Section E crashed into the cafeteria like a storm.
Jay and Lia walked together again — finally talking — while Kairav trailed behind them calmly, opening a small snack like nothing in the world could bother him.
Angelo and Aries followed with the energy of two men who had been emotionally beaten for 24 hours.
At the Section E table, Mika jumped up and started waving.
"HEY! COME HERE BEFORE OTHER SECTIONS STEAL OUR SPOT!"
Cin, Percy, Felix, and Freya pushed their trays aside.
Mayo scooted over silently.
Lia sat down with her usual quiet elegance.
Jay sat beside her, proud and relieved.
Kairav sat across them, breaking a cookie in half like he owned the whole cafeteria.
Angelo dropped into his seat.
"If Lia glares at me again, I swear my soul will evaporate."
Aries nodded in misery.
"She glared at you twice today."
Jay smacked them both lightly.
"You deserved it."
Lia didn't even look up as she sipped her juice.
"You can stop acting like you're dying. I forgave you already."
Angelo froze mid-breath.
"…you did?"
"I said you're forgiven," Lia repeated. "Just don't lie to me again."
Jay practically exploded with happiness.
"YES! SHE LOVES US AGAIN!"
Lia muttered, "I didn't say that."
But she didn't push Jay away.
Just then, a cafeteria worker approached their table, sweating nervously.
"Um… Lia… Kairav… do you want your trays taken? Or… need anything?"
Jay did a full double take.
"HOLD ON. WHEN DID CAFETERIA STAFF START TAKING ORDERS?!"
The worker stammered.
"Uh… the principal said to treat you both with respect… just in case."
Mika leaned over to Percy.
"Lia is the second richest person in the world."
Percy nodded.
"And Kairav is the richest."
Felix whispered, "So they basically run Earth."
Kairav shrugged while opening another cookie.
"Not run. Just… influence."
Everyone stared.
Angelo whispered,
"Bro, you say terrifying things so casually."
Before anyone could protest, Kiefer returned holding two full plates of food.
He placed one in front of Lia.
"Eat," he said flatly.
Lia frowned. "I'm not—"
"Yes you are," Kiefer said. "You fought yesterday. You need strength."
Jay gasped.
"Kiefer… you're the best boyfriend in the entire universe."
Kiefer smirked.
"I know."
The moment things finally felt peaceful…
…Kiara walked into the cafeteria.
Silence slammed the room.
And Lia simply looked up, eyes cold, calm, deadly.
Her entire table straightened instinctively.
Because when Lia looked like that…
…it meant something was about to happen.
Mika whispered, sliding closer to Jay,
"Oh no… the villain has entered."
Percy ducked behind Freya.
"She looks like she's here to declare war."
Jay muttered,
"She better not look at Lia today… I'm not in the mood to go to detention again."
Aries cracked his knuckles.
"I'm ALWAYS in the mood."
Angelo:
"Bro PLEASE no, not anymore."
But Kiara wasn't looking at Section E.
Not yet.
She walked straight toward their table, heels clicking dramatically like she practiced in the bathroom mirror.
Lia didn't react.
She didn't look.
She didn't blink.
Kairav, from the next table, watched like a hawk.
Kiara stops right in front of Lia
Jay whispered,
"Here we go. Scene 1 of the daily drama."
Kiara folded her arms.
"Lia."
Lia didn't look up.
She continued eating peacefully.
Jay:
"Ooooh she's ignoring her. I love this."
Kiara leaned closer, voice sharp,
"Don't pretend you didn't hear me."
Lia calmly placed her spoon down.
Still didn't look at her.
Kiara's jaw tightened.
She hated being ignored more than anything.
"Lia," she repeated louder,
"we need to talk."
Jay rolled her eyes.
"Kiara please, no one wants a side-quest from you."
Kiara glared at Jay, then turned back to Lia.
And finally—
Lia lifted her eyes.
Slowly.
Calmly.
So calmly that Kiara actually stepped back a little.
"What?" Lia said.
Just one word.
But her tone felt like a slap.
Kiara tries to act brave
"You—you think you're so much better than everyone? Just because you're rich?"
Jay snorted.
"She's richer than YOUR entire bloodline, calm down."
Mika whispered,
"Bro, even the chair Lia is sitting on is probably richer."
Percy:
"…that doesn't make sense—"
Cin:
"It does to me."
Kiara ignored all of them.
Then she made the biggest mistake possible:
She grabbed Lia's wrist.
Jay shot up from her seat.
Angelo too.
Aries stood so fast his chair flipped.
The entire Section E activated like Avengers assembling.
Kairav started walking toward them — slow and dangerous.
But Lia…
Lia didn't move.
She simply turned her head and looked at Kiara's hand holding her wrist.
Expression:
Empty. Dead calm. Terrifying.
In a soft voice, she said in Hindi:
"Haath chhodo. (Let go.)"
Kiara froze.
Not because Lia spoke Hindi — everyone knew she's Indian.
But because her voice was ice.
Still, Kiara tightened her grip stubbornly.
And Lia leaned forward and whispered:
"Agar dobara mujhe chhua na… haath kaat dungi. (Touch me again and I'll cut your hand off.)"
Kiara went pale.
Completely pale.
Jay whispered,
"…I suddenly want to do charity and behave."
Mika:
"That was not Hindi. That was a death prayer."
Percy:
"I think I just levitated."
Angelo:
"Ya Allah."
Kairav reached the table just in time to see Kiara panic and snatch her hand away.
She stepped back trembling.
"I didn't mean— I was just—"
Lia stood up slowly.
Not angry.
Just done.
"You wanted attention," she said.
"Congratulations. You got mine."
Kiara backed away.
No one stopped her.
She practically ran out of the cafeteria.
After she leaves…
Jay yelled,
"LIA. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE THAT COOL WITHOUT WARNING!"
Aries put an arm over Lia's shoulder.
"You should've let me punch her—"
"No," Lia said.
Jay stomped.
"WHY NOT?!"
"Because she's not worth the effort," Lia said simply.
Jay pointed at her dramatically.
"I am your effort."
Lia sighed.
"You're my headache."
Jay gasped.
"That's so sweet!"
Kairav smirked.
"Let's go to class before someone else tries to die today."