Sideways Looks and Silent Truces

Ava's POV

The school hallway looked exactly the same. Same peeling posters for the talent show no one cared about. Same fluorescent lights humming like they were on their last breath. Same hallway gossip that carried farther than it should have.

But something was different.

Me.

And him.

I didn't know what it meant yet—what it would mean tomorrow or the day after—but this morning, Jace Collins and I had walked onto school grounds three feet apart… without trying to kill each other.

Progress?

"Are you sure about this?" he asked under his breath as we crossed the front quad.

I didn't look at him. "Don't make me change my mind."

He smirked. "Right. Got it. Grateful silence."

We walked side-by-side, not touching, not talking, not looking at each other—but not avoiding each other either. And that alone made students glance up from their phones like we'd spontaneously sprouted wings and halos.

Then came the whispers.

Is that Ava Carter… with Jace Collins?

Wait, are they walking together?

Didn't she say she'd rather set herself on fire than partner with him again?

I kept my chin up and eyes forward. I'd survived worse—midterms, cafeteria sushi, gym class. I could survive this.

Still, I wasn't prepared for the hallway to part like the Red Sea when we stepped inside.

Jace leaned closer, muttering, "If Moses were here, he'd be jealous."

I gave him a dry look. "Do me a favor and don't speak to me in religious metaphors before homeroom."

We reached our lockers, unfortunately side-by-side thanks to the universe's sick sense of humor. I entered my combo. Jace leaned against his locker with casual arrogance, like this wasn't weird at all.

"You know what's coming, right?" I said.

"The interrogation?" He shrugged. "I've been preparing all weekend. Bring it on."

As if on cue, Layla rounded the corner, her jaw practically hitting the floor. "What. The. Hell."

Jace's POV

And there it was. The Layla Fury.

She looked at Ava, then me, then back at Ava, like she couldn't decide who to glare at harder. "Tell me I'm hallucinating. Tell me this is some kind of Truman Show prank."

I gave her my best peace-sign salute. "Morning, Layla."

She blinked. "You don't get to call me that. Only Ava gets to call me that."

"Well, Ava and I are in a… truce."

"A truce?" layla repeated like we'd confessed to joining a cult.

I watched Ava brace herself. "We're just not fighting anymore," she said calmly. "That's all."

"That's not all," Layla snapped, arms folded. "You walked in together. Like actual humans. With functioning brains and basic manners. Which is not how either of you operate."

I smiled. "You make us sound like swamp monsters."

"Give me a reason not to think that."

Before Ava could respond, Layla yanked her away by the elbow and whispered something I couldn't hear. Not that I needed to—I could guess.

What changed?

Are you okay?

Is this about the project or something else?

Ava shot me a look over her shoulder. I didn't move. Didn't interrupt.

Let her explain however she wanted.

Sam came up beside me a few seconds later, clutching his backpack like it was the only stable thing in his life. "Did I miss a meteor strike? Or an alternate dimension where you and Ava Carter are, like, not enemies?"

I sighed. "We talked. We're working on the project together again."

Sam's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Wait—you initiated this?"

"I mean, sort of. It was mutual."

He gawked. "Dude. This is like Batman and the Joker getting brunch."

I frowned. "Which one am I?"

"Obviously the Joker. You're more dramatic."

Ava's POV

Layla wasn't mad.

Okay—she was mad. But only in the way best friends get mad when you don't tell them something big. And this was big. For months, I'd painted Jace as the ultimate nemesis, the poster boy for stubborn egos and emotional shutdowns.

Now? I didn't have the words for what we were.

Not friends. Not enemies. Not indifferent.

Somewhere in between.

"He didn't apologize, did he?" she asked quietly as we walked toward class.

"Actually… he did."

She blinked. "Wait. Jace Collins apologized? Did someone record it? Because I feel like this moment needs to be archived."

I smiled, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I didn't say he was good at it. But he was honest."

Layla studied me for a second. "You like him again."

My stomach flipped. "I don't."

"Not like like, Ava. Like as in… you don't want to claw his face off anymore."

"Oh. Right." I hesitated. "I just want to finish the project. That's all."

She didn't look convinced, but she let it go.

By the time we reached class, the whispers had upgraded to full-blown murmurs. Jace was already inside, slouched in his usual seat, one foot tapping against the floor like he was ready to bolt. Our teacher, coach Barret glanced up as I walked in and raised an eyebrow.

Something told me she already knew.

Jace's POV

Coach Barret didn't say anything when Ava took the seat next to me—just watched with that knowing look teachers get when they're too wise for their own good.

I pulled out my notebook and waited. She cleared her throat.

"So," she said, looking between us. "Care to explain the seating arrangement?"

Ava spoke first. "We've decided to resume the project together."

I nodded. "We're still submitting it as a pair."

The room practically went still. A few students gasped like we'd announced we were getting married.

Coach Barret's expression didn't change. "Glad to hear it. Let's hope this version is more productive than the last."

"It will be," I said before Ava could. She glanced at me, surprised.

I meant it.

Coach Barret gave us a single nod. "Very well. Let me know if you need a new timeline."

We both murmured a "Thank you" and went quiet. I heard someone whisper behind me, I give it a week, and resisted the urge to turn around and throw something.

Ava's POV

The day passed in slow, strange waves. Every classroom felt like a fishbowl, with students peering at me and Jace like we were exotic creatures.

At lunch, Layla nearly choked on her sandwich when I invited Jace to sit with us. Sam didn't say much—just gave us one long, lingering look and then started telling a dumb story about his cat getting stuck in a laundry basket.

Jace laughed. Not a smug laugh. A real one.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I was waiting for him to say the wrong thing.

I felt… normal.

Which, in this context, was almost revolutionary.

Jace's POV

By seventh period, the news had spread to every corner of campus. "Ava Carter and Jace Collins are working together again" was practically trending. I saw at least two students creating memes about it in the computer lab.

And yeah—some people still stared. Still whispered.

But most just… moved on.

That was the thing about high school. Nothing stayed shocking for long. There was always a new drama to obsess over.

I caught Ava in the hallway before last bell, stepping in front of her gently.

"We made it," I said.

She tilted her head. "One day without murdering each other. Small miracle."

I grinned. "Maybe we'll aim for two tomorrow."

She didn't smile back, but she didn't scowl either.

"Don't push it, Collins."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

And just like that, we fell into step, walking toward the double doors as the bell rang overhead.

No shouting.

No insults.

No silence.

Just… something new.

Something better.