ROOM 7
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Interruption
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The morning after Felix asked about Lyra and Alex, the room was tense. Not the bad kind of tense—more like a wire pulled too tight, waiting to snap or loosen. Lyra and Alex were on the couch, shoulders touching, pretending to read. Ci N was calculating something in his notebook. Yuri was pacing. Everyone was waiting for something to break.
Jay needed air. She needed space. She needed five minutes where no one was looking at her, waiting for her to fix something she couldn't fix.
She grabbed Keifer's hand. Pulled him toward the door.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"Anywhere. Nowhere. I need to not be in this room."
He followed. He always followed.
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Part One: The Hallway
The hallway was empty. The door closed behind them. The noise of the room faded. Jay leaned against the wall. Keifer stood in front of her, close enough to block out everything else.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
"You dragged me out of the room."
"Lyra and Alex are on the couch pretending they don't want to kiss each other. Yuri is pacing. Ci N is calculating something. I needed—" She stopped.
He waited. "You needed what?"
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the room worth seeing. There were no other people in the hallway. No one watching. No one waiting.
"You," she said.
He smiled. "You have me."
She grabbed his shirt. Pulled him closer. "Then kiss me."
He leaned in. His hand was on her face. His lips were inches from hers.
The door opened.
"JAY!"
She pushed him away. He stumbled back. Percy stood in the doorway, arms wide, face bright.
"PERCY."
"I came to visit! Aries said I shouldn't. I came anyway. I brought food." He held up a bag. "Your favorite. From that place you like. The one with the noodles."
She stared at him. Her face was red. Her hands were fists. Her jaw was tight.
"You came to visit."
"I came to visit."
"Now."
"Now."
She grabbed a napkin from her pocket. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"I have a Percy problem."
He smiled. "The worst kind."
He walked into the room. The door closed behind him.
Keifer was still leaning against the wall. His ears were red. His hands were in his pockets. His face was carefully blank.
"We were about to kiss," he said.
"I know."
"Your brother interrupted us."
"I know."
She looked at the door. At the space where Percy had been. At the space where his face had appeared.
"I'm going to kill him."
Keifer took her hand. "I'll help."
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Part Two: The Room
Percy was already in the middle of the room, distributing noodles to everyone. Yuri was holding a container. Mica was holding chopsticks. Calix was pouring sauce. Care and Cole were arguing about who got the last egg roll. Freya was taking photos. Erdix was helping. Ash was laughing at something Percy said. David was reaching for the extra container.
Lyra was on the couch, holding noodles, looking at Alex. Alex was holding noodles, looking at Lyra. Neither of them was eating.
Percy saw Jay walk in. "JAY! I saved you the best one. The one with the extra meat. The one you always steal from my plate."
She walked to him. Her face was calm. Her voice was steady. "Percy."
"Jay."
"What are you doing here?"
He held up the container. "I told you. Visiting. Bringing food. Being a good brother."
She took the container. Set it on the table. "You interrupted us."
He blinked. "Interrupted what?"
She pointed at the door. "We were in the hallway. We were about to—" She stopped. Her face went red.
Percy's eyes went wide. "You were about to what?"
She grabbed a napkin. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Percy problem."
He smiled. "The worst kind."
He walked to Keifer. Clapped him on the shoulder. "You were about to kiss my sister."
Keifer's ears went red. "We were—"
"In the hallway."
"In the hallway."
"While I was coming up the stairs."
"We didn't know you were coming."
Percy grinned. "That's the best part." He walked back to the table. Picked up his noodles. Started eating.
Keifer looked at Jay. "He's going to tell everyone."
"He's going to tell everyone."
"Your parents."
"Your parents."
"The group chat."
"The group chat."
She grabbed her noodles. Started eating. "I'm going to kill him."
Keifer sat beside her. "I'll help."
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Part Three: The Second Attempt
The room settled after lunch. Percy was on the couch, telling stories about law school. Aries was failing. Percy was passing. Aries was studying too hard. Percy was not studying enough. The room was laughing. Yuri was on the floor. Lyra was holding her stomach. Alex was watching her, not laughing, not looking away.
