened in on Dodie’s rant. “That’s like most of your young life, and now you’re saying it’s over!”
“You almost told him?!” Dodie and Macie shouted at the same time.
“Yes, I almost told him but now I’m glad I didn’t because-” Ginger starts to say before trailing off.
Honestly, Ian wasn’t completely sure how he would have reacted if Ginger had confessed to having feelings for him, surprised probably since Miranda had talked about helping Ginger and Darren get together when they all went to see that vampire movie. It made sense at the time because Darren and Ginger were always hanging out, and they lived next door to each other of course he would think that they liked each other.
But she doesn’t like Darren. She likes me…or at least she used to...maybe? Ian thought to himself as he sighed, staring at the jacket that he had promised Ginger. If he had known about the crush, he wouldn’t have acted the way he did. If there was one thing that being friends with Courtney Gripling had taught him it was to not mess with girl’s feelings when it comes to romance.
“Courtney?! Duh, I should have thought of that sooner!” Ian spoke out loud to himself as he rushed over to grab his telephone. He had to wait five minutes being put on hold and listening to whatever pop song that Courtney swears is the song of their generation before she finally picked.
“Hello, you’ve reached Courtney!” Courtney says in a cheerful tone.
“Hey, Tinklebell.” Ian answered back.
“Ah, I told you not to call me that anymore Ian!” Courtney responds in an annoyed tone as Ian laughs. “We are no longer in pre-k!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that in daycare during naptime you always used to tinkle-” Ian starts explaining with a laugh.
“Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!” Courtney yelled into the phone. “I paid you good money to never bring that up again.”
“I didn’t take it remember Tinklebell.” Ian reminds her. “I just promised to only bring it up around you if you gave me the chocolate chip cookies Winston made for you.”
“Oh, that’s right and that left me with nothing for snack time for a week.” Courtney says with a groan. “Now, if we’re done going down memory lane…what do you want?”
“What makes you think-” Ian begins to say in defense.
“Ian.” Courtney interrupts. “You know that this is the hour where I give advice to our fashion impaired, or relationship challenged peers. State your business or get off my line.”
“Fine it’s about Ginger Foutley.” Ian declares.
“Ginger Foutley.” Courtney says in an even tone. “What about her?”
“Cut the bull, Tinklebell I know.” Ian states.
“Know what?” Courtney asked still with her even tone.
“Really Court, you’re gonna make me say it.” Ian says rolling his eyes not that she could see it over the phone. “I know that Ginger has a crush on me okay!”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Courtney states in a cool tone.
“Really, Tinklebell?” Ian asked shaking his head. “After all we’ve been through, where is your loyalty?”
“Maybe it’s in the same place that your decently went.” Courtney said evenly.
“I know what I did was bad.” Ian begins to explain. “I wouldn’t have done it if I had known that she liked me like that.”
“And if she didn’t?” Courtney asked in a cool tone.
“It would have still been bad, okay!” Ian admits with a groan. “I was wrong!”
“Well, then I guess you do have a heart after all.” Courtney says in a teasing tone.
“Ha, ha.” Ian says sarcastically while rolling his eyes again. “I get it I was wrong for what I did, but I need your help. You’re friends with Ginger now, right?”
“We do hobnob from time to time.” Courtney just says plainly.
“Listen, I heard her talking to her friends after class about…maybe not having a crush on me anymore.” Ian says in a frustrated tone. “And I need you to talk her out of it.”
“Talk her out of it?” Courtney questioned with a laugh. “After how you treated her today? Why should I?”
“Because we’ve been friends for a long time?” Ian asked in a hopeful tone. “And I’m like the brother you’ve always wanted?”
“Try again.” Courtney says after making a negative buzzer sound.
“Because you’re a nice person who-” Ian began.
“Negative.” Courtney interrupts him.
“Okay, because I want Ginger to still like me that way.” Ian finally admits.
“And you-” Courtney says before trailing off.
“And me what?” Ian asked in a confused tone.
“Ian, I swear sometimes I forget-” Courtney said before settling into a frustrated sigh. “Ian Richton are you aware that most of the female population in our class has a crush on you?”
“Oh.” Ian says while scratching his head, now that he thought out it, girls did seem to giggle and laugh a lot when he was around. He just thought they were being weird or thinking about funny shows or something. “I didn’t realize that.”
“So, if Ginger stops having a crush on you…not that I am admitting that she does.” Courtney begins to explain. “But, if she were to stop crushing on you so to speak, why do you care after all there are other girls in our class that like you too…unless of course you are admitting to me that you like Ginger Foutley.”
“I-” Ian begins to say before trailing off now deep in thought, did he like Ginger? He never really thought too much about liking her, especially after watching that vampire movie where Miranda told him that Ginger and Darren were dating. Honestly, he never thought that someone like Ginger would have liked him in that way until today, and yes while there were other girls who may have a crush on him like Courtney pointed out. “I…I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?!” Courtney shouted into the phone.
“I…I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” Ian admits to her. “I’m still getting used to the idea that she likes me…or she maybe did like me.”
