Behind The Mask

Part 3: Lines Blurred (Jace's perspective)

Jace couldn't shake the image of Noah storming out of the cafeteria. The sight of him clutching his books so tightly, his face flushed with panic and embarrassment-it stuck with Jace in a way he hadn't expected. The laughter of his friends had faded into the background as Noah disappeared through the cafeteria doors, leaving Jace standing there like an idiot.

Why did he feel so... bad? It wasn't like he'd done anything truly wrong. It was just a dare, a stupid joke. Noah would get over it. Right?

But even as Jace told himself that, it didn't sit right. The look on Noah's face hadn't just been surprise-it had been hurt. Genuine, raw hurt. And Jace hated that he'd been the one to cause it.

"Yo, Hamilton, what was that?" Eric's voice broke through Jace's thoughts, pulling him back to the present. His teammate was smirking, clearly entertained by the whole ordeal. "You didn't even wait for an answer."

"Yeah," another chimed in. "Turner looked like he was about to cry. That was brutal."

Brutal. The word hit harder than it should have. Jace forced a laugh, trying to play it off. "He probably wasn't expecting it, that's all," he said, shrugging as if it didn't matter. "Not my fault he's so jumpy."

But the truth was, it did matter. More than it should.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Jace's mind constantly drifting back to Noah. By the time hockey practice rolled around, he was practically vibrating with restless energy, his mind at war with itself. He tried to channel it into the ice, pushing himself harder, skating faster, hitting harder, but it didn't work. No matter how much he tried to bury it, Noah Turner kept creeping into his thoughts.

Why did it bother him so much? Why couldn't he just let it go?

After practice, Jace found himself lingering in the locker room longer than usual. Most of the guys had already left, the faint sound of their chatter echoing down the hall. He sat on the bench in front of his locker, staring at the floor, his hockey stick resting across his knees. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, the hum filling the empty space.

He thought about Noah again. About the way he always sat alone in the cafeteria, hunched over his books, like he was trying to make himself invisible. About the way he had looked at Jace, startled and unsure, like he couldn't believe someone like Jace would even talk to him.

And then there was the way Noah had walked away-his head down, his shoulders tense, like he was trying to escape. Like Jace was just another person in a long line of people who had made him feel small.

The thought made Jace's chest tighten.

He ran a hand through his damp hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. This wasn't who he was. He wasn't a bully. He wasn't the guy who went around humiliating people for fun. Sure, he played along with the guys sometimes, but this felt different. This felt wrong.

And maybe that was because Noah Turner wasn't who Jace thought he was. He wasn't just some weird, quiet kid in the background. There was something about him-something Jace couldn't quite put his finger on.

Noah was... intriguing. He was different. And for some reason, Jace couldn't stop thinking about him.

---

The next morning, Jace made a decision.

He had to fix this.

It wasn't about the dare anymore. It wasn't about what his friends would think, or about keeping up appearances. It was about Noah. About making things right.

But when Jace saw him in the hallway before first period, he hesitated. Noah was at his locker, his head bent as he shoved a stack of books into his bag. He looked the same as he always did-quiet, focused, completely absorbed in whatever he was doing. But now, Jace saw the tension in his shoulders, the way he kept glancing over his shoulder like he was waiting for something bad to happen.

Jace took a deep breath, steeling himself. He had to do this. He owed it to Noah-and to himself.

"Hey," Jace said, his voice coming out quieter than he'd intended.

Noah froze, his hand pausing mid-motion. Slowly, he turned to face Jace, his expression guarded. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice tight.

Jace opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. He hadn't thought this far ahead. What was he supposed to say? Sorry for asking you out as a joke and humiliating you in front of everyone? That didn't feel like enough.

"I just..." Jace started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to apologize. For yesterday. It was... it was stupid. And I shouldn't have done it."

Noah stared at him, his brow furrowed. For a moment, Jace thought he wasn't going to say anything at all. But then Noah spoke, his voice low and cautious. "Why did you do it?"

Jace hesitated. He couldn't tell Noah about the dare. He couldn't admit that it had all started as a joke. But he also couldn't lie. Not now.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "It seemed funny at the time, but... it wasn't. I just-I messed up. And I'm sorry."

Noah's expression softened, just slightly. But there was still a flicker of doubt in his eyes, a wariness that Jace couldn't blame him for.

"Okay," Noah said finally, his voice quiet. "Thanks, I guess."

Jace nodded, relief washing over him. But as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end.

It was only the beginning.