A/N CHECK THE COMMENT SECTION
JAY-JAY POV
Mia guided me into her room, closing the door behind us with that soft-but-serious look she gets when she's in full protective‑best‑friend mode.
"You two stay out," she ordered Ben and Robin without even turning around.
Ben just nodded.
Robin, of course, had other priorities.
"Jay, can you give me your phone? I want to play games but my phone died," he said, already reaching out like a toddler asking for candy.
I stared at him.
Really?
Right now?
I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw last night's trauma flash before me again, but I still handed him my phone.
He grinned like he'd won a prize. "Thanks, Jay‑Jay."
Mia shut the door in his face before he could say anything else.
She turned to me, her expression softening the second we were alone.
"Sit," she said gently.
And for once, I didn't argue.
I sat down in front of the mirror, the bright bulbs around it making my swollen eyes look even worse. My reflection stared back at me like she didn't recognize me either.
Mia stood behind me with her hands on her hips, full commander mode activated.
"Okay, Jay," she said, narrowing her eyes at my reflection. "We're bringing out the old Jay. Because we do not like this Jay."
She pointed at the mirror like she was scolding a misbehaving child.
"This Jay looks like she got hit by a bus, cried about it, and then let the bus run her over again," she added.
I blinked at her through the mirror.
"…Thanks?"
She ignored me completely, already rummaging through her drawers like she was preparing for war.
"No more sad, heartbroken, crying-in-public Jay," she declared. "We're reviving the Jay who didn't give a damn. The Jay who scared people. The Jay that only knows how to laughs"
I snorted. "That Jay died."
Mia spun around so fast her hair whipped me in the face.
"No," she said firmly. "She didn't die. She just took a nap. And I'm waking her up."
She grabbed a hairbrush like it was a weapon.
"Sit still," she ordered. "We're resurrecting your villain era."
Then—
She reached for something on her desk.
Snip.
My eyes widened.
"Mia… why the hell do you have scissors?" I asked, scooting back like she was about to perform surgery on me.
She grabbed my shoulders and pushed me right back into the chair.
"Jay, relax," she said with the confidence of someone who absolutely should not have confidence. "I'm giving you curtain bangs and a little bit of a layer cut."
I stared at her through the mirror.
"Fine," I muttered.
Mia grinned like a mad scientist who finally got permission to experiment on a living human. She lifted the scissors and went to work — snipping, trimming, fluffing, muttering things like "trust the process"
A few minutes later, she stepped back with a dramatic flourish.
"Okay. See? Perfect," Mia announced, hands on her hips like she'd just rebuilt me from scratch.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Mia leaned against the dresser, arms crossed, smirking like she'd just performed a miracle.
"See? You look less miserable now," she said.
I snorted. "Wow. Thanks for the compliment, Mother Teresa."
She flicked my shoulder. "I'm serious. You look like you finally remembered who the hell you are."
"Okay, now I only need to teach you how to pick fashionable clothes," Mia said, hands on her hips like she was about to give a TED Talk.
I got up from the seat, rolling my eyes. "I think I know that."
She raised an eyebrow at me, clearly not convinced.
"I still remember myself," I said, marching straight into her closet like I owned the place.
Mia watched from the doorway as I dug through her clothes — tossing hangers left and right until I found the outfit.
I slipped it on, fixed the hem, adjusted the neckline, and stepped out of the closet like it was a runway.
Mia's jaw dropped.
"There she is," she said, pointing at me like she'd just discovered fire. "My hot and sexy bff."
I smirked, doing a slow spin in front of the mirror.
"Now—" Mia started.
"Now my tone," I finished for her, and we both burst out laughing like idiots.
We walked out of the room together, and the first thing I saw was Ben and Robin staring at my phone like it had personally insulted their entire bloodline.
"Guys, our Jay is back," Mia announced proudly.
They both looked up at me.
Ben's eyes widened. "Absolutely not. Go change."
"Yeah, both of you go change, you're exposing too much," Robin added, pointing at my outfit like it was a crime scene.
"Umm, no," I said, crossing my arms. "This is just a strapless tank top with baggy jeans. What's wrong with it?"
"Everything is," Ben said without hesitation.
I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain.
"Anyways," I said, walking over to them, "why are you looking at my phone like you're about to kill it?"
My tone came out more like a canvas girl
"Mia, she really is back," Robin whispered dramatically.
I rolled my eyes again.
"It's just this app in your phone," Ben said, turning the screen toward me. "I think it's a tracking app."
My stomach dropped a little
"Tracking app?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Robin nodded, still staring at my phone like it was plotting against him.
"Yeah, I'm not great at this stuff but… I know a little bit," he said. "My friend—he was a hacker—and he does these things."
I blinked at him.
"…Robin. What do you mean was a hacker?"
He shrugged casually. "He retired."
Ben snorted. "He got arrested."
Robin glared at him. "He retired."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Why do you two know criminals."
Mia crossed her arms. "Jay, focus. What kind of tracking app?"
Robin turned the phone toward me again. "I don't know exactly, but it's hidden. Like… someone didn't want you to see it."
I blinked at him, my stomach tightening but my face staying perfectly still.
"So you're saying somebody is tracking me through my phone," I said slowly.
Robin nodded, serious for once. "Yeah. I'm not a pro, but… I know enough to say this isn't normal."
A cold, sharp realization slid into place.
"I know exactly who it is," I said.
Ben straightened immediately. "Jay—"
"Ben," I cut him off, my voice steady in a way that made all three of them look at me differently. "Drive me to HVIS."
Ben didn't even hesitate. He followed me out the door, and Robin and Mia trailed behind us like backup soldiers.
I slid into the passenger seat.
Robin and Mia climbed into the back.
"Mia, start recording," Robin said immediately.
Mia grinned, already lifting her phone. "Oh, this is gonna be epic."
Mia already had her phone out. "This is gonna be epic."
I shot both of them a look.
They just smiled like the chaotic gremlins they are.
I rolled my eyes.
"Who do you think it is?" Ben asked from the driver's seat.
"Who else?" I said, leaning back. "The great hacker of Section E himself — Edrix Knight Peñaflor."
We reached the school in no time.
I didn't wait for anyone — I headed straight for Section E, the others trailing behind me like a storm front.
The moment I stepped into the room, every head snapped toward me.
"Damn, who is she?"
"Is that Jay?"
"She looks different—like different different."
Their whispers buzzed around the room, but I didn't bother listening.
My eyes locked onto one person.
Edrix.
He was sitting at his desk
I walked straight toward him, feeling every pair of eyes on me — the snakes watching, whispering, waiting.
"Edrix," I called out, my voice sweet
He froze.
