The cold doesn't ask questions

Chapter 1:The beginning Jade hated the noise. The noise of the hallway, the noise of people trying to be someone they weren’t. At least the night was quiet. The night didn’t ask questions. It just wrapped its cold fingers around her like a blanket, and she could breathe. She wasn’t the “emo” girl, as people liked to call her. She was just... herself. And if that meant wearing' black every day and stayin' away from the people who didn’t get it, then so be it. Jade didn’t smile much. She didn’t care about the latest trends or the drama that seemed to follow every kid in middle school. She just showed up, did her thing, and went home. That was enough. But then there was Bryce. Bryce was trouble. He had that one look in his eyes, like he was always on the verge of something’. Always thinkin’—and it was never about anything good. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him. He had a criminal record, had been caught for vandalism a few times, and there were rumors that he liked setting things on fire. Arson, they said. Bryce didn’t seem to care tho. He didn’t care about anything, really. Jade first noticed him when he leaned against a locker near hers, grinning’ like he was enjoying' some private joke. The kind of grin that made you uncomfortable, like he knew exactly what you were thinkin' and was about to make it worse. “Hey, hoe,” Bryce said, his voice rough, like he didn’t care about respect or anything remotely normal. Jade didn’t flinch. She stared at him, her dark eyes cold. “What do you want?” “Nothing.” He shrugged, pushed off the locker. “Just thought I’d say hi to the lovely lady of the school. You know, the one who thinks she’s too cool for everyone.” Jade didn’t respond. She wasn’t the type to start a fight, but she wasn’t afraid of one either. She turned away from him, walked down the hall with her usual, indifferent stride. The truth was, she didn’t care what he thought of her. Bryce was just another kid who liked to act tough, and she had no time for people like that. The next day, when Jade was sitting' alone in the back corner of the lunchroom, she saw him again. He was hangin’ out by the doors, laughin’ with his group of friends. They were talkin' about somethin', probably a prank, but when he spotted her, his eyes locked onto hers. It wasn’t the usual look—this one was different. It was like he was daring her to look away first. She didn’t. She just stared back, unblinkin’. If he wanted a reaction, he wasn’t gonna get one. Bryce didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he looked amused, like he was gettin' exactly what he wanted. He made his way over, his steps casual, like he owned the place. “You still think you’re better than everyone, huh?” he asked, sat down across from her without askin'. He didn’t need permission. He never did. “I think you’re an i***t,” Jade replied, her tone flat. She wasn’t gonna play along with whatever game he was tryna' to play. Bryce just laughed, the sound low and kind of unsettling. “Whatever. You’re all tough on the outside, but I know you're just as messed up as the rest of us.” Jade narrowed her eyes, but didn’t say anything. Bryce didn’t know anything about her, and he certainly didn’t know what messed up looked like. But then he leaned in, his smile twisted and sharp. “You know, if you ever wanna do somethin’ crazy, like I don’t know—set somethin' on fire—just hit me up. I got a lot of stuff planned. You’d be perfect for it.” He chuckled, clearly amused by his own words. Jade didn’t know if he was serious, but she didn’t care enough to ask. Instead, she stood up, brushed her hands off like his words didn’t even matter. She wasn’t about to entertain whatever messed-up thoughts were in his head. “Keep your fires to yourself, psycho,” Jade muttered, walked away. She didn’t even look back. Later that afternoon, the encounter took an unexpected turn. Jade was walking' home, taking her usual route through the empty streets, the cool air settling' in as the sun dipped below the horizon. She wasn’t expecting' company, especially not Bryce. But she heard the familiar sound of his footsteps behind her, slow and deliberate. “You just never stop, do you?” Jade muttered under her breath, not turning' around. Bryce appeared beside her, grinnin’ that twisted, psychotic grin of his. “Nah, never stop. You know you like the attention, Jade. Everyone does.” She gave him a sideways glance, her face emotionless. “I didn’t ask for it, fuckface.” Bryce stopped in his tracks, a flash of somethin' dangerous crossing' his face. He grabbed her by the collar of her hoodie, pulled her back toward him with surprising' strength. His grip tightened, choking' her just slightly as his eyes burned with that same unsettling look. Jade didn’t gasp, didn’t panic. Instead, she let out a laugh—a soft, dark chuckle that echoed in the empty street. “What?” Bryce growled, tightening' his grip. Jade wheezed, her voice with sarcasm. “Is this supposed to scare me, fuckface? Because it’s not workin’.” Bryce froze, confused by her lack of fear. He expected her to cower, but instead, she seemed... amused. His fingers