READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Jack (1)
Jack woke up at 7 a.m., as usual, to the sound of his alarm blaring from across the room. He groggily reached over to silence it, rubbing his eyes as the day ahead loomed. The same routine. Same gym session. Same path.
His alarm clock had been replaced by the real-world sound of the gym's clanging weights and the repetitive thump of sneakers on the floor. Jack had his mind set on making varsity football this year. His whole life seemed to revolve around that goal. He had to make it. This year. Every day, he woke up, pushed through the grueling gym workouts, and then did whatever it took to get better.
Jack's life was far removed from Ethan's, in many ways. While Ethan had a house with sprawling lawns and a quiet, secluded life, Jack's world was built on hard work. His parents owned a small restaurant called Jack's Grill, located next to a supermarket. It wasn't fancy, but it was home, and Jack was proud of it. Every morning, he made sure to stop by the restaurant before school to check in with his parents, exchanging quick greetings before heading to the nearby supermarket for protein supplements. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
"Morning, kid!" his dad would shout from behind the grill, flipping a few burgers or steaks. "About to get your workout in?"
"Yeah, just about to head to the gym," Jack would respond with a grin. He never let his father's hard work weigh on him, not when he had bigger things to strive for.
After grabbing his protein, Jack would head straight for school. That's when he'd see Ethan again, as usual. Ethan's bus stop was just a couple of blocks away from Jack's, and though they were from different worlds, they shared a common bond. They met this freshman year, and despite their different backgrounds, they had hit it off quickly.
"Yo, Ethan!" Jack greeted as he hopped on the bus. "How's it going, man?"
Ethan looked up from his phone and smiled. "Good. Just the usual."
As Jack slid into the seat next to him, he grinned, nudging Ethan lightly. "So, about the club fair yesterday… Did you sign up for anything? You seemed kinda quiet around all those art nerds."
Ethan chuckled, shifting in his seat. "Yeah, I joined the art club. Not that I'm really into it, but Isabella pretty much dragged me into it. She's… persistent."
Jack laughed. "I saw you at that booth. Drawing for little kids, huh? You got skills, man. Maybe you'll be the next Picasso."
Ethan shrugged. "I don't know about that, but it's fun."
"Sounds good. I've been focusing on my game," Jack said, straightening up. "You know, trying to make it onto varsity. Coach has been a bit hard on me, but I think I'm getting there. I'm putting in the work."
Ethan nodded, impressed. "I'm sure you'll make it. You're a beast out there."
"Thanks, man," Jack replied, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm not stopping until I make it."
They both fell into a comfortable silence as the bus rolled toward school. As usual, Jack's mind raced with thoughts of football and how he could get better. But there was something else too—something he couldn't quite place. It had been nagging at him for a while now. Something about Ethan.
But before he could analyze it, the bus stopped, and the two made their way to class.
In chemistry, Ethan and Jack were seated next to each other again. The room buzzed with conversation as the students filed in. The air was thick with the usual chaos of a new day. Jack couldn't help but feel excited about the class. Chemistry wasn't his favorite, but the discussions with Ethan were always engaging, especially with the way he made everything sound so easy.
Lily sat at the desk next to them, her usual position. Her head was already down as she took out her notebook, the heavy weight of exhaustion hanging over her.
"Yo, you are coming for the game this weekend?" Jack asked, his voice low enough not to disturb the class.
Ethan nodded, flipping through the pages of his textbook. "Yeah, Should be fun."
As they exchanged thoughts on the upcoming game, the teacher walked up to the front, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, class. Let's get started. I'm assigning a question for each group. You'll come up and solve it on the board."
The teacher's eyes scanned the room before landing on their group. "Jack, Ethan, Lily—come up here."
Jack grinned, standing up and making his way to the front, Ethan right behind him. Lily, however, remained seated, her head still down. The teacher sighed before gently calling her name. "Lily, I need you up here too."
Ethan looked over at her. Her face was pale, and it seemed like she hadn't even heard the teacher's call. He nudged her gently with his elbow.
"Lily," he whispered, "you alright?"
Lily blinked and looked up, her eyes unfocused for a second before they settled on him. "Yeah, sorry. I just… I'm fine." She gathered her things and made her way to the board.
Ethan couldn't help but watch her closely. She still looked tired, like she hadn't gotten enough sleep in a long while.
When they all arrived at the board, the teacher pointed to the first question. Ethan quickly solved it, his hand moving fluidly across the board as he wrote out the answer. Jack did his best to follow, but it took him a bit longer. He was still figuring out some of the formulas.
Lily, however, hesitated, staring at the question like it was written in another language.
Ethan, quick to help, leaned over and whispered the answer to her. "The solution's here, just work it through step-by-step."
His voice was low, and there was something about the way he spoke that made Lily glance up at him for a split second. There was a flicker in her eyes, something that made Ethan pause. He didn't think anything of it, though.
Jack watched the exchange quietly, his eyes narrowing just a bit. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something felt off. He didn't know what it was, but he sensed it—some kind of unspoken tension between them.
After a few moments, Lily managed to write out the answer with Ethan's guidance. The teacher, oblivious to the undercurrents in the room, gave them a quick nod of approval. "Good job. You can all sit down."
As the bell rang and class ended, Jack gathered his things and walked with Ethan to gym.
Gym class was chaotic as usual. The day's activity was dodgeball, and the coach split the students into pairs for 2v2 games. When the names were called, Jack's heart sank just a little when he saw his partner—Lily.
The two of them stood in the middle of the gym, facing off against another pair of students. Jack grinned and nudged Lily. "Um. Don't worry I got your back."
Lily didn't say anything, her face still distant and unreadable.
The game began, and Jack immediately took control, darting around the gym and blocking every throw aimed at him and Lily. It was clear to everyone that Jack was in his element, dominating the game. But as they fought off their opponents, Jack kept trying to strike up a conversation with Lily.
"So… you and Ethan—anything going on there?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Lily's eyes flickered for a moment, but she didn't answer. She just focused on the game, clearly avoiding his question. Jack frowned, a little disappointed by her silence.
But then, in the middle of a trying to strike another conversation with her, Jack took a hit. A dodgeball slammed into his side, and he was out. He let out a frustrated sigh as he walked off to the sidelines.
Lily, now alone, stepped up her game. To Jack's surprise, she was fast—really fast. She avoided the incoming balls with ease and then counterattacked with deadly accuracy. Within moments, she'd eliminated the other team, securing the win for her pair.
Jack, watching from the sideline, felt a sudden rush of admiration for her. She's incredible, he thought, surprised by how athletic she was. He hadn't noticed it before. But there was something else there, too—a feeling he couldn't quite place.