Chapter 226: The Empty Seat
The first morning bell had barely stopped ringing when the loud-speaker crackled to life. Every student in every classroom sat up a little straighter, half-expecting the usual reminders about field-trip forms or cafeteria menus.
Instead, the principal’s voice wavered across the corridor:
"Students and staff, I’m deeply sorry to inform you that our classmate Jay Woods has passed away."
A stunned hush rippled through the school. Only a few weeks earlier they’d heard a similar announcement about Sam, and now, Jay? It felt impossible, like some cruel pattern no one could break.
Whispers blew through the corridors: maybe the campus was cursed, maybe something darker was at work. Rumours swirled even faster than the brittle autumn leaves outside.
Everyone already knew the bare bones. The night before, there’d been a hit-and-run on Copper Street, and by breakfast the tragedy had a name: Jay. Teachers called it a tragic accident, an unfortunate fluke, and tried to shepherd everyone back to worksheets and whiteboards.
Only Max knew it hadn’t been an accident at all.
Jay’s death hit the students in a very different way compared to what happened with Sam.
Particularly for those in the Bloodline group.
Many of them had grown close to Jay. He wasn’t just someone they shared classes with, he had helped them whenever he could. He’d stepped in to stop them from getting into serious trouble more times than they could count.
In the middle of lessons, as Max sat there in silence, he overheard several conversations. Stories from others about Jay, about what he had done for them. About how he had their backs.
And everyone seemed to agree on the same thing: that there were plenty of people who probably should’ve gone before Jay. It wasn’t fair. It never was.