Jaxon
As I walked into the house, a wave of frustration hit me like a lightning bolt. I hated that feeling—the tightness in my chest, the restless energy crawling under my skin. I needed to shake it off.
I headed straight for the kitchen, yanking open the fridge and grabbing a carton of apple juice—my favorite. The cool drink soothed my dry throat, but the moment of calm didn't last long.
Laughter.
It drifted from upstairs, light and carefree. My grip tightened around the carton as my eyes flicked toward the staircase. That wasn't just B's laugh. Someone else was up there.
I ran upstairs and I suddenly turned my head to see a pair of shoes sitting neatly by the front door—one pair I recognized, the other I didn't. And that alone was enough to set my blood boiling.
I stormed up the stairs, my steps heavy with irritation. When I reached B's room at the end of the hallway, I didn't hesitate. I shoved the door open without warning.
And then—I saw her.
The girl.
She turned at the sound of the door slamming, her eyes locking onto mine. Hazel. Warm. Mesmerizing. The kind of eyes that made you want to stare a little too long. Her wavy hair was pulled into a messy bun, loose strands framing her face effortlessly.
Damn. She was gorgeous.
I barely had time to process the thought before B smacked me.
"Seriously, Jax?" she groaned, rolling her eyes.
I groaned at the pain she just caused me. "What the hell Bella !" I scream.
"Why did you barge in like that, what is wrong with you, dude". She asked with a bunch of attitude.
I thought about her question and I couldn't tell her it's because I thought she was with some guy, it would be embarrassing especially towards that beautiful girl sitting on her bed.
"Because I have free will", I lied. "By the way, who's that chick, a new friend of yours?". I ask while making eye contact with the girl.
B, just rolled her eyes. "Yes, she's a new girl at our school, her name is Stella".
Damm. Stella.
I nodded my head deep in thought, I realized that I had seen her somewhere. "Weird, I am sure I have seen you before, you sure you're new, Stella?". Before Stella answered Bella responded. "Probably because you bump into her this morning. Does it send a bell?".
Now do I recall, bumping into someone, it was her. The fierce girl.
Bella began to speak, interrupting my thoughts. "And you also broke her phone, you haven't even apologized." She said angrily.
I shifted awkwardly, suddenly hyper-aware of the way Stella's hazel eyes were watching me. Bella's glare, on the other hand, was sharp enough to cut through steel.
"I... uh—"
"Oh my God," Bella groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "You're seriously not gonna apologize?"
I shoved my hands into my pockets, avoiding Stella's gaze. I wasn't about to admit that I felt too embarrassed to say sorry. The thought of apologizing—especially in front of her—made my skin crawl. It wasn't like me.
Bella scoffed. "You're an idiot." Then, before I could react, she grabbed a pillow from her bed and chucked it at me. "Get out."
"What?" I blinked, dodging the second pillow she threw.
"Out." She pointed to the door. "You don't get to barge in here, act all weird, and then refuse to apologize. Go."
I huffed, rolling my eyes as I backed toward the hallway. "Fine, whatever." But as I stepped out, my gaze flickered to Stella one last time. She was watching me with an amused glint in her eyes like she was trying to figure me out.
I shook my head and shut the door behind me, making my way to my room.
The second I flopped onto my bed, I let out a frustrated sigh, staring up at the ceiling. Stella. Damn. There was something about her—something different. Most girls at school were predictable, always trying to get my attention, but she wasn't like that. She didn't even seem fazed by me barging in like a maniac. Instead, she just sat there, watching, waiting.
And she was beautiful. The kind of beauty that stuck with you, made you want to see more.
I groaned and turned over, pressing my face into my pillow. Why the hell was I thinking about her so much?
Eventually, sleep pulled me under, my thoughts tangled with images of hazel eyes and messy waves of hair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sound of a door closing jolted me awake.
I blinked, sitting up quickly. The house was quiet, too quiet. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I rubbed my eyes and got up, stepping into the hallway.
From the top of the stairs, I looked down. One pair of shoes was gone.
Stella left.
For some reason, that disappointed me. I didn't even know her, yet I found myself wishing she'd stayed a little longer.
Bella was still in the living room, scrolling through her phone. She barely looked up when she spoke. "When's Dad coming back from his trip?"
I exhaled sharply, gripping the railing. "I don't know."
She finally glanced up, her expression unreadable. "You never know."
I clenched my jaw.
Our dad wasn't exactly the type of guy you waited for. When he did come home, it wasn't peaceful—it was chaos. Shouting, things breaking, sometimes worse.
It hadn't always been like that. I could still remember the days when he wasn't a complete monster when he gave a damn about us. But that version of him was long gone.
And me? I was following a similar path.
It started small—hanging around the wrong people, skipping school, getting into fights. Then, it got worse. Deals, late-night meetings, doing things I swore I'd never do. It was stupid, and reckless, but it gave me an escape. And after a while, I stopped caring.
But now, as I stood there, thinking about Bella's question, about Stella, about everything—something about it all felt... off.