March 21 – St. Ivy High, Morning
The courtyard of St. Ivy buzzed with energy. The sun was sharp, the breeze carried spring with it, and laughter echoed like nothing had changed.
But something shifted.
It began with a whisper.
"Wait… is that—?"
Students turned. A few heads popped out from classroom doors. Others paused mid-step. Whispers spread like wildfire down the hallway, rippling through the lockers and lockers and up the staircases.
"Someone said he's back."
"No way. Seriously?"
"I thought he transferred or something…"
The camera of attention focused on one single point—
The school gate.
And through it, casually strolling in with his blazer half-buttoned and one hand in his pocket, was Jay Markov.
He hadn't changed much. Not outwardly.
Same tall frame. Same tousled hair. Same effortless smirk.
But his walk was different. He wasn't drifting anymore—he was walking with purpose.
Like he knew where he was going.
And more importantly—
That he belonged.
The Hallway Falls Silent
Jay passed the main entrance, and for a moment, it was like the entire hallway forgot how to speak.
A girl from Class 1-C dropped her water bottle. A second-year whispered "holy crap" under her breath. Another one literally walked into a door.
Jay gave a tiny nod here and there—just enough to acknowledge the stares, not enough to invite them.
He adjusted his bag, rolled his shoulder once, and kept walking.
The morning bell hadn't rung yet. He had a few minutes.
He paused at the edge of the stairwell.
And smiled.
This place still smelled the same.
Class 1-A – Before the Storm
"Has anyone seen my binder?" Sofia called out, rifling through her locker with zero grace.
"It's on your desk," Amaya said quietly.
"Oh." Sofia blinked. "Huh."
Emma was at the front, reviewing her notes again. Tyler leaned halfway out the window.
Mr. Brooks hadn't arrived yet.
Just noise. Background motion. The kind that happens when no one expects anything.
Then—
The door slid open.
And silence collapsed over the classroom like a dropped curtain.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Jay stood at the door, one hand on the frame, his expression casual.
Like he had never left.
Like this was just another morning.
"Morning," he said. "Did I miss anything?"
Emma stood frozen, halfway to sitting. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
Amaya blinked. Her pencil rolled from her hand onto the desk. Her eyes didn't leave him.
Sofia made a choking noise. "WHAT."
Tyler spun so fast he nearly fell off his chair.
"BRO—"
Jay walked to his desk, dropped his bag beside the chair, and sat.
The chair squeaked like it remembered him.
He leaned back and stretched.
"Feels the same," he murmured.
Sofia was still frozen.
Then she shrieked. "YOU. YOU'RE DEAD. I TOLD EVERYONE YOU WERE DEAD."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "And they believed you?"
"WELL—YES. Look at you!"
"Handsome as ever?"
Tyler launched from his desk, tackled him into a one-armed hug, and practically shook his soul out.
"YOU'RE BACK?! WHEN? WHY? HOW?!"
Jay wheezed. "One question at a time, big guy."
Amaya stood quietly, clutching her notebook. Her lips trembled.
Jay caught her gaze. Gave a soft, silent nod.
She smiled.
Just a little.
Mr. Brooks Returns
The classroom door slammed.
Mr. Brooks strode in with his usual coffee cup—and paused mid-sip.
He blinked.
Lowered the mug.
Then blinked again.
"…Okay," he muttered. "Either I'm hallucinating or the golden boy is back."
Jay raised a hand lazily. "Morning, sir."
Brooks grunted. "I was just starting to enjoy the quiet."
The class laughed. The tension cracked like ice.
Mr. Brooks walked to the board and, without another word, wrote:
"Welcome Back, Jay."
And under it:
"Pop quiz postponed—because even I'm not that cruel."
Back Where He Belongs
Class continued.
Jay didn't say much that day.
But he didn't need to.
His presence said everything.
He was back.
Not just as the class rep. Not just as the boy they'd missed.
But as something more grounded. More real.
And as the school day moved on—
With side glances, shy smiles, secret texts, and quiet joy—
Everyone knew one thing:
St. Ivy felt whole again.