Jay's POV
The night air was a sharp contrast to the suffocating heat of the lounge. I leaned against a cold stone pillar in the garden, my breath coming in jagged hitches. Sam. Even saying his name in my head felt like swallowing broken glass.
I had spent years building a fortress around my heart, labeling myself "Jean" to keep the world at arm's length, yet one simple question from Josh had brought the whole structure crashing down.
A soft rustle of leaves signaled someone's approach. I didn't turn. My hand instinctively dropped to the small pocket where I kept my pocketknife. "Go away, Jane. I just need a minute."
"Not Jane," a low, steady voice replied.
Keifer.
I stiffened, wiping my face with the back of my hand. I didn't want him to see this. I didn't want the "King" of Section E to see that the girl who could take down five guys in a brawl was currently falling apart over a ghost.
"I said go away, Keifer," I snapped, though my voice lacked its usual bite.
He didn't listen. He never did. He stepped into my line of sight, his expression uncharacteristically soft. He didn't say "It's okay" or "Don't cry"—hollow words that I hated. Instead, he just stood there, leaning against the pillar opposite me.
"You don't have to carry the whole world by yourself, Jay," he said quietly. "Even soldiers need a trench to hide in sometimes."
I looked at him, my eyes stinging. I didn't trust him. Not completely. In my world, trust was a luxury that usually ended in a funeral or a fire.
But right now, the weight of Sam's memory was too heavy. I let out a long, shuddering breath and leaned my forehead against his shoulder. I didn't hug him. I just needed something solid to keep me from sinking into the dirt.
For a moment, it felt light. Just a little bit. Having someone there who wasn't asking questions, who was just... present.
Then, the silence lasted a second too long. I felt him shift, and I knew the "Asshole of Section e" was back.
He leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "You know," he murmured, his voice returning to that husky, flirtatious lilt, "you look even more beautiful when you're vulnerable. It makes me want to keep you all to myself."
I felt the familiar spark of irritation. The moment was over. I pushed off his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye, my face a mask of cold indifference.
"Keep dreaming, Keifer," I said, my voice like ice. "The only thing you're keeping is a distance of five feet from me if you don't want your lungs rearranged. Go to bed."
I turned on my heel and walked back inside without looking back.
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The next morning was a blur of caffeine and silence. We all left for school in a caravan of cars. Jane and I headed straight for Section E—our official designation, even if we spent half our time dealing with the chaos of those Uplongs..
Sir Alvin walked in, his face serious. "Class, listen up. We have a returning student today. David is back."
The room erupted. Some students hooted and cheered, but I noticed Keifer, who was leaning against the back wall, suddenly looked like he'd tasted something bitter. His jaw was set tight.
I felt a nudge at my shoulder. Jane was looking at me. I remembered what Percy—my "dead" brother who was very much alive in the shadows—I know, told me,
"Trust David. He knows I'm alive. He's one of the few who can help us."
I looked at Jane, a silent question in my eyes. She gave me a single, approving nod.
During the lunch break, I found David sitting by the fountain in the courtyard.
He looked up, a bright grin breaking across his face. "Hi! J..."
"It's Jay," I corrected, sitting across from him.
"Right, Jay. Sorry," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Percy told me all about you. And your sister. He said you were the one I should look out for, though looking at you, I think it's the other way around."
We talked for an hour. It was easy. David was calm, observant.
"He's actually obsessed with himself," David said,his voice carrying across the quiet space. "I caught Percy staring at his own reflection in a combat knife for ten minutes, adjusting his hair while we were supposed to be scouting."
I actually laughed. A real, genuine laugh that reached my eyes. I let out another peal of laughter. "That sounds exactly like him. Percy would check his reflection in a puddle if he had to."
From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of red hair. Keifer was standing by the corridor, his eyes burning with a mix of jealousy and confusion. He looked like he wanted to march over and flip the table. I just laughed harder, enjoying the sight of him squirming.
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Keifer's POV
I stood in the shadows of the corridor, my fingers digging into the cold brickwork until my knuckles turned white. My jaw was so tight it felt like it might crack.
Across the courtyard, Jay was sitting with David. David. The guy had been back for five minutes and he was already occupying the space I'd been trying to claim for weeks.
Then, it happened.
Jay laughed.
It wasn't that polite, half-smirk she gave the guys in Section E when they did something stupid. It was a full, head-back, genuine laugh. Her eyes crinkled at the corners, and the sunlight caught the genuine spark of joy in her expression.
