Tap tap tap.
I was tapping my pencil on the table, head leaning on my palm, staring at absolutely nothing while my brain was busy thinking about food.
Lechon. Fries. icecream.
Keifer.
Wait—
WHAT—
I instantly sat up straight and smacked my forehead lightly.
"UGHHH what is WRONG with me—someone help—"
"Jay, you okay?" Ci-N leaned over, already judging me.
"Yeah. Me? Totally fine," I said, smiling like a malfunctioning robot.
"You don't look fine."
Before I could lie again, he asked the one question I feared most.
"…Are you thinking about Keifer?"
HELL.
NO.
"Well—maybe—NO—I WAS THINKING ABOUT FOOD—YOU IDIOT," I snapped.
And keifer . ..
But then he suddenly froze.
Actually—
the whole Section E froze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Even David woke up for half a second.
I blinked. "What? What's happening? Is the teacher here?"
"Nope," Ci-N said calmly.
He lifted one finger.
"Three…"
Oh no.
"Two…"
Please no.
"One."
They all inhaled.
Then—
"PRO—"
"Oh my God—"
"FAN—"
"Not now—PLEASE—"
"ITYYYYYYYY—"
I dropped my head onto my desk.
UUUUUh FUCK FUCK FUCK
Section E screamed like they just discovered electricity for the first time.
I hate them.
But also I love them.
But mostly I hate them.
Before I knew it,
the king of ulupongs himself was just inches away from my face.
Keifer.
Keifer freaking Watson.
Looking at me like I was the one who summoned him (I did not. I THINK.)
The whole Section E froze.
Every. Single. Boy.
Eyes wide, mouths open, waiting like hungry hyenas ready to scream "PROFANITY COUPLEEEE—" again.
I tried to pull away.
I swear I TRIED.
But this man—this demon—had the grip of a possessive octopus.
"Let go," I hissed under my breath.
"No," he whispered back, narrowing his eyes. "Why were they shouting?"
"Because you exist," I snapped.
Before he could reply with something annoying and heart-stop-ish, the classroom door slammed open.
Ma'am Cindy marched in with her binder.
I have never been so happy to see a teacher in my entire pathetic life.
"Awwww—" the whole class groaned.
"I MEAN—YES. YES THANK YOU, I'M SAVED—"
I practically threw myself to the opposite side of the room.
Ma'am Cindy shuffled her papers, adjusted her glasses, and said in the most terrifyingly calm voice:
"Class… your results are here."
I SCREAMED.
"WAIT—WHAT?! TODAY? LIKE RIGHT NOW?!"
She blinked at me like I was a broken TV.
"Ms. Mariano… didn't you know your results would be posted on the front board?"
"WHAT—NO—I DID NOT KNOW—WHY DO I NEVER KNOW ANYTHING IN THIS SCHOOL—WHO MADE THESE RULES—"
Section E was already laughing.
Keifer was smiling like he enjoyed my pain.
Ci-N whispered, " you should've known."
I smacked him with my pencil.
As the whole class stampeded out the door like a herd of buffalo (thanks, Section E),
I purposely dragged my feet behind them.
Slow.
Slower.
Slower than a turtle
What if I fail?
Oh no.
OH NO NO NO—
What if my name is at the bottom?
What if Ma'am Cindy writes "pls study" next to it?
What if Section E bullies me?—wait they already do that.
I was spiraling so hard I almost walked into a trash can.
But just then—
A warm hand landed on my shoulder.
I froze.
I turned around slowly…
And saw Keifer standing there, looking down at me with that face.
That "I'm concerned but also judging you" face.
My heart did a whole backflip.
He didn't say anything at first.
Just kept his hand on my shoulder like he was anchoring me to the planet.
"You're shaking," he finally said quietly.
"I—No—I'm not—This is just—advanced vibrating," I muttered.
His eyebrow lifted.
I wanted to die.
His hand was still on my shoulder when he asked,
soft but annoyingly observant:
"Are you scared?"
I immediately puffed out my cheeks.
"Scared? ME? No. Never. I laugh in the face of danger. HA HA—"
He blinked at me.
"Jay."
"…Okay maybe a little."
I pinched my fingers together to show "small."
"Like…tiny bit. Microscopic. Ant-size fear."
He stared at me like he was calculating how dumb I was on a scale of 1–10.
Then he stepped closer.
"Come on," he said, gently tugging my wrist.
"I'll go with you."
My brain short-circuited.
My feet moved on their own.
My soul already left my body.
We stopped in front of the bulletin board where the papers were pinned.
Keifer leaned down a little, scanning for my name before I could even look.
Then—
His eyebrows lifted.
He smirked.
That stupid little smirk that makes me want to punch him and hug him at the same time.
"Jay."
"No—don't say it—don't tell me—I can't—"
"97.99."
I froze.
He tapped the paper with his finger.
"See? Told you there was nothing to be scared about."