loosened just enough for her to take a sharp breath. She stepped back, brushed herself off like nothin' happened, and met his eyes again with the same cold stare. “You think you’re a tough guy, huh?” Jade said, her voice icy. “You really should try harder than that if you want to impress me. Or you know, just go play with your matches or somethin’.” Bryce’s expression flickered between anger and disbelief. But instead of getting angry, he let out a harsh laugh and shoved his hands into his pockets, taking a step back. “You’re something else, Jade,” he muttered. “But I like that about you. You don’t take s**t from anyone. Shame that you’re so messed up.” Jade just raised an eyebrow. “Look who’s talkin’.” She turned away, walked off into the distance, leaving Bryce to stand there, watching’ her like she was some puzzle he hadn’t figured out yet. And as the night deepened, she knew that he wouldn’t stop. But Jade didn’t care. She wasn’t afraid of Bryce. She wasn’t afraid of anything. She was used to walking alone in the dark. Chapter 2 “Hey, hoe.” Like that was a normal greeting. Jade didn’t blink. “What do you want, firestarter?” “Nothing,” Bryce said with a smirk. “Just thought I’d say hi to the school’s favorite emo cryptid.” She rolled her eyes so hard they nearly hit the back of her skull. “Congrats. You’ve spoken. Go play in traffic.” At lunch, he sat by her again. No permission. He just plopped. “I think you’re all tough,” he said. “But I bet you’d light something on fire with me.” “I think you’re legally brain damaged,” she replied. Then later that day, he grabbed her hoodie, tried to intimidate her, rough grip and all. But Jade? She just LAUGHED. Like, fully wheezed-laugh in his face. “You tryna scare me?” she said. “You got weak villain grip. Get outta here.” Bryce’s eye twitched. “You’re a freak.” That’s when Jade YANKED HIS HAIR. Like, grabbed a fistful of curly chaos and pulled. “OW—WHAT THE HELL??” he shouted. “You started it,” she said calmly. “Now cry about it.” There was silence. Then... they both laughed. Like really laughed. Like stupid middle school laughter that makes your stomach hurt. And after that? They became friends. Really weird, slightly concerning friends. They talked about everything. Life. Hate. Vandalizing the school bathrooms. And one night, under the cold sky, they stood behind the old gym with a box of matches. “You sure about this?” Jade asked, holding a can of something flammable. Bryce grinned. “The cold doesn’t ask questions.” WHOOSH. The dumpster lit up like it was telling the world they existed. And in that flickering orange glow, two messed-up kids stood there like kings of the night, laughing like absolute psychos………………… Chapter 3:Jades perspective :3 Hi. It’s me,Jade.I’m going to tell you how I actually got to meet Bryce………… I paused. The breeze blew my hair, a cold whisper against the warmth of my skin. I inhaled, the scent of something... off, tingling my senses. Not in a bad way. Just—strange. Maybe it was the way the sky had gone gray, or maybe it was the shadow that seemed to cling to the edges of the world around me. And then, I saw him. The most psychotic thing in the world. A storm of chaos wrapped in dark clothes and a smirk that said he knew exactly how to destroy everything in the most beautiful way. Bryce. I had never believed in friends at first sight,or the idea of meeting your long lost twin.But that moment, seeing him for the first time, felt like something had snapped into place. There was something in his eyes—dangerous, but alluring, like the f*******n fruit you know you shouldn't touch. And yet, here I was, drawn to it. I looked away, almost out of instinct, but my feet were already moving toward him. Of course, I wasn’t alone. Alyssa, my best friend and the one who had introduced me to Bryce, stood next to me, her eyes wide with excitement as if this was just another typical day of chaos. She loved him. Maybe she was the first one who saw him for what he really was—a wild creature, uncontained, impossible to hold down. "You're staring," she whispered, her voice tinged with a mischievous tone. I rolled my eyes. "I’m not staring." But I was. He was... different. His presence felt like a storm had settled into my soul. He didn’t speak a word. He didn’t need to. His gaze, dark and calculating, caught mine for a moment—long enough to send a strange chill through me. He knew I saw him. And he didn’t care. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to tell myself to turn away, to keep my distance. But the truth was, I was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. It was reckless, stupid. The chaos he brought was exactly what I had spent years trying to avoid. But here it was, staring me in the face, too close to ignore. "What do you think of him?" Alyssa asked, her voice almost teasing. I glanced at her, then back at Bryce, standing there like he owned the world. "He's... psychotic." Alyssa’s smile widened. "Exactly." I didn’t speak again. I didn’t have to. The air between us crackled with unspoken words. All I could hear was the thump of my heartbeat and the sickening pull toward him. And then, as if on cue, a breeze kicked up again, blowing my hair into my face. I brushed it away, and in that brief moment, I saw it—the light flickering in his eyes. Something dark. Something familiar. I could feel the weight of it. The way we connected. The chaos, the destruction we both seemed to bring. It was honestly very intoxicating, but it was dangerous. And no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, I was falling into it, deeper than I ever intended. "You're trouble," I muttered under my breath, though I wasn’t sure if I was talking to him or to myself. He smirked, the corner of his lips lifting just enough to tell me he’d heard me. “Trouble?” he asked, his voice a soft whisper against the roaring of my mind. “You have no idea.” I didn’t need to ask what he meant. I already knew. Bryce was chaos. And I was... undeniably, impossibly, drawn to it……………… Chapter 4: Bryce’s perspective :3 I paused. The air felt different, thick with something I couldn’t quite place. The wind bit at my skin, but it wasn’t cold enough to matter. I wasn’t here for the weather. I was here for something else. Jade. She stood there like she owned the world, but I could see it—the flicker behind her eyes. She was trying to hide it, act like she wasn’t just as f****d up as I was. But I could tell. She wasn’t a saint. She was just a different kind of chaos, a quieter storm that was begging to be unleashed. I liked that. "Hey hoe!" I yelled across to her, loud and obnoxious, just to see what kind of reaction I could pull from her. The kind of reaction people usually give when they’ve been messed with long enough. I didn’t expect her to flinch, but I expected something—anything. She didn’t flinch. Instead, her eyes locked on mine, and for a second, I thought I saw the same darkness in her that I wore like a badge of honor. Yeah, she was curious. Yeah, she wanted to know how far I could push her. “What's your problem?” she shot back, voice calm but not afraid. She wasn’t pretending to be a saint. She was too real for that. It was almost like she wanted to see just how much I could break before she decided to play her part. I grinned, stepping closer. My fingers twitched, itching for something to snap, something to push her over the edge. “You’ve got a lot of questions,” I said, my voice low, dangerous. “I can already tell you're the kind of person who doesn’t know when to stop asking them. But hey, I’ll give you the answer you’re looking for. You wanna know what I want? I want you in the middle of the mess I’m about to make. Because you’re gonna be a part of it whether you like it or not.” Her eyes narrowed, but I didn’t miss the way her body shifted slightly, the way she braced herself for what was coming. She wasn’t running. She was staying. She was already tangled in this, whether she knew it or not. “Sounds like a shitshow,” she muttered, barely audible. “Exactly,” I said, my grin stretching wider. “And I’m the guy with the matches,and the world’s already on fire, I’m just here to watch it burn.” I watched her—watching me, studying me like I was some kind of experiment. People thought they could control chaos, like they could bottle it up and keep it neatly tucked away. But they were wrong. Chaos didn’t give a s**t about your rules. It didn’t care what you thought. It consumed you, whether you liked it or not. "You’re insane," she said, finally breaking the silence. But there was no fear in her voice, just an acknowledgment of something darker. Something she wasn’t ready to face, but was already inching toward. “Insane?” I chuckled darkly. “Yeah, maybe. But you know what? Insanity's just another word for freedom." I stepped closer, just enough to close the distance, but not enough to touch her. I didn’t need to. I could feel her energy. Her pulse. It was vibrating in the air. But I wasn’t in any rush. She was already in this game, already playing by my rules. “I don’t give a damn if you think I’m crazy,” I said quietly, locking my eyes on hers. “You’re already in this, whether you choose to admit it or not. I’m the kind of guy who makes people lose control. And I know you want that.” Her eyes stayed on mine, unwavering. But I saw the flicker—just for a second—that said maybe, just maybe, she liked the idea of it. “Walk away while you can,” I added with a smirk, leaning in close enough so she could hear the danger in my voice. “Because once you’re in my orbit, there’s no getting out. And you’ll be just like me before long.” She didn’t say anything after that, but she didn’t leave either. She was already tangled in my web, whether she liked it or not. I knew it. And deep down, I think she knew it too. Chapter 5:Reacting to Bryce :3 Jades perspective I stood there, frozen in place as his words hung in the air between us. "Walk away while you can," he had said, his voice dripping with danger and promise. "Because once you're in my orbit, there's no getting out. And you'll be just like me before long." I should have walked away.Like any other person would have. But there was something about Bryce that pulled at the darkest parts of me—parts I usually kept hidden beneath layers of silence and black clothing. His eyes were still on mine, challenging me, daring me to run. But I didn't. I couldn't. