The first time Jay Jay met Keifer, she wanted to strangle him.
It was the second week of college, and she was already running on fumes-assignments, forced socializing, and the general existential crisis that came with adulthood. She had just found an empty corner of the library, a rare gem of silence, when-
Thud.
A book landed right on her open notebook.
She blinked at it, then at the guy who had unceremoniously dropped it there.
He was tall, slightly disheveled, withsharp eyes that looked far too amused for someone she had never spoken to before.
"Uh, excuse you?" she said flatly.
Keifer plopped into the chair across from her, completely unbothered. "You're in my spot."
Jay Jay scoffed. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see your name engraved on it."
Keifer smirked. "It's an unspoken rule. This corner is mine."
Jay Jay folded her arms. "And who exactly made that rule?"
Keifer leaned back. "Me."
She stared at him, deadpan. "Wow. Revolutionary."
He grinned. "Look, I get it. You're new here, still figuring things out, but trustme-this spot? Prime real estate. Perfect lighting, zero foot traffic, and just out of the librarian's glare range. I discovered it first."
Jay Jay rolled her eyes, shutting her notebook. "Fine. Enjoy your throne, Your Majesty."
Keifer watched as she stood. "Wait-what, you're just leaving?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What, you expected a duel?"
Keifer chuckled. "No, but most people fight harder for what they want."
Jay Jay studied him. He didn't sound cocky-just curious. Testing. Like he was trying to see how far she'd go.
She smirked. "I prefer to pick my battles. This isn't one of them."
Keifer nodded, impressed. "Noted."
She turned to leave, but before she could step away, he called out, "Hey, wait."
She glanced back.
Keifer slid her notebook across the table. "You forgot this."
Jay Jay hesitated before taking it. "Thanks."
Keifer tilted his head. "See you around, newbie."
Jay Jay snorted. "Yeah. Try not to hoard more library corners."
With that, she walked off, not realizing that this wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed-or that one day, this annoying stranger would become her constant.
Over the next few weeks,their encounters became frequent-sometimes by accident, sometimes because Keifer seemed to have a knack for showing up wherever she was. Whether it was the library, the cafeteria, or even the hallway outside her lecture, he was there.
And somehow, against all logic, they became friends.
Like the time she got lost on campus, and he appeared out of nowhere.
"You're circling the same building, you know," he had said, smug.
"I knew that," Jay Jay lied.
Or the time she pulled an all-nighter for an assignment and fell asleep on a bench.
"Okay, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up before someone reports you as a missing student," Keifer had teased,nudging her with his foot.
And then there was the day that changed everything.
So when she found herself sitting on the dorm staircase, gripping the edge of her sleeves to stop her hands from shaking, she hated it.
She had just gotten off the phone with her parents. Another fight. Another reminder that she was never enough.
She had thought she was alone until a familiar voice cut through the silence.
"That bad, huh?"
She looked up. Keifer stood there, hands in his pockets, gaze softer than usual.
She quickly wiped at her eyes. "What are you doing here?"Keifer shrugged. "Saw you storm out of the library like you were about to burn it down. Figured I should follow before you committed arson."
Jay Jay let out a weak laugh. "Tempting."
He sat beside her, not pushing, not prying-just there.
Minutes passed in silence before she finally sighed. "Do you ever just... wish you could be someone else?"
Keifer exhaled. "All the time."
She glanced at him. He wasn't smiling. For once, the sarcasm was gone.
Jay Jay hesitated. "My parents... they never listen. Never understand. No matter what I do, it's never enough."
Keifer leaned back. "Yeah. I get that."
She looked at him, really looked. "You do?"
He huffed out a laugh. "My parents only pay attention when I screw up. So, y'know, I've gotten good at that."
Jay Jay smirked, but it quickly faded. "I just... I don't know why I even try anymore."
Keifer tapped his fingers against his knee. "Because deep down, you still hope they'll see you. That's the worst part, isn't it? Knowing you still care, even when they don't."
Jay Jay swallowed hard. "Yeah."
Keifer sighed. "Look, I won't give you some fake pep talk about how things get better. But I will say this-you're not as alone as you think."
She looked at him. "Keifer-"He nudged her shoulder lightly. "I mean, who else is going to fight me for library spots?"
Jay Jay snorted. "I let you have that spot, by the way."
Keifer smirked. "Sure you did."
She rolled her eyes, but a small, real smile tugged at her lips.
And in that moment, she realized-Keifer wasn't just a friend. He the one who saw her, even when she didn't want to be seen.
And somehow, that made all the difference.
Over the Next Few Months Keifer became a constant in her life.
When Jay struggled with assignments, Keifer was the first to offer help-even if it meant pretending to understand anthropology.
When she was nervous about presentations, he sat in the front row, nodding dramatically at everything she said.
When she felt overwhelmed, he dragged her out for late-night coffee and aimless walks, making sure she never spiraled too deep into her thoughts.
And when she doubted herself, he was always there with an exasperated sigh and an eye-roll.
"Jay," he'd say, "you overthink everything."
"I do not."
"You do. And for someone so smart, you're shockingly bad at realizing your own worth."
She'd glare at him, but his words always stuck with her.
Keifer never let her fade into the background.
And before Jay even realized it, he had become her closest friend.
Present Day
"Don't disappear, okay?"-
Keifer's words echoed in her mind, lingering longer than she wanted to admit.
She sighed, gripping the edges of her book.
How had they ended up here? From effortless conversations and late-night debates to... whatever this distance was.
For the first time in years, Jay felt likeshe was slipping away from herself.
And worst of all?
Keifer had noticed before she did.