The afternoon sun was warm.
Too warm for activities. Too warm for moving.
Sir Alvin had declared "free time" until dinner, which meant Section E scattered like chaos confetti.
Some napped. Some explored. Some (Ci-n) attempted to befriend more wildlife.
Jay and Keifer found a spot near the river. Shaded. Quiet. Perfect.
Jay stretched out on a large flat rock, Keifer beside her.
Jay: "This is nice."
Keifer: "Mm."
Jay: "No chaos."
Keifer: "For now."
Jay: "Don't jinx it."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Stop."
Keifer: "No."
She threw a small pebble at him. He caught it.
Jay: "Show-off."
Keifer: "Always."
They talked. Laughed. Stole small touches.
At some point, Jay sat up, pulling her knees to her chest.
Keifer watched her. "What?"
Jay: "Nothing. Just thinking."
Keifer: "About?"
Jay: "How different everything is now. A few months ago, I was forced to engage to someone I didn't love. Now—" She gestured. "This. Us."
Keifer: "Good different?"
Jay: "The best different."
He reached over, tucking hair behind her ear.
Jay: "You're staring."
Keifer: "You're worth staring at."
Jay: "Smooth."
Keifer: "I try."
Unknown to them, behind a large bush—
Ci-n was crouched. Phone out. Recording.
Rakki: "Ci-n, this is creepy."
Ci-n: "THIS IS DOCUMENTATION!"
Rakki: "They're just sitting there."
Ci-n: "THEY'RE BEING ROMANTIC! THAT'S THE BEST PART!"
Mica: "Why are we all here?"
Calix: "Because Ci-n dragged us."
Freya: "I'm not watching. I'm just... here."
Edrix: "Next to me. Watching."
Freya: "Shut up."
Rory: "I've calculated their romantic probability. It's 100%."
Edrix: "We didn't need math for that."
Drew: "New bet! How long until Keifer kisses her?"
David: "Five minutes. 500."
Drew: "Bold."
Eren: "Wait, why are we spying on them?"
Josh shrugged.
Baster was humming a romantic melody.
Jay leaned closer to Keifer.
Jay: "You know what I want?"
Keifer: "Food?"
Jay: "Always. But also—" She paused. "Kiss me."
Keifer: "Bossy."
Jay: "Your bossy."
He kissed her.
Not short. Not quick.
The kind of kiss that made time stop.
Behind the bush—
Ci-n: "HE'S KISSING HER! IT'S HAPPENING!"
Rakki: "Ci-n, whisper!"
Ci-n: "I DON'T KNOW HOW!"
He fumbled for his phone. Pressed a button.
Suddenly—
Percy's voice blasted through the speaker.
Percy: "CI-N? IS THAT YOU? WHAT'S HAPPENING? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF—"
Jay and Keifer SPRUNG apart.
Jay: "WHAT WAS THAT?"
Keifer was already standing, scanning.
Ci-n stood up from behind the bush, phone in hand. Percy's face on the screen.
Ci-n: "HI SISTER JAY! HI BROTHER KEIFER! WE WERE JUST—"
Rakki: "Documenting."
Mica: "We were dragged here."
Calix: "Literally dragged."
Freya: "I'm not part of this."
Edrix: "You literally walked here with us."
Freya: "That was coincidental."
Rory: "The probability of coincidence is 0.3%."
Freya: "Shut up."
Percy's voice: "DID I MISS A KISS? CI-N, ZOOM IN!"
Jay: "PERCY."
Percy: "JAY! YOU LOOK FLUSTERED! WAS IT A GOOD KISS? RATE IT ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN!"
Keifer: "I'm going to kill him."
Percy: "YOU CAN'T KILL ME THROUGH A PHONE!"
Keifer: "Watch me."
The bush was abandoned. Everyone was exposed now.
Jay stood with her arms crossed. Keifer beside her, unimpressed.
Jay: "You were spying on us."
Ci-n: "DOCUMENTING! THERE'S A DIFFERENCE!"
Rakki: "There really isn't."
Mica: "In his defense, we tried to stop him."
Calix: "We failed."
Mica: "We tried."
Freya: "I didn't try at all."
Edrix: "Honesty. Respect."
Freya: "Shut up."
Drew: "In my defense, I was taking bets."
David: "I was asleep."
Eren: "I still don't know what's happening."
Josh handed Jay a flower. Apology?
Jay took it. "Thanks, Josh."
Josh nodded.
Percy's voice: "CAN WE FOCUS? I NEED DETAILS! WAS THERE LIP LOCKING? HAND PLACEMENT?—"
Keifer grabbed the phone. "Percy."
Percy: "KEIFER! MY FAVORITE BROTHER-IN-LAW!"
