Jay's Pov
The day after meeting Jeana was weird.
Not bad weird. Just... weird.
I felt lighter but also heavier. Happy but also sad. Confused but also hopeful.
Basically, my emotions were a MESS.
Keifer had been amazing. Texting me all morning. Making sure I was okay. Even sent Eman to drop off cookies before first period.
"Your boyfriend is whipped," Ci-n observed.
"He's not WHIPPED."
"He sent COOKIES. Through a MESSENGER. That's whipped."
"That's THOUGHTFUL."
"Same thing!"
"CI-N."
School passed in a blur.
Classes happened. Teachers talked. I nodded along without hearing anything.
At lunch, the whole squad gathered.
Sarah, Dave, Ben, Bella, Mia, Jare, Ci-n, Felix, Yuri, and even some of the Section E boys.
"Okay," Sarah said. "Update. How are you?"
"Confused."
"Valid."
"Happy but sad."
"Also valid."
"Angry but not angry."
"Extremely valid."
Dave offered chips. "Here. Food helps everything."
I took them. "Thanks, Dave."
"You're welcome!"
Ben was taking photos. "Your emotional journey is very photogenic."
"BEN."
"What? It's TRUE."
Bella just smiled. "You're handling it well."
"Am I?"
"Yeah. You're still functioning. That's a win."
I laughed. "Low bar."
"Bars are bars."
After lunch, we had free period.
Some of us went to the gym to hang out. Others stayed in the classroom. I was with the gym group—Mia, Jare, Keifer, Yuri, Felix, Ci-n, and a few others.
We were just sitting on the bleachers, talking, when Felix suddenly pointed.
"Hey. Isn't that Aries?"
We all looked.
Across the gym, near the equipment room, Aries was sitting on the floor.
Alone.
Back against the wall. Knees pulled up. Head down.
He looked... small. Broken. Nothing like the confident Section A president we knew.
My heart clenched.
"He's been there for a while," Yuri said quietly. "I saw him during lunch too."
Keifer was staring. Expression unreadable.
I knew what he was thinking. All those years of hate. All that anger. And now...
"Someone should check on him," Mia said.
No one moved.
Then Keifer stood up.
"Keifer?" I reached for his hand. "What are you doing?"
He didn't answer. Just walked toward Aries.
We all watched.
Keifer approached slowly. Aries didn't look up. Didn't move.
Then Keifer did something NO ONE expected.
He sat down next to Aries.
Not across from him. Not standing over him. Next to him. Shoulder to shoulder.
Aries finally looked up. His eyes were red. Had he been crying?
"Go away," Aries said. Voice rough.
"No."
"I'm not in the mood for a fight."
"Neither am I."
"Then why are you here?"
Keifer was quiet for a moment. Then:
"Because you're my friend."
Aries blinked. "What?"
"Were my friend. Before everything. Before the accident. Before the lies. You were my best friend."
"That was a long time ago."
"I know."
"Things changed."
"I know."
"People died."
"No one died."
Aries flinched. "Percy—"
"Is alive. Thanks to YOU."
Aries shook his head. "I didn't save him."
"You tried. You stayed until he made you leave. That's more than anyone else did."
"I should have done more."
"You did what you could."
"It wasn't enough."
Keifer was quiet for a long moment.
Then he did something that made my jaw drop.
He hugged Aries.
Right there. On the gym floor. In front of everyone.
Wrapped his arms around his former enemy and held on.
Aries went completely still. Shocked.
"I hated you for years," Keifer said, voice muffled. "Hated you for leaving. For being a coward. For letting Percy die."
"I know."
"But you didn't. You weren't a coward. You were a hero who got blamed for something that wasn't your fault."
Aries's shoulders started shaking.
"And I'm sorry," Keifer continued. "For not listening. For not asking. For believing the worst in you instead of remembering the best."
Silence.
Then Aries broke.
He grabbed Keifer and held on, crying like a child.
All that pain. All those years. Pouring out.