It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and it felt like a physical blow to my chest because I wasn't the one who caused it.
I felt a surge of pure, unadulterated jealousy.I had been the one to follow her into the garden. I had been the one she leaned on when she was falling apart. But now, here she was, glowing because of some guy who knew her for just few hours.
Every time she smiled at David, it felt like she was adding another brick to the wall between us. I wanted to march over there, grab her by the waist, and remind her that I was the one who saw her tears last night. I wanted to wipe that easy grin off David's face.
Instead, I just stood there, a "King" feeling like a peasant, watching the girl I couldn't stop thinking about give her best moments to someone else.
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Jane's POV
It was time for PE class—a joint session between the sections. I went to the locker rooms to get ready, pulling my hair into a tight ponytail. As I stepped out into the hallway leading to the gym, I saw a figure standing near the equipment shed.
"Cin?" I called out, thinking it was him. No response.
I turned around to see who it was, my foot catching on a stray skipping rope. I stumbled forward, my hands flying out to catch myself. I didn't hit the floor. I hit a chest.
I looked up, my hands landing on Yuri's shoulders. He had reached out to steady me, but the momentum was too much. We both tumbled back against the lockers. In the chaos of the fall, my face smashed into his.
My lips landed directly on his.
Time stopped. His eyes were wide, and I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. I jerked back instantly, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My face was a wildfire; I could feel the heat in my ears.
"Accident!" I gasped, clutching my gym bag. "That was... a complete accident."
Yuri was bright red, his hand hovering over his mouth. "Yes. Accident. Definitely."
We both turned and sprinted in opposite directions, neither of us looking back.
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Yuri's POV
My head was spinning as I reached the gym floor. My lips still felt tingly, a ghost of Jane's touch lingering there. Jane. The billboard girl. The girl who usually looked like she wanted to murder me had just...
I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath. My heart wouldn't slow down. Was it just an accident? Of course it was. But why did I feel like I'd just walked through a live wire? I felt nervous, my palms sweaty as I saw her enter the gym from the other side, purposely looking at anything but me.
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Jay's POV
The session was a nightmare. Sections E, A, and C were all gathered in the main gymnasium for "bonding" exercises.
We were warming up when Cin, being the eternal brat he is, snatched my phone from the bench. "Let's see what's on Jay's secret playlist!" he crowed, sprinting away.
"Cin! Give it back!" I roared, taking off after him.
I was fast, but the gym floor was crowded. I dodged a group of Section C girls, but as I rounded a corner near the mats, I didn't see the person standing there. I bumped into someone's chest with full force.
The impact sent us both down. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist to steady the fall, and as we hit the mat, my face landed directly on his.
Keifer.
Our lips crashed together. It wasn't a sweet kiss; it was a collision. I was flushed, my brain short-circuiting as his scent—sandalwood and something metallic—overwhelmed me.
I scrambled up immediately, my face burning with a mix of embarrassment and rage.
Before I could say a word, Aries appeared. He didn't look happy. He grabbed my right hand, his grip firm. "Come on, Jay. Let's get out of here."
But Keifer wasn't letting go. He grabbed my left hand, his eyes dark and defiant. "She's staying here, Aries.She belongs to Section e"
"No she doesn't "
They started dragging me, a literal tug-of-war with my body. "Stop it! Both of you!" I yelled.
Suddenly, my hand slipped from Aries' grip. The sudden release of tension sent me flying toward Keifer. He caught me, his arms locking around me, and before I could breathe, he pulled me in. He didn't just kiss me; he started sucking on my lower lip, a possessive, hungry move that sent a jolt of pure lightning through the room.
The gym went silent.
I pushed him back with everything I had, my heart thundering with pure, unadulterated rage. He stumbled back, a smug, dazed smirk on his face. He wiped his mouth with his thumb.
"Your lips are fucking sweet, Jay," he rasped.
That was it. The last thread of my patience snapped. I didn't think. I didn't calculate. I just swung.
My fist connected with his jaw with a sickening crack.
"FUCCCKKK!" Keifer groaned, doubling over as he clutched his face.
The entire gym was frozen. Even Cin had stopped running. Jane was standing by the door, her eyes wide. I didn't stay to see the aftermath. I turned and bolted out of the gym, the sound of my own pulse drowning out the shocked whispers of the Kings and their subjects.
I didn't need a lean. I didn't need a kiss. I needed to get as far away from Section E as possible before I burned the whole school down.
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A/n
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Bye my cuties 🥰