Piss Off, This Is My Money

18

Weirdly, the release helped. Even if just a damn inch.

A few minutes later, he called for breakfast.

Shoved some omelette into his mouth, eyes glued to his phone.

He couldn’t miss class.

No matter what shitstorm he was in, he needed that fucking degree.

Needed to graduate and tell every last person who doubted him to fuck off.

To burn.

Plus, he’d promised Trevon this morning.

And Jace wasn’t breaking that one.

“Shit,” he muttered.

He yanked on his designer threads, stormed in front of the mirror, and swallowed hard.

Crazy how his life had flipped in a few hours — and he hadn’t even had the time to appreciate it.

Rings went on. Earrings clicked in. Never did this before. Never had the guts.

But fuck it — today was dreams colliding with revenge. And a message to Maya about what she’d lost.

He rushed out. Thirty minutes to lecture.

Slid into his Rolls. Sunglasses on. Bubble gum popped in rhythm with the engine.

Pew… heavenly. Driving felt like air in a rich man’s lungs.

Stopped at a light. Some girl in the next car was eyeballing him.

He tilted his shades like he’d seen every rich bastard do.

“Wanna be my date?” he asked.

Her jaw almost hit the wheel. “We’ll meet at school,” she said, flustered.

“You’re a fucking student?” he asked, amused.

She nodded. “I’ll see you at school.”

Honks behind them. Gold might be easy to flaunt, but patience in New York traffic? Nah.

Jace winked, slid his shades back, and floored it.

Drove slow enough, though — just enough to remind the trust fund brats this wasn’t a rented car, and that this was still the same car he drove yesterday.

He noticed glances following him. They didn't look like admiration but rather, some sort of crazy Gossip fuel.

He shrugged. Shit happens. He was halfway done caring about what the crazy people thought.

They were all slaves to trends anyway.

Stepped out with the swagger of a school kingpin — the kind of confidence only someone holding the highest shares could pull off.

“What else did we expect from him?” one girl whispered.

As he got closer, they all started to walk away.

Jace didn’t give a fuck about cowards who couldn’t tell him the truth to his face.

“I can’t believe he still came to school after that,” someone muttered.

“We all knew, didn’t we? He’s so done,” another whispered.

“I’d have apologized to Maya if I were him.”

Jace didn’t stop.

Then out of nowhere, swarm of phones, cameras, flashes all came rushing at him. Nothing, no fucking shit ever makes you immune to shit like this.

If it weren’t for the fucking sunshades shielding his face, they’d have caught the fucking shock on his face, and the internet would’ve had a new meme fodder.

“Can you tell us what you’re planning next?” one screeched.

“Why haven’t you forgiven her?”

“You piece of shit!”

Then, above the noise, a sharp voice cut through: “Everyone shut the fuck up!”

The crowd froze.

And out came Maya.

She walked straight to him, and then… what the fuck?

Hugged him.

A dark, slow-smirk rose in Jace’s throat.

“Y’all, please stop!” Maya crooned, faking tears.

“We made up! All this social media dragging… I’m done. He’s not at fault. I would’ve done the same—”

“Maya, get off. I don’t know where you got your cheap cologne from, but it’s killing my nose,” Jace snapped, every word dripping rudeness.