Chapter 1: The Bully and the Brave
The bell rang, echoing through the hallways of Maplewood High, signaling the beginning of another school day. Students spilled into the corridors, chatting excitedly, slamming lockers, and shuffling off to class. Amidst the usual chaos, one corner of the school seemed to draw the most attention. A group of students had gathered around, eager to witness the latest showdown between the infamous Jace and his favorite target, Juniper.
Juniper Wilder, a petite girl with auburn hair and sharp green eyes, stood in the middle of the commotion. Her stance was firm, arms crossed, as she glared down the person standing opposite her: Jace Reed, the popular troublemaker with his trademark cocky smirk plastered across his face. Towering over her, Jace leaned casually against a locker, flanked by his cronies, Brad and Ryder, who wore their usual sneers.
Juniper had lost count of how many times she had stood up to Jace. It had almost become routine he would pick on someone, and she would intervene. She wasn’t sure why it had to be her, but she couldn’t stand by while Jace tormented his fellow students. Especially today, when a scrawny freshman stood frozen in fear, holding onto his backpack like it was the only thing anchoring him to reality.
“Move out of the way, Juniper,” Jace said, his voice smooth but with an edge of amusement. “This isn’t your business.”
“Wrong,” Juniper shot back, her gaze unwavering.
“It’s everyone’s business when you’re harassing someone.”
Jace tilted his head, a mock expression of hurt crossing his face.
“Harassing? Come on, June-bug. We’re just having a little fun, right, boys?”
Brad and Ryder chuckled, nodding along. The crowd of students that had gathered to watch murmured amongst themselves, excited for another verbal sparring match between the two. Juniper had earned quite a reputation for being the only one brave enough to stand up to Jace and his crew. And Jace—well, he thrived off the attention.
“Yeah, fun,” Ryder added with a snort, his bulky arms crossed over his chest.
“What’s the big deal, Juniper? This little guy can handle it.”
Juniper’s eyes flickered to the freshman, whose wide eyes betrayed the fact that he was, in fact, *not* handling it. She sighed, turning back to Jace.
“If you call intimidating a kid half your size fun, then you’ve got bigger problems than I thought.”
Jace pushed himself off the locker, straightening his leather jacket as he took a step toward her. “Bigger problems, huh? You’re always so dramatic. Why don’t you just let me and my boys handle this? You’ve got better things to do than play hero.”
Juniper didn’t budge. Her heart raced, but she refused to show it. She wasn’t about to let him think he could scare her off.
“Yeah, I do have better things to do. But someone’s gotta stop you from acting like a jerk.”
A ripple of laughter came from the surrounding students, and for a moment, a flash of irritation crossed Jace’s face. But just as quickly, his smirk returned.
“You’re really spoiling my fun, June-bug,” he said, shaking his head. “What are you gonna do? Fight me?”
Juniper’s eyes narrowed. “If I have to.”
Jace chuckled, clearly entertained by her defiance. “Oh, you’re feisty today. Alright, I’ll back off. *For now.*” He stepped aside dramatically, gesturing for the freshman to scurry away, which the kid did without a second thought.
But as the freshman bolted, Jace leaned in closer to Juniper, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “Just remember, June-bug—one of these days, your little hero act might get you into trouble. And I won’t always be so nice.”
Juniper stood her ground, even as the proximity made her heart pound in her chest. “I’m not scared of you, Jace.”
His smirk grew wider, his blue eyes glinting mischievously. “Maybe you should be.”
She rolled her eyes, refusing to let him get to her. “Or maybe you should find a new hobby. You’re getting boring.”
Before Jace could respond, the sound of the second bell rang out, signaling the official start of first period. The crowd began to disperse, but not without a few lingering whispers and stifled laughs. Juniper had won again, and everyone knew it.
Jace straightened up, pulling away with an exaggerated sigh. “Well, looks like class calls. Don’t miss me too much, June-bug,” he teased, his usual cocky grin returning as he sauntered off down the hall with Brad and Ryder in tow.
Juniper watched them go, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. It had been a close call, but once again, she had managed to get under Jace’s skin. Not that it mattered. He’d be back tomorrow with more taunts and more bullying, just like always.
Yet as she turned to head to her own class, something felt different. For a moment—just a brief, fleeting moment—she thought she had seen something in Jace’s eyes. Something that wasn’t just arrogance or mischief. But she shook the thought away.
*Not a chance.* Jace Reed was as much a bully as ever. He wasn’t changing anytime soon.
---
By the time lunch rolled around, the incident in the hallway had already spread through the school like wildfire. Juniper could feel the stares and hear the whispers as she made her way to her usual spot in the cafeteria. Maya, her best friend, was already waiting for her, her tray full of french fries and soda.
“Well, well, well,” Maya said with a grin as Juniper sat down. “Our very own Juniper Wilder, the high school hero. How does it feel to be the only person in this place brave enough to stand up to Jace Reed?”
