Ice Cold Heart

Chapter 6

Monday morning came around way too fast.

Tristan and I walked through the school doors together, the usual noise of students filling the hallways almost immediately surrounding us. Lockers slammed, people shouted greetings across the halls, and the smell of cafeteria breakfast still lingered in the air. Monday mornings were always chaotic, but today I barely paid attention to any of it.

We spotted our usual group gathered around the water cooler and headed over.

Tristan immediately joined their conversation like he hadn’t seen them all weekend, laughing at something Alex was saying. I stood beside him, pretending to listen while my eyes constantly wandered up and down the hallway.

I was looking for one person.

Jacob.

I scanned every face that passed us, hoping I’d catch a glimpse of his familiar brown hair or the backpack he always seemed to carry like it weighed twice as much as him.

Nothing.

I tried not to look disappointed.

Eventually, I gave up and forced myself into the conversation.

Apparently, everyone was talking about a house party happening that night. Normally, I would’ve been one of the first people to ask who was going, what time it started, and whose parents were actually going to be home.

But today?

I couldn’t care less.

“What time will you be there, Z?” Alex asked.

I blinked and looked at him. “Huh?”

Alex laughed. “The party tonight. What time are you coming?”

Alex was practically the definition of a party animal. I’d known him since freshman year, and I’m pretty sure he’d been going to parties before he even had a driver’s license. If there was music, girls, alcohol, and a house with no parents around, Alex somehow knew about it.

“I don’t think I’m going,” I said casually.

The entire group went silent.

“WHAT?”

They all yelled at the same time.

A few students walking past us turned their heads, and I immediately glared at my friends.

Tristan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

“Dude, Jessica is going to be there,” Alex said, staring at me like I’d just announced I was dropping out of school. “What do you mean you’re gonna pass?”

I shrugged. “I just don’t feel like going.”

“I think he has the flu,” Tristan said, completely serious. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

Mason nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe he was drinking last night.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. I just don’t want to go.”

Mason opened his mouth to say something else, but I stopped listening when someone caught my attention at the end of the hallway.

There he was.

Jacob.

He was standing by his locker with J’adore, his backpack hanging from one shoulder while he struggled to fit something into his locker.

My heart immediately picked up.

“Gotta go,” I said.

Before anyone could question me, I walked away.

I made my way down the hallway toward Jacob. He had his back turned toward me, but J’adore noticed me first. Her eyes narrowed slightly before Jacob turned around.

“Good morning, Jay and J’adore,” I said with a smile.

Jacob’s entire expression changed when he saw me.

“Good morning, Zai.”

He smiled, and that stupid little smile made something warm settle in my chest.

“Morning,” J’adore said, crossing her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”

I raised an eyebrow at her attitude.

“Well, I wanted to see Jacob before going to class.”

I smirked.

Jacob’s cheeks immediately turned pink. He looked down at his Converse, suddenly very interested in the floor.

I couldn’t help smiling.

I loved making him blush.

Before I could say anything else, the warning bell rang throughout the hallway.

J’adore grabbed her bag from the floor and swung it over her shoulder.

“See you at lunch.”

She patted Jacob on the back before walking away.

I watched her for a second before turning back toward Jacob.

He was already looking at me.

Neither of us said anything.

Then, without warning, Jacob reached for my hand.

My eyebrows lifted as he pulled me toward the nearby bathroom.

“Jacob, what are you—”

He pushed the door open and glanced around before pulling me inside. Once we were alone, he turned toward me, shuffling nervously on his feet.

“Can I kiss you again?” he whispered.

I stared at him for a moment.

His face was already turning red.

“You don’t have to ask,” I whispered back. “Just go for it.”

Jacob’s eyes widened slightly before a shy smile spread across his face.

He stepped closer.

His hands settled gently on my waist, and he rose onto his toes before pressing his lips against mine.

I froze for half a second.

Then I kissed him back.

His lips were soft.

Way too soft.

And somehow, every time he kissed me, I wanted another one.

When we finally pulled apart, Jacob’s face was completely red.

“Okay, I have to g-get to class now. Bye!”

I laughed as he practically ran out of the bathroom.

I stood there for a second, watching the door swing shut behind him.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

I really couldn’t get enough of him.

And that was becoming a problem.

Because this was supposed to be a dare.

Nothing more.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

⸻

Tristan and I were already sitting in math class when I finally made it there. We had a free period before class officially started, so a few other students were already scattered around the room.

Tristan and I were talking about the basketball game from the night before when the classroom door suddenly swung open.

Benji walked in.

One look at his face told me something was wrong.

He threw his backpack onto the floor beside his desk and dropped into his chair with an irritated sigh.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Tristan asked, sounding annoyed that Benji had interrupted our conversation.

Benji turned around to face us.

“That f*****g nerd called me delusional in front of the entire class.”

Tristan and I exchanged a look.

We both knew exactly who he was talking about.

Jacob.

I leaned back in my chair.

“Well, he wasn’t lying.”

Benji’s eyes narrowed.

“Would you hurry up with this damn plan?” he snapped. “I would really like to see him cry now.”

He kicked his feet up onto the empty desk in front of him.

I sighed.

“Bro, it’s really not that serious. He made fun of you once.”

“Once?” Benji scoffed. “He embarrassed me.”

“You have to admit you kind of brought that on yourself.”

Benji glared at me.

“What happened?” Tristan asked.

Benji rolled his eyes.

