Chapter 9: Rumors, Rides, and Regrets

The third contest was next week, which meant I still had plenty of time. But—Mrs. Hara didn't give any clues about it. What were they gonna throw at us next time? One thing's for sure, though—it'd be harder than the last one.

This time, it was the real deal. Just me... and Mira.

I glanced up to where Mira stood, packing her books into her bag. Same as me. Cool, composed, always so damn perfect. She didn't even look my way, totally focused on her stuff.

—A hand shot out toward me...!

I dodged on reflex, muscles tensing—but it just hovered there, frozen midair. Tasha's hand. She was holding out a letter.

Ugh... I gotta lose this jumpiness.

Her right hand stretched out with the letter, while her left rubbed her other arm nervously. I scanned her from head to toe. Just stood there. Waiting for her to make the first move.

She bit her lower lip, eyes shifting like she was searching for the right words. Cat got your tongue, huh?

I sighed and turned away. She was wasting my time.

"S... S-So... Congrats on making it to the next round, Collin." Her fingers fidgeted faster, nails scratching at her arm. "I knew you had a lot of potential... that's why... I targeted you."

The class fell silent. A couple of gasps.

I couldn't help the small smirk curling on my lips. Got you. Now you've got my attention.

I turned to face her again. She forced a smile, lips trembling like they could barely hold it together. "I... I..."

Thud—

A crumpled paper ball slammed into her head. The whole class burst out laughing—everyone except me, of course. "Serves you right! Shoulda been disqualified, cheater! How dare you show your face to Collin?"

They were all over her.

"Boo! Get lost, cheater!"

"Evil girl! Get outta here! Boooo!"

I didn't move. Just stood there, watching her as her body started to tremble. "...I...-"

My eyes narrowed as another object flew toward her—a thick textbook, aimed right at her temple. I caught it an inch before it hit her.

She flinched. Hard.

I shot a glare at the thrower. "That's crossing the line." I growled, voice low. The idiot looked away, face pale.

I turned back to Tasha. "Hurry up. I don't have all day."

She shoved the letter toward me, this time with both hands, head bowed low. "I-I'm sorry. What I did was... unforgivable. Please... forgive me—or no, I'll make it up to you. Somehow."

"That all?" I asked, voice flat.

She flinched again, head snapping up as I took the letter from her hands. Her eyes were wide, hope flickering for just a second.

I glanced down at the paper. Then back at her. My voice dropped, cold and sharp. "You think groveling will fix everything? Pathetic."

I slung my bag over one shoulder and didn't wait for any more of Tasha's weak apologies. Her head was bowed, probably thinking hard about what just happened. Whatever. I was done with her drama.

This school was so damn big—just getting out of here took long enough. Winding through the hallways, past clusters of students still chattering about the contest, down the wide steps... finally, I made it to the front gate.

And then I saw him.

Jax, leaning against the gatepost like he owned the place, arms crossed, one foot propped up behind him. That stupid, cocky grin was plastered on his face, eyes half-lidded with that lazy, playful look he always had. Beside him, Felix stood with his arms folded, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Felix asked, eyeing Jax like he'd grown a second head. "You've been standing here for half an hour. Waiting for someone?"

"Maybe." Jax's grin widened, his eyes flicking to the school entrance before locking back on Felix. "Got a date with a cute girl. Thought I'd be a gentleman and walk her home."

Felix's jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide. "You... on a date? With a girl?"

"What?" Jax laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I can't take a girl out? Am I that hopeless?"

Felix's expression was priceless—like he couldn't decide if he was more shocked or offended. "You? Yeah, actually."

Jax's grin only grew. "You're just jealous, Felix. Bet you wanna know who she is, huh?"

Felix narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms tighter. "Not really."

"Liar." Jax leaned in, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "She's pretty cute, too. Feisty. Fun to mess with. Kinda short... long, brown hair... grey eyes that could kill a man..."

Felix's eyes widened. "...You can't mean..."

Jax's smirk turned wicked. "Yep. Collin Kiryuu."

Felix went pale, then red. "You... you bastard!"

Jax burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the school walls. "Oh man, you should see your face! Priceless!"

"You're joking. You have to be joking. There's no way Collin would—" Felix stopped mid-sentence, his eyes drifting over Jax's shoulder.

I stood there, one brow raised, watching them like they were the biggest idiots I'd ever seen. "...What the hell are you two idiots doing?"

