Jay's POV
The dream was good. It was pleasure.I was about to at my cake but then came the thundering—a rhythmic, violent pounding that vibrated through my pillow and straight into my skull.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Jay Jay! Get up or I'm pouring the goldfish water on you!"
I groaned, pulling the duvet over my head. Jane was many things—organized, loud, and chronically early—but she wasn't a liar. She would absolutely sacrifice the fish to wake me up.
"I'm up," I croaked, my voice thick with sleep. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. The morning sun was stabbing through the curtains.
Today was the day. HVIS. High Valley International School. A place for the elite, the heirs, and apparently, us.
I rolled out of bed and moved like a zombie toward my uniform. It was crisp, expensive, and felt like a cage. I pulled on the white button-down and the pleated skirt, but I couldn't leave it at that.
I grabbed my worn, black leather jacket from the chair—my armor—and threw it on over the school crest. I laced up my boots, ignored the hairbrush, and stared at myself in the mirror.
I looked like a girl who didn't belong. Perfect.
Jane's POV
I was already vibrating. I had been awake since 5:00 AM, my uniform pressed so sharply you could cut paper with the pleats. I checked my reflection one last time—hair in a perfect ponytail, lip gloss subtle but shimmering.
"Jay! Five minutes!" I yelled through her door, giving it one last kick for good measure.
I was terrified, but mostly, I was electric with excitement. HVIS was a fresh start. A rich school, a beautiful campus, and a place where we could finally be someone. I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs, the smell of fried rice and garlic filling the air.
Aries was already there, hunched over his plate. He was technically our half-brother, but the world knew him as our cousin. It was easier that way, apparently. I saw Angelo, his father, and flashed a bright smile.
"Good morning, Kuys Angelo!" I chirped. I turned to Aries, nudging his shoulder. "Excited for our first day, 'Cousin'?"
Aries looked up, giving me a small, tired smile. "Morning, Jane. Just try not to get lost in the north wing. It's bigger than our whole neighborhood."
"I'll be fine," I laughed. "I have a map."
Then, the heavy thud of boots hit the stairs. Jay walked in, her leather jacket clashing violently with the HVIS .
"Good morning,Kuya," Jay greeted Angelo.
She walked right past Aries like he was a ghost and slumped into her chair. She didn't say anything.Jay didn't even blink. She just stared at the table.
Tita Gemma appeared from the kitchen, beaming as she set down plates of breakfast. "Eat up, my beautiful girls! It's a big day. New school, new friends. Good luck!"
"Thanks, Tita," I said, digging in.
Angelo leaned back, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Jay. "Jay. I'm serious. Do not cause trouble. Do not get into fights. Just...ignore and behave."
Jay finally looked up, her dark eyes cold. "I will ignore trouble, Angelo. But only till it did not reach my head."
Jay's POV
The gates of HVIS were gold-plated. Literally.
As we stepped out of the car, I felt the weight of a thousand stares. The parking lot was a showroom of Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Students were lounged against car hoods, dressed in uniforms that cost more than my life. It was a playground for the pampered.
"Let's go to the reception," Jane whispered, gripping her bag strap. She was trying to look confident, but I could see her hand shaking.
We walked into the main hall, which looked more like a five-star hotel than a school. A girl with a perfectly contoured face sat behind a marble desk.
"Excuse me," Jane said politely. "We're looking for Section E?"
The girl stopped typing. She looked us up and down, her gaze lingering on my leather jacket with pure disdain. She crinkled her nose as if she'd smelled something rotting.
"E?" she repeated, making a face. "Eww. Go to the annex. The old buildings behind the gym. That's where they put... those students."
She waved us away like we were flies.
We walked. The further we went from the main building, the more the "gold" faded.
The paint started to peel, and the air grew heavy with dust. By the time we reached the Section E building, it felt like we'd stepped back twenty years. It was old, grey, and smelled like damp paper.
In the hallway, a group of boys were leaning against the lockers near a classroom door. They looked like they owned the place—not because they were rich, but because they looked dangerous.
Jane, ever the optimist, stepped forward. She approached the tallest one—a guy with sharp features and eyes like flint , he was sucking a lolipop.
"Hi," Jane said, her voice small. "Is this Section E?"
The boy didn't even look at her properly. He just sneered. "No. You're in the wrong place, . Go back to the main building."
I stepped up beside her, my blood starting to simmer. "The girl at the desk said—"
"Are you deaf?" the boy snapped, stepping into my space. He was tall, intimidating, but I didn't flinch. "I said leave."
I stared at him. The hallway went silent. I could hear the other boys watching, waiting for me to cry or run away. I took a long, slow breath, exhaling the tension. I looked him dead in the eye, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous calm.
"Yeah," I said, leaning in. "I'm deaf. And clearly, you're stupid."
I didn't wait for his reaction. I brushed past his shoulder, hitting him hard enough to make him stumble, and walked straight into the classroom. Jane followed, her jaw practically hitting the floor.
Behind us, the whispers erupted instantly.
"Whoa... did she just...?"
"She challenged Keifer?"
"Damn, the short one is hot. And brave."
Keifer's POV
I stayed frozen for a second, the spot where her shoulder hit mine feeling strangely warm. Nobody spoke to me like that. Especially not a girl who looked like she weighed ninety pounds soaking wet. But whatever they doesn't belong here.
"She's got a mouth on her," one of my boys whispered, grinning. "Keifer, I think you just met your match."
I didn't answer. I turned and watched them through the door. The first one——was pretty in a conventional way, the kind of girl you'd see on a billboard. But the second one... with the leather jacket and the 'don't touch me' eyes. She was something else entirely.
I walked into the room just as , Sir Alvin, clapped his hands to settle the chaos.
"Settle down, everyone! We have new additions to our... family," Sir Alvin said, gesturing to the front. "Girls, please. Introduce yourselves."
First girls went first. She stepped forward with a practiced pageant smile, though her eyes were darting nervously toward me.
"Hi, everyone! I'm Janie Jace Mariano. You can all call me Jane," she said, her voice sweet. "I'm Jay's elder sister, and yes, we're twins. I'm really happy to be here!"
A few guys whistled. She was the "safe" twin. The one they understood.
Then, the leather jacket stepped forward. She didn't smile. She didn't even look at the class. She looked at the back wall, her hands shoved deep into her pockets.
"I'm Jasper Jean Mariano," she said, her voice like a razor blade. "You can call me Jean. Don't try to mess with me or my sister. The consequences will not be helpful for you."
The room went dead quiet. It wasn't a "tough girl" act; it was a promise.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. HVIS was usually a bore, full of predictable people with predictable secrets.
But Jasper Jean? She was a wildfire in a room full of candles.
This was going to be a very interesting year.
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