JAY JAY POV
It's official. The bubble has popped, the holidays are over, and I'm back to school.
Mama and Papa left this morning, which always gives me that weird, sinky feeling in my stomach, but the upside? The gang is finally back. Ben, Dave, Mia, and Sarah are all returning to HVIS, and we're set to meet them on campus.
Percy finally met with Felix to explain... well, everything. Felix was happy, obviously, but he was also spectacularly pissed off that Percy hadn't shown himself sooner. I can't blame him; if my brother faked his death and didn't tell me, I'd probably punch him before I hugged him.
I decided to move back to our original place.
Tita Serina tried everything to get me to stay at the Watson mansion. She practically begged, but I had to stand my ground. Why? Because I have eyes. And I know Keifer Watson.
If I stayed under that roof for one more week, I'd end up pregnant before the school term even hit mid-terms. I love the guy—apparently enough to agree to marry him—but I have absolutely no intention of being a teen mom just yet.
So, step one of moving back: a detour to the pharmacy.
I had to buy birth control pills. Again.
As I tucked the small box into the hidden pocket of my bag, I felt my face heat up.
Bloody hell, Jay-Jay. You went from a sophisticated London student to a girl who practically has a loyalty card at the chemist just to survive her fiancé's "possessive streaks."
I tucked the small box of birth control into the deepest pocket of my bag, my face feeling like it was on actual fire. High school was supposed to be about passing exams and complaining about the cafeteria food, not managing a hormonal cycle because the King of Section E has no self-control.
I finally reached the familiar, chaotic hallway of Section E. My heart was doing a frantic, caffeinated drum solo against my ribs. We hadn't told a soul about the engagement yet—it was our private explosion, at least for now. I'd tucked the ring onto a chain under my uniform, feeling its weight against my skin like a constant, cold reminder of the label
If the boys found out, the teasing would literally never end. I could already hear Ci-N planning a parade.
The room went quiet for a split second as I stepped inside. My eyes immediately found Yuri.
Bloody hell.
Yuri knew. He'd been there when the bombshell dropped at the Watson mansion. I watched his expression shift—a flash of genuine sadness crossing his face before he masked it with that careful, quiet distance he was so good at.
He had feelings for me, and I knew that. Seeing me officially "claimed" by his best friend—the guy he'd spent years fighting and bonding with—had to be a jagged pill to swallow. But as he gave me a small, tight nod from across the room, I realized he wasn't going to make a scene. He respected my decision. Even if it killed him a little bit.
Sitting in between them felt like being stuck between a block of ice and a live electrical wire. To my left, Yuri's heavy, heartbroken silence; to my right, Keifer's suffocatingly smug presence.
I caught Keifer's eye for a split second—that dark, territorial gaze that said 'Welcome home, Mrs. Watson'—and I nearly gave myself whiplash looking away. My face was already starting to feel like a high-voltage radiator.
"Jay-Jay!" Ci-N chirped, leaning over his desk with that specific brand of chaos only he possesses.
"What?" I snapped, a little too fast. My nerves were already frayed into thin wires.
Ci-N squinted at me, his head tilting like a confused puppy. He didn't say anything at first; he just kept staring at the collar of my uniform, right where the silver chain of the engagement ring was tucked out of sight.
If he asks to see what I'm wearing, I am jumping out the nearest window.
The classroom was already buzzing with the usual Section E brand of morning chaos, but for me, the air felt thin. Every time I breathed, the silver chain around my neck felt like it was humming, a constant, metallic reminder of the secret hanging right over my heart.
"Jay-Jay, why are your cheeks so red? Is it because of Keifer?" Ci-n asked, his eyes wide with that annoying, childlike curiosity that usually made me want to pat his head—but right now, I just wanted to duct tape his mouth shut.
"Shut up and go to your seat!" I snapped. My voice was a little too high, a little too defensive.
Ci-N pouted, his lower lip trembling in that dramatic, poor me way that usually worked "So mean! I just got back and already you're being a bully!"
I didn't even argue. I just grabbed a pencil from my desk and launched it at his head. He ducked, giggling like a maniac, and finally scurried away. Idiot
Sir Alvin finally entered the room, mercifully ending the circus, and started the lesson. I tried to focus, I really did, but the weight of the silver chain against my skin was a constant reminder of the Mrs. Watson label hanging over me.
Then, at the end of the class, Sir Alvin dropped a bombshell that almost stopped my heart.
"Okay everyone, make sure you study for the exam that is coming up. Prepare yourselves—this exam determines whether you get into college or even pass high school."
I froze. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Bloody hell.
"What the hell?" I whispered to myself. I moved to the Philippines for an exchange program, not to have my entire future decided by one giant, terrifying test.
"Don't worry," a low, smooth voice vibrated from my side. "I'll help you."
