Chapter 50: Back to Reality
(Jay Jay's POV)
Morning came slowly.
Sunlight slipped through the tall curtains of the Watson mansion, painting soft gold across the bedroom walls.
For a moment…
Everything felt calm.
Warm.
Peaceful.
Then I remembered something.
The snack war.
My eyes opened immediately.
Keifer was still asleep beside me.
One arm wrapped around my waist like it had a permanent contract there.
His face was relaxed.
Hair messy.
Breathing steady.
I stared at him.
Jay:
"…Snack thief."
His eyes opened instantly.
Apparently insulting him was an effective alarm clock.
Keifer:
"I didn't steal snacks."
Jay:
"You confiscated them."
Keifer stretched lazily.
Keifer:
"For your own good."
Jay:
"You're evil."
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"You still tried to eat chocolate at midnight."
Jay:
"That was a necessary mission."
He sat up slowly.
And that's when I noticed something.
He looked…
Serious.
Which immediately made me suspicious.
Jay:
"What."
Keifer rubbed the back of his neck.
Keifer:
"There's something we should talk about."
I narrowed my eyes.
Jay:
"That sounds suspicious."
Keifer sighed.
Keifer:
"It's not bad."
Jay:
"Then why do you look like that."
He leaned back against the headboard.
Thinking.
Choosing his words.
Keifer:
"You know we've been away from normal life for a while."
Jay:
"That's one way to describe a gang war."
He gave a small smile.
Keifer:
"Yeah."
Then his expression became serious again.
Keifer:
"But the war is over now."
Jay:
"Mostly."
Keifer:
"Mostly."
He looked at me carefully.
Keifer:
"And that means something."
Jay:
"What."
He took a breath.
Keifer:
"We go back to school in three weeks."
Silence.
My brain stopped working for a moment.
Jay:
"…What."
Keifer nodded.
Keifer:
"We're still in 12th grade."
Jay:
"I know that."
Keifer:
"Final year."
Jay:
"I know that."
Keifer:
"Graduation."
Jay:
"I KNOW THAT."
He chuckled slightly.
Jay:
"You're serious?"
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay:
"We fought assassins."
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay:
"We ran criminal organizations."
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay:
"We survived gun fights."
Keifer:
"Yes."
Jay:
"And now you're telling me we have to go back to math class?"
Keifer laughed.
Actually laughed.
Keifer:
"Yes."
I dropped back onto the bed dramatically.
Jay:
"This is the worst plot twist ever."
Keifer leaned over me.
Still smiling.
Keifer:
"Three weeks."
Jay:
"I refuse."
Keifer:
"You can't refuse school."
Jay:
"I literally led a secret organization."
Keifer:
"You're still seventeen."
Jay:
"That's unfair."
Keifer:
"You're graduating."
Jay:
"I prefer fighting criminals."
Keifer:
"That's not a career plan."
Jay:
"It was working."
He shook his head.
Keifer:
"Normal life now."
Jay:
"I hate normal life."
He poked my forehead.
Keifer:
"You like snacks."
Jay:
"Yes."
Keifer:
"And school cafeterias have snacks."
I paused.
Thinking.
Jay:
"…Go on."
Keifer smiled.
Keifer:
"See?"
I sighed dramatically.
Jay:
"Three weeks."
Keifer nodded.
Keifer:
"Three weeks."
Jay:
"And then we go back to pretending we're normal teenagers."
Keifer:
"Exactly."
Jay:
"While secretly running criminal intelligence networks."
Keifer:
"We're not doing that anymore."
Jay:
"…mostly."
He gave me a look.
Jay:
"Fine."
He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently.
Keifer:
"Besides."
Jay:
"What."
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"I want to see you arguing with teachers."
Jay:
"I will win."
Keifer:
"You argue with snack rules."
Jay:
"They're oppressive."
He laughed again.
For a moment we both just lay there.
Quiet.
Thinking about something strange.
Something we hadn't thought about in months.
Normal life.
School hallways.
Homework.
Classes.
Graduation.
Jay:
"Keifer."
Keifer:
"Yeah?"
Jay:
"If anyone annoys me at school…"
Keifer raised an eyebrow.
Jay:
"Yes?"
Jay:
"I'm bringing snacks as emotional support."
He shook his head.
Keifer:
"Five snacks."
Jay:
"I will start a rebellion."
Keifer laughed again.
And somehow…
Even the idea of going back to school didn't feel so terrible anymore.