Ch 4

Chapter Four

Carter.

Jace Carter..

The name rang in my head multiple times as I tried to hang onto a grip of reality. Everyone started to leave as the class ended, I could barely even move as I remained dazed under the news I’d just received.

Jace Carter. The star player and the hero of Blake University, the one person responsible for my first week of college being a horrible mess. He was my partner.

“Miss Blackwell??” Professor Link called out my name, “Are you okay?”

I turned to look at him, “I—I

“Is everything alright?”

“No sir”

“Oh. What’s the problem?”

I gulped hard, “It’s about my partner.”

“Jake?” His brow rose in question, “Is something wrong with—

“Everything.” I cut him off, breathless, “Everything is wrong with him, professor link. I…I need someone new….anyone. It just can’t be him.”

He smirked, “That’s a first. Most girls would kill for an opportunity to partner up with the ice dragon himself.”

“I’m sure they’re all wonderful and starstruck. I just don’t want it…him. So can I change partners?” I begged.

He flashed a cheeky smile at me, it was unnerving to say the least, “I’m sorry but I can’t do that. I run a strict administration, Miss Blackwell. I’m sorry but you’re stuck with him, so you just have to make this work as it’s a full quarter of your grade.”

“A full quarter?!” I cried out.

Patting me on the shoulder, he smiled again, “You’ll be fine. Just work it out with Jace, I’ve heard he’s a pretty good sophomore.”

“I doubt that very much.” I grunted and made my way out of the hall, my teeth gritted as I went straight for the library, ignoring Mary Jane on the way which I regretted but there was much more on my mind than pleasantries.

Jace Carter.

I hated him. I loathed him. I despised everything he stood for, and now I was stuck with him.

**JACE**

“I heard you missed your Bio class.” Coach Hank muttered as I made my way into the locker room.

Rolling my eyes, I pressed my code on the lock and started to bring out my skating gear, readying myself for practice, “I had some business to attend to.”

“Business?” He frowned deeply, “You’re flunking on school kid. I know Hockey is your life, heck it’s mine too but you need a minimum of Atleast 3.0 to keep playing. You need to create a balance Jace, the school thinks of you as it’s savior but there are some rules you just can’t break.”

My frown seeped even deeper, “It’s just a class to make up for extra credit. I’ll do my best coach, it won’t happen again.”

He nodded and walked away. I let out a deep breath as I opened a protein powder packet which I dunked into my mouth. A bottle of water followed and I let out another sigh.

It was championship season, which only meant I had to do my absolute best or my reputation as the ice dragon was going to shambles. We almost made it to the playoffs last season, with a ghastly accident of one of our players.

The pressure was intense. I was in great shape and yet all I could think about was that one person.

‘Loser Athlete.” She called me.

Those fierce eyes of hers, I’d never seen anyone harbor so much irritation and hatred for athletes before. I caught myself smirking before I quickly cut it off.

The others on my team were for sure giving her a hard time the last I heard. She deserved it, after all she called us losers and a waste of the school funding.

Waste.

She had no right.

Especially when she was probably a scholarship student whose funding is gotten from the money we make for the school anyway. I quickly slipped into my tactical gear, sinking some pads into my socks when coach appeared before me again.

“Coach I said—o

“No.” He interrupted, “There’s someone here to see you.”

**ARIA**

They had a whole building dedicated to them. “THE PECKER’S SPORT COMPLEX”. It enraged me. The labs in the school were in need of great renovation, and here they were putting all of the funding into a team that hadn’t gotten to a championship yet.

I paced back and forth in the hallway, the stench of wet towels and male sweat filled my nostrils, making me somewhat groggy. I just couldn’t wait to get out of there. Next to me was a showcase of all the team’s winnings, and a player of the year award with Jace Carter’s name ingrained on it.

I snorted. He was still an athlete at the end of the day, a dumb athlete who might cost me quarter of a grade if we didn’t cooperate, not even a rivalry with the school’s hero could stop me from becoming top of the class.

“You??” I heard his distinctive voice from behind me and let out a deep breath before I turned to face him.

“Yes. It’s me.”

The stupid smirk on his face, same as the one at the library, I wanted to punch it off him so bad. He walked over to where I stood, his skating gear all half worn. I frowned. Muteness ensued.

“I accept your apology.” He said, breaking the silence.

My eyes widened with shock, “Pardon?”

He shrugged, “You heard me. You’re sorry from what I’m guessing, and I accept your apology. It’s not everyday a snobby freshman walks in to give an apology for calling me dumb.”

He was proving the point exactly. He was not only dumb, but so egotistical that I wanted nothing more than to shove my hands down his throat.

I scoffed, “Apology?? You think a couple of eggs thrown at my window would make me apologize? You’re not doing anything to change the stereotype, Carter.”

“Bitch.”

“Asshole.”

The tension was enough to blow the roof away. He was seething and so was I. There was no way we could call a truce at this point.

“What do you want, freshman??” He asked, with the rudest tone possible.

“Since you think running on ice and throwing pucks is more important than getting a real education.” I air quoted my words as a jab and it clearly worked, his teeth gritted so loud that I could hear it, “You’re my partner for a group project in Bio class. I expect you at the library. 8pm sharp. Don’t waste my time, Carter.”

He stepped in even closer, eyes looking like they were about to devour me alive. He was even taller than I expected, towering over me that for a mere second I felt intimidated.

“Go fuck yourself, Aria Blackwell.”