JAY-JAY POV
"You said we were similar," Keigan started, his voice low, almost cautious. "How?"
I swallowed, twisting my fingers together. "You and I… we have the same problem."
His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"There's another person inside of you," I said softly. "And there's one inside me too. Mine only comes when I'm in trouble."
Silence filled the car, heavy and sharp.
Keigan's eyes flickered, searching mine, as if he was trying to decide whether to believe me.
"You mean… you understand?" he asked, his voice breaking just slightly.
But then—his voice changed. Darker. Rougher.
Before I could react, his hands shot to my neck, squeezing just enough to make me gasp.
"Keigan, let go!" I choked out, clawing at his wrists, panic flooding me.
His eyes weren't the same anymore. Cold. Unfamiliar.
"Just because you have one," he hissed, "doesn't mean I'll like you."
I struggled, breath catching, but his grip didn't falter.
"Stay out of my way," he warned, his tone sharp, dangerous. "And you will live."
My chest tightened, fear and realization crashing together.
This wasn't Keigan.
This was the other Keigan—the one lurking inside, the one Keifer had warned me about.
But then Keigan let go, and before I could even say anything, Keifer appeared.
"Ready?" he asked.
I nodded quickly, forcing a smile.
Next stop was Keigan. He got out of the car, and the moment the door shut, Keifer's eyes snapped to me.
"What did he do?" he asked, voice low, steady.
My heart skipped. "What do you mean?" I tried to play it cool, but my voice cracked.
If I told him the truth, Keifer would be sad. Angry. Maybe both.
"Jay, your face says it all," Keifer said, his tone sharper now. "You look pale… and there are marks on your neck."
His jaw tightened. "Did he—"
"No, no, he didn't do anything," I cut in fast, shaking my head.
Keifer's eyes narrowed, searching mine.
"This happened this morning when I was showering," I blurted, fumbling for words. "I rubbed too hard, that's all."
Silence. Heavy, pressing.
Keifer didn't look convinced.
His gaze lingered on me, unreadable, like he was trying to peel back the lie I'd just thrown at him.
I turned away, clutching the seatbelt tighter, praying he wouldn't push further.
He started to drive, one hand steady on the wheel, the other suddenly reaching for mine.
His fingers wrapped around my knuckles, warm and firm, and before I could react, he lifted them to his lips and kissed me.
"Thank you," he said softly.
I blinked, heat rushing to my cheeks. "For…?" I asked, staring at him.
"For everything," he replied, eyes still on the road, voice calm but heavy with meaning.
My heart thudded so loud I swore it echoed in the car.
I hesitated, then blurted, "Should we… tell Section E about us being official?"
He nodded without hesitation, his smirk faint but certain.
"We can tell them as soon as we reach school," Keifer said smoothly. "We'll still have time."
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "You make it sound so easy."
He chuckled low, squeezing my hand tighter. "Because it is."
I rolled my eyes as we reached the school.
I got out of the car first, waiting for him.
The moment Keifer stepped out, I wrapped my hands around his arm, clinging like it was my shield.
That's when I heard them.
The whispers.
"OMG."
"Is she dating Keifer?"
"OMG, no way."
"Eww, he's dating her? I'm much more beautiful than her."
My jaw clenched.
The audacity.
The nerve.
I swore I was about to punch her right there in the courtyard.
Keifer glanced down at me, calm as ever, his smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
He didn't even need to say anything—his presence alone shut half of them up.
But the whispers still buzzed around us, like bees circling honey.
I tightened my grip on his arm, cheeks burning, heart pounding.
Let them talk.
He's mine.
We reached the Section E building, and of course Yuri was already camped out by the door like a watchdog.
"Hey Jay, you didn't come home yesterday," Yuri said, eyes narrowing.
I winced, clutching Keifer's arm tighter. "Yeah… I didn't want to come after the whole argument between Kuya Angelo and me."
Yuri's brows shot up, but instead of pressing, he just nodded once and slipped inside the classroom.
"Tss what's his deal?" Keifer asked, his voice calm but edged.
"I don't know," I muttered, still unsettled.
"You're telling Section E we're official," I reminded him.
He nodded, steady as ever.
We pushed open the classroom door— and instantly, chaos swallowed us whole.
Mayo and Kit were draped over each other, flirting so loudly it was practically a performance.
Calix was glued to his phone, probably whispering sweet nothings to Mica.
Denzel looked exhausted, slumped in his chair like a young dad who hadn't slept in years.
Rory and Edrix were huddled together, voices low, probably plotting or stalking someone again.
Felix and Ci‑N were mid‑argument, words flying like daggers, neither backing down.
Blaster was belting out random songs, completely ignoring the fact that this was a classroom.
And David—of course—was asleep, head on his desk, blissfully detached from the chaos.
I froze in the doorway, gripping Keifer's arm tighter.
This wasn't just a classroom.
This was a battlefield.
And we were about to drop a bomb.
"Okay everyone, calm down—me and Jay have something to share," Keifer said, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Instant silence.
"Me and Jay are officially dating," he announced, steady as ever.
The room froze.
For one heartbeat, nobody moved.
Then—chaos.
"Took you long enough," Rory muttered, rolling his eyes but grinning.
"Finally we don't have to track her again because Keifer will be there with Jay24/7" Edrick said high fiving Rory
"Future husband and wife for the win!" Felix declared, pumping his fist.
"When will you be giving Gracezel a playmate?" Denzel asked, smirking.
My cheeks flamed instantly at his words.
"Finally," Kit said, elegant as always, like this was the ending of some grand opera.
Mayo practically fell out of his chair. "WAIT, WHAT?! You two—official?! This is insane!"
Ci‑N snorted. "Please. I saw this coming weeks ago. You're both too obvious."
Blaster started singing a dramatic love ballad, completely off‑key.
David didn't even lift his head from the desk, just mumbled, "Knew it," before drifting back to sleep.
I buried my face in my hands, my heart pounding, my cheeks burning.
Why does everything have to be chaos with this group?!
Keifer, of course, looked smug, calm, untouchable—like he'd planned this reveal just to watch the explosion.
When I looked at Yuri, he was glaring at Keifer like he was about to kill him.
Before I could even process that, Sir Alivin walked in. "Section E, sit down," he ordered.
Instantly, everyone scrambled into their seats. I slid next to Keifer, trying to ignore the heat of Yuri's stare burning into the back of my head.
Sir started attendance. "Miss Mariano," he called.
I opened my mouth to respond— but Ci‑N cut in, loud and smug. "Actually, sir, it's Mrs. Watson."
My cheeks flamed instantly. Sir tried to hide it, but even he chuckled.
I turned to Keifer, mortified. He just smirked, calm as ever, like Ci‑N had done him a favor.
The rest of class was pure chaos—Section E teasing me nonstop, Sir struggling to keep control, and me wishing the ground would swallow me whole.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was exhausted.
"Kiefer, remember Aries wanted to see us," I reminded him, voice low.
He nodded, steady as always.
We slipped into the cafeteria, grabbed sandwiches, and headed straight for the back yard of the school.
The air outside was cooler, quieter, but my chest still thudded with nerves.
Because if Aries wanted to see us… it meant trouble.
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⚡🔥 Author's Note 🔥⚡
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