Three years ago.

Jace's POV.

I know I wasn't supposed to but I enjoyed my one week suspension.

Everyone would leave the house in the morning and I'd have it all to myself.

There's not a lot to do at home but I made myself busy with important stuff like smoking weed, working on my bike, watching porn, eating every snack in the kitchen and finally checking out Game Of Thrones, which was fire.

Time goes by fast when you're missing class, my week of paradise is now over and I'm back in hell.

Diego and I have a free period and we're spending it in music class since no one's using the room.

He's telling me about his night with Blair while I'm zoned out, gazing at the spot where Olivia and I had our first conversation.

I didn't think about her during my week of paradise, I didn't think of anyone or anything really, I just had time to myself for the first time in a long time and I let myself live in the moment.

It was like having a vacation I didn't know I needed.

But now I'm back to reality and I'm reminded of the fact that I'm gonna have to bump into Olivia and maybe even say hey.

I envy that boyfriend of hers, he's the guy who kisses those lips however and whenever he wants and he gets to stare into those eyes while fucks her.

He is one lucky motherfucker.

I drag my attention back to Diego, concentrating on what he's saying.

"... And then, we went back to my place, Brenda wasn't home yet so you could just imagine my inner excitement at this point and then she asked me if I wanted to watch a movie."

"What?! And then what happened?" I pretend to be surprised for what it's worth.

"Well, I won't give any details but tell you what, that girl has the best orgasm face." He literally gives me details, I snort a laugh.

"Atta boy." We bump fists.

In my opinion, a man's biggest success in bed is making a girl come.

A very loud piercing noise resounds from the school radio-system, signaling an incoming announcement.

"Jace Rodriguez, please make your way to Mr Hudson's office." A male voice speaks into the mic, echoing throughout the school.

The hell?

"Mr Hudson's office? The fucking counselor?" Diego's confusion matches mine.

"Yeah?" I question my answer.

"Oh well, at least it's not the principal's office." He shrugs dismissively.

"Yeah but the counselor?" I get on my feet.

"Bet he wants to tell you how it's okay to talk to someone about not playing anymore." Says Diego, I wrinkle my face at the statement.

"Oh, God, no." I mutter underneath my breath.

"Punch him in the face before he even finishes that sentence." He tells me as I head towards the door.

"I think I might." I respond, "Try not to day dream about Blair's orgasm face while I'm gone." I walk backwards, laughing at him, he shows me the finger in response and I walk out of the door that we didn't close for reasonable reasons.

Daniel Hudson, AKA the school counselor is my neighbor and my father's best friend, I grew up around him, he actually taught me everything I know about motorcycles and I taught him how to speak fluent Spanish.

I open his office door without knocking, letting myself in and taking a seat in front of him.

"Sup, man." I grab a bowl filled with candy from his desk.

"Mr Hudson." He corrects me.

"Yeah yeah," I wave him off, "What's this about?" I release candy from it's wrapper, popping it into my mouth.

Daniel sighs, leaning back in his chair.

"I heard about you not playing anymore." He says, I sigh.

I hate when Diego's right about things.

"Oh, my God, you did?" I toss the wrapper on his desk, putting on a fake shocked expression, He shows me a tired look, slightly shaking his head at me.

"Listen, kid, I'm really sorry about your injury, I always thought you were destined to play football, we really lost a star player." He sounds like someone who's giving condolences.

Yet again I find myself being reminded that I'm never gonna play football ever again in my life, that dream is gone forever.

"I'm not here for your pity, am I?" I pick a chocolate bar, examining it between my fingers, "Cause that would be a little dramatic of you, considering the fact that you summoned me here and everything." I shift my eyes to him.

"I have an offer for you." He whispers, his eyes drifting to his door behind me.

"What kind of offer?" I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"Samuel Nelson was bitten by a tiger at the zoo last weekend." He tells me the story that everyone was talking about this morning.

"Rest in peace?" I question, not knowing what to respond to that.

"He's not dead." He rolls his green eyes at me.

"Then get to the point, man, you're boring the shit out of me." I place the glass bowl on his desk.

He sighs.

"He was in charge of taking year book pictures." He opens a drawer and pulls out a digital camera, pushing it across his desk towards me.

I look at the camera then him then back at the camera.

"No." I push back the chair, ready to leave.

"Hear me out." He raises his index finger, stopping me from standing up.

"Man, no, I know you're trying to help but nah." I shake my head.

"Jace, I've seen the pictures you take of your family during holidays and honestly, if you'd let me, I'd sell those pictures to family magazine at a ridiculous price."

"Thanks for the tip, I'll try to contact them." I deadpan.

"Kid, I'm not asking you to be a camera guy, just fill in for Samuel until he gets better." His tone sounds pleading.

I look down at the camera again.

It's a Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

Damn.

The camera I use to photograph my family is vintage and small and I slap it in order to bring it to life sometimes.

I'd kill to play with a camera like this one for a day.