Jay stood up. Grabbed Keifer's hand. Pulled him toward the door.
Percy looked up. "Where are you going?"
"Bathroom."
"There's a bathroom here."
"The hallway bathroom. The water pressure is better."
He looked at her. At Keifer. At their hands. "The water pressure is better in the hallway?"
"Much better."
She pulled Keifer out the door.
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Part Four: The Hallway Again
The door closed behind them. The hallway was empty. The noise of the room was muffled.
Keifer looked at her. "The water pressure?"
"Shut up."
"You told your brother we were going to the bathroom for the water pressure."
She grabbed his shirt. "I said shut up."
He smiled. She pulled him closer. He leaned in. His hand was on her face. His lips were inches from hers.
The door opened.
"JAY!"
She pushed him away. He stumbled back. Percy stood in the doorway, arms crossed, face smug.
"You said bathroom."
"I said bathroom."
"The hallway bathroom."
"The hallway bathroom."
He pointed at the door behind them. "That's the supply closet."
She turned. Looked at the door. It said SUPPLY CLOSET in bold letters. She hadn't noticed.
Percy was grinning. "You were about to kiss my sister in front of a supply closet."
Keifer's ears were red. "We were—"
"In the hallway."
"In the hallway."
"While I was sitting on the couch."
"We thought you were eating noodles."
Percy leaned against the doorframe. "I finished the noodles. I came to check on you. The water pressure in the hallway bathroom is the same as the water pressure in the room bathroom. There's no difference."
Jay's face was red. Her hands were fists. Her jaw was tight.
"You planned this."
He smiled. "I came to visit."
"You came to interrupt."
He shrugged. "Same thing."
She grabbed a napkin from her pocket. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Percy problem."
He tucked the napkin into his pocket. "The worst kind."
He walked back into the room. The door closed behind him.
Keifer looked at the supply closet. At the door. At the sign.
"We were about to kiss in front of a supply closet."
"We were about to kiss in front of a supply closet."
"The second time."
"The second time."
She looked at the door. At the sign. At the space where Percy's face had appeared.
"I'm going to kill him."
Keifer took her hand. "I'll help."
She pulled him toward the stairs. "We're leaving."
"Where are we going?"
She didn't answer. She pulled him down the stairs. Out the building. Into the courtyard.
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Part Five: The Courtyard
The courtyard was empty. The fountain was running. The sun was setting. The light was gold.
Jay stopped by the fountain. Her hands were shaking. Her face was red. Her chest was tight.
"Your brother," Keifer said.
"My brother."
"Interrupted us twice."
"Twice."
"In the hallway."
"In the hallway."
"In front of a supply closet."
She laughed. She couldn't help it. The laugh came out of nowhere, surprising her, surprising him.
"We were about to kiss in front of a supply closet," she said.
He smiled. "We were about to kiss in front of a supply closet."
"Twice."
"Twice."
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At his mouth. At the way the light hit his skin.
"There's no one here," she said.
"There's no one here."
"No supply closet."
"No supply closet."
"No Percy."
"No Percy."
He stepped closer. His hand was on her face. His lips were inches from hers.
She kissed him.
He kissed her back. The fountain was running. The sun was setting. The courtyard was empty.
They pulled apart. Her face was red. His ears were red. They were both breathing hard.
"Third time," she said.
He smiled. "Third time."
She looked at the building. At the windows. At the door.
"He's going to find us."
He took her hand. "Let him."
She smiled. He smiled. They stood by the fountain, holding hands, watching the sun set.
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Part Six: The Return
They walked back to the room at dusk. Percy was on the couch, telling another story. Yuri was on the floor. Lyra was laughing. Alex was watching. Ci N was writing.
Percy looked up when they walked in. "The bathroom water pressure?"
"Much better."
"Took you a while."
"Long line."
He looked at her face. At Keifer's face. At their hands.
"Your face is red."
"It's the sun."
"It's setting."
"Global warming."
He smiled. She glared. He stood up. Walked to Keifer. Clapped him on the shoulder.
"You're going to marry my sister."
Keifer's ears went red. "We're—"
"In the hallway."
"In the hallway."
"Twice."
"Twice."
"In front of a supply closet."
Keifer opened his mouth. Closed it. Percy grinned. Walked back to the couch.
Jay grabbed a pillow. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," she said.
"You have a throwing problem."
"I have a Percy problem."
He put the pillow behind his head. "The worst kind."
He closed his eyes. Smiled. The room was quiet. The sun was setting. The lights were coming on.
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Part Seven: The Night
Percy left after dinner. He hugged Jay at the door. Held her longer than usual.
"You're happy," he said.
She pulled back. "I'm fine."
"You're happy. With him. In this room. With these people."
She looked at the room. At Yuri on his bed. At Mica in the kitchen. At Calix beside her. At Care and Cole at the table. At Freya and Erdix on the couch. At Ash and David by the window. At Felix at his desk. At Ci N on his bed. At Lyra and Alex on the couch. At Keifer by the window, watching her.
"Yeah," she said. "I'm happy."
He kissed her forehead. "Good."
He walked down the hallway. She watched him go. The door closed behind her.
Keifer was beside her. "He's gone."
"He's gone."
She looked at the door. At the empty hallway. At the space where Percy had been.
"We were about to kiss. Twice."
"We were about to kiss. Twice."
"In the hallway. In front of a supply closet."
He smiled. "Third time was the charm."
She grabbed his shirt. Pulled him down. Kissed him.
The door opened.
"JAY!"
She pulled back. Percy was standing in the hallway. His keys were in his hand. His face was bright.
"I forgot my jacket."
She pointed at the couch. His jacket was there. He walked in. Picked it up. Walked to the door.
"You were about to kiss again."
"We were about to kiss again."
"In the doorway."
"In the doorway."
He looked at them. At their red faces. At their hands. At the way they were standing close.
"You're going to get married," he said.
Keifer opened his mouth. Jay opened her mouth. Percy smiled.
"Third time's the charm."
He walked down the hallway. The door closed behind him.
Jay stared at the door. "He did that on purpose."
Keifer put his arm around her. "He definitely did that on purpose."
"He forgot his jacket."
"He forgot his jacket."
"He's been here for six hours."
"He's been here for six hours."
She leaned into him. "I'm going to kill him."
He kissed her forehead. "I'll help."
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Part Eight: The Night
The room was quiet that night.
Lyra was on the couch. Alex beside her. Her head was on his shoulder. His arm was around her. She was sleeping. He was watching her breathe.
Ci N was on his bed. Notebook open. Pen in hand.
"Page 288. Percy visited. Interrupted three potential kisses. Probability of fourth kiss: 98.2 percent."
Rakki watched him. "You calculated the kisses he interrupted?"
He nodded. "Three. Hallway. Supply closet. Doorway. Probability of a fourth kiss tonight: 97.4 percent."
She closed his notebook. "You need to sleep."
He looked at her. "I'm not tired."
"You've been calculating all day."
He looked at Jay's bed. She was lying down. Keifer was beside her. The shark was between them.
"They're going to kiss again," he said.
Rakki looked at them. "Probably."
He picked up his fox. Held it. "Good."
She kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes.
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Across the room, Jay lay in her bed. The shark was beside her. Keifer was beside her. His arm was around her. Her head was on his chest.
"Your brother interrupted us three times," he said.
"My brother interrupted us three times."
"In one day."
"In one day."
She looked up at him. "We kissed anyway."
He smiled. "We kissed anyway."
She closed her eyes. His heartbeat was under her ear. His hand was in her hair.
"Keifer."
"Yeah."
"I love you."
He pulled her closer. "I love you."
From across the room, Ci N's voice: "Page 289. I love you recorded. Probability of more I love yous: 100 percent."
"Ci N," Jay said.
"I'm sleeping."
"You're talking."
"I'm sleeping and talking. My brain works at one hundred sixty percent. I can do both."
"Ci N."
"Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Father."
She smiled into Keifer's chest. "Goodnight, Ci N."
The room was quiet. Sixteen people. Sixteen people who were something to each other. Something that didn't need a name.
Jay closed her eyes. Keifer was beside her. The shark was beside her. Percy was gone. The hallway was empty.
She slept.
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End of Chapter Thirty-Six