"Hey! Asshole, that's my spot," an arrogant voice shouted at Danny as he and his cousin got out of his Buick. They found a glossy black Mercedes G-Wagon blocking their exit from the parking slot. Danny sighed, irritation flickering across his face. "For the last time, I don't see your name on the parking spot, Brooke! Now move your damn car," he shouted back.
Meanwhile, Ace leaned against the car, arms crossed, his brow furrowed in disbelief, 'Who in their right mind buys a G-Wagon for their teenage daughter? Its chassis was designed to handle any position. No matter how rough you get in there, nobody outside will notice. it's basically a double bed on four wheels'
A blonde girl with big Gucci shades peeking out from the G-Wagon's window, warned Danny in a icy tone, "You move your damn car, Lander. If I'm late to class, you'll have to explain it to Ms. Matthews."
"Hey, there's a spot open over there. Just park there,"Ace advised, tilting his head toward an open spot further down the lot.
The blonde turned her head, pushing her shades down slightly to glare at him. She sneered, "Who the heck are you to tell me where to park my car? Tell the fatty to move his."
Ace's gaze hardened. Without missing a beat, he turned to Danny. "Come out the other way. If she wants the spot, let her wait till after school."
Danny nodded, turning toward the other side of the car. Suddenly, a loud thud made him whip around. His eyes widened in shock as Ace casually strolled across the hood of the G-Wagon, his boots thudding on the pristine paint before he jumped off with ease. Still stunned, Danny stammered, "Ace...what the hell?"
Ace shrugged nonchalantly. "Hurry up," he said, as if nothing had happened.
The blonde finally found her voice, screaming in despair. "Ahhhh!" Her baby had just been trampled, stepped on, and soiled by a bum right before her eyes.
Listening to Brooke's scream, Danny felt his stomach twist with fear. He bolted for the school entrance, dragging Ace along. Once inside the hallway, the silence between them hung heavy until Danny broke it, "Ace, I don't need you standing up for me. I could have handled it like I have been doing so far."
Ace gave a small nod, his expression serious but calm. "Sure, but if someone shames my cousin in front of me, I have to step in. You would've done the same." His jaw tightened as a flicker of something darker passed through his eyes. In the past, he couldn't stand up for his sister against Mike and his cronies, but now things were different. He wouldn't let history repeat itself. He was cautious, but when it came to his family, caution was never his first thought.
Danny exhaled slowly, his steps slowing. "Ace, you're the hot new transfer student. Every girl in our class—or the whole school—is going to be all over you." He shot Ace a grin but added grimly, "But stay away from Brock and Brooke Rockworth. Landers and Rockworths don't get along. Things are intense between our families—especially now that we own more land than they do."
"Why?" Ace raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Let me guess—an old family feud." He tilted his head thoughtfully, finally understanding Mandy's obsession with acquiring more farmland. Though her last name wasn't Lander, as far as the townspeople were concerned, they saw her as one.
Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Exactly. I won't go into details, but there's a lot of bad blood between the two families." He glanced at Ace with a wry smile. "Ask your dad when you're bored—it's a fun story."
Arriving by the stairs, Danny pointed at a room informing Ace, "There's the staffroom. Go find Ms. Matthews in there; she's our homeroom teacher. It'll be hard to miss her—she's the only teacher with long box braids in the entire school. Good luck. I'm heading to class now." He dropped his cousin off in front of the staffroom and hurried away, like the staffroom was a haunted house filled with his worst nightmares, before Ace could ask him to tag along.
Ace stepped into the staffroom and felt an unexpected serenity wash over him, a calming contrast to the crowded, noisy hallways. The quiet hum of whispered conversations and the scent of coffee in the air soothed his nerves. He scanned the room, his eyes finally landing on a tall, slim woman with long, dirty blonde box braids tipped in frosty white. Her symmetrical features and warm beige complexion gave her an ethereal beauty. Her professional grey suit emphsized her ample curves that were too big for someone in her late twenties.
For a moment, Ace's mind wandered. He imagined her twerking while he grinded behind her, gripping her braids with one hand and caressing her curves with the other. A rush of heat bloomed in his chest—until a sharp voice cut through his fantasy like a cold slap.
"Stop drooling and move aside, perv!"
Snapped back to reality, Ace realized he was blocking the entrance. He spun around, an apology already on his lips. "I'm sorry—" But the words caught in his throat when he saw two familiar faces. "Principal Martin?"
Standing before him was his old high school principal, tall and broad-shouldered, with fiery red hair that hadn't dimmed with age and was still too muscular for someone in his mid-fifties. Beside him stood Ava Martin, his old delinquent classmate, her red hair pulled into a messy ponytail, arms crossed as she stared at him.
Ace froze, stunned by the blast from his past. He thought he had left his old life behind in the city, but it seemed it had followed him to the country.
Principal Martin squinted at him, his brow furrowing. "I'm sorry, my boy. Do I know you?"
Ava tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at Ace. "Dad, I think I've seen him before," she muttered, staring into his deep-set eyes. There was something familiar about them, though they were darker, more intense than she remembered. She couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes didn't quite fit the face she recalled.
Before the tension could thicken, a soft voice chimed in from behind Ace. "Ah, I see you've met. I guess introductions aren't necessary since both of you are transferring from same school and class. What a coincidence," Ms. Matthews said with a warm smile as she approached.