“The teacher told us to work in groups. He was my partner, and I told him he should do all the work and just put my name on it.”

I shook my head.

“That sounds like something you’d say.”

“The whole class was quiet,” Benji continued. “Then he looked at me and said, ‘You’re delusional if you think I’m going to do everything just because you’re too lazy.’”

Tristan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

I couldn’t help it either.

A small laugh escaped me.

“I mean…” I shrugged. “You kind of deserved that.”

Benji stared at me.

“Why are you always on his side?” he asked suspiciously. “You got a little soft spot for the nerd?”

He wiggled his eyebrows.

“f**k you,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Benji laughed.

But I didn’t.

Because the truth was, I did have a soft spot for Jacob.

A bigger one than I wanted to admit.

And every time Benji talked about hurting him, something inside me felt wrong.

⸻

After school, I waited beside my BMW with Tristan.

Students were slowly leaving the building, heading toward buses, cars, and rides waiting outside. I kept checking the doors.

I wanted to introduce Tristan and Jacob properly.

They already knew of each other, but they’d never really talked.

Then I spotted him.

Jacob stepped outside with his arms full of those ridiculously huge textbooks.

I almost laughed.

It reminded me of the first day I’d met him, when he’d been struggling to carry almost the exact same stack.

Seriously.

He was too small for his own good.

When he reached us, I immediately took the books from his hands.

“Here.”

He looked surprised but didn’t argue.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, letting out a relieved sigh.

I smiled before turning toward Tristan.

“Jacob, this is Tristan. You probably already know him.”

I looked at Tristan.

“Tristan, Jacob.”

“Hey, Jacob,” Tristan said.

Jacob gave him a shy smile.

“Hi, Tristan.”

I watched the two of them for a second before looking back at Jacob.

“Would you like to stay for my football practice?”

Jacob adjusted his backpack.

“Maybe.”

“We can get ice cream afterward.”

His eyes brightened slightly.

“Can I watch tomorrow instead? I have to pick up my mom’s medication from the pharmacy before it closes.”

“I can take you.”

Jacob immediately shook his head.

“It’s quite fine. I don’t want you to miss practice because of me.”

“You wouldn’t be making me miss anything.”

He hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled.

“Okay.”

I stepped closer and leaned down, pressing a quick kiss against his cheek.

His entire face turned red.

I smirked.

“See you tomorrow.”

Jacob smiled at me, picked up his books, and turned away.

“Bye, Tristan.”

“Bye, Jacob.”

I watched him walk away.

He wasn’t in a hurry. He moved down the sidewalk with his backpack hanging off one shoulder, looking around at everything as if the entire world managed to catch his attention.

I smiled without realizing it.

“You kissed him.”

I looked over at Tristan.

He was staring at me with the biggest smirk on his face.

“What?”

“You kissed him.”

I shrugged.

“So?”

Tristan’s smile disappeared.

“Are you seriously taking this that far?”

I frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

“Zaiden, you’re going to hurt him.”

I looked back toward Jacob.

He was still walking away.

“Look at him.”

I followed Tristan’s gaze.

Jacob looked happy.

Really happy.

And for some reason, that made my chest tighten.

“You know what this is,” Tristan continued. “It’s a dare. You agreed to date him and break his heart. That’s what you told us.”

I swallowed.

“I know.”

“And now you’re kissing him, taking him places, offering to drive him around…”

“I like him.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Tristan’s eyebrows lifted.

“What?”

I looked down at the pavement.

“I like him.”

I repeated it quietly.

The realization felt strange coming out of my mouth.

I’d spent weeks telling myself this was just a game. Just a dare. Something stupid between me and Benji.

But somewhere along the way, Jacob had stopped being part of the dare.

He’d become someone I actually cared about.

“If you like him,” Tristan said, “then why hurt him?”

“I’m not planning on hurting him.”

Tristan stared at me.

“That’s literally the point of the dare.”

I sighed and rubbed my temple.

“It was the aim at first.”

“And now?”

“Now I really like him.”

I looked back at the street where Jacob had disappeared.

“And that makes this whole thing complicated.”

Tristan shook his head.

“You could always back out.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“You don’t have to finish the dare. You don’t have to give Benji your captain badge. It’s not that serious.”

He placed his hands on his hips, clearly frustrated with me.

“Benji won’t stop there,” I said.

“Why?”

“You know how he is.”

I lowered my voice.

“He’ll probably tell my dad I’m gay.”

Tristan stared at me.

“You are though.”

I glared at him.

“You don’t get it.”

My voice came out more frustrated than I intended.

“My dad has plans for me. Football. College. Everything. If I come out as gay, it’ll ruin everything he’s planned.”

Tristan’s expression softened for a moment.

But he still didn’t back down.

“So you’d rather ruin someone else’s life?”

I didn’t answer.

“Jacob doesn’t deserve the heartbreak that’s coming, Zaiden.”

I looked away.

Those words hit harder than I wanted them to.

Tristan shook his head and walked toward the football field, leaving me standing beside my car.

I watched him disappear through the gate.

Then I looked down at my phone.

Jacob’s name was still sitting near the top of my messages.

My thumb hovered over his name.

I wanted to text him.

I wanted to tell him I’d see him tomorrow.

I wanted to tell him I liked him.

But I couldn’t.

Because the second I admitted what I was really feeling, there would be no pretending this was just a dare anymore.

And deep down, I already knew it wasn’t.