Chapter 77
The Alibi, The Idiots, and The Things We Don't Say
If there was one thing Jay hated about school, it was the fact that people never minded their own business.
Not students.
Not teachers.
Not Section E.
Especially not Section E.
The day had barely started, and she was already regretting leaving Keifer's villa that morning.
Mostly because she had slept through three alarms.
And partly because she accidentally walked into school wearing one of Keifer's hoodies.
Again.
"That's his hoodie."
Jay didn't even look up from her phone.
"No."
Ci-N pointed dramatically.
"It literally has his initials."
Jay looked down.
Unfortunately.
It did.
MKW.
Damn it.
"That's unfortunate."
"THAT'S EVIDENCE."
"Of what?"
"Of suspicious behavior."
Jay stuffed her phone into her pocket.
"Ci-N."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"No."
Normal.
This felt normal.
For the first time in a while.
At lunch, Section E was gathered around their usual table.
Blaster was complaining.
Again.
Nobody knew what about.
Not even Blaster.
He just enjoyed being upset.
"...and that's why I think the canteen hates me personally."
"Blaster," David said sleepily.
"Hm?"
"You ordered fish from a school cafeteria."
Blaster paused.
"...fair."
Meanwhile Drew was counting coins.
Again.
Probably because he was broke.
Again.
The universe loved consistency.
Jay was stealing fries from Keifer's tray.
Again.
Also consistency.
Keifer watched her take another one.
Then another.
Then another.
Eventually half his fries were gone.
"Are you planning to leave any for me?"
"No."
"I paid for those."
"And?"
"Jay."
"You sound possessive."
"I am possessive."
The table went silent.
Jay blinked.
Keifer blinked.
Ci-N choked.
Blaster nearly fell off his chair.
Rory looked like he'd just witnessed a car crash.
"WHAT."
Keifer immediately sighed.
"Not like that."
"THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT SOUNDED."
"Blaster, stop yelling."
"I REFUSE."
Jay looked down at the fries she was holding.
Then looked at Keifer.
Then slowly stole another fry.
Just because she could.
Keifer watched her.
Did absolutely nothing.
The table became even quieter.
"Guys," Drew whispered.
"Hm?"
"I think they're disgusting."
"Agreed," Rory said immediately.
"Absolutely disgusting," Edrix added.
Ci-N looked emotional.
"Our girl has become domestic."
"I'll hit you."
"There she is."
The laughter that followed felt lighter than usual.
Easier.
And for a few minutes...
everything almost felt like before.
Almost.
Then Angelo arrived.
And unfortunately...
God hated Jay.
"Jay."
The moment she heard that voice, her soul left her body.
"Why are you here"
Slowly.
Painfully.
Angelo smiled.
"School work "
Then looked at Ci-N.
"Thanks for letting her stay at your house that night."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Ci-N blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"...what?"
Jay immediately looked away.
Keifer covered his mouth.
The traitor was laughing.
Aries appeared behind Angelo.
"Wait."
No.
No no no.
Not him too.
Aries narrowed his eyes.
"What house?"
Ci-N pointed at himself.
"MY house?"
Angelo nodded.
"Yeah."
Aries slowly turned toward Jay.
Jay suddenly found the wall extremely interesting.
"Jasper Jean Mariano ."
Danger.
That was the full-name tone.
Danger.
"Where were you actually?"
"Outside."
"Outside where?"
"Earth."
"Jay."
"Aries."
"Monkey."
"Horoscope."
Ci-N gasped dramatically.
Then stood up.
Then pointed at her like a lawyer discovering evidence.
"YOU USED ME AS AN ALIBI."
"Lower your voice."
"YOU USED ME AS A CRIMINAL COVER STORY."
Students started looking.
Jay wanted to evaporate.
Immediately.
"Nothing criminal happened."
"THAT DOESN'T HELP."
"It should."
"It DOESN'T."
Aries crossed his arms.
"You lied."
Jay pointed at him.
"You're being judgmental."
"I AM."
Keifer was fully laughing now.
No support.
No loyalty.
Nothing.
Just betrayal.
Jay kicked his leg under the table.
He looked delighted about it.
Which was deeply irritating.
Eventually Angelo left.
Aries left.
And somehow Jay survived.
Barely.
The moment they were gone, Ci-N sat down dramatically.
"I can't believe this."
"Life moves on."
"You framed me."
"I borrowed your existence temporarily."
"THAT'S NOT BETTER."
The table exploded into laughter.
Even Felix smiled.
A small one.
But Jay noticed.
And for some reason...
that made her chest ache a little.
The afternoon passed quietly after that.
Classes.
Teachers.
Homework.
The usual torture.
By dismissal, most students had already left.
The hallways were nearly empty.
Jay was gathering her books when she heard footsteps approaching.
She looked up.
Felix.
Of course.
The moment she saw his expression, she already knew.
This wasn't going to be a joke.
"Hey."
"Hey."
The silence felt different from the others.
Heavier.
Felix shoved his hands into his pockets.
Then looked away briefly.
Like he was searching for the right words.
Finally:
"You know I wanted to call, right?"
There it was.
The thing neither of them had said.
Jay looked at him quietly.
Then asked:
"Then why didn't you?"
Felix froze.
Not because he didn't expect the question.
Because he did.
He just didn't have a good answer.
"I don't know."
Honest.
Painfully honest.
Jay looked down at the notebook in her hands.
"I kept checking my phone."
The confession slipped out before she could stop it.
Felix's face changed instantly.
"I know."
"No."
Jay laughed softly.
Without humor.
"You don't."
She looked up again.
For the first time, he could actually see it.
Not anger.
Not resentment.
Just hurt.
"I kept thinking maybe somebody would call."
Felix swallowed.
Hard.
The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.
"I thought you hated us."
Jay snorted.
"You thought I'd hate you forever?"
"I didn't know."
And that...
That was the truth.
Nobody knew.
Not him.
Not Rory.
Not Blaster.
Not any of them.
They'd all been standing on opposite sides of the same silence.
Waiting.
Assuming.
Making things worse.
Felix looked down.
Then quietly said:
"I missed you."
Simple.
No dramatic speech.
No perfect apology.
Just truth.
Jay stared at him for a moment.
And somehow...
That hurt more.
Because she believed him.
She always would.
The idiot.
"You suck at emotional conversations."
Felix laughed.
A short surprised laugh.
"You too."
"Fair."
Another small silence followed.
But this one felt better.
Lighter.
Like something had finally shifted.
Not fixed.
Just moved.
A crack letting light through.
Then a voice echoed from the end of the hallway.
"JAY."
Ci-N.
Of course.
"WE'RE GOING FOR MILK TEA."
"Why are you yelling?"
"BECAUSE FRIENDSHIP."
Felix sighed.
"He's impossible."
"Yeah."
"Want to go?"
Jay looked toward Ci-N.
Then back at Felix.
Then nodded.
"Sure."
And for the first time since coming back...
The answer felt easy.
---
Sometimes healing didn't begin with forgiveness. Sometimes it began with two stubborn people finally admitting they had missed each other all along.