Keifer's POV
I was already in class when the bell rang after break. My eyes didn't leave the doorway, and I shouldn't have looked up—but I couldn't help it.
She came in.
Jay.
And she was smiling. Not the usual polite, controlled kind. Not faint or distracted. Just… smiling. A little curl on her lips that she couldn't hide, even if she wanted to.
The second she stepped in, the room shifted. Whispers sliced through the air.
"Ooooh, look at her.""Who made her smile like that?""She's happy. Why is she happy?"
I stayed seated, arms crossed, jaw tight. My chest tightened, heat pooling low in my stomach. That smile—it wasn't meant for anyone else. But… someone else clearly had it.
She walked to her seat, rolling her eyes lightly, but the curve on her lips didn't disappear. I wanted to hate him already. Whoever he was.
Then it happened.
A snort.
She laughed. Out loud.
My head snapped.
All eyes turned to her. Section E froze, stunned. Felix leaned toward Cin, whispering something. I could see it from the corner of my eye. "She's laughing… like… really laughing."
I felt the burn in my chest tighten.
Who is it? I just need to see.
I couldn't move. I didn't dare. But my eyes didn't leave her back. I could feel her happiness radiating out, and every fiber of me wanted to ruin it.
Miss Cindy's voice cut through sharply.
"Miss Jay. Is your phone more interesting than my class?"
She flinched just slightly. "Sorry, Miss," she said quickly, sliding the phone back into her bag.
Miss Cindy didn't smile. She just went back to the board. The class started murmuring again—but I noticed every detail. Every movement. Every laugh she couldn't hide.
Ten minutes later, the bell rang.
The second she zipped her bag, Section E was all over her.
"Nope. Not leaving," Felix said, hands on her desk."Be honest," Cin added. "Who is it?""Tell us. We're curious!"
I stayed seated, arms crossed. Let them corner her. I didn't have to speak. She didn't even glance my way. But I could feel her heart racing; I could feel the shift in the air around her.
Her laughter came again. Light, teasing. "Relax, you people act like you've never seen someone happy before," she said.
The teasing continued. Someone snorted, someone groaned. But her smile remained. And my stomach twisted.
Then her phone buzzed.
She jumped—actually jumped—and snatched it. Felix immediately recognized it. "OH, IT'S HIM."
I didn't move, didn't breathe too loud.
She read it, and I could see it in her eyes—the excitement. That little spark. The one that wasn't mine.
Her eyes lit up, and she muttered, "Oh no… he won't wait much…"
Section E laughed, teased her mercilessly, but she shook her head, chuckling, moving past them.
And that's when I saw him.
A sleek black car. Expensive. Way too flashy for a school parking lot. And there he was. Leaning against it, grinning like he owned the world.
She ran to him. Actually ran.
She threw herself into his arms. Hugged him like she'd been waiting all day for it.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to punch him in the face.
I wanted to be the one she was smiling at, snorting with, laughing with.
Instead, I stood frozen. Watching. Burning. Jealousy knotting my stomach tight.
The door opened. They got in. He wrapped his arm casually around her, guiding her in. She leaned into him like it was natural. She laughed at something he said. Too loud. Too free.
I could see it all—the café they went to, the way he handed her a drink, how she tilted her head and laughed at some joke he made.
And then… another man approached her.
She screamed in near joy and hugged him.
Two girl came behind them—introductions exchanged, hugs given. Their smiles were wide, easy, careless.
And Section E? They watched, mouths slightly open. Whispering to each other.
Felix muttered, "That's… unfair."Cin leaned back, grinning. "I've never seen her like that."
Every whisper, every giggle, every hug—they felt like a dagger in me.
I wanted to pull her back. To make her look at me. To have her smile like that for me.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
I stayed back. Silent. Jealous. Burning.
Watching.
Every laugh she gave, every gesture that wasn't for me, made my chest ache in ways I didn't know I could feel.
And I hated myself for not doing anything.