I stared at the score.
Then at him.
Then at the score again.
"IM A GENIUS."
I screamed so loud Section E probably heard me from the next building.
Keifer chuckled, shaking his head.
"You're impossible."
"And you," I pointed dramatically,
"are now REQUIRED to take me to all you can eat buffet for emotional support."
"Oh really?"
"Yes. It's the law."
He laughed under his breath.
"Fine, genius.
I was looking at my classmates grades they all did pretty good ci-n had to pass with the highest score of course like it was a celebrity when loud footsteps echoed behind us.
Oh great.
The Avengers of Annoyance.
Mica showed up first,ran to calix and hugged him greeted him with a hello babe before greeting me she waved at me hi jay
Hi mica
Then Aries came—one arm slung over Ella wow so heads over heels of his girlfrined
Ella llooked at me n waved hii jay
Hii ellla
Whats ur score
97.99
WoW GOOD JOB
Thanks i said
I looked at aries
And he asked
You actaly have a brain
YA I DO HAHAHA IN YOUR FACE
But then he looked behind me to see kefir
Then freya came
Freya looked at Keifer, then me, then Keifer again—like she smelled gossip.
Aries raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you two standing so close? Hmmm?"
MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY.
Keifer didn't even move.
He just crossed his arms like he was guarding me or something.
"Why do you care?" he said, so casually I almost passed out.
Aries smirked. "Someone sounds protective."
Freya walked right past me, lowkey shoulder-checking me, and muttered:
"She probably only passed 'cause someone helped her."
My jaw dropped.
I was about to roast her ancestors when—
Keifer spoke first.
"Jay got a higher score than all of you," he said, voice cold.
"So maybe shut up?"
Freya blinked.
Aries wheezed.
Ella looked confused.
Mica nearly dropped her coffee.
And me?
Brain = OFFLINE.
Keifer walked ahead.
"Come on, genius," he said.
And I… like the clown I am… followed him.
We walked all the way to class…
Just to see a paper taped to the door.
NO MORE CLASSES FOR TODAY - FOR ALL STUDENTS
I blinked at it.
"…So we walked for what?"
We walked out to the parking lot like defeated soldiers.
Class canceled.
Stomachs empty.
Brain cells useless.
Section E was standing around like a pack of homeless hyenas.
Rory kicked a pebble.
"So what now?"
Ci-N pushed up his glasses, dead serious.
"Statistically, we should eat."
David, half-asleep:
"I second that… zzz…"
Then Edrix pointed at the sky.
"BUFFET."
"BUFFEEEET!" Section E echoed like they were summoning a demon.
I snorted.
"Y'all are embarrassing."
Keifer nudged me.
"You're literally drooling."
"I— NO I'M NOT."
We all started walking toward the gate when suddenly—
Aries, Ella, Mica, and Freya appeared, walking out of the building like the "clean aesthetic" versions of us.
Aries raised a brow.
"Why are you gremlins still here?"
I crossed my arms.
"Buffet."
Ella looked shocked.
"This early?"
"Always early for food," Ci-N answered like it was a life principle.
Mica blinked.
"Ohhh, that's actually tempting—"
Freya scoffed.
"No. I'm not going anywhere with—"
She motioned at all of Section E.
"…that."
Section E gasped like she cursed their ancestors.
Rory whispered to me,
"She hates us."
"Correct," I whispered back.
Aries shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Nah, we'll just go home."
Keifer leaned against a car, folding his arms.
"Scared you'll get out-eaten?"
Aries paused.
Freya paused.
Ella blinked.
Mica choked on her own spit.
Aries turned around slowly.
"Excuse me?"
Keifer shrugged.
"You heard me."
Aries stepped closer.
"We're literally the top section. We have discipline."
Edrix cut in loudly,
"And we have hunger. Pick your fighter."
Ci-N nodded like a judge.
"Our class will dominate the buffet."
Freya rolled her eyes.
"We're not joining your—"
Mica tugged on her arm.
"Please? I want sushi."
Ella peeked at Aries.
"Babe… unlimited siomai…"
I swear I saw Aries crack.
Just a little.
Then he sighed.
"Fine. ONE meal."
Mica cheered.
Ella smiled.
Freya crossed her arms like she was being forced into a war.
She muttered at me,
"If anyone from Section E breathes near me—"
"I'll poke their eyes out for you," I said.
Her lips twitched like she wanted to laugh but refused.
Section E exploded into victory screams:
"LET'S GOOOOO!"
"TOP SECTION WHO?!"
"FREYA JOINED US?? MIRACLE!!"
Aries groaned,
"Why are they like this?"
I shrugged.
"Don't ask. Just accept."
Keifer walked beside me as we headed toward the street.
He smirked.
"You're really dragging all of them?"
I nudged him with my elbow.
"What can I say? I have charisma."
"No," he corrected.
"You have food addiction."