I didn't have to look to know it was Keifer. I could feel the heat radiating off him. He sounded so calm, so arrogant—like he already had the answer key to life written on his palm.
"Tss. I don't need help from an ego machine like you," I shot back, keeping my eyes locked on the chalkboard.
Keifer let out a low, husky chuckle. My pulse spiked. What was so funny? I was just stating facts. He was a megalomaniac with a savior complex, and I wasn't about to be his charity project.
"What's so funny?" I demanded, finally turning to glare at him.
He leaned in, his shadow completely swallowing my desk. His eyes were dark, burning with that possessive, dangerous light that always turned my brain into mush.
"You really need a punishment, don't you?" Keifer murmured, his voice dropping into that gravelly register that meant I was in trouble.
My face went nuclear. A punishment? We were in the middle of a classroom!
Someone please help me. Or better yet, just let the exam swallow me whole so I don't have to deal with this jerk.
I delivered a sharp hit to his arm—one of those reflexive, stop being a flirtatious jerk smacks that usually worked in the movies. But this wasn't a movie. It was Section E, and I was dealing with a guy whose muscles were basically made of reinforced concrete.
My hand stung more than his arm probably did.
"Miss Mariano, do you and Mr. Watson have something to share with the class? Since you two are so busy disturbing my lesson," Sir Alvin said, his voice cutting through the classroom like a chilled blade.
Bloody hell.
The entire room went silent. I could feel thirty pairs of eyes swiveling toward us with the synchronized precision of a firing squad. My heart did a frantic, caffeinated leap into my throat.
Share with the class? Oh, sure, Sir. We're just secretly engaged, I'm wearing his ring on a chain under my shirt, and he just threatened to "punish" me for having an attitude. No big deal.
I sat bolt upright, my face flushing a shade of crimson that was probably visible from space. "No, Sir! Nothing to share! I was just... checking if his arm was real!"
A few of the boys snickered. Ci-N let out a muffled giggle that sounded suspiciously like a "Mrs. Watson" cough. I wanted to crawl under my desk and stay there until graduation.
Keifer, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. He didn't look embarrassed, he didn't look panicked, and he certainly didn't look like he cared about Sir Alvin's lecture. He just leaned back, a dark, lazy glint in his eyes as he looked directly at the teacher.
"She was just expressing her excitement for the upcoming exam, Sir," Keifer said, his voice smooth and steady. He threw a sideways glance at me—one that was so heavy with possessive mischief it made my breath hitch. "I was just promising to give her my full attention during our study sessions."
The class erupted into a chorus of "Ooooohs" and wolf whistles.
"Shut up, all of you!" I hissed, burying my face in my hands.
My internal monologue was screaming. For God's sake, Keifer! He was basically handing them the clues on a silver platter. He was being so bold, so arrogant, so... him.
"Enough," Sir Alvin snapped, rapping his knuckles on the board. "Mr. Watson, keep your 'attention' on the curriculum. Miss Mariano, keep your hands to yourself. Let's return to page forty-two."
I grabbed my pen with shaking fingers, staring intensely at my textbook until the words blurred together. I could feel Keifer's gaze still lingering on the side of my face. He wasn't done. I knew that look.
The bell finally rang, sounding like a literal Hallelujah for my sanity. I didn't even glance at Keifer—I knew if I did, that smug look on his face would have me vibrating with pure, unadulterated frustration. I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the room, heading straight for the main building where the rest of the world felt a little more "normal."
Away from the King of Section E
Then, I heard it. A sound so familiar and loud it probably cracked a few windows in the hallway.
"JAY-JAY!"
Sarah was practically a blur of motion as she sprinted toward me. I didn't have time to brace myself before she collided with me in a massive, bone-crushing hug.
"Sarah!" I squeaked, hugging her back with everything I had.
"Did you miss me?" she asked, pulling back just enough to beam at me, her eyes sparkling with that "I have so much gossip" energy.
"Yeah, so much," Ben answered for me before I could even get the words out.
I looked up to see him leaning against the wall, looking as unimpressed and reliable as ever. He grabbed his bag, a small, teasing smirk playing on his lips. "She missed your annoying screams every five minutes, and she definitely missed that canvas face of yours."
"You asshole!" Sarah snapped, giving Ben a look that could have melted steel.
"Enough, you two!" Mia intervened, stepping between them like a weary referee. She looked at me, her expression softening into that quiet, perceptive gaze that usually meant she already knew what I was thinking before I did.
I let out a breath, trying to summon some of my London-bred composure. "It's fine, Mia. I've missed their bickering, even if it's a bit much for a Tuesday."
But the air didn't stay light for long. Dave stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't smiling, and he wasn't teasing. He looked at me with an intensity that made my stomach do a slow, panicked somersault.
"Jay... is it true?" Dave asked.
My heart did a frantic, caffeinated leap into my throat. "True about what?" I squeaked, my voice sounding way too high even to my own ears.
