School. A horrible place for any teenager. Especially on Mondays.

After the rather drawn out process of getting ready between Jace and I, we were sitting in the back of the bus, talking about pretty much anything. The weather, lunch for the week, the crude drawing of a penis on the seat in front of us...

… It was rather badly drawn. The person clearly wasn't an artist.

I was half-listening to Jace when he suddenly trailed off, going quiet. Frowning slightly, I looked over and was about to ask why he stopped, when I saw the reason for his distraction.

Jace and I were Juniors. Most Freshman in the looked like they belonged in an Elementary school. The rest, for the most part, looked like whores.

So I was rather surprised when the Freshman that caught Jace's attention was, in fact, not one of the whores. She actually looked pretty modest. She had shoulder-length bright orange hair with blonde underneath, and her bangs were swept away to the right. She was also pretty skinny and pale.

She looked familiar, but I couldn't remember her name... Did I have a class with her?

She sat in the seat across from Jace and I with another Freshman girl, and looked over to Jace. "Hey Jace." she said with a smile. I could see Jace smile back from my peripheral vision.

"Hey Bailey."

Ah, Bailey... Bailey was in our Art class... But why did that distract Jace?

He never got distracted when annoying me.

… Unless he likes her. Which is entirely possible.

I felt the beginnings of anger and jealousy, and had to remind myself that I was only a friend to Jace. He could like whoever he wanted. Though that didn't make it hurt any less.

The rest of the ride he spent talking to Bailey, and I spent it looking out the window, occasionally sneering whenever Bailey laughed at something Jace said. I also found myself mimicking Bailey as she spoke. That made me feel a little bad. It wasn't Bailey's fault that Jace liked her.

As the bus pulled up to the front of the school, I watched as Jace followed her off and into the building. I simply sighed to myself, and got off alone.

The school day was boring, as Mondays usually are. Art was especially frustrating, because every time I looked over to Jace, he was watching Bailey, who, thankfully, sat across the room.

We were back on the bus, and I leaned into the back of the seat heavily as Jace sat beside me. "So, how was your day?" he asked with a wide smile. I rolled my eyes slightly before looking over to him.

"Oh. It was lovely. Full of rainbows and sunshine."

Jace narrowed his eyes. "... I feel as though you're being sarcastic."

I only shook my head in response, looking forward and seeing Bailey come onto the bus. Oh joy. Jace's attention was on me for roughly five more seconds before he noticed her too, smiling suddenly and starting a small conversation.

I really do hate women.

I was silent through the entire bus ride, even after we got off and were walking to my house. Jace hadn't said anything about it though. Well... At least not until now.

"You've been oddly quiet today." he said. I shrugged back.

"And you've been oddly distracted today."

Jace frowned, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm always distracted."

"Not by another person." I mumbled. He winced slightly, crinkling up his nose.

"Oh... You noticed that..."

"Jace, I'm pretty sure everyone noticed that." I said with a small laugh, trying for a lighter mood. Jace dropped his frown, replacing it with a contemplating expression.

"I didn't think it was that noticeable."

"You stared at her every time she was within five feet of you."

He glared slightly at that, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not every time..."

I forced a smile as we got up to the front door of my house, unlocking it and stepping inside. Jace went straight to the kitchen. Surprise surprise.

"You know, one day we're going to completely run out of food, and it'll be all your fault." I said after him loudly. He laughed back, poking his head around the corner.

"Will, if I ever eat you out of house and home, I promise you can come over and do the same to me."

"As if," I mumbled, "I don't even want to know where you put half the shit you eat."

"Sex burns a lot of calories."

Rolling my eyes, I sat on the couch. I didn't have a problem with Jace talking about his sexual activities. I'd grown used to it over the years, as sad as that is to say. Jace came back, leaning on the wall with what looked like left over chicken salad.

"Besides," he continued with his mouth half-full, "would you rather me eat everything you own, or starve to death?"

"... Those are two very extreme options." I mumbled back. He shrugged slightly, walking over and sitting next to me. He sat so close that our thighs touched, making me shift uncomfortably.

Not that he noticed. That, or he didn't care.

"I'll just assume that you'll go with me eating everything you own." he said, making me roll my eyes.

"Oh, yes. That was definitely what I was thinking."

"Don't be a smartass."

I smiled despite myself, leaning back on the couch with a small sigh. Jace was silent for a minute or two before clearing his throat, looking down to his bowl of food like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Which, of course, caught my attention.

"... So... I was thinking of asking her out." he mumbled. I frowned slightly.

"... Asking who out?"

"Bailey, dumbass." he laughed. I forced out a small chuckle as well, paying little to no mind over the fact that my chest was doing this weird constricting thing.

"... So ask her out then."

He shrugged back, humming quietly. "I don't know... She's a freshman."

"... So don't ask her out then."

Jace had a habit of over-complicating things. Sometimes it was adorable. Other times it was annoying.

"You know, you're not very helpful." he mumbled, leaning back next to me with a heavy sigh. I refrained from rolling my eyes at him, instead shrugging slightly.

"Well Jace, it's not like I've dated a lot of people, you know."

He nodded slightly in response before leaning forward and putting his bowl on the coffee table. As he leaned back, he put his arm around my shoulders.

I could feel myself tense up slightly, and my heart rate sped up a little. Common reactions to Jace touching me.

Except... Well... My heart felt like it was steadily going faster... Then again, might be my imagination.

"So, there's a party next weekend, and I need a designated driver..." Jace began suddenly. I elbowed his ribcage.

"No."

"Aw, c'mon Will, why not? It might do you some good to get out of the house. You're so anti-social." he responded, making me glare back.

"Don't care. Not going."

"But Will- …. Will? You feeling okay?"

I frowned at Jace's sudden concern, when I noticed why. I was shaking. Somewhat violently.

"... I guess..." I murmured. He leaned back a little, grabbing my face and turning it to look at him.

"You look really pale... You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm always pale, dumbass..."

And it was right after that statement that everything went black...