Lookism: What Am I Even Doing?

Chapter 83

(Daniel's POV)

There's something going on that Jace won't tell me about. At first I thought it was simply me being eager to get started on our search again. Sitting still for so long is starting to get on my nerves. What changed my mind was one strange day at school.

Yesterday there seemed to be a lot going on. Rumors were spreading about who's the strongest in our school. Such conversations are natural to any new students coming into J High School. It's become a tradition at this point. The older students pass down stories, very exaggerated stories about the strongest of us. Then those new students share those stories until the process comes full circle and someone ends up with a whole new identity.

What was strange about yesterday is that this happened in the middle of the school year. These conversations never start without reason yet they happened far into the school year? It was almost intentional the way these conversations started to rise again. I thought some funny person just wanted to send the school into a spiral again but Jace has been acting weird today.

I stayed late in school the other day because I went to the restroom to clear my mind after self-study and wanted to avoid the school crowd. So I stayed there a full fifteen minutes until I returned back to class. Jay needed to get home so he texted me that he was leaving first while I was hiding.

By the time I was leaving the school gates I saw some mysterious figure jumping out from the second floor boys restroom from the Architecture department. They were wearing a brown trench coat and black dress shoes when they ran away. And for some reason, they looked strangely familiar.

When I looked up again, I saw Jace looking down from the restroom window. His gaze followed the figure in a contemplative gaze as if he was thinking of something. I thought he would tell me something about it.

I don't know why. He had no reason too after all. He belonged to the Burn Knuckles and not me but I still had a bit of hope that he'd say something. Anything really to sate this burning curiosity inside of me. Instead, when I saw him the next morning he simply greeted me with a gentle wave then went on his way close to Vasco's side.

After that greeting I thought to myself, "It's alright Daniel. Maybe he'll tell you later. It could be something sensitive that he didn't want to mention in front of Vasco." I waited until lunch, making sure to sit alone today away from Duke. Duke was a bit confused as to why I suddenly wanted to be alone but didn't press that much. I guess he thought I just needed some time for myself.

Once again Jace greeted me silently, this time only with his eyes. I waited for him and waited for him to at least give me some sort of gesture but he didn't turn around to look at me once. Then came self-study and it was the same situation. I managed to trade seats with one of my classmates near the door and I spent my time poking my head through the window every few minutes. An impulse that had many people looking at me weirdly.

On the walk home that's when I realized something about Jace. He was a great person at heart but he was also a calculating one. If he hides things from Vasco, his best friend, then how easy would it be to keep information from me? Jace would tell me what he thought he needed to tell me and that was it. Even if I asked for it I doubted it would be given so easily.

But what I really want to know is, what on Earth happened?

Who was that person who jumped out of the window?

What did he want with Jace?

And why did Jace not want to tell me?

Could this be his way of protecting me as well?

I can't decide whether to feel more annoyed or touched.

All of these emotions followed me to the following day at school. It was made very obvious to my friend group that there was something incredibly wrong with me. I don't want to pick cards but I think it might've been the fact that I snapped at least half a dozen pencils in my anxiousness.