Juniper groaned, setting down her tray and burying her face in her hands. “Please don’t.”
“Oh, come on. You’ve gotta admit, it’s kind of badass,” Maya teased, popping a fry into her mouth. “You’re like this school’s personal superhero.”
“Yeah, right,” Juniper muttered. “I’m just trying to keep him from being a jerk to everyone.”
Maya raised an eyebrow. “And you do it with flair. Seriously, how do you not crack under the pressure? I mean, Jace *is* scary.”
“He’s not that scary,” Juniper said, though even she wasn’t convinced by her own words. Jace *was* scary, in a way—tall, intimidating, and with a presence that commanded attention wherever he went. But that wasn’t what bothered her the most. What bothered her was how much he seemed to *enjoy* tormenting others.
Maya shrugged, grabbing another fry. “Well, either way, people are talking. I heard someone in my math class say you’re probably the only girl in school who can stand up to him.”
Juniper sighed. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I want to make a habit of it.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Maya said with a grin. “It’s like you and Jace have this whole *thing* going on. Like, some weird rivalry.”
“There’s no *thing*,” Juniper said quickly, her cheeks flushing slightly. “He’s just a bully, and I won’t let him get away with it. That’s all.”
Maya raised her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Just saying, the way he looks at you sometimes…”
“What?” Juniper interrupted, her face growing warm. “What do you mean, the way he looks at me?”
Maya smirked, clearly enjoying this. “Oh, you know. Like he’s trying to figure you out. Maybe he’s got a secret crush.”
Juniper stared at her in disbelief. “You’re insane. Jace Reed does not have a crush on me.”
“Are you sure?” Maya leaned in, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Because I’ve seen the way he gets when you’re around. It’s not like how he treats everyone else.”
“Yeah, he’s probably just trying to figure out how to annoy me even more,” Juniper muttered, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and irritation. There was no way Maya could be right. Jace was a bully, plain and simple.
Maya shrugged, leaning back in her seat. “Okay, fine. But you’ve gotta admit, it would be kind of cute. You know, enemies to lovers. Like one of those rom-coms you secretly love.”
Juniper groaned again, this time even louder. “Maya, please stop.”
Maya burst out laughing, clearly delighted by Juniper’s discomfort. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop. But seriously, you’re awesome for standing up to him. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I just… can’t stand by and let him pick on people,” Juniper said, poking at her food. “Someone has to stop him.”
“And that someone is you,” Maya said, giving her a proud smile. “You’re like a knight in shining armor.”
“More like a knight in a hoodie,” Juniper muttered, tugging at the sleeves of her worn-out sweatshirt.
The two friends continued their lunch, the conversation shifting to less stressful topics
 like homework and weekend plans. But even as they laughed and joked, Juniper couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between her and Jace. There was a strange tension in the air now, one she couldn’t quite explain.
And as much as she hated to admit it, Maya’s teasing about Jace having a crush on her had left her more flustered than she wanted to acknowledge.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes and notes, but Juniper couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened that morning. She had faced Jace before, plenty of times, but today felt different. There had been something in his eyes, a flicker of something other than arrogance or disdain.
It almost felt like… curiosity.
By the time the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Juniper was exhausted. She gathered her books and made her way to her locker, hoping to make a quick escape before Jace or his cronies could show up again.
But as she turned the corner, there he was, leaning against her locker with that familiar smirk on his face.
“Hey, June-bug,” Jace said casually. “Miss me?”
Juniper sighed, approaching cautiously. “Not in the slightest. What do you want, Jace?”
He chuckled, pushing off from the locker and standing in her way. “I was just thinking about what you said earlier. About how I should find a new hobby.”
Juniper folded her arms, eyeing him warily. “And?”
Jace shrugged. “And maybe you’re right. Maybe I do need a new hobby.”
She raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was going. “What, like knitting? Scrapbooking?”
Jace grinned. “Nah. I was thinking more along the lines of figuring you out.”
Juniper blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“You heard me,” Jace said, his voice lowering slightly. “You’re… interesting, Juniper. I’ve never met anyone who could stand up to me like you do.”
“Maybe that’s because most people are scared of you,” she shot back.
“Maybe,” Jace said, his smirk softening into something almost sincere. “But you’re not scared. And I wanna know why.”
Juniper stared at him, unsure of how to respond. There was something different in his tone, something that wasn’t just teasing or mockery. For the first time, it seemed like Jace was being… real.
“I don’t know,” Juniper said finally. “I just… don’t like bullies.”
Jace nodded, as if he’d expected that answer.
“Fair enough. But I’m gonna figure you out, June-bug. One way or another.”
Before she could reply, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, confused and more than a little flustered.
As Juniper watched him go, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Jace Reed wasn’t as one-dimensional as she had always thought.
But that didn’t mean she was about to let her guard down.
Not yet, anyway.