Gladiators of the Gridiron

Chapter 70: Open Up

"I can't wait to get rid of these things." Jackson sighed as he thudded down the school halls on his crutches, once again on his way to visit Ms Cotton.

Although getting rid of his crutches would mean he'd be another step closer to returning to the football field, he didn't know if he was ready for that.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "No, don't think about football. You're just getting your body healthy again, that's all. And today, it's all about your mind."

'Hi Jackson.'

Jasmine's voice startled him. 'Whoa!' He stumbled a bit, eyes opening to see the older girl standing before him.

She giggled softly. 'Oops, hope I didn't scare you. You alright?'

Jackson steadied himself. 'Yeah, I'm fine, perfectly fine.' He looked at her—she was as beautiful as ever, though he always seemed to be running into her whenever he came to see Ms Cotton. 'What uh, what are you doing here?'

'Oh, I just had to see Ms Cotton about something ... not to see her for a session or anything, I just wanted some advice. I'm thinking about majoring in psychology when I head off for college.'

'Oh!'

'Not that it would be bad or embarrassing if I did need to chat with Ms Cotton about some other problems.'

'Right, but uh, are you heading off to college soon then?' Jackson looked a little worried.

'Oh, no. Pssh, not for a few years. I'm still a sophomore, I just want to get on top of things and know what I'm aiming for.'

'Huh... yeah, it's pretty important to have a goal in mind.'

'Hey, where are you headed? I'll walk with you.'

'Oh uhhh, no that's, that's really not necessary.' Jackson laughed nervously.

'Why? Don't you like having me around?'

'What?! No! I never said that! I do it's just—'

'Then it's decided. I'll walk you to wherever you're going, that way we can talk a bit more.'

'A-Alright.' Jackson's shoulders slumped a bit, unable to refute her, he shuffled along the hall slowly, Jasmine staying right by his side. She had said it wouldn't be embarrassing to need a session with Ms Cotton, but did she really mean that? He was about to find out whether he liked it or not.

He went quiet as he hobbled along. Jasmine eventually broke the silence. 'Sooo...'

'S-So?'

'Sooo, what's your plan for college? Do you have one? I mean, maybe it's a little early to ask 'cause you're still a freshman right?'

'Right well... I mean, I guess I always thought I'd just get a football scholarship.'

'Hey, that's a pretty good plan though.'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'What? Having second thoughts?'

'I-I guess you could say that.'

Though it wasn't long before they came to Ms Cotton's door, and Jackson had to stop. Jasmine looked at the door and smiled, though Jackson's eyes lowered to the floor.

'Hey, don't be embarrassed. There's nothing wrong with recognising you need a little help, or someone to talk to and listen to your problems. Everyone should learn to take better care of their mental health.' She whacked his shoulder. 'I just said I wanted to major in psychology, what do you think that's for if not to become a counsellor?'