Jason Graintes is a d****e.

A Chapter by Jovilious

Everyone in town knows each other somehow.

Which is the only reason He knew that the pretty brunette girl who approached me after English was named Malia. Clary’s bro Stiles was friends-and exes- with her.

He did not, however, know the short boy standing beside her. This was surprising because he doesn’t have a lot of new people. They don't usually stick around.

"Hey." Malia looked up at me. "Where's Arabella?"

"Um, what?" Kaleb replied, confused. Never in his 17 years of life had he heard of 'Arabella'. Nor did he have any idea why this girl he barely knew would think he'd know where Arabella was.

"Me and Cameron-" she gestured to the attractive boy beside her. 'Another completely unfamiliar name' Kaleb thought. Maybe that was a good thing. He wasn't exactly popular with everyone now. "-are looking for her. Someone said to ask the tall guy dating the Asian. And I know for a fact you're Kira's boyfriend."

He nodded. "Yeah, wrong tall guy."

Malia looked confused. "But, you're like six feet!"

"Six three, actually." He shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like talking to random people. "You know who else is six-three and dating an Asian, though?"

Cameron raised an eyebrow.

"Alec."

His unproblematic ending to the school day was ruined when some dumbass got into his car high.

His sister was taking him home because Simon had a gig at this bar. He didn’t feel like going to another one of those disasters. So Simon wrapped him in a one-arm hug, clapping him on the back. Kaleb waved two fingers goodbye and climbed into the passenger. Nancy texted him that she’d be there in a few minutes. He replied with a simple, ok.

Jason Graintes laughed loudly as he walked to his own car. His jeans hung low on his waist and his beached blonde hair was cut short. He was walking with a girl who had long brown hair and skin a few shades lighter. He gripped a vape pen in his tattooed fingers, which he brought to his mouth before handing it to his companion and climbing in his truck. Kaleb turned to the window at his friends as Jason pulled out. Max smiled slightly in acknowledgment.

It seemed to go in slow motion.

Max’s face contorted with terror and his mouth opened to scream but Kaleb never heard the sound over the boom of the impact that Jason Graintes stupid car made when it slammed into Nancy’s Honda.

Something hit his knee and the pain spread throughout his body, coating him in a horrible coat of hurt.

He felt his neck whip forward and hit something hard and his entire body seemed to cry out before it all went black.