Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The fifteenth day of January, crack of dawn. The city seems to reboot overnight. Snow was piled messily by the curb, squished into slush by the flood of people after more than ten days of silence. The breakfast joints that had closed for the holidays are all open for business again where the mouth-watering smell of fried food wafts everywhere. School's back in session. As far as the eye can see, the city has morphed into a sea of school uniforms. Housing blocks, sidewalks, bus stops, cars flowing like a river. The crisp air is still thick with youthful whining - "Damn cold! What a waste of a day, haven't had to wake up this early in a month!" "Ugh, why can't school chill and give us a few more vacay days?" "Yo, can you toss an egg on my pancake - wait, you done with your vacay homework?" "Still two essays short, but whatever, I'll just take the L." "Can I snag your physics paper when we hit school? I'll hook you up with sticky rice." "Ah! The bus is bailing, damn it, get a move on! Driver, hold up!!!" A squad of teens fresh from breakfast suddenly peeped the bus revving up outside the station. Recognizing the familiar color, they bolted after it, hollering and cracking up. Their loud voices bounced off the walls of the bustling urban village. Suddenly, a roaring engine swallowed their noise. The youth squad looked up without thinking, their eyes drawn to the source of the strange sound. Almost simultaneously, a sleek motorcycle sliced into view like a swift sword. Its streamlined body brought a gust of wind that made hearts skip a beat. It weaved through the traffic with audacity, the bright morning light bouncing off its deep black paint, before vanishing in a flash. The youth squad on the sidelines was dumbstruck at this fleeting encounter. A few seconds later, they exploded into hyped conversation - "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!" "NTT KMH? NTT KMH?" "Holy crap, can't believe I'm seeing someone riding this million-dollar phantom bike in this lifetime!" "This dude is so fly I'm about to wet my pants -" "Hold up! Hold up!" The chatter suddenly went on mute. One of the dudes was trying to pull up the memory from a few minutes ago, then he fished out an image of a figure wearing a helmet, bent low over the motorcycle. "The rider, it's a chick!!" --- In the southern part of the City, in the most picturesque area, you could peep the unique buildings within the walls from miles away. Even in winter, the lush greenery reached right up to the school gates, standing a solid dozen meters high. The dome above the gate was held up by countless columns, intimidating in its grandeur. Above the dome, the school's name was etched with a flourish - Brookdale Academy. On the first day, it seemed no different from other schools in the City, with students in uniform and parents dropping their kids off creating a crowd at the entrance. But it was also hella different from other places. 'Cause wherever you looked, every ride with more than four wheels was a luxury whip. Brookdale, the only private school in the city whose teaching game could beat all key public high schools, was also known for its sky-high tuition fees and the distinctive mix of students it attracted. The admission game here was tight, apart from brainiacs like Ava who got in 'cause of their killer academic game, all the other students hailed from loaded or influential families. Worth mentioning that Jason also did his middle school time here, until he got bounced out for some reason during his first year of high school. The moment he rolled up, it was like he'd dropped a bomb in the middle of prom night. A high-end bike purring into the schoolyard had all the girls in a tizzy, their eyes practically glowing in the dark. But the hottie at the center of it all? He was as chill as an iced latte, ignoring the googly-eyed admirers as he rode past them without a second glance. After a slick tail whip to park, he'd cranked up their desire to a whole new level. Jason dismounted his beast of a bike, helmet in one hand, the other hand raking through his windblown hair. As the chorus of distant, swooning sighs echoed around him, he slouched against his bike, pulled out his phone, and punched in a number. Ava's voice, accompanied by the cacophony of car horns, came from the other end: "You there yet?" Jason: "Yup." Ava: "I'm stuck in traffic, still two stops away." Jason let out a chuckle: "I told you I'd give you a ride this morning, but you turned me down." "..." Ava paused, "Jason, let's get real, do you really want the entire school to see you cuddling a girl on the backseat of your bike?" Jason: "............" Ava: "If you're into that, we can arrange it next time." Jason: "....I'm heading in." Ava: "Don't forget to submit your homework, pay attention in class, jot down notes, record the lectures. I'll need them for my revision after school." "..." Jason wondered if she'd lost her mind, "You think I can do all that?" Ava: "Your holiday homework." Jason: "???" Ava: "I've been up for two days straight, till six this morning, finishing the last assignment." Jason: "............" Ava: "So. Submit homework. Pay attention. Take notes. Record." Jason: "...Got it." Ava sounded pleased: "Thank you, your effort is appreciated." Jason's relaxed pose stiffened, his voice was a growl when he finally spoke: "...What's the big idea!" Ava, remembering something, cautioned him before hanging up: "Oh, and don't forget what I told you, watch your back at school, don't let Lauren and her posse corner you." Jason had never thought a gaggle of mean girls was worth his time. But seeing Ava so worked up last night, warning him repeatedly and even googling their pictures, he hummed in agreement to avoid her nagging. It was funny to think of ice queen Ava having enemies. He'd always figured she was a lone wolf at school. After all, Ava's vibe was way too cool for