CHAPTER 2

The Joke

By the next morning, Ezra had almost convinced himself that yesterday hadn’t bothered him.

Almost.

Unfortunately, pretending became a lot harder when he walked into school and immediately heard laughter.

“Speak of the devil.”

“Hey, Monroe.”

“Careful, guys. He might get interesting.”

The last comment sent a fresh wave of laughter through the hallway.

Ezra froze.

His stomach sank.

He knew exactly where the joke had come from.

Jace.

Of course.

The comment from lunch had already spread through the school.

That was the thing about Ashford Academy. News traveled fast, but humiliation traveled faster.

Ezra tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack and kept walking. Looking at them would only make things worse.

“Don’t cry, Monroe.”

Another voice.

More laughter.

Someone bumped his shoulder as they passed.

Not hard enough to start a fight.

Just hard enough to remind him where he stood.

Or rather, where he didn’t.

By the time he reached his locker, his mood was already ruined.

Great start to the day.

He shoved his books inside and tried focusing on his schedule instead of the knot forming in his chest.

Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to torture him.

“Morning, Monroe.”

The voice came from behind him.

Deep.

Familiar.

Impossible to ignore.

Ezra closed his eyes briefly before turning around.

Jace stood there with one hand in his pocket, looking annoyingly perfect for eight in the morning.

His dark hair was slightly messy, as though he’d just rolled out of bed. Somehow that only made him look better.

Life was unfair.

“What do you want?” Ezra asked.

One of Jace’s eyebrows lifted.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

The corner of Jace’s mouth twitched.

“You’re grumpy today.”

Ezra stared at him.

Was he serious?

Jace had spent years making his life miserable.

Yesterday’s cafeteria incident was probably still making rounds throughout the school.

And now he was acting surprised that Ezra wasn’t thrilled to see him?

“Go away.”

For a moment, genuine surprise flashed across Jace’s face.

Then it disappeared.

His expression settled into amusement instead.

“Damn.”

Ezra groaned internally.

There it was again.

That look.

The one Jace always got whenever Ezra accidentally gave him a reaction.

As if provoking him was some kind of game.

As if every angry response was a prize.

“You’re really growing a backbone.”

“Maybe you’re just getting annoying.”

A few nearby students gasped.

Others looked openly entertained.

Ezra immediately regretted speaking.

Not because he was scared.

Because now everyone was watching.

Again.

Jace leaned casually against the neighboring locker.

His eyes never left Ezra.

Most people didn’t understand how intense Jace’s attention could feel.

When he focused on someone, it was like being pinned beneath a spotlight.

There was nowhere to hide.

No escape.

And right now, all of that attention was directed at Ezra.

“Getting brave, Monroe.”

“I’m getting tired.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Something shifted in Jace’s expression.

A tiny change.

So brief Ezra almost missed it.

“Tired of what?”

Ezra laughed.

Not because anything was funny.

Because the question was absurd.

“Tired of this.”

Jace frowned.

“This?”

Ezra gestured between them.

“The jokes. The comments. The daily performance.”

The hallway had gone surprisingly quiet.

Even nearby students seemed interested.

Jace straightened slightly.

For the first time since approaching, he no longer looked amused.

“You’re being dramatic.”

The words landed harder than they should have.

Maybe because Ezra had secretly hoped for something different.

An apology.

A realization.

Anything.

Instead, Jace looked irritated.

As though Ezra had somehow become inconvenient.

“Right.”

Ezra nodded.

“Of course.”

The bell rang before either of them could say anything else.

Students immediately began moving toward class.

The moment broke.

Jace looked away first.

“Whatever.”

There it was.

The same word.

The same dismissal.

The same ending.

Ezra grabbed his books and walked off without another glance.

This time, he didn’t look back.

He didn’t see Jace standing beside the lockers long after everyone else had left.

He didn’t see the confusion written across his face.

And he definitely didn’t hear Mason’s voice from behind him.

“What the hell was that?”

Jace frowned.

“What was what?”

“You.”

Mason stopped beside him.

“You looked like somebody slapped you.”

Jace rolled his eyes.

“Shut up.”

“No, seriously.”

Mason crossed his arms.

“Why do you even bother with Monroe?”

Jace opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

The answer should have been easy.

It always had been before.

Because it was funny.

Because everyone laughed.

Because Ezra reacted.

Because ....

Because what?

For the first time, he wasn’t sure.

And somehow that annoyed him more than anything Ezra had said.

Later that afternoon, Ezra sat in English class trying unsuccessfully to focus on the lesson.

The teacher’s voice faded into background noise.

His mind kept replaying the conversation at the lockers.

“Tired of this.”

The words felt heavier now.

Because they were true.

He was tired.

Tired of being the joke.

Tired of being the target.

Tired of waiting for things to change.

Across the room, Jace sat with his friends.

Laughing.

Smiling.

Looking completely unaffected.

As usual.

The sight made something inside Ezra ache.

How unfair was it that the person who hurt him most got to move through life so easily?

The bell rang.

Students immediately started packing.

Mr. Holloway raised his voice over the noise.

“Before you leave, I have an announcement.”

Groans echoed throughout the classroom.

The teacher ignored them.

“You’ll be starting your semester project next week.”

More groans.

“This project will be completed in pairs.”

Now people were paying attention.

Mr. Holloway picked up a sheet of paper.

“I’ve already chosen the partners.”

A ripple of anxiety spread through the room.

Ezra felt his stomach drop.

No.

Please no.

The universe couldn’t possibly hate him that much.

Could it?

Mr. Holloway began reading names.

Students relaxed as they heard familiar friends assigned together.

Then...    “Ezra Monroe and Jace Ryland.”

The classroom exploded.

Some students laughed immediately.

Others looked shocked.

A few openly winced.

Even Mason looked horrified.

Ezra’s blood ran cold.

Slowly, painfully, he turned toward Jace.

Jace was already staring at him.

And judging by the expression on his face…

He wasn’t happy either.