"Fine, if it will make you shut up." I pick up the camera from his desk.

"Good, you can start with the girls swim team tryouts, happening right about now." He checks his wrist watch.

"So I just take pictures of them swimming?" I press the start button on the camera.

"Seniors only." He responds, going back to his paperwork.

"Okay, cool." I stand, hanging the strap around my neck and walking out of his office.

I set up the camera on my way to the hall, it's brand new which tells me that Samuel probably has another one.

I walk through the double doors to the school pool, immediately regretting having agreed to this shit cause taking pictures of half naked girls is not something I wanna do voluntarily.

I internally curse at myself, making my way to the bleachers.

A couple of girls notice my presence, some smile, others wave while the rest stare at me.

I guess I'm welcome.

Some high schools have both boys and girls do swimming tryouts and training together but not at this school, the students here are way too horny to earn that kind privilege, principal's words not mine, but I feel like someone should tell them that gay people exist.

I sit on the bleachers, hoping I'd somehow become invisible to them.

My eyes scan the place, from the gigantic pool to the girls messing around and being so unserious.

This is definitely not worth my time.

I decide to take one picture of them all together, chatting amongst themselves but then I spot a goddess in the pool.

My brows meet my hairline when she lifts herself out of the pool and collects her blonde hair onto the side of her neck.

Cassandra fucking Richardson.

Without thinking twice, I lift the camera to my face, zooming in and pressing the shutter button.

I'm about to take another one when she looks my way.

"Oh, shit." I quickly drop the camera from my face, looking away from her but I see her approaching me from the corner of my eye.

Shit.

She comes up to stand in front of me, water droplets dripping down her body.

I look up at her curious face.

"Aren't you supposed to wear that head condom and those bug goggles before jumping into the water?" I eye her in her Nike swim suit.

"Were you taking pictures of me?" She places her hands on her hips.

"For the year book." I lift the camera again, snapping a quick photo of her.

"Hey!" She pipes, her hand cupping the lens as she sits next me and unhooks the strap from around my neck and checks the pictures, "Wait, why are these good?"

"Cause I'm good at everything." I grin, she averts her eyes from the camera to look at me.

"I heard that you got suspended last week." She looks at the camera again.

"Yeah, I finally got my strike one thousand and one." I joke, she smiles, her blue eyes searching my face.

She looks to our front, clearing her throat before glancing down at the camera in her hands.

"Hey, can I ask you for a weird favor?" She asks me.

"I'm scared to find out what it is." I respond.

"Well, I need a date this Saturday." She says, keeping her gaze down.

"For what?" I question.

"This family Brunch thing, I was supposed to bring my boyfriend Jake but we broke up and my Mom was literally planning my wedding to him, that's why I didn't tell her about the break up," She faces me.

"So you plan on telling her by bringing another guy?" I chuckle.

"Yeah, she won't ask questions in front of you." She says.

"Won't she ask questions after I leave though?"

"No, she won't." She shakes her head.

"Okay." I take the camera from her hands.

"Okay you'll come?" She widens her eyes a little.

"Oh, no, God, no." I scoff.

"Why not?" She whines.

"I'm good at a lot of things but lying isn't one of them."

"I'll do anything you want." She wipes matted hair from her cheek.

"Still no." I purse my lips.

"Damnit, some friend you are." She mumbles, crossing her hands over her chest and leaning back.

I finally gain the courage to snap two or three pictures of the other girls, then I cringe at myself and what I'm doing.

Never again.

The double doors fly open and a group of cheerleaders walk in, Sandra is walking in front of them, her mean girl eyes surveying the room like a predator.

"I'll do it." I quickly snap my head to Cassandra.

"Really?" Her eyes pop out of their sockets.

"Yeah, on one condition." I raise my finger.

"Anything." She says, her tone thick with desperation.

"You pretend to be my girlfriend here too." I keep my voice down even though there's no one near us.

"Here? At school?" She looks around the place.

"No, at the hospital." I respond sarcastically, she rolls her eyes at me, smiling at my remark. "Yes, here."

"Why?" She questions me, squinting her eyes suspiciously.

"Cause my stupid ex thinks you're out of my limit and I wanna prove her wrong." I say honestly.

"What about Olivia? What is she gonna think about that?"

"Uh-uh, she has a boyfriend." I half laugh, amused that she even remembers the name.

"What?" She sounds shocked, "Wait, so you were drooling over someone else's girlfriend that whole time?" She freaks.

"I didn't know she had a boyfriend, okay? She played me." I defend.

"That must suck." She reduces her tone.

"Shit happens," I shrug, "Do we have a deal?" I ask.

"Yeah, we have a deal." She brings herself to her feet and looks down at me, "Saturday, don't forget." She points at me.

"Yes, ma'am." I salute, she smiles at me before walking back down to her friends.

My eyes find Sandra again, she's already looking at me, glaring even.

Good, glad I have her attention.

I smirk, sending her a wave and my middle finger at the same time because I fucking can.

Challenge accepted.