Brookdale. Pondering this, he casually posed another question: "So, what's the beef between you and this Lauren... what did she do to bug you the entire last semester?" "Uh-huh, yeah, that." Ava always felt that the ridiculous reason wasn't even worth a tweet, but since Jason had slid into her DMs, she decided to spill the tea. "So, we have this famous guy at school, Justin." "Sure." Jason responded, dropping an emoji. He knew Justin, before he hit the road, the guy was his shadow. "Lauren's got a crush on Justin." Jason dropped a 'thinking' emoji. "And now she's got it in her head that Justin and I are a thing." Jason dropped off the chat... Ava sat, staring at her phone, her eyebrows knitted together, wondering why he'd ghosted her. Jason chucked his phone back into his pocket, hoisting his helmet under his arm, and swung his massive backpack off his bike with one hand. He slung it onto one shoulder. He strolled towards the school gate, muttering, "...catfish!" as a crowd of onlookers gawked. Not far off, a squad in Brookdale Academy uniforms hung out by a sleek black car, checking him out. "Yo, he's rocking an NTT KMH? Lit." One of them, a green-eyed teen, was shook, "Ever since Jason peaced out, I haven't seen anyone so bold. Who dis?" His chunky friend threw shade at him: "Firstly, Jason only left last year. And secondly, are you blind? That's a girl." "Whaaat?" The green-eyed boy was shooketh, "No way! Look at her swagger. And she's in pants, with a pixie cut!" Brookdale Academy was the only school in the city where the girls' dress code was skirts, so the girls' style was off the charts. The chunky guy rolled his eyes: "So she's got swagger, rocks pants, and has a pixie cut? Have you seen her nose and chin, and those mile-long legs? She's so dainty. Are the guys in your family this pretty? Are you blind?" As he said this, he squinted at the retreating figure: "But what's the tea? Why does she seem so... familiar?" The green-eyed boy smirked: "A familiar feeling of... thirst?" "Beat it." The chunky guy punched him and turned to another good-looking guy, "Justin, what's your take?" "She's not new, her jacket's badge is for a sophomore, and there were no transfers in the sophomore year." Justin pondered, his eyebrows knit together, a vague idea on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite place it. Jason was halted at the bottom of the school building, initially not responding because the other party called him "Ava". When he turned around and saw the familiar face, his eyebrows shot up. "Justin?" Seeing Jason react, Justin immediately flashed a smile, his gaze slightly complex, especially when it lingered on Jason's pixie cut and the helmet in his hand: "I thought it looked like you from a distance, but I didn't expect it to be you." The mystery of the familiar vibe appeared to have been solved, but as the words left his mouth and he peered into the girl's increasingly enigmatic eyes, Justin felt a lingering disquiet. While Justin was wallowing in confusion, Jason was rapidly losing his chill. A badass is a badass, no matter the zip code. Jason had ruled the roost at Brookdale since sixth grade, only switching to Washington High when he hit freshman year. He had been the big fish here, with Justin and his squad as his ever-present posse. And now, after all this time, they couldn't even clock him... oh, the irony. He gave Justin the once-over, same old scrawny physique. What was so lit about him? Jason thought he was way hotter than Justin, he couldn't fathom what Ava and her girlfriends saw in him. Shallow AF. With that thought, he lost his cool and snapped, "What's your deal?" "Huh?" Justin was thrown by his icy stare, his mind drew a blank, he shook his head on autopilot, "Nothing, girl. Nothing." Jason didn't give him another thought and spun on his heel to leave. Naturally, he drew eyeballs along the way, but his sour mood kept the stares from lingering. Even a small patch around him on the stairs remained conspicuously vacant. As he stepped into Sophomore Class 1, Jason whipped out the seating chart Ava had doodled for him and started scanning for his spot. But he soon realized he didn't need to sweat it, Ava was the only one in class who had carted off all her new semester books home, so the lone vacant desk among those piled high with books was his target. The classroom was buzzing, and nearly all the students' eyes were glued to him. The question "Who's this dude?" was blatantly written on everyone's faces, but no one had the guts to confront him. Jason nonchalantly tossed his motorcycle helmet onto the desk and slouched down with an air of ownership. He then unzipped his backpack and hauled out the stack of summer homework that Ava had nagged him endlessly to submit. He propped his cheek in one hand and holding a binder of papers with the other, waiting to hand int the homework. A girl approached with a puzzled expression. Eyeing his demeanor, she asked in a hushed tone, "... are you...?" Jason fixed her with a stare, and after a beat, his eyes narrowed. His posture remained laid-back, but the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. He flung the binder onto the desk and asked, "Don't you know me?" The girl, hearing the familiar voice, froze, and quickly peeked at the name on the binder, her eyes wide as saucers: "...Ava?" As soon as she blurted this out, all the students who were following the drama swiveled their heads like meerkats. Jason cocked his head, his bangs teasing his brows. His smirk morphed into a full-blown grin, his eyes squinting a tad, locked onto the girl before him. After a beat, his grin took on a wicked edge, "Why you hitting me up, huh?" Her playful tone was as tempting as clickbait. The flustered girl blushed, shook her head on autopilot, bolted like she was fleeing a crime scene. Well now. Jason's chuckle rumbled low, his head flopping lazily onto the desk. Brookdale's little minions, they never change, do they?