08.

BUSES WERE LIKE the adult version of carpooling. I mean, think about it. A group of people getting into a longer version of a car, all going the same way. It was just a fancy word for carpool.

Except, buses were better than cars. They moved slower. They had their own special lanes. People moved out of the way for them. Some even had seatbelts. And they were bigger. A bus couldn't wrap around a tree the way a car could. A bus couldn't be t-boned at an intersection, crushed in at the side, metal folding like paper.

Buses were better. Safer.

I clung onto the hand rail inside the bus as it slowed outside of my school. The doors opened with a slow creak and I pulled myself out of my seat, sending the driver a smile and a thank you as I stepped off the bus.

After I had embarrassed myself on Saturday in front of Jace and his mom, it had occurred to me that I left my bike in their trunk. Which left me with only two options today: walk to school or catch the bus.

I patted my hands onto my baggy jeans. Buses weren't horrible, but they still made my palms sweat and heart race for the entire ride. I much preferred my bike over this death trap.

I sighed, tugging at the messy bun I'd pulled my knotted curls into. As if I wasn't tired enough this morning, that bus ride had made me feel ten times worse. At least I'd given my ankle a bit of a rest.

I hiked my backpack higher onto my shoulder and shuffled towards the school gates. I was used to waking up early to take my bike, so I'd gotten to school much earlier than needed. I planned to go to the library and try sneak a nap in before first period.

But before I could enter the school, my eyes met familiar brown ones that seemed to shine in the sunlight.

I stilled, pausing in my tracks a few steps away from Jace.

He pushed off the school gate and took unsteady steps towards me, his leg limping slightly under his weight. He looked cute today. He wore a baggy sweater that seemed to scrunch around his wrists, like he had a habit of tugging on them.

I scratched at my wrist and he stopped in front of me, sending me an uneasy smile.

"Hey," he said simply.

I nodded curtly. "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

I pursed my lips. I knew this was coming. I knew it from the second I shoved myself out of his car on the verge of tears. But that didn't mean I was prepared. A heavy lump settled in my stomach and I had the urge to throw up.

Instead, I nodded again, and he released a tight breath.

"I brought your bike."

I followed his eyes to the bike leaning against the railing beside him.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly. There was a pause and I shifted my weight uncomfortably. I didn't know what to say. This conversation was uncomfortable, no matter how many times I had to have it.

His eyes searched mine and I knew he was also searching for the right words. I sighed, straightening my back.

"Jace, look –"

"I'm sorry," he said simultaneously.

I blinked.

"What?" we said together, again.

"No, no," I said quickly, shaking my head. "Me first. You're sorry? For what?"

"I didn't realise you hated cars so much," he said with a frown. He nodded towards my bike. "Kind of explains a lot. I'm sorry. My mom shouldn't have pressured you like that."

"No, it's not your fault, Jace," I said. "I should've just told you."

"But you shouldn't have to," he said pointedly. His frown deepened and I watched as his brow wrinkled, his eyes growing distant. "You shouldn't have to tell me anything. We shouldn't have pressured you into doing something you weren't comfortable with. I'm really sorry, Jas."

Jas.

I warmed at the nickname and scratched at my neck. "It's fine, Jace. Seriously."

"You're not angry?"

"Angry?" I sputtered in disbelief. "Embarrassed, maybe. But no, not angry."

"Embarrassed?" he echoed with a slight chuckle. "I'm the one who should be embarrassed. God, what a first impression, huh? First, I snap at your for just being kind, and then I force you into a car with me."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "You're exaggerating, Jace Wilson."

"And you're too forgiving, Jasmine Ali," he shot back, quirking a brow. "Seriously, I don't deserve to be forgiven. I've been waiting here all morning expecting you to just – I don't know. Yell at me? Ignore me? I wasn't sure which would be worse."

He tugged at his sleeves and my suspicions were confirmed.

"Jace," I sighed, stepping forward. I rested a hand on his arm, tugging slightly at his sleeve to grab his attention. His eyes met mine and his ears turned pink. "You're too hard on yourself."

His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth, probably to argue with me, but I turned on him, grabbing my bike and beginning to waltz towards the school.

"Besides, I would be completely fine with it if we never spoke about it again," I said honestly. He blinked quickly, then followed after me, his backpack slung loosely over his shoulder.

I stared down at the path beneath us, watching his worn-out black Chucks step beside my white Adidas sneakers, equally scuffed. Our limps were equally pitiful.

"So, that's it? Back to normal?"

I glanced at his curious expression and shrugged. "Were you hoping for a different outcome?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and hummed. "Well... Can I ask?"

"Ask what?" I said, even though I knew exactly what he was referring to.

He was silent for a moment and I listened to the quiet steps of our shoes, crunching stones that stuck into the dirt. We paused as I quickly locked my bike at the rack before pushing into the main hallway. The school was empty for the most part and our shoes squeaked against the tiles, echoing off the white walls.

It reminded me too much of a hospital at this time.

"Why?" Jace said finally, the question coming out in a breath.

I kept my shoes on the tiles, glowing beneath fluorescent lights.

"Why what?"

"Why do you hate cars so much? Why did you..." he trailed off.

Why did I leave like that? Why did I panic? Why did I stop breathing? Why do I have a limp? Why do I volunteer at the physio centre?

I knew the questions off by heart by now. And even if Jace had never asked them in the few weeks that we'd known each other, I knew he'd been thinking about them nonstop.

And I was sure the rumours had reached him by now. Most were true, if not slightly exaggerated.

I released a sigh, turning to give him a small smile.