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing the fall would destroy me, but being unable to step back from the thrill of the void below. "You think you know me," I finally said, my voice steadier than I felt. "You think because we both wear the same armor against the world that we're the same underneath." I took a step closer, close enough to see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes. "But here's the thing about orbits, Bryce. They work both ways. You might be pulling me in, but I'm pulling you too." A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He wasn't used to people pushing back, especially not the quiet ones.Especially me. "You want chaos?" I continued, feeling something unfamiliar and electric coursing through me. "I've got plenty. The difference is, I don't need to show it off. I don't need everyone to see my damage to know it's real." The corner of his mouth twitched—not quite a smile, but something close. For a moment, I saw through the facade, past the criminal record and the rumors. I saw someone as lost as I was, someone who had found their own way to scream into the void. "Maybe I don't want to walk away," I said, softer now. "Maybe I want to see what happens when two black holes, plus the milky way collide." He didn't respond right away, but something shifted in the air between us. A recognition. An understanding that whatever this was—friendship, destruction, salvation—we were in it together now. The night wrapped around me, cold and quiet. It didn't ask questions. It didn't judge. It just witnessed as two broken pieces found their jagged edges might fit together after all. I wasn't afraid of his darkness. I had my own. And for the first time, I wondered if that might be enough—if two people carrying their own storms might find shelter in each other. "Your move, Bryce," I said, and waited to see what would happen next. Chapter 6: Getting to know Jade :3 Bryce's perspective There’s something off about Jade. Not like bad-off, but like you walk past her and get the sudden urge to check if your soul is still intact. She doesn’t talk unless she has to, and when she does, it’s usually something unsettling or weirdly deep. People think she’s shy. Nah. She’s observant. The type of person who notices every flicker of emotion in your face, files it away like a secret, and uses it against you when you least expect it. I’ve been watching her. And not in a creepy, “I wrote your name in a notebook twenty-seven times” kind of way. More like a “you confuse me and I need answers” kind of way. She’s like a locked file folder with all the labels blacked out. Nobody knows what’s in there. Nobody’s brave enough to open it. Except maybe me. I’ve got issues, okay? She sits alone at lunch like she owns the shadows. Hoodie up. Earbuds in. Expression permanently set to “don’t test me.” I once saw her death-stare a teacher into giving her a hall pass. And when she’s in class? She barely blinks. Like she’s having an out-of-body experience 24/7. It’s kinda impressive. What gets me is how still she is. Kids in middle school are loud, twitchy chaos goblins. But not her. She’s like a statue built by a depressed Victorian artist. She just exists, and the room gets ten degrees colder. I tried to talk to her once. I said something weird, obviously. Something like, “Ever wonder what your soul smells like?” She didn’t even flinch. Just looked at me and said, “Probably smoke.” That’s when I knew. She’s not scared of people like me. That makes her dangerous. I started making a list in my head. Reasons Jade’s mysterious, not in a hot way, just in a “should I be concerned” way. Like how she disappears during lunch. Or how her notebook is full of skull doodles and random facts about animal skeletons. Or how she once complimented a spider’s web like it was fine art. I saw her once walk straight past a group of fighting kids, and instead of stopping or staring, she said, “Bite each other harder, cowards,” and just kept walking. She’s unpredictable. She’s intimidating. She’s weirdly poetic in a way that makes you question if she’s cursed or just bored. And the worst part? I don’t think she cares that she’s all those things. She doesn’t try to stand out, and somehow that makes her stand out even more. People ask if I’m scared of her. I’m not. But I’m not not scared of her, either. I just know I don’t want to be on her bad side. Ever. Because if Jade ever snaps? It won’t be loud. It’ll be quiet. Silent. And irreversible. And I kinda want to see it happen. Chapter 7: Art Room Problems :3 Jade’s Perspective It started with glue. Not metaphorically. Literally. Some kid spilled a whole bottle of it on the table, and I had to sit there, pretending I wasn’t thinking about stabbing someone with a paintbrush. The art room was my escape. My safe space. My little corner of chaos where no one talked to me and I could do weird stuff like draw flaming skulls without getting judged. But today? Today was cursed. Because Bryce walked in. He didn’t even belong in that class. I think he got kicked out of another room