In An Heartbeat

1~The Unexpected Stranger

Who said dating your best friend was the best thing that could ever happen to a girl?

The wise man that formulated that principle really needed to look into my case, perhaps mine could shine a new light and make him see things differently.

Take it from me, dating your best friend was like dipping your fingers slowly into some kind of flames.

At first, the flames takes you by surprise and it is just there, teasing you until it actually starts to hurt you.

That was the exact definition of Miles and I relationship. I taught dating him was going to be out of this world but well, it really took me out of this world.

Cause I can't believe he didn't even bother to pick me up today, knowing fully well that my bike has recently hit rock bottom and I was yet to repair it.

Here I was, standing all alone waiting for the bus, which wasn't a usual for me. I rarely took the bus and was already starting to forget how things worked here.

I drifted my eyes to the people who were standing near me. At my left, there were some random people–two girls, who were engrossed in some little chat. They both had an umbrella each in their hands and a frown covered my face once I realized my mistake.

I wasn't going in Miles' car, as usual, I should have taken an umbrella. The weather has been really bad recently and it was probably going to rain anytime from now.

Tight-lipped, I looked to my right and my frown deepened. It seems like I was the only foolish one who forgot to bring an umbrella.

There was a guy in a black hoodie standing just right next to me, who also held unto his own umbrella which was black by the way.

That caught my eye.

Why was he in all black? His trouser was black, his shoe was black, then his hoodie and his umbrella.

Did he have any other colour that wasn't black phobia?

I chuckled, pinning my eyes at his strangeness. I bet the shirt beneath his hoodie was also black.

I moved a little bit closer to him, trying not to alert him of what I was about to do. Once I was close enough, I squinted my eyes, raising my feet off the ground to peep at the shirt underneath his hoodie.

Don't blame me, curiosity always gets the best of me.

Suddenly, the guy turned his eyes to me and I instantly lowered myself, pretending to be busy with a little thread at the tip of my blouse.

I could feel his gaze, he was eyeing me, probably wondering who the hell I was.

Once he looked away, I picked myself off the ground again, trying to peek at his shirt this time he looked straight ahead, his jaw clenched.

I wanted to laugh but I held it in. I was pissing him off. If I was doing this before just out of my stupid curiosity, trust me, now I was doing this just to get him to look like that.

His annoyed face was so hilarious.

Soon, he turned his face to me again, giving me a sharp gaze but I was faster. I was back to the ground, this time, I was playing with the hem of my blouse and I was pretty sure I heard him gritting his teeth.

He looked away and I returned to peeking at him, my eyes widened, a small smile tugging my lips.

He was in a black shirt.

Now, I was curious, who the hell was this guy? And why was he so interesting?

I didn't realize that he had already turned toward me, and I was still gazing at him with a weird smile along my lips.

My eyes doubled.

"Jane, why are you staring at me? Didn't your boyfriend satisfy you this morning?"

He uttered arching his eyebrows at me and just then did I realize who was standing right next to me all this while

I was finished.

Oops, what the hell. The stranger was-'

***

Crap, it was Jace, the biggest jerk in school.

He could make trouble out of a whole lot of nothing. Did I just infuriate him? I was doomed.

"What? Me? Staring at you?", I uttered pointing my fingers at myself and Jace arched his eyebrows at my drama.

I turned my gaze behind as if to double-check if it was really me that he was accusing.

"don't bother acting, you suck at it", he muttered, dipping his hands into his pockets and I blinked, tight-lipped.

"I wouldn't waste my time looking at you. Trust me, I didn't even notice you"

I defended and he chuckled, "so you are not only a creep but a liar. You've been checking me out the whole moment and you deny it to my face?"

"Checking you–" I laughed. "Ridiculous"

"Then quit lying and tell me why you chose to disturb my peace today. I really hate being disturbed"

"Is Miles not serving you enough?"

I rolled my eyes, folding my arms around myself, "gosh! you and your dirty jokes"

"Jokes? Who said I was joking? You do look desperate for something. Unfortunately, you can't find help with me"

"Fortunately", I corrected and he looked at me, a silly smile spread across his face.

" you sure about that?"

I rolled my eyeballs, deciding to change the topic.

"I didn't know you lived around here"

" you don't know a lot of things-", he replied, moving his feet playfully on the ground and I arched my eyebrows at him, wondering what he meant by that.

" you seem talkative today", I remarked and his face instantly switched back to stone cold.

Jace was not only the school's jerk but also, the school's bad boy. He was always in black and most of the time, in his head.

He didn't talk to people unless necessary which was probably when he wanted to verbally deal with a person.

I remembered years back when Jace was still fresh to our school. A bully had tried to get to him.

At that time, everyone was still very unaware of what he was capable of, which was because he didn't talk to anyone so everyone assumed that he was just one pushover who couldn't do s**t.

Christ-,

He finished the bully.

And I mean, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

when Jace was done with the bully, he couldn't show his face in our school anymore.

I heard that the bully changed schools the very next day cause the shame was too much for him to bear.

Since then, it was a silent rule. Do not disturb Jace Walt and I just broke that now.

It was surprising that he wasn't giving me something to cry about. Though, the little statement he had made since we began talking wasn't friendly ones.

Which meant that I couldn't be too sure.

"Tell me, what are your aspirations for your future", I asked suddenly, knowing fully well that I was meant to just keep quiet and thank God for my safety.

But like I've said curiosity gets the better of me.

My question hung in the middle of the silence and Jace stared at me in confusion, probably wondering why I asked such a far-fetched question.

"Sorry, let me reframe my question. Why are you always dressed like a criminal?"

I uttered and soon his confusion was gone, it was replaced with fury.

"You think I aspire to be a criminal?"

He asked and I hunched my shoulders, "who knows? There's money there"

He sighed, looking me straight in the eye, "jane, do you seriously want me to deal with you? You know, that boyfriend of yours can't save you"

That's a lie, I wanted to say but a better part of me remained mute. Though Miles and I, were having issues and have now broken up, I couldn't deny the fact that he was remarkable.

I wondered who will win if Miles and Jace had a physical fight or a verbal fight.

It was so hard to guess. I wasn't interested in seeing them having a physical fight, it would be ugly and full of blood.

But, I wasn't so sure about the verbal one. I mean, damn, it would be one hilarious show. I'll probably end up rolling on the ground.

I sighed internally, my mind going back to the sole cause of Miles and i's break up. He forgot that yesterday was our one-year anniversary and he was the one angry?

He must be kidding me.

He was even the one to break up with me. Sometimes, I wondered if I liked him better as my best friend or my boyfriend.

When the rain began drizzling on my skin, I was sent out of my trance, wondering what the hell I was going to do.

At this rate, I'll be fully drenched by the time I reached school.