Mia leaned in, her voice dropping to a low whisper that felt like a physical weight against my ear. "That you're engaged to—you know—Keifer."
Shit
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. My hand instinctively flew to my chest, my fingers clutching the fabric of my uniform right where the silver chain—and the ring—were hidden. My face went from a normal human shade to a nuclear-meltdown crimson in under three seconds.
How? How did they know? We hadn't said a word! We were supposed to be the masters of secrecy!
I whipped my head around, my eyes scanning the group until they landed on the only other person who shared my DNA and my secrets.
Jare.
My twin was suddenly very, very interested in a bird flying past the cafeteria window. He was staring in the complete opposite direction, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, whistling a tuneless melody that practically screamed, "I am definitely the person who leaked the biggest secret of your life."
"Jare..." I hissed, my eyes narrowing into slits.
He didn't move. He didn't even flinch. He just kept staring at that bird like it was the most fascinating thing in the history of biology.
"He didn't have to say it, Jay," Ben added, his voice dry. "The way he was acting since we got back was a dead giveaway. He looks like a guy who's hovering between being a proud brother and wanting to punch his new brother-in-law in the face."
I felt like the ground was about to swallow me whole. My internal monologue was a screaming mess of London insults. For heaven's sake, Jare! You had one job!
I looked back at Mia and Sarah, whose eyes were wide with a mix of shock and "I-told-you-so" triumph. Dave was still waiting for an answer, his expression unreadable.
"I... it's..." I started, my voice trembling.
"Well?" Sarah prodded, leaning in so close I could see the reflection of my own panic in her eyes. "Are you or aren't you, Jay-Jay?"
Help. Someone call an ambulance. Or a private jet back to Heathrow. Immediately.
"Guys, just leave it, okay?" I said, my voice barely a whisper but firm enough to make them pause. I looked down at my shoes, then back at their expectant faces. "I like him. And... I'm okay with it."
The silence that followed lasted exactly half a second.
"Like or LOVE?" Dave teased, leaning in with a grin that was way too wide for my comfort.
My face went from a normal human shade to a nuclear-meltdown crimson in record time. I didn't even think; I just reached out and delivered a sharp hit to his shoulder.
"Shut up, Dave!" I hissed
"Aww, look at that! The great Jay-Jay is actually blushing," Ben added, crossing his arms and looking thoroughly entertained.
After lunch, I managed to survive the rest of the day without my heart exiting my body through my throat. I actually paid attention in class—mostly because if I looked at the back of the room where the King of Assholes was sitting, I'd probably start vibrating with pure frustration.
The final bell rang
I packed my bag in record time, desperate to get to the gates. . I was one foot out the door, halfway to freedom, when a hand clamped onto my arm and yanked me in the opposite direction.
"Keifer! Let me go!" I snapped, struggling against his grip.
Of course, he didn't listen. He never does. He dragged me into the empty music room, the silence of the instruments making the sound of my frantic pulse seem even louder. Before I could even launch a proper grade insult at him, he shoved me back against the door.
Click.
He locked it. That sound—that tiny, metallic click—always seemed to be the signal for my common sense to leave the chat. He stayed there, pinning me to the wood, his shadow completely swallowing my personal space.
"What do you want, Keifer?" I demanded, trying to sound sophisticated and annoyed, even though I probably looked like a startled kitten.
"You'll give me whatever I want?" Keifer asked, his voice dropping into that low, husky register that always made my brain short-circuit.
"Sure," I shot back, lifting my chin. "If that includes a few punches to your smug face, then absolutely. I'll give you as many as you need."
Keifer didn't flinch. He didn't even smirk. He just leaned in closer, his nose brushing against mine, his eyes dark and heavy with a focus that made my knees feel like they were made of warm jelly.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked.
My heart did a triple backflip and crashed into my stomach. "W-what?" I stammered, my face going nuclear-meltdown red. "No! For heaven's sake, we're in school!"
Keifer let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated right through me. He didn't move away. "I don't think you understood my question, Jay-Jay. Repeat exactly what I just asked you."
I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way my skin was prickling under his gaze. "Can I kiss you?"
The smirk finally broke across his face—the signature, "I've already won" look.
"Of course," he murmured.
Before I could process the trap he'd just set, his mouth crashed against mine.
He didn't just kiss me; he claimed me. It was intense, hungry, and tasted like a victory I was too weak-willed to fight. My hands, which were supposed to be pushing him away, somehow ended up tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.
When he finally pulled back to breathe, he stayed inches away, his thumb tracing the line of my swollen lower lip. He looked completely satisfied with himself.
"You're a cheating, manipulative jerk," I breathed out, my head spinning.
"Maybe," he whispered, his eyes lingering on the silver chain tucked under my collar. "But I'm the jerk you just asked to kiss you. Don't forget that, Mrs. Watson."
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