and just decided to squat in here like a raccoon in an attic. He sat down next to me without asking, which already had me five seconds away from snapping a pencil in half. “Didn’t know you did art,” I said, not even looking up. I didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever nonsense he was about to bring. “I don’t,” he said. “I came to annoy you.” Classic. He started messing with my scissors, flipping them around like he was some circus reject. I was cutting out black construction paper, trying to make a collage that looked like something you’d find on the wall of an abandoned asylum. Bryce peeked over and went, “Is this about your emotional damage?” I looked him dead in the eye and said, “It’s a skull. On fire.” “Exactly,” he smirked. I wanted to shove his face into the glue puddle. But I didn’t. Growth or whatever. He kept talking, obviously. Started scribbling on a paper towel with red paint and mumbling weird stuff under his breath. When I asked what he was drawing, he just said, “A warning.” I didn’t ask for clarification. I didn’t want clarification. But somehow, we just… kept going. For like ten whole minutes, we sat in the middle of the chaos, both of us making our little creepy art pieces like two gremlins hiding under the stairs. He made some weird symbol that looked like it summoned demons. I made a bat out of duct tape. It was peaceful. In a mildly concerning way. Eventually, he leaned back in his chair and said, “This place smells like paint and depression.” I didn’t even miss a beat. “That’s just me.” He laughed. Like, genuinely laughed. And then I laughed too, which was weird because I don’t do that. It felt like some alternate universe crap. The teacher gave us a look, probably wondering if we were about to explode. Right before the bell rang, he patted me on the head like I was a dog and said, “Good job, Satan.” So I kicked him in the shin. Hard. He limped out of the room cackling like a lunatic, and I just sat there, looking at my flaming skull collage, wondering why the most peaceful part of my day involved Bryce being a complete i***t next to me. I don’t know what that says about either of us. And honestly? I don’t really wanna know. Chapter 8: Burn It Down :3 Jade + Bryce’s Perspective (merged) [Jade] It was Friday. The sky was gray, the hallways were loud, and I was one sarcastic comment away from slamming someone’s head into a locker. Standard vibes. I had detention. Again. Not that I cared. It was quiet, the teacher didn’t even try anymore, and I had my sketchbook and a pen that smelled like black licorice and emotional damage. I sat in the back corner like a cursed little gremlin, doodling skeletons and wondering if anyone would notice if I just disappeared into the ceiling tiles. And then he walked in. [Bryce] I got detention for “threatening the vending machine.” Not important. What is important is that Jade was already there, sitting in her usual posture: slouched, annoyed, and radiating the kind of energy you’d find in a horror movie doll that blinks when no one’s looking. I sat next to her. Obviously. “You look like you’re about to summon something,” I said. She didn’t look up. “I already did. You showed up.” [Jade] He was annoying. And loud. And constantly smelled like smoke and bad ideas. But he didn’t ask questions. And he didn’t treat me like I was a freak. He just was. Chaotic. Disastrous. Comfortably dangerous. Which made him… tolerable. Maybe even decent. [Bryce] I don’t like people. People lie. People break. But Jade? She was like a locked safe full of rage and glitter and knives. She didn’t try to impress anyone. She just existed. And I respected the hell out of that. [Both] We sat in silence for a bit. Then we started talking. Not about normal stuff. About things that made other people uncomfortable. Like fire. Like rage. Like how it feels to want to disappear, but also want everyone to see you burn first. [Jade] “So,” I said slowly, flipping a pen between my fingers, “you still got that lighter?” [Bryce] I looked over at her, grinning. “I thought you’d never ask.” [Both] That night, we met behind the old gym. The sky was dark, the moon was barely hanging on, and the dumpster out back looked like it was BEGGING for a little heat. Jade held the can of hairspray like it was holy water. I flicked the lighter. We didn’t say anything. Didn’t have to. [Jade] “This is really stupid,” I said. My hands were steady. My heart wasn’t. [Bryce] “Yeah,” I replied. Then I lit the flame. The spray hissed. [Both] WHOOSH. The fire bloomed like a flower made of vengeance and gasoline. It lit up the back of the school like a warning sign. Like a scream that didn’t need sound. It crackled and danced and reflected in our eyes, and in that moment—laughing like two completely unstable creatures—we understood each other. We weren’t friends in the traditional sense. We were allies. Co-conspirators. Fellow disasters. Both standing in the glow of our own destruction, watching the flames kiss the sky and thinking, yeah… this feels right. And the best part? The cold didn’t ask questions. It just watched us burn. And we ran,leaving the cold night behind us……