Keifer: "I'm not your anything."
Percy: "YET! BUT SOON!"
Keifer hung up.
Ci-n: "HE HUNG UP ON PERCY!"
Rakki: "Percy will survive."
Ci-n's phone rang immediately.
Ci-n answered. "PERCY—"
Percy: "PUT ME BACK ON SPEAKER!"
Ci-n did.
Percy: "SECTION E! REPORT! WHAT DID I MISS?"
Mica: "They kissed."
Percy: "LENGTH? INTENSITY? PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION LEVEL?"
Calix: "It was pretty intense."
Percy: "RATING?"
Calix: "Solid 8."
Mica: "9."
Freya: "8.5."
Edrix: "9.2."
Rory: "9.7 based on duration and angle."
Percy: "I'M SO PROUD OF THIS FAMILY."
Jay: "We're not a family. We're a circus."
Percy: "SAME THING!"
The teasing didn't stop.
Back at the lodge, everyone replayed the moment.
Ci-n showed the video (from behind the bush) to anyone who would watch.
Rakki: "You're going to get us all killed."
Ci-n: "WORTH IT!"
Mica reenacted the kiss with Calix. Badly. On purpose.
Calix: "That's not how it happened."
Mica: "It's how I remember it."
Calix: "You were behind a bush."
Mica: "I have IMAGINATION."
Freya: "Can we stop talking about this?"
Edrix: "Why? You're blushing."
Freya: "I'm NOT blushing."
Edrix: "Your ears are red."
Freya: "That's—heat—from the—"
Edrix: "Tss."
Freya: "DID YOU JUST—"
Edrix: "Maybe."
Freya: "I hate you."
Edrix: "No, you don't."
Freya: "No, I don't."
Dinner was loud.
Sir Alvin announced the next day's challenge—a hiking competition.
Ci-n: "HIKING! MORE ADVENTURE!"
Rakki: "More chances for Ci-n to fall."
Ci-n: "I FALL WITH STYLE!"
Jay picked at her food. Keifer watched her.
Keifer: "You okay?"
Jay: "Just tired of being the center of attention."
Keifer: "You're always the center of attention."
Jay: "That's the problem."
Keifer: "Want me to distract them?"
Jay: "How?"
Keifer stood up. Cleared his throat.
Everyone looked.
Keifer: "Jay and I are going to sit by the fire. Alone. Anyone follows, I'm telling Percy you all have crushes on each other."
Silence.
Then chaos.
Ci-n: "I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON ANYONE!"
Rakki: "That's suspiciously defensive."
Mica: "Calix, do you have a crush on anyone?"
Calix: "Just you."
Mica: "Smooth."
Freya: "I don't have a crush."
Edrix: "Sure."
Freya: "SHUT UP."
Drew: "I have a crush on money."
David: "Same."
Eren: "I have a crush on Gerald the fish."
Josh nodded approvingly.
Baster: "I have a crush on music."
Jay laughed.
Keifer grabbed her hand. They slipped away to the fire pit.
Alone. Finally.
Jay: "That was smooth."
Keifer: "I have my moments."
Jay: "More than moments."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Stop."
Keifer: "No."
She leaned against him. The fire crackled.
Jay: "Today was ridiculous."
Keifer: "Today was Section E."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
They sat in comfortable silence.
Then—
Percy's voice from Keifer's pocket.
Keifer pulled out his phone. Percy was video calling.
Keifer: "How did you get my number?"
Percy: "HONEY! SHE'S RESOURCEFUL!"
Jay: "Percy, we're trying to have a moment."
Percy: "YOU CAN HAVE A MOMENT WITH ME WATCHING! I'M FAMILY!"
Keifer: "You're not family."
Percy: "EMOTIONALLY I AM!"
Jay grabbed the phone. "Percy."
Percy: "JAY! MY FAVORITE BABY SISTERAH!"
Jay: "I'm not your anything."
Percy: "NOW—SHOW ME THE FIRE! IS IT ROMANTIC? ARE YOU CUDDLING?"
Jay turned the camera to the fire.
Percy: "NICE FLAMES. VERY AMBIENT. NOW SHOW ME THE CUDDLING."
Jay turned it back. "Goodnight, Percy."
Percy: "WAIT—"
She hung up.
Keifer: "He's going to call back."
Jay: "I know."
The phone rang.
Jay ignored it.
It rang again.
Keifer answered. "Percy, if you don't stop—"
Percy: "I JUST WANTED TO SAY—YOU TWO ARE ENDGAME. THAT'S ALL. GOODNIGHT."
He hung up.
Jay stared at the phone. "Did he just..."
Keifer: "Get sentimental?"
Jay: "Yeah."
Keifer: "He does that sometimes. Between the chaos."
