Head Over Skates For You

Jace had just stepped out of the shower when his phone started ringing. He sighed deeply, already knowing who it was. He slowly walked to his bed, water still dripping from his hair, and picked up the phone before answering.

''What now, Chase? I said I’m not coming.'' He said, rolling his eyes.

''It’s freshman night. You can’t miss it. I heard there’ll be a lot of hot chicks.'' Chase replied. Even though Jace couldn’t see him, he could clearly imagine the stupid grin on his face.

Jace rolled his eyes again. ''I’m not even attracted to women.''

''Right, my bad.'' Chase said quickly. ''There’ll be a lot of hot guys too. You don’t want to miss it. Who knows? You might find someone interesting. Anyway, you’re coming, and that’s final. See you there.''

The call ended before Jace could say anything else.

''Chase!'' He shouted, only to realize the line had already gone dead. He checked the screen and groaned. ''Jerk.'' He muttered under his breath, tossing the phone onto the bed.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to go to the party. He just wasn’t in the mood. His head was already full of worries, and the last thing he needed was loud music and a crowd of strangers.

But maybe… maybe a party would help him forget for a few hours.

He threw the towel he was using to dry his hair onto the bed and walked to his closet. His eyes scanned the clothes hanging inside. Most of them were old, some slightly worn, but still usable.

After a moment, he picked something simple—a black T-shirt, dark trousers, his black leather jacket, and his worn-out Nike shoes. Nothing special, but it would do.

He quickly got dressed, sprayed some cheap perfume on his neck and jacket, then grabbed his phone and helmet before heading out.

When he reached the living room downstairs, he ran straight into his father, who had just returned home. The strong smell of alcohol filled the air immediately.

Drunk. As usual.

Jace stared at him with a look of pure disgust. He was about to ignore him and leave, but his father suddenly lost his balance and collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.

Jace sighed heavily. No matter how tired he was of his father’s behavior, he couldn’t just leave him lying there.

He walked over to the small table, placed his helmet on it, then bent down and pulled his father up. It took some effort, but he managed to drag him to the couch.

He laid him down and stepped back. For a moment, he considered grabbing a blanket, but the thought quickly disappeared.

He didn’t deserve it.

Without another glance, Jace picked up his helmet and left the house.

Jace hadn’t expected it to rain. If he had known, he probably wouldn’t have left the house at all. But now he was already on the highway, the rain pouring down heavily around him.

Cold droplets hit his jacket and helmet as he rode. The road looked slick and dangerous under the streetlights.

He silently cursed Chase.

His phone suddenly started ringing again. He ignored it, already certain it was Chase. But the phone kept buzzing in his pocket, vibrating nonstop.

''Damn you, Chase.'' He muttered.

Annoyed, he lifted the visor of his helmet and reached into his pocket to grab the phone. He only looked down for a second, but when he raised his head again, a bright light flashed directly into his eyes.

Loud horns blared.

Jace’s heart jumped into his throat as he quickly swerved his motorcycle, barely avoiding a crash. The tires slid slightly on the wet road before he managed to regain control.

Breathing hard, he pulled over to the side of the highway. Anger quickly replaced the fear in his chest. He turned around and saw the car that had almost hit him stop as well.

''You bastard!'' Jace shouted.

He jumped off his motorcycle and marched toward the car, rain soaking his clothes. He angrily tapped on the window.

The window slowly rolled down, and Jace froze.

The man behind the wheel looked completely out of place on a dark, rainy highway. He had sharp features, pale skin, and dark hair that fell neatly across his forehead. He looked calm—too calm for someone who had almost caused an accident. His cold, unreadable eyes studied Jace like he was nothing more than a small inconvenience.

For a brief moment, Jace forgot why he was angry.

The man scoffed, his expression turning into one of clear disgust. That snapped Jace out of his thoughts immediately.

''Do you realize you almost killed someone?'' Jace demanded, his voice sharp with anger.

''And do you realize you were the one riding like an idiot?'' The man replied calmly.

Jace let out a harsh laugh. ''Of course. One of those rich, entitled jerks who think money fixes everything.''

The man didn’t react. He simply opened the glove compartment, pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills, and tossed them out of the window.

''Here. For the trouble.'' He said flatly. ''Now get out of my way.''

The window rolled up, and the car drove off before Jace could even respond.

''Hey!'' Jace shouted, but the car was already far down the road.

He stood there in the rain, staring at the money lying on the wet ground. His chest burned with anger and humiliation. All he wanted was to chase that car down and punch the guy in the face. But doing that would mean missing the freshman party… all for some spoiled rich brat who wasn’t even worth his time.

''You better pray we never meet again.'' He muttered.

He turned, walked back to his motorcycle, and left the money behind.