Jay's POV
The first thing I felt was the silence. It wasn't the peaceful silence of a forest; it was the heavy, clinical silence that follows a storm. My mind felt like it was full of static, flickering with jagged images of red—red liquid, red walls, the red mist of a memory I had spent years trying to drown.
"You're useless." The voice hissed in the back of my brain. I squeezed my eyes shut, my breath hitching. I expected to feel the cold, damp stone of a cellar floor. I expected the smell of iron and old cigarettes.
Instead, I felt warmth. Something soft was wrapped around me, and a steady, rhythmic heartbeat was thumping against my back.
I opened my eyes slowly. The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a nightlight.
I wasn't in the past. I was in a guest room at the Watsons'. And the warmth? It was Jane. She was curled around me, her arms locked in a protective embrace even in her sleep
Her face was tucked into the crook of my neck, her breathing shallow but constant.
The memory of the hallway came rushing back—the splash, the panic, the way I had lunged at her. A wave of crushing guilt washed over me. I had hurt her. I had looked at my best friend and seen a monster.
I shifted slightly, turning in her arms. Jane stirred but didn't wake. I reached out, my fingers trembling, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Then, I leaned in and hugged her back, burying my face in her shoulder.
I held her with a desperate, silent apology, pulling the covers tighter until the phantom smells of the past were replaced by the scent of her shampoo. Exhaustion, heavy and numbing, dragged me back down into a dreamless sleep.
When I woke again, the sun was streaming through the heavy curtains. The bed beside me was empty. I sat up, feeling a dull ache in my temples.
The bathroom door opened, and Jane stepped out, already dressed in fresh clothes. She looked tired, her eyes a bit puffy, but when she saw me awake, her face transformed.
"Hey," she whispered, her voice cautious. "How do you feel?"
"Like I got hit by a truck," I croaked. I looked down at my hands. They were clean. The red was gone. "Jane... I'm sorry. About last night. About pushing you."
She was at my side in a second, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Don't you dare apologize, Jay. Not to me. Not ever for that." She squeezed my hand. "Go freshen up. I'll go down and check the coast. Take your time."
I nodded, watching her leave before I dragged myself toward the shower. I needed to wash away the last of the ghosts.
------------------------------
Jane's POV
I walked down the grand staircase, my heels clicking softly against the marble. My mind was already racing, calculating how to handle Keifer and the rest of Section E.
I was ready for a fight. I was ready to tear them apart if they so much as looked at the stairs.
But when I reached the bottom, I stopped.
The entire Section E squad was gathered in the foyer. They weren't lounging or joking. They looked... pathetic. Michael had a bandage across his nose, Keifer was leaning against a pillar with a dark bruise blooming on his jaw, and the others were hovering like anxious puppies.
As I approached, they all straightened up. Cin stepped forward, his usual arrogance replaced by a look of profound uncertainty.
"Jane," he started, his voice low. "Is she... is she okay?"
I looked at their faces—the guilt was written in every line of their features. They weren't the "kings" of the school right now; they were just boys who had realized they'd stepped on a landmine.
"She's awake," I said coldly. "And because I know you all are currently suffocating under the weight of your own guilt, I'm going to tell you how to survive the next hour."
"How did you know we were—" Cin started, but I cut him off.
"I know you," I said. "And I know she's the first person who ever made you feel like you weren't the toughest things in the room.
Now, listen. Jay loves food—not that fancy stuff your chefs make, but real, comforting food. She has a weird, borderline obsessive love for Snorlax. And most importantly,"
I glared at Eman, "she is deathly allergic to mangoes. Remember that. If you put a mango near her today, I will personally finish what Aries started."
Eman scrambled toward the kitchen. "Breakfast. No mangoes. Got it."
The others sprang into action. They started moving furniture, pulling out decorations, and whispering frantically. It was chaotic, but it was sincere.
I felt a presence beside me. I turned to see Yuri. He didn't speak; he just leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on me, watching the way I handled the group. There was something in his gaze—a quiet curiosity, maybe even a shred of respect—but I ignored it. My only priority was the girl upstairs.
-----------------------------
Keifer's POV
I felt like a ghost in my own home. My jaw throbbed where Aries had clocked me, but it was nothing compared to the hollow feeling in my chest.
Jane's words about the Snorlax stuck in my head. I didn't care about the party or the "warrior" image anymore. I just wanted to see Jay look at me without horror in her eyes.
I slipped away into the study and pulled out my phone. "Get me the largest, highest-quality Snorlax plush available in the city," I barked into the receiver to my personal courier. "I don't care about the price. I want it here in twenty minutes. If you have to break speed limits, do it."
While Eman and the others were busy in the kitchen making a mess of the breakfast prep, I watched the gate. When the courier arrived, I snatched the box and hid it behind the sofa in the main hall.
I sat down, my hands trembling slightly. I wasn't used to being the one asking for forgiveness. Usually, people were begging for mine. But Jay... Jay was different.
"She's coming," Felix hissed, scurrying to his place.
We all froze. The sound of footsteps on the stairs was slow, deliberate.
------------------------------
Jay's POV
I walked into the hall, my shoulders squared, prepared for a cold reception or, worse, pity.
"SURPRISE!"
I jumped, my hands instinctively flying up into a defensive crouch. But I stopped mid-motion.