Jay: "Huh."
Keifer: "He means well."
Jay: "I know."
She leaned back against him.
The fire crackled.
The stars appeared.
And for one perfect moment—
No chaos. No teasing. No Percy.
Just them.
Morning came too fast.
Sir Alvin's whistle. Hiking gear. Energy drinks.
Ci-n was already bouncing. "HIKE! MOUNTAIN! VIEWS!"
Rakki: "You're going to fall off a cliff."
Ci-n: "I'LL FALL WITH STYLE!"
Mica stretched. Calix watched.
Mica: "Stop staring."
Calix: "Can't. You're too pretty."
Mica: "Smooth."
Calix: "I try."
Freya looked at the mountain. "That's tall."
Edrix: "You'll survive."
Freya: "How do you know?"
Edrix: "I'll make sure you do."
Freya paused. Then: "…Shut up."
But she moved closer to him.
Rory had a backpack full of supplies. Drew was taking bets on who would quit first. David was somehow awake. Eren was looking for Gerald. Josh pointed to a different river.
Eren: "That's not Gerald."
Josh shrugged.
Baster hummed a hiking anthem.
Jay and Keifer walked together. Hand in hand.
Aries and Ella behind them.
Aries: "They're always touching."
Ella: "They're in love."
Aries: "It's excessive."
Ella: "It's cute."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
The hike began.
Section E spread out along the trail.
Ci-n ran ahead. Fell. Got up. Ran again.
Rakki: "I'm too young to die of stress."
Mica and Calix walked slowly. Enjoying the view. Each other.
Freya complained about bugs. Edrix swatted them away.
Rory narrated facts about the mountain. Drew took bets on wildlife sightings. David walked in his sleep. Eren talked to birds. Josh helped everyone.
Baster composed.
Jay and Keifer stayed in the middle. Steady. Together.
Jay: "This is beautiful."
Keifer: "You're beautiful."
Jay: "Smooth."
Keifer: "I know."
She laughed.
Ahead, Ci-n screamed.
Everyone ran.
Ci-n was pointing at a squirrel.
Ci-n: "IT LOOKED AT ME!"
Rakki: "It's a squirrel!"
Ci-n: "A JUDGMENTAL SQUIRREL!"
Freya: "Finally, someone who understands."
Edrix: "The squirrel?"
Freya: "The judgment."
They reached the summit by noon.
View was incredible. Mountains. Trees. Sky.
Section E collapsed in various states of exhaustion.
Ci-n: "WE MADE IT!"
Rakki: "Barely."
Mica: "Worth it."
Calix: "Definitely."
Freya sat on a rock. Edrix sat beside her.
Freya: "Okay. This view is pretty good."
Edrix: "Told you."
Freya: "Don't let it go to your head."
Edrix: "Too late."
Rory took photos for "data." Drew counted something. David slept on a rock. Eren waved at a bird. Josh meditated.
Baser hummed a summit melody.
Jay and Keifer stood at the edge. Looking out.
Jay: "We made it."
Keifer: "Together."
Jay: "Always."
He kissed her forehead.
Behind them—
Ci-n's phone rang.
Percy's voice: "DID THEY KISS? I FELT A KISS! MY SPIDER SENSE TINGLED!"
Jay: "PERCY!"
Percy: "JAY! REPORTING LIVE FROM HOME! HOW'S THE VIEW?"
Keifer: "Good."
Percy: "HOW'S THE ROMANCE?"
Jay: "Also good."
Percy: "DETAILS! I NEED DETAILS!"
Ci-n grabbed the phone. "PERCY! THERE WAS A FOREHEAD KISS! AND HOLDING HANDS! AND—"
Rakki grabbed Ci-n. "That's enough."
Ci-n: "BUT PERCY NEEDS—"
Rakki: "Percy will survive."
Percy: "I WON'T SURVIVE! I NEED JAYFER CONTENT!"
Jay: "Goodbye, Percy."
She hung up.
The group laughed.
Even Freya smiled.
The hike down was easier.
Tired. Happy. Together.
By the time they reached camp, everyone was ready for dinner.
Sir Alvin announced the scores. Cabin 3 still leading.
Aries: "We're going to win."
Ella: "We ARE winning."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
Jay leaned against Keifer by the fire.
Jay: "Today was good."
Keifer: "Today was chaotic."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
He kissed her temple.
Behind them, Ci-n had Percy on video call.
Percy: "THEY'RE KISSING AGAIN! ZOOM IN!"
Rakki: "Ci-n, put the phone away."
Ci-n: "BUT HISTORY!"
Rakki: "History can wait."
Percy: "HISTORY NEVER WAITS!"
Jay laughed.
Keifer smiled.
Section E chaos continued.
Perfect.