April 3 – Wednesday Afternoon / St. Ivy High, Classroom 1-A
The Invitation
Class had just ended. Mr. Brooks was yelling something about "independent responsibility" while dramatically erasing the whiteboard, and half the class was already halfway out the door.
Jay stood at his desk, stacking his notes into a loose folder.
"You free this weekend?" he asked casually.
Emma looked up from her planner. "For?"
"Study group. At my place."
She paused. "Who's coming?"
Jay grinned. "That depends on who says yes."
Tyler, nearby, leaned over. "If there's food and I don't have to clean, I'm in."
Sofia strolled by, brushing her hair back. "Are you saying I get to judge everyone's intelligence in the comfort of your apartment? Tempting."
Amaya didn't say anything. But she glanced up from her notes—soft, curious.
Jay noticed.
"Saturday," he said, louder now. "Afternoon. My place. I'll even pretend to make snacks."
"Keyword: pretend," Emma muttered.
"I can cook," Jay said.
"Toast doesn't count."
Saturday – The Gathering
April 6 – Saturday / Jay's Apartment – Midtown District
Jay had cleaned his apartment.
Not just cleaned—Markov-level prepped. Sofa dusted. Table cleared. Kitchen suspiciously spotless. A tray of homemade sandwiches sat awkwardly in the center like they were waiting for approval.
The doorbell rang.
"Showtime," Jay muttered.
He opened it to Tyler, carrying a six-pack of soda and wearing gym shorts like this was a hangout, not a study session.
"Yo!" Tyler beamed. "Nice digs. Where's the real food?"
Jay smirked. "Coming in made you this confident?"
"I was born confident."
"Remind me to fact-check your birth certificate."
Tyler flopped onto the couch immediately. "This is gonna be great. Just me, my soda, and absolutely no intent to study."
Jay tossed him a packet of flashcards. "Try again."
Tension Enters in Heels
The second ring came twenty minutes later.
Jay opened the door to find Sofia, perfectly dressed in an oversized coat, oversized sunglasses, and an expression that said she was already over it.
"You're lucky I like interior design," she said, walking past him. "Otherwise I wouldn't be caught dead in a second-floor apartment with questionable lighting."
"Great to see you too."
Sofia dropped her bag on the counter and took in the space. "You actually tried to make it look normal. That's… almost suspicious."
"It's called effort," Jay replied. "You should try it sometime."
"I'm trying right now," she said sweetly. "Trying not to mock your couch pillows."
The Quiet Arrival
The third knock was softer.
Amaya stood there, bag in hand, sweater sleeves half covering her palms.
"Hey," she said softly.
Jay smiled. "Glad you made it."
She nodded and stepped inside, eyes flicking around the room. Unlike the others, she didn't say much. Just sat near the window, pulled out her notebook, and started underlining things.
Jay noticed how her fingers hovered just a little above the page. Like she wasn't entirely focused.
Or maybe—too focused.
The Final Piece
Emma arrived last.
Jay opened the door and was met with a single word:
"…Wow."
She stood there, eyebrows raised, hands on her hips. "You actually cleaned."
"I wanted to impress our study group."
Emma stepped in, sniffed slightly. "No dust. No instant ramen. Are you feeling, okay?"
Jay raised a brow. "You think I live in a cave?"
"I know you live in denial."
She breezed past him, slid onto the floor near the coffee table, and began laying out her books like it was a military operation.
"Okay, team," she said. "Let's get this disaster started."
Disaster Begins
It started well.
Sort of.
For five whole minutes, everyone opened their textbooks and acted like normal students.
Tyler tried. For two minutes.
Then gave up and turned the history worksheet into a paper plane.
Sofia began critiquing the font in the official exam packet.
Amaya scribbled silent notes, then stared at them like they were foreign code.
Emma… was actually focused.
Jay? Somewhere between admiration and chaos management.
"Tyler," Emma snapped. "That's your third plane."
"They're historically accurate," he said proudly. "It's for the World War II section."
"You're going to fail," she muttered.
Tyler pointed at Sofia. "Why am I getting yelled at when she hasn't written a single word?"
"I'm absorbing," Sofia said coolly.
"You're on your phone."
"Absorbing."
Jay watched them spiral.
And then turned to Amaya. "How's your section?"
She looked up, startled. "It's… okay."
Her smile was small. Faint.
Jay frowned.
But before he could say more, Emma clapped her hands. "Everyone! Focus!"
Tyler groaned. "You're not the class president here."
"I'm your only chance at passing," she replied. "Now open to page 34—"
A loud crash from the kitchen cut her off.
Everyone turned.
Jay stood there, staring at the now-floor-bound tray of sandwiches.
"…We're ordering pizza," he said.
Tension in Corners
While waiting for the food, the chaos mellowed.
Tyler and Miles who'd shown up late, uninvited, and made himself at home, were arguing over which anime had the best villains.
Emma and Sofia sat at opposite ends of the table.
Amaya had retreated to the window seat again.
Jay moved between them all, hosting more than studying.
But when he passed Emma, she whispered, "You okay?"
He blinked. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
Emma gave him a look. "You're playing peacekeeper. That's your old move."
Jay smiled faintly. "Felt familiar."
She nodded once. "Feels nice to see it again."