“Well, you must feel something Ian or else why would you care so much about this?” Courtney points out. “Unless of course you’re just being egotistical, which is so wrong...though I do understand it on a ‘I want you to desire me only kind of way’ so I get it.”
“I’m not being egotistical…whatever that means.” Ian says defensively. “I just want…I don’t know?! That’s why I called you so that you would help me!”
“Alright Ian, don’t get your jockstrap in a bunch.” Courtney says teasingly. “From what I’ve gathered we can look at things in two ways. One you get over yourself and leave Ginger Foutely alone so she can get over her crush on you in peace.”
“Tinklebell-” Ian begins to say glaring a bit at the phone not that she could see it.
“Or second you figure out your feelings for Ginger before you cause any further damage.” Courtney continues to say ignoring him. “But to do that you’ll have to do something drastic.”
“What do you mean?” Ian asked.
“How often do you spend time around Ginger?” Courtney asked him.
“I don’t know…we have some classes together…obviously we’re now lab partners for Chemistry…sometimes I talk to her at lunchtime?” Ian answers out loud, but now that he thought about it not a lot of his time was spent around Ginger really. Even during lunch, he spoke to her in passing on his way to sit with his team and really it wasn’t just Ginger he was talking to when he did go over to her table. “I guess we don’t really spend a lot of time together…I mean if we weren’t lab partners, we probably wouldn’t have any one-on-one time together at all.”
“Hmm, well that’s going to have to change.” Courtney says thoughtfully. “Now, if only we can manufacturer a reason so that you and Ginger can spend time together…preferably alone time together.”
“Well, I do need some tutoring with Chemistry, got to maintain that B average if I want to stay on the soccer team.” Ian admits as he started thinking it over. “Maybe I can ask Ginger-”
“No, that won’t do she’ll feel like you’re trying to use her again.” Courtney interrupts. “If only you could tutor her on something in return; that way it would be a more even exchange.”
“Does she want to learn how to play soccer? Cause I could-” Ian asked hopefully.
“Oh, would you stop thinking about soccer for one second!” Courtney nearly yells in frustration. “I’m trying to run the numbers for you and…that’s it! Courtney Grippling you are a true genius!”
“What are you talking about?” Ian asked in a confused tone.
“Ian, what grade are you getting for pre-algebra?” Courtney asked slyly.
“An ‘A’ you know my parents would kill me if I got anything less on any class that has to do with math!” Ian reminds her.
“Good, now here is what you’re gonna do.” Courtney begins to explain.
The next day
Ian was waiting outside of a classroom trying very desperately not to pace back and forth as he went over Courtney’s plan in his head for the thousandth time. The plan seemed almost too simple, but this might be the only way that he could spend time with Ginger without her realizing anything was up. Though still he wasn’t sure if this plan would even work, Ginger was a great student he couldn’t imagine her needing help on anything.
“Maybe I should just-” Ian begins to say to himself when the bell rang and the students from Ms. Cooper’s pre-algebra class. “Well, no turning back now.” He says to himself as he noticed Ginger and her friends coming out of the classroom with Ginger looking sorrowfully at a piece of paper.
“Don’t worry Ginger, you’ll be able to turn things around.” Dodie says in a cheerful tone.
“She’s right Ginger.” Macie says in her nasal tone. “You just need to give it some more time.”
“I don’t know guys.” Ginger says dejectedly. “You know there’s going to be a test in two weeks not to mention the final-”
“Hey Ginger.” Ian interrupts hoping to sound as causal as possible. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, you forgot the jacket after class was done and-” He begins to explain holding out his soccer jacket before looking at her dejected face with concern. “Whoa, are you okay? You look kinda bummed out?”
“Thanks Ian, I must have forgotten to take it with me after class.” Ginger says with shy smile while taking back the jacket from him. “I’m just not too happy with my homework grade for Ms. Cooper’s class, I might need a tutor or something. Can’t seem to get all the linear equations straight ironically.”
“I can help you out if you want.” Ian suggests much to the group’s surprise. “Be your tutor.”
“You?!” Dodie and Macie question in disbelief at the same time.
“Really Ian?” Ginger also questions in disbelief.
“Yeah, my parents are accountants.” Ian explains with a shrug. “I knew how to do math problems before I even learned to walk!” He says in a joking manner.
“Are you sure Ian?” Ginger asked, not quite sure how to take this sudden suggestion. “I mean I know you’re busy with soccer and everything.”
“It’s no biggie.” Ian says calmly, though he could tell that Ginger still wasn’t so sure about it. “How about this, you help me with Chemistry, and I’ll help you with Pre-Algebra.”
“I guess that seems fair.” Ginger agrees, though her tone of voice showed that she still wasn’t so sure about this. “You help me, and I’ll help you.”
“Cool.” Ian said evenly just as the bell rang again causing the four students left in the hallway to panic a bit. “Oh bummer, late for class. We’ll have to figure out a time for our study date later.” He shouts as he runs in the direction of his next class.
“Yeah, later.” Ginger calls after him.
Though late for Mr. Canavan’s history class Ian couldn’t help but smile a bit to himself as he sat down in his seat. Courtney’s plan seemed to have worked after all, he’d finally be able to hang out with Ginger alone and figure out what was going on between them.