Jax turned, his face lighting up as if he really had been waiting for me. "Yo, Kiryuu. Took you long enough. Thought you ditched me."

I blinked. Once. Twice. "...The hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Jax shrugged, his grin way too smug. "Just promised a certain girl I'd walk her home. Can't have her getting jumped on the way, right?"

Felix looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.

I stared at Jax, completely deadpan. "...You're a psycho."

Jax just laughed. "Yeah, but you love me for it."

"Keep dreaming, jackass." I turned on my heel, not bothering to look back. "Later, losers."

Jax fell into step beside me, whistling like he didn't have a care in the world. I had half a mind to punch him. Felix stood there, mouth hanging open, staring after us like he'd just witnessed the end of the world.

Bike was parked right outside the gate, gleaming under the afternoon sun like it was fresh out of some fancy showroom. Sleek, black, and built for speed. It looked way too expensive for a high schooler, but knowing, it probably had a story for that.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "That's yours?"

Jax's grin was insufferable. "Jealous?"

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Like hell. Why would I be jealous of a death trap on wheels?"

Jax laughed, the sound light and careless. "C'mon, Kiryuu. I'll take you home. Or are you too chicken to hop on?" He patted the back seat like he was offering me a throne.

I glared at him. "Not happening."

"What, scared you'll have to hold on to me?" His grin widened, eyes dancing with mischief. "I won't bite. Hard."

I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my own brain. "Keep dreaming."

Jax leaned in close, his voice dropping low, just for me. "Oh, and by the way... I know who you were texting."

My blood ran cold. I spun to face him, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

Jax tapped his chin thoughtfully. "When you borrowed my phone."

My heart skipped a beat. I'd forgotten about that. I needed to let my mom know I'd be late because of 'school stuff.' But the truth was...

I want to buying a new phone. Same model, same color, same everything. An exact copy of my old one. I didn't want anyone to notice. Especially not my family. I just wanted things to stay normal, like nothing had changed.

And I never deleted the chat history.

My hands clenched at my sides. "You... you went through my messages?"

Jax shrugged, completely unbothered. "Didn't have to. You forgot to close the window. Should be more careful, Kiryuu." He leaned in even closer, his breath warm against my ear. "So... what's with buying the exact same phone? You hiding something?"

I felt heat rush to my face. He was way too close. I shoved him back, hard. "Mind your own damn business!"

Jax didn't budge. Just laughed, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Hey, relax. I'm not judging. But if you're planning to sneak off somewhere, at least let me give you a ride." He held up his keys, the silver gleam catching the light. "I know where you're headed."

I glared at him. "You're a stalker."

"I'm observant," he corrected, his smirk infuriatingly smug. "Besides, if you don't come with me, I might just have to tell Felix."

I glanced over his shoulder. Felix was watching us, eyes narrowed, jaw clenched. He looked ready to explode. I clicked my tongue. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

Jax's eyes sparkled. "Yeah, but I'm your pain in the ass today. So, what's it gonna be, Kiryuu?"

I looked at the bike, then back at his stupid, smug face. I wanted to punch him. Maybe push him in front of his own bike. But... he had me cornered.

With a deep sigh, "Fine. But if you crash this thing, I'm killing you." Jax grin somehow widening. "Deal." I was going to regret this.

Jax swung his leg over the bike, settling in with the ease of someone who practically lived on the thing. He looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. "You gettin' on or what?"

I stood there, arms crossed, glaring at the back of his head. "I don't trust you not to kill us both."

He let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Kiryuu, I promise not to drive us off a cliff. Unless you keep wasting my time." He patted the back seat. "Come on. I don't bite. Much."

I rolled my eyes, but I knew I was out of options. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could get to the phone store and fix my little... situation. With another glare for good measure, I swung my leg over the bike, settling in behind him. But there was no way in hell I was holding on to him. I gripped the edge of the seat instead, keeping as much distance as possible.

Jax looked over his shoulder again, smirking. "You know, if you fall off, it's not my fault."

"I'm not gonna fall off," I snapped.

He just shrugged. "Your funeral."

Before I could ask what the hell he meant by that, the engine roared to life. He twisted the throttle, and the bike lurched forward, sending my heart into my throat. I tightened my grip on the seat, refusing to give in.

Jax's laughter was barely audible over the engine. "You sure you're okay back there? You're awfully quiet."