"Bad experience?" I half-joked, sending him a shrug.

His brow remained wrinkled and he refused to reflect my grin. He stayed silent, sending me an expectant look with pursed lips. My shoulders sagged and I turned back to my shoes.

"It's not really a big deal," I said, finally. "I just don't like cars. And, I mean, walking places is good exercise. You know?"

"Of course," he said, though his voice wavered unsurely. "You know... I can't get on a plane."

I blinked before turning to meet his eyes again. He grinned at me sheepishly.

I had heard him perfectly, but couldn't help asking, "What?"

"Don't laugh," he said, though I wasn't laughing. "It's really bad."

"Oh, please. I doubt it's as bad as me," I teased. His ears turned pinker.

"I fainted during take-off the first and last time I was on a plane," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We had to catch a bus for the way back since I refused to board our return flight. I was fifteen."

"What?" I sputtered through a laugh. "You're joking."

"I said don't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing!" I said, laughing.

"You are!"

"I just – I can't believe you made your family take a bus instead of a flight you already paid for," I said, my smile growing. He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." He was laughing too now. "Made my mom drive six hours when we moved here too since I refused to board a plane."

"What?" I repeated, my eyes widening. "Jace, you're eighteen."

"What, I'm supposed to just trust that a single layer of metal will protect me from falling to my death?" he shook his head, shuddering. "No way. Not happening."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "Cars are exactly the same!"

"They are not."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You're going, like, sixty miles an hour down a highway with one layer of metal to protect you," I said, raising a brow. "Do you know how easily that'll wrap around a pole?"

"Well, I'm a good driver. How am I supposed to know if the pilot's any good?"

"They went to pilot school!"

"And I went to Chan's Driving School." He shrugged. "What's the difference?"

I narrowed my eyes and he smirked snidely at me. Sarcasm laid thick on my tongue. "Good point."

"See?"

I wrinkled my nose at him, stubbornly refusing to agree.

"Well, when you're in a car, you're hardly the one you need to worry about," I said matter-of-factly. "What about the other drivers? Pedestrians? What if a cat runs out in front of your car?"

"I think you're supposed to hit it."

"That's cruel!"

"Such is life."

"And doesn't that just prove my point?"

"Well, pilots have other stuff to worry about too," he said.

"Yeah? Like what? Birds?" I snorted. "I'm sure a two-tonne hunk of metal can handle a pigeon."

He hummed, swinging on his heels. "What about... the weather? Or other planes? It's a lot more pressure than a car."

I frowned, narrowing my eyes stubbornly. He did have a point.

"Well," I huffed, spinning and walking towards my locker.

"Jasmine," he hummed, stepping beside me. I sped up and he circled me, cutting me off. "Don't tell me you're annoyed because I'm right."

His lips lifted in a smirk and I rolled my eyes, shoving his shoulder.

"I'm not annoyed."

"Uh-huh, right."

"And if I were annoyed, it'd be because you're annoying."

He pouted, jutting his bottom lip out and batting his lashes at me. "You hurt me, Jasmine Ali. I waited all morning just to be bullied by you."

I sighed, reaching up to cup his cheek.

He blinked, leaning into my touch, before I pulled my hand back and delivered a sharp, yet gentle, slap to his face. The sound resounded through the hall and I pushed passed him, ignoring his shocked smile.

"Jas!" he whined.

"Jace!" I mocked, though my face had warmed at the feel of his jaw under my fingertips.

I shook my head, wringing my fingers and trying to get the feel of it out of my head.

I reached my locker, tugging the scrap of metal open with a clank. He stepped beside me, leaning against the locker and shoving his face in the way. I rolled my eyes, pulling my books out from behind him, purposefully knocking him each time, though he refused to move.

"How could you smack me like that? I thought we were friends."

Friends.

What a strange idea. I was friends with Jace Wilson. Though lately it seemed like he was friends with half the school. The intrigue of being the transfer student still hadn't worn off. It seemed like eight in the morning was the only time I could catch him alone.

"I smack all my friends," I said eventually.

"Really?" he said, doubtfully. "I'll have to ask that girl who's always with you. What's her name?"

I frowned, meeting his eyes. A part of me felt slightly irritated that he was asking about her. I shook that part of me away, quirking a brow instead.

"Piper? Don't go annoying her too, now," I teased.

I slammed my locker shut and he jumped out of the way, his eyes widening.

"I'm sensing some hostility this morning, Jasmine."

"How strange," I hummed, grinning. "I wonder why."

His eyes glittered and he opened his mouth to say something when he was cut off.

"Jace!"

I turned to see two boys coming in from the track. I stared, vaguely aware that they were from the grade below us, though their names escaped me.

"Ah," Jace muttered, his eyes following mine. "I'd better go."

"Right," I murmured, ignoring the disappointment that flooded me. He pushed off the lockers and sent me a last look before turning away. I frowned, watching as he took a slow step away.

"Jace!" I said before I could stop myself.

He craned his neck, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"For the record, you're not annoying at all," I said quickly, ignoring the heat that crept up my neck. "And I like talking to you."

He blinked, then his lips twitched up into a half-smile.

"I like talking to you too, Jasmine."

I was fully blushing now.

"Shut up."

He laughed and I spun on my heel, storming off to my first class, twenty minutes early.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

I hope you guys are enjoying the Jace and Jasmine content hehe more to come in the next chapter! I'm so excited for this story to start picking up the pace. Let me know what you guys think so far!

Thank you as always for reading, commenting and voting! Your comments truly make my day! 💕