Jay's POV
It had been two months, but it felt like a lifetime.
The holidays were almost over, and today was the day we had all been waiting for — the day our futures would finally be decided. Today, we were finding out which colleges we had gotten into. My chest felt tight with nerves, like I could barely breathe properly. Everything after this moment was going to change.
The whole of Section E had gathered at my house — David, C-In, Calix, Felix, Rory, Edrix, Eman, Josh, Eren, Blaster, Kit, Mayo, Drew, Denzel, and the girls too: Freya, Grace, Mic, and Rakki. It still felt strange, in the best way, having Freya here beside us without any tension between us anymore. We had finally sorted everything out, and now she wasn't just someone I got along with — she was my best friend.
Grace, Mic, and Rakki had also come over, and the whole place was filled with nervous energy, laughter, and the sound of everyone pretending not to panic.
I went upstairs, freshened up, and changed into a yellow lace dress. It was simple, casual, but still elegant enough for a day this important. Looking at myself in the mirror, I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart. Then I headed back downstairs.
Everyone was already in the living room, sitting far too still, staring at their phones and laptops like one wrong breath might make the results disappear. No one was talking much anymore. The silence felt heavy, like we were all standing at the edge of something huge.
Then someone spoke.
"Ready?"
A few shaky laughs followed.
"1... 2... 3!"
We all opened our emails at the same time.
For one long, terrifying second, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Then the word hit me like lightning.
Oxford.
My dream school.
My heart stopped.
I stared at the screen, my eyes filling before I could even stop them. I had actually done it. After all the stress, the sleepless nights, the tears, the silent prayers — I got into Oxford.
Before I could even process it properly, Keifer turned to me, his own face completely stunned. Then the next second, he was on his feet, pulling me into his arms and lifting me off the ground.
"I got into Oxford!" he shouted, his voice breaking with pure joy.
My breath caught in my throat, and I laughed through tears. "Me too!" I cried, holding onto him like I never wanted to let go.
He spun me around, and for a second, it felt like nothing else in the world existed — not the results, not the future, not the fear. Just him, holding me like I was something precious, like he was just as happy as I was.
The room exploded with noise.
"Rory — Manila!"
"C-In — Oxford!"
"David — Yale!"
"Freya — Oxford!"
"Rakki — Oxford!"
One by one, more names were called out, more dreams were confirmed.
Calix — University of Santo Tomas.
Felix — De La Salle University.
Eman — Ateneo de Manila University.
Josh — Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Eren — University of the Philippines Diliman.
Blaster — Far Eastern University.
Kit — Technological University of the Philippines.
Mayo — National University Manila.
Drew — Adamson University.
Denzel — Centro Escolar University.
Grace — University of the Philippines Manila.
Mic — University of the East.
Keifer — Oxford.
And me… Oxford too.
The room was filled with screaming, crying, laughing, and hugs that lasted far too long because no one wanted to let go. It was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.
Because this wasn't just about getting into college.
It was about growing up.
It was about leaving behind the version of ourselves that had once sat in classrooms dreaming about this exact moment. It was about going different places, chasing different futures, and learning that sometimes the people you love most are the ones you won't get to see every day anymore.
I looked at Keifer again, still feeling his hands on me, still remembering the way he had picked me up like he couldn't believe I was real.
And in that moment, with my heart still pounding and my eyes still wet, I realized something terrifying and wonderful at the same time.
Maybe the future was scary.
Maybe it would hurt to leave.
But if he was going somewhere too... then maybe I wouldn't be facing it alone.