Ace dribbled the basketball down the court like he owned it. The gym echoed with the squeak of shoes and the shouts of classmates, but all he could hear was Jay's voice in his head: "Watch it, Ace. You're going to mess everything up."
Ace snorted. Yeah, right. Jay was the one who over-planned everything, acted like every shot mattered more than oxygen, and—let's be honest—had no sense of fun.
He went for a layup, a smooth jump... and right as he shot, Jay darted in, trying to "steal" the ball. The collision was inevitable. Ace tripped, arms flailing, and somehow managed to send the ball flying... straight into the gym scoreboard. Sparks. A loud CLANG. Everyone froze.
Ace groaned. "Okay, yeah... that might have been bad."
Jay's face went from horror to pure, simmering rage. "You're impossible."
Before Ace could retort, Coach Rivera's booming voice cut through the silence.
"Ace! Jay! You two—come here. Now."
They exchanged a look of mutual loathing as they approached.
"You're going to clean this up," Coach said, arms crossed. "Together. And I mean it. No excuses, no whining. Gym cleaned, scoreboard fixed, or no Saturday practice for either of you."
Ace's heart sank. Forced teamwork with Jay? This was going to be... interesting.
Jay muttered under his breath, loud enough for Ace to hear, "I hate you already."
Ace smirked, despite himself. "Likewise."
YOU ARE READING
Crossed lines
RomanceAce and Jay can't stand each other. One's cocky, reckless, and thinks rules are just suggestions. The other's precise, calm, and somehow always cleaning up messes he didn't make. It was only a matter of time before their rivalry exploded-right in th...
