Chapter 33: Busted

"This girl never ceases to amaze me. Is she kidding me right now?" Emma said, frowning deeply as she crossed her arms. "I knew it. I knew the moment she came to apologize the other day in class, she's so messed up," Miranda added, rolling her eyes dramatically. Dorah had just finished explaining everything going on between her and Helena. Emma and Miranda were livid. Being the type who never backed down from confrontation, they were ready to storm off and confront Helena immediately. But Dorah had stopped them. "Does Jace know about this?" Emma asked, her frown deepening with concern. "No. I haven't told him," Dorah said quietly, rubbing her hands together in a slow, nervous rhythm. "You all know Jace, he won't take it well." "You should tell him," Prudence chimed in, her voice calm but firm. "He's not going to take it lightly if he finds out on his own." Dorah sighed. "That's what scares me." Meanwhile, Ronald walked into the classroom, eyes scanning for a familiar figure. Jace wasn't there. He sighed heavily and made his way to his seat, where Max and Jason were chatting. The moment Ronald reached them, they fell silent. "Jace isn't in class?" Ronald asked, still looking around. "Nope. I wonder where he is," Max replied, glancing toward the door. "I saw him leave with Miranda a few minutes ago," Jason added, pointing casually in the direction they had gone. "Oh," Ronald muttered, trying to mask his unease. "What's wrong?" Jason asked, noting Ronald's tense expression. "What do you mean?" Ronald asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't look so good," Jason replied, frowning. "Yeah. I've noticed you've been acting off lately. You're not your usual self. You're always smiling," Max said. Both boys looked at him, as though they could see the truth he was trying to hide. Ronald let out a breath and sat down, finally giving in. "Fine," he said reluctantly, turning his chair to face them. "It's Dorah." "I knew it," Jason said, snapping his fingers. "You only ever look this miserable when it's about her. What has that girl done to you?" Ronald glared at him, and Jason quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, sorry. I was just joking." "So… what happened? Dorah's okay, right?" Max asked, concern edging into his voice. "I don't know. I hope she's okay… but I don't think she is," Ronald admitted, frowning as if saying the words made them more real. "And I'm not sure she will be." "What do you mean by that?" Jason asked, sitting up straighter. "It's about Helena… and Jace," Ronald said, his tone darkening. He sat upright and explained everything Dorah had confided in him at the lake, every detail. Max and Jason listened in stunned silence, their eyes widening with each word. "What the heck?" Max finally blurted. "Is she serious? Dorah should definitely tell Jace about this." "But she doesn't want to. And that's what's tearing her apart. The guilt's eating her up," Ronald said, now visibly more worried than before. "I mean, being a matchmaker isn't a crime. Why is she feeling this guilty?" Max asked, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't know. I honestly don't know what we should do," Ronald said, palming his face in frustration. "Maybe Jace should be the one to decide what to do. Jace, what do you think?" Jason asked, raising his head toward the classroom entrance. Ronald spun around in alarm and there he was. Jace stood there, frowning, both hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes were unreadable. "For how long have you been standing there?" Ronald asked, panic flickering in his voice. "Why didn't you say anything? How much did you hear?" "From the moment you said, ‘It's Dorah.' Long enough to hear you say you don't think she's going to be fine," Jace replied coolly. Ronald ran a hand through his hair and muttered a curse. "What are you planning to do now?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "Nothing," Jace answered without hesitation. "Nothing?" The three boys echoed in disbelief, their voices loud enough to draw the attention of others in the classroom. "Yes. Nothing. It's her cross to carry. She made her choice, and she'll have to deal with the consequences," Jace said with a shrug. "You're kidding, right?" Ronald asked, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not. I never asked her to get involved. She did what she did on her own, so she can face whatever comes from it. She clearly didn't want me to know anyway." "You guys are worrying over nothing," Jace added, turning away and walking back to his seat. They stared after him, stunned. "You good?" Miranda asked as he sat down and rested his head on the desk. "You knew about this too, didn't you?" Jace asked, sitting up suddenly. "About what?" "Helena and me. Mira, I know you knew," he said, pointing a finger at her. Miranda blinked. "Who told you? Did Dorah tell you herself?" "Where is she? Is she okay? She's not crying, is she?" Jace asked, his anger evaporating into worry. "She might be in class or maybe not. I don't know exactly. But she brought her phone today," Miranda said, growing more confused. Where did the earlier angry Jace go? "You should text or call her," she suggested. Jace didn't respond. He was already typing furiously. The moment he received a reply, he bolted from the room. Just then, the geometry teacher walked in. The students exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why Jace had rushed out like that. He didn't care who was watching. His mind was fixed on one thing. He ran across the school grounds until he reached the basketball court. And there she was dribbling the ball, her form light, graceful. She drove the ball into the net with a smooth motion. "Hey," he called out. Dorah turned at the sound of his voice and smiled. "Jace!" she called, holding the ball and walking toward him. That smile, it melted away whatever frustration he had left. He smiled back without realizing it. "I didn't know you played basketball this well," he said as they met in the center of the court. "Now you've seen it with your own eyes," she teased, tossing the ball to him. He caught it easily, spinning it in his hands. "How about a little one-on-one?" "Sure," she replied, smirking. "Bring it on." "Let's make it fun. The loser grants the winner three wishes," he said, raising his brow in challenge. "You better be ready to lose, then," Dorah replied, giving him a sly grin. "Okay," he said, smirking back as he tossed the ball toward her.