" Pierce Quinn , you again ! " " Still stuck at third place , huh ? Guess some things never change ." There was no hiding the mockery in Pierce's voice as he leaned against the school gate , arms crossed and a crooked grin on his lips . Ignatius Stone's fists clenched at his sides , frustration flickering in his eyes . His friend , standing awkwardly by , tugged nervously at his sleeve , but Ignatius shook him off with a sharp jerk . " Face it , Pierce . Without your family's money , what do you have on me ? All you ever do is gloat that I'm forever third . Honestly , you're pathetic ." His words were cutting , icy with resentment . But Pierce only seemed amused . He wagged a finger at Ignatius , his expression infuriatingly smug . " No , no , you've got it wrong . Sure , my family's out of your league , but let's not forget - my looks are in a whole different stratosphere too ." He stroked his jaw , eyes glinting with self - satisfaction . Annoying as he was , Pierce wasn't lying . Where Ignatius still wore the awkward traces of adolescence , Pierce - with his bold red hair and effortless flair - managed to make even the wildest styles look cool . He was cocky , sometimes reckless , but undeniably popular . Every month , someone confessed to him through the school's anonymous message board - sometimes even kids from Crestview High across town . The declarations got so over - the - top that his friends joked he must've hired people to write them . Once again , Ignatius found himself outmatched , biting down hard as he glared at Pierce . " Forget it , Ignatius , let's just go . " His friend cast a worried glance at the gering crowd , urging him to walk away before things escalated . With a huff , Ignatius spun around and stormed off . Pierce just laughed and waved after him , making sure everyone could hear , " Hey , don't forget , Mr. Third Place ! " The crowd's attention snapped to Pierce , but he didn't seem to care - if anything , he played it up , his tone light and teasing . " And if I recall , you didn't even beat me this time . Maybe you'll do better next round! " " Nine points ! It was only a nine - point gap , not ten or more ! " Ignatius shot back without thinking . 1/2 13.50 1945 Chapter 48 Laughter rippled through the students . The sound made Ignatius's cheeks burn with anger. He lost his patience , shoving through the onlookers toward Pierce , who only smiled wider as more people - some from the rival academy across the street - gathered to watch . But before Ignatius could reach him , a clear , emotionless voice rang out . " Pierce ." The single word was crisp , cool , and unmistakably female . Pierce's eyes lit up . He turned , and the crowd instinctively parted , revealing Zachary and Alessia at the back . " Alessia ! " Pierce called out cheerfully , though he was actually a year older than her . He turned his back on Ignatius without a second thought , striding over with a swagger . " Nice outfit , huh ? Check this out . " He tugged at his collar , showing off the black shirt decorated with stick figure doodles , artful rips , and a chunky chain . " I'm calling this look ' Dark Rebel . ' What do you think ? " His expectant smile practically begged for praise . Alessia just winced at the sight - between the clashing patterns , the holes , and the oversized hardware , it was a lot to take in . " What are you doing hanging around the gates of someone else's school ? " " Nothing ! Really , nothing . " Pierce's grin turned sheepish as he tried to charm her , a far cry from his earlier bravado . She didn't buy it for a second . Alessia glanced past Pierce, locking eyes with Ignatius for a brief , tense moment . Sensing trouble , Pierce quickly shifted to block her view , then pivoted to Zachary instead . " Well , look who it is - Mr . Perpetual Second Place himself . Alessia , what are you doing with Zachary ? " Chapter 49