"Just drive!" I shouted, teeth clenched.

He didn't listen. Of course, he didn't. Instead, he gunned the engine, swerving just enough to make the bike wobble. My body lurched sideways, and my hands instinctively shot forward, grabbing his waist before I could stop myself.

He let out a satisfied hum. "Oh, there we go. Knew you'd come around."

My face burned. "I swear to God, Miller, if you do that again—"

"What? You'll hold on tighter?" He was enjoying this way too much.

I wanted to scream. Or punch him. Or both. But I was too busy holding on for dear life as he took another sharp turn, my fingers digging into his jacket. Damn him.

As we sped out of the school gates, I heard the whispers.

"Hey, isn't that Collin?"

"Didn't she just kiss Felix yesterday? And now she's riding off with Jax?"

"No way... is she playing both of them?"

"Seriously? She's got no shame. First Felix, now Jax? Who's next?"

I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to look back. These idiots didn't know anything. But their voices followed us, echoing in my head.

"Guess she's not as innocent as she looks. Didn't take her for the type to play around."

"Man, she's greedy. Taking the two hottest guys at Nexus? What a—"

I shut them out, focusing on the wind whipping through my hair and the solid warmth of Jax's back beneath my fingers. He slowed down as we reached the street, glancing back at me. "Popular, aren't you?"

"Shut up and drive," I snapped, nails digging into his side. His laughter was loud and shameless, carrying us down the road.

We got there in record time, mostly 'cause Jax drove like he had a death wish. I swear, every turn was sharper than the last, and the dude didn't seem to know the meaning of a speed limit. I spent half the ride cursing him out and the other half trying not to fall off.

When he finally pulled up outside the store, I jumped off the bike, nearly stumbling 'cause my legs were still vibrating. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Jax just shrugged, a lazy grin on his face. "You were the one holding on for dear life. Didn't know you were scared of a little speed, Kiryuu."

"Speed? You were flying," I shot back, giving him a glare that should've melted him on the spot. But of course, he just laughed, running a hand through his messy hair like he was the coolest guy on the planet.

Truth was, a part of me... kinda missed it. The rush, the wind, the feeling of leaving everything behind. I hadn't been on a bike since— I shook my head. Nope, not going there. That was a different time, a different me.

But the nostalgia was there, creeping up on me like a shadow. I'd ridden wilder, faster. Hell, I had my own bike, hidden under a tarp at home, collecting dust. It was a beast, sleek and powerful. I used to ride it everywhere, feeling untouchable. What a bad girl.

"Oi. You good?" Jax's voice snapped me back to the present. He was staring at me, eyebrows raised.

I blinked. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"Well, hurry up. I ain't got all day." He jerked his head towards the store. "Let's get this over with."

I followed him inside, my mind switching gears. The place was packed with shiny, new models on display, all the latest tech and gadgets. It didn't take long to find the one that looked just like my old phone. Problem was... it was discontinued. Figures. It was an older model, the kind no one used anymore. Except for me.

'Course it's gone. Just my luck.

I paced in front of the display, arms crossed, trying to figure out my next move. If I went home with some fancy, high-tech phone, my mom would know something was up. She was sharp like that. She'd ask questions, and I'd have to explain how Giana shattered my old one in her little sneak attack. And there was no way I was telling her about that.

But there wasn't a single model like my old one in sight. They were all newer, flashier. My fingers itched to grab one of them, to feel the smooth, cool screen, the lightning-fast response. But if my mom found out...

"Problem?" Jax leaned against the counter, watching me with that lazy smirk of his.

"Mind your business," I muttered, still scanning the shelves.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just saying. You've been pacing for ten minutes. Didn't know you were so picky."

I ignored him, biting my lip. Maybe I could pass it off as an upgrade? Say the old one just... gave out? But then she'd want to see the old one. Or worse, she'd call the store to complain, and they'd tell her no one even sells that model anymore.

Crap. This was getting complicated.

"Oi, Kiryuu." Jax's voice cut through my thoughts. "Just buy a new one and be done with it. It's not that deep."

I shot him a glare. "Yeah, well, some of us have parents who actually pay attention."

He laughed, a short, bitter sound. "Lucky you."

The words hung in the air, heavier than I expected. I looked at him, really looked, but he was already turning away, his face hidden behind that stupid, carefree smile.

I turned back to the display, my mind spinning. There had to be a way out of this. I just had to find it.