Across the gym, we were all frozen.
"Oh my God," Mia whispered. "They're hugging."
"KEIFER is hugging ARIES," Felix breathed. "This is historic."
Ci-n was already crying. "My new ship! My NEW ship!"
"There's no SHIP, Ci-n."
"There's ALWAYS a ship!"
Yuri stood up.
Walked toward them.
Sat down on Aries's other side.
And joined the hug.
Three boys. Former best friends. Torn apart by tragedy and misunderstanding.
Now holding each other like they'd never let go.
We gave them space.
Turned away. Talked quietly. Let them have their moment.
After a while, Keifer came back to me.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah." He sat down, took my hand. "Better than I've been in years."
"That was really brave, you know."
"It wasn't brave. It was necessary."
"Same thing."
He almost smiled. "Using my lines?"
"Learn from the best."
"You're not the best."
"I'm the BEST."
"Sure."
"STOP."
"Make me."
I kissed his cheek instead. "There."
"Best punishment ever."
"Idiot."
"Your idiot."
Across the gym, Aries was talking to Yuri. Quietly. Seriously.
But they were both smiling. Small smiles. Tentative smiles.
But real ones.
Mia leaned against me. "This is the best day."
"The best?"
"Therapy through hugs. I love it."
I laughed. "You're weird."
"You're weirder."
"Impossible."
"Clearly not."
Later, Aries approached me.
"Jay?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For... everything. For being here. For making Keifer less angry. For giving me a chance."
I looked at my half-brother. The one I never knew I had.
"We're family," I said. "Even if it's weird. Even if we're still figuring it out. That means something."
Aries nodded. Swallowed hard.
"Can I... can I hug you too?"
I opened my arms.
He hugged me. Careful. Gentle. Like he was afraid I'd break.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I should have found you sooner. Should have—"
"Stop." I pulled back. Looked at him. "We're here now. That's what matters."
He nodded. Wiped his eyes.
Jare appeared beside me. Put a hand on Aries's shoulder.
"Brother," Jare said simply.
Aries's face crumpled again. But in a good way.
"Brother," he echoed.
And for the first time, it felt real.
That Night, in the Group Chat
SAME BRAIN CELLS (PLUS GUESTS, NOW INCLUDING ARIES)
CI-N: EVERYONE. THE HUG HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD.
FELIX: I'm still crying. It's been HOURS.
YURI: Best day of my life.
KEIFER: Don't get used to it.
YURI: Too late. Already used to it.
ARIES: ...Thanks, guys.
CI-N: ARIES IS IN THE CHAT!
FELIX: WELCOME ARIES!
YURI: Our boy!
KEIFER: Don't call him that.
YURI: OUR. BOY.
ARIES: This chat is chaotic.
ME: You have NO idea.
MIA: Welcome to the madness.
JARE: Brother.
ARIES: Brother.
SARAH: THIS IS SO WHOLESOME.
DAVE: I don't understand but I'm happy!
BEN: I got photos of the hug. MULTIPLE ANGLES.
ARIES: Please delete.
BEN: Absolutely not.
BELLA: They're going in the archives.
RORY: Hacking group chat also sends love.
EDRIX: Freya is confused but supportive.
DREW: I lost so much money on the Keifer-Aries rivalry ending.
EREN: My girlfriends are all crying.
JOSH: 👊
BASTER: 🎵🎵🎵 (reunion music)
DAVID: I just woke up. Did something happen?
CI-N: EVERYTHING happened. Go back to sleep.
DAVID: Okay. leaves chat
PERCY: I'M THE REASON THEY'RE ALL FRIENDS AGAIN BTW.
EVERYONE: NO.
PERCY: I LITERALLY AM.
ME: Percy, you were in London for years.
PERCY: My AURA brought them together.
KEIFER: Your aura is loud.
PERCY: THANK YOU.
KEIFER: That wasn't a compliment.
PERCY: EVERYTHING IS A COMPLIMENT WHEN YOU'RE ME.