The hall was... a mess. There were streamers that looked like they'd been hung by a blind person. The table was overflowing with pancakes, bacon, and every breakfast food imaginable. Aries and other stood at a corner.The Section E boys were standing in a line, looking like they were waiting for a death sentence.
I stared at them. I looked at Eman, who was wearing a flour-stained apron. I looked at Michael, whose bandaged nose made him look ridiculous.
The absurdity of it hit me. These were the most feared boys in the city, and they were standing there, terrified of a girl in a borrowed oversized hoodie.
A small, genuine laugh bubbled up in my chest. Then another. Before I knew it, I was smiling. A real, wide smile that reached my eyes.
"Wait... Jean?" Cin gaped, pointing at me. "Are you... are you smiling?"
I rolled my eyes, the tension leaving my body. "Dumbo, I also smile. I'm human, aren't I?"
The collective sigh of relief from the group was so loud it was almost comical.
"Eat!" Eman shouted, gesturing to the table. "Everything is mango-free! I checked the labels three times!"
We sat down, and for the first time, the atmosphere wasn't thick with rivalry. It was just... loud.
Tita Serina walked in, her face lighting up when she saw us. She sat near me, her hand resting briefly on my shoulder. "How are you feeling, dear?"
"Better, Tita. Thank you," I said, and I meant it.
Suddenly, a small blur of energy skidded into the room. "Good morning, Ate Jay!" Keiren giggled, climbing into the chair next to me.
"Morning, kiddo," I whispered, leaning over to kiss his forehead. He beamed at me, and for a moment, the world felt completely right.
That was when Keifer moved.
He had been silent the whole morning, watching me from the end of the table. He walked over and placed a large, taped-up box on the chair beside me.
I froze, my eyes narrowing. "If this is a spring-loaded snake or more red paint, Keifer, I will end you."
"Just open it," he muttered, looking away, a slight flush creeping up his neck.
I carefully peeled back the tape, ready to duck. I lifted the flaps and my breath caught.
"Snorlax!" I exclaimed, my voice reaching a pitch I didn't know I possessed. I reached in and hauled out a massive, incredibly soft Snorlax plush. It was nearly as big as Keiren. I didn't even think; I just buried my face in its soft blue stomach and hugged it tight. "He's so soft
Keifer sat down in the empty chair beside me, clearing his throat. "It's... you know. For the room. Or whatever."
I looked at him over the top of the Snorlax's head. "You know, Keifer... you could have just said sorry.
He scoffed, regaining a bit of his usual swagger. "Sorry isn't really my thing, Jay. Takes too much effort."
I hugged the plush tighter. "Fine. Then I don't want your apology anyway."
"Good," he said. A beat of silence passed. "Then... give me back my Snorlax."
I pulled the plush away from him, narrowing my eyes. "No way. You gave it to me. It's mine now. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, Watson."
------------------------------
Keifer's POV
Watching her hug that stupid blue stuffed animal was the most humiliating and satisfying moment of my life.
I had spent forty minutes on the phone threatening a toy store manager. I had paid three times the retail value to have it delivered in a record-breaking sprint. I had felt like a complete idiot holding a giant plushie behind my back while my friends cooked bacon.
But then she smiled.
Not the smirk she gave me when we were fighting. Not the polite smile she gave my mother. It was a bright, radiant thing that seemed to light up her entire face. When she screamed "Snorlax" and dived into the box, the knot of dread that had been sitting in my stomach since the night before finally unraveled.
She looked like a girl. Just a girl. Not a survivor, not a menace, not a weapon.
"It's mine now," she snapped at me, clutching the toy like it was a shield.
"Whatever," I muttered, but I couldn't hide the small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.
I looked at my hands. They weren't stained with red anymore. And as I watched her laugh at something Keiren said, I realized that Jane was right. I hadn't known the fire it took to forge Jay, but I was beginning to realize that the heat was worth it.
------------------------------
Jay's POV
As the breakfast wound down, I looked at Jane. We both knew we couldn't stay in this bubble forever. I still felt a little fragile, and the grand halls of the mansion were starting to feel a bit too big again.
"Tita Serina," I said, turning to Keifer's mother. "Thank you for everything. Truly. But I think we should probably head out. Kuya will be expecting us."
Serina smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes that reminded me exactly where Keifer got his streak of trouble from.
"Actually, kids, I've already taken care of that," she said smoothly, sipping her tea. "I spoke to all of your parents this morning. I told them we were having such a lovely time and that I'd feel much better if you stayed one more night for a proper sleepover. They all agreed."
My jaw dropped. "Angelo..did?"
"All of them," she nodded. "The boys are staying, Aries is staying, Girls are staying,Jane is staying, and you, Jay, are staying. I've already had the staff prepare the large lounge for a movie night."
I looked around the table. Section E was already nodding, looking far too excited about the prospect of a sleepover.
Jane looked at me, giving me a "What can we do?" shrug, though I could see she was relieved I wouldn't be going home to an empty house just yet.
I looked down at my Snorlax, then back at the group of idiots who had tried to ruin my life yesterday and were now trying to feed me extra bacon.
"Fine," I sighed, though a small part of me—the part that didn't have to be a warrior today—was glowing. "One more night."
----------------------
A/n
I hope you all are ready for next chapter...
Guess what's going to happen and let me know in comment box....
Target: 20+ comment 🎯
See you soon 💕
Bye 👋