JAY-JAY POV
Sleeping was impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Not because of the mattresses.
Not because of the lights.
Not because Section E was incapable of staying quiet for more than thirty seconds.
No.
It was because of Keifer.
Specifically—
the fact that he would not stop staring at me.
I was lying on my mattress with my blanket pulled up properly, trying to ignore everything around me.
But every single time I looked up—
there he was.
Watching me.
Relaxed.
Amused.
Like annoying me was keeping him alive.
I finally snapped.
"Do you have a problem?"
Keifer didn't even blink.
"Yeah."
Cin immediately sat up.
"Oh, this is getting good."
Keifer kept looking directly at me.
"You look too pretty to sleep peacefully."
Half the room screamed dramatically.
"BROOOO—"
"INSANE."
"HE NEVER STOPS."
I threw a pillow at Keifer again.
He caught it easily.
Again.
Then smiled slowly.
"You keep giving me things."
"You're lucky violence is illegal."
"For you? I'd risk it."
"KEIFER!" Rory yelled. "BREATHE."
The boys were losing their minds.
Meanwhile my face felt hot enough to start a fire.
And I hated it.
I hated that he could still make me nervous while I was angry at him.
Because I was angry.
Very angry.
I glared at him immediately.
"You think flirting fixes everything?"
That made the room quieter.
Not fully silent.
But quieter.
Keifer's smile faded slightly.
Just slightly.
Then he leaned back against the wall behind him.
"No," he said calmly. "I know it doesn't."
That answer caught me off guard.
The teasing disappeared from his voice for one second.
And somehow that felt worse.
Yuri noticed it too.
He was sitting beside me, calm as always, blanket over his shoulder while watching the situation carefully.
Then Yuri spoke softly to me.
"You should sleep, Jay."
I looked at him.
And immediately relaxed a little.
Because Yuri never pushed.
Never forced.
Even when things became complicated between us.
He still treated me gently.
"You sound like an old man," I muttered.
Yuri laughed quietly.
"At least I'm a responsible old man."
Keifer scoffed from across the room.
"You're like eighty emotionally."
The room burst out laughing.
Yuri looked completely unbothered.
"And you're emotionally unstable."
"Only for her."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then the boys started screaming again.
"BRO HAS NO FEAR."
"HE SAID IT SO CASUALLY."
"JAY-JAY IS DYING."
"I AM NOT," I snapped immediately.
Keifer smirked.
"You sure?"
I pointed at him aggressively.
"You are the reason my anger issues are getting worse."
"And yet you still look at me first every time something happens."
I opened my mouth.
Then stopped.
Because annoyingly enough—
he wasn't wrong.
And he knew it.
That stupid confident expression on his face proved he knew it.
I looked away instantly.
Which only made him grin wider.
I hated him.
Actually hated him.
Cin whispered dramatically to David,
"This is better than television."
"Way better," David agreed.
Denzel suddenly threw a pillow at both of them.
"Sleep before the principal comes back and kills us."
That shut everyone up for about three minutes.
Then Drew started snoring loudly.
Felix threw a blanket at his face.
Chaos again.
Normal Section E behavior.
But eventually…
things became quieter.
One by one, people started falling asleep.
The lights were dim.
The room was calm.
And somehow…
that made everything feel more dangerous.
Because now I could hear every little thing clearly.
Blankets moving.
Soft breathing.
The rain outside.
And Keifer's voice quietly breaking the silence.
"Jay."
I froze slightly.
I didn't answer immediately.
"Jay-Jay."
I looked over despite myself.
He was still awake.
Still watching me.
But this time he wasn't smirking.
Wasn't teasing.
Just looking at me softly enough to make my chest feel strange.
"What?" I whispered back.
A pause.
Then—
"You still mad at me?"
Yes.
Very.
I should've answered immediately.
Instead…
I hesitated.
And Keifer noticed.
Of course he noticed.
That idiot noticed everything about me.
His expression softened slightly.
"That hesitation gave me hope."
I threw my blanket over my face instantly.
From somewhere nearby, Yuri sighed tiredly.
"You two are never sleeping."
And honestly?
He was probably right.
END OF CHAPTER 28