the boy next door

He was trouble. Everyone said so.
Rumors spread fast - kicked out of his last school, fights, late‑night police visits. He walked like he didn't care about anything, and talked like he cared even less. But sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, he seemed... tired. Like the world had been too loud for too long.

She was quiet. Everyone knew that.
Mara avoided attention the way most people avoided thunderstorms. She blushed when someone said her name. She apologized when someone bumped into her. She wasn't the kind of girl boys like Jace noticed. Except he did.