Jay-Jay's POV:
Something feels off.
Keifer is still beside me, still holding my hand, still smiling—but it's not the same. His eyes keep drifting away, like his thoughts are somewhere I can't reach. Every time I try to catch his gaze, he looks away just a second too late.
And then there's his phone.
It buzzes once. He checks it quickly, then locks the screen. A few minutes later, he looks at it again. Not enough to look suspicious… but enough for me to notice.
I don't say anything.
Ella's words from this morning slip back into my mind, clear and unwanted.
"Did Keifer mention me lately?"
I remember the way she said it—casual, almost playful. Like it was normal for her to ask. Like she still had a place in his world.
My chest tightens a little.
I don't want that question to affect me. I don't want her to affect me. But somehow, it lingers, mixing with the uneasy feeling I can't shake.
Keifer laughs at something someone says, but it sounds distant. He doesn't notice me watching him, trying to read his face, trying to understand what he isn't saying.
Is he hiding something from me?
Or am I just overthinking everything?
I don't ask. Not yet.
Just then, my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen.
Alen.
I quietly stepped out of the classroom before answering.
"Hey," Alen said. "Everything's going according to plan?
"That's great," I replied, leaning against the hallway wall.
"All that's left now is your outfit."
I frowned. "Why? Isn't it ready yet?"
He sighed. "Because we don't know which color you want."
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "It doesn't matter. I don't really care about that stuff anyway."
A soft laugh came through the line. "Classic Jay," he said, teasing me.
I smiled despite my self