The morning sun had barely broken through the heavy clouds when sara walked into school. everything felt sharper, louder, and somehow more unbearable. her thoughts were a tangled web, spinning endlessly around jace, the suspension, the note, and the chaotic mix of emotions that refused to calm down. every step toward the entrance felt like stepping onto a tightrope stretched over a pit of her own anxiety.
the hallways buzzed with the usual chatter, lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking on the polished floors. she kept her head down, focusing on the familiar rhythm — it was grounding, a fragile attempt to ignore the storm brewing inside her. but of course, calm was a fleeting luxury.
a voice sliced through her focus.
"hey."
she froze. there he was — jace, leaning against the locker a few steps away, casual and infuriating, like nothing had changed. except everything had changed.
"morning," she muttered, trying to sound unbothered.
he smirked, eyes locking on hers with that magnetic pull she could never resist. "missed me?"
she rolled her eyes, though her pulse betrayed her. "you've been suspended, remember? that's not exactly being around."
"oh, i see. so i'm not allowed to exist in your thoughts unless i physically disturb your day?" he teased.
"exactly," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "it's the only fair rule."
he chuckled, pushing off the locker. "you're impossible."
"i know," she said softly, almost to herself.
the bell rang, snapping both of them back into the real world. classes, teachers, schedules — a temporary reprieve from the chaos of emotions, but not for long. jace walked beside her, silent for now, which made her more aware of his presence than words ever could.
---
first period — literature
sara sank into her seat, opening her notebook, pretending to write notes she would never use. she felt jace's gaze like a heatwave across her shoulder, and she resisted the urge to glance at him. she had to focus, had to act normal. but normal had been a distant memory since the note, the suspension, the stolen moments in the courtyard.
mr. harris, the literature teacher, droned on about symbolism and foreshadowing, but sara's mind wandered to jace's bruised cheek, the way he had shown up despite being suspended. she remembered the way he caught her wrist yesterday, the gentle pressure, the whispered words — and the flood of warmth that followed.
"sara?"
she blinked, coming back to the present. jace was leaning slightly toward her, whispering.
"did you do the reading?"
she forced a nod, keeping her pencil moving across the page.
"hm," he said, eyes narrowing playfully. "looks like you're lying. i can tell."
"you always say that," she muttered, cheeks heating.
"because i always notice," he replied, voice low. "dangerous habit, isn't it?"
she snorted, looking down. dangerous, yes. irresistible, absolutely.
---
mid-morning — science lab chaos
the chemistry lab was worse than usual. students were bumping into each other, liquids sloshing dangerously, and sara's experiment threatened to spiral out of control. she tried to focus, but jace's presence hovered just behind her shoulder, a constant whisper of tension.
"careful," he murmured, as his hand brushed hers while passing a beaker. it was brief, almost accidental, but enough to make her stomach flutter.
"why do you always know what i'm thinking?" she asked, trying to sound annoyed.
"i observe," he replied with a smirk, "it's a gift. or a curse. depending on how you see me."
she rolled her eyes but didn't pull away. she couldn't. every brush of his fingers, every glance, every whispered word pulled her closer to something she wasn't ready to name.
the experiment progressed, slowly, dangerously, and every shared step, every accidental touch, only deepened the unspoken tension between them.
---
lunch break — the courtyard confrontation
sara grabbed her lunch and made her way to the usual spot under the tree. she hoped for solitude, some peace to gather her scattered thoughts. but she wasn't alone. jace was already there, lounging casually, arms stretched behind his head, a mischievous grin on his face.
"mind if i join?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
"don't tempt me," she said, though the words carried less bite than she intended.
he dropped down beside her anyway. "so, about yesterday…"
"don't," she said sharply. "i don't want to talk about it."
he leaned closer, just enough that she felt the warmth radiating from him. "you're thinking about it anyway," he said quietly.
she froze. how did he always know?
"i am not," she lied.
"sure," he said, smirking. "classic sara. so stubborn, so proud, so frustrating."
she wanted to argue, to push him away, to stay composed. instead, she sighed, leaning back against the tree. "why do you care so much?"
"because i can," he replied simply. "and because i can't help it. i care. even when it's inconvenient, even when it's ridiculous, even when it makes me look like a fool."
her heart stuttered. she looked away, trying to hide the rising heat in her cheeks. "you're a fool," she muttered.
"maybe," he said softly, "but i'm your fool. whether you like it or not."
the words hung in the air, heavy, unyielding, electric. for a moment, neither of them moved, letting the silence do what words could not.
---
afternoon — library study
the library was quiet, the perfect contrast to the chaos outside. sara sat at a table, books spread out before her, notes scattered in organized chaos. jace was across from her, pretending to study, but his eyes never left her.
she tried to focus, but the closeness, the lingering glances, and the memory of yesterday made concentration impossible.
"you're distracted," he said, voice low.
"i am not," she replied, though her pencil wobbled in her hand.
"sure," he said, leaning forward slightly, hand brushing against hers. "about what?"
"you," she whispered, almost inaudibly.
"me?" he repeated, voice soft, steady.
"yes," she said, cheeks burning.
he smiled, a quiet, knowing curve of his lips. "i'm not letting you go, sara," he murmured. "not now. not ever."
her heart raced. she wanted to argue, to deny it, to push him away. but she couldn't. she looked at him, really looked at him, and for the first time, she admitted — just a little — that she was falling.
---
after school — the moment of truth
the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the schoolyard. sara walked slowly toward the gate, thoughts spinning, heart hammering. jace fell into step beside her, silent, steady.
"today was…" she started.
"intense?" he offered.
"yeah," she admitted.
"good intense or bad intense?"
"good," she whispered, almost embarrassed.
he smiled softly. "good. because we're figuring it out… together."
"together?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.
"yeah," he said, eyes serious. "whatever this is… we handle it together. no running, no pretending, no hiding."
sara's chest fluttered. "okay."
they walked side by side, shoulders brushing, hands dangerously close. not holding, not yet, but closer than yesterday.
and for sara, that closeness was terrifying and thrilling. and for the first time in a long while, she realized — she didn't want to step back. she wanted to step forward, into whatever this storm of emotions was.
because with jace, every step forward was unpredictable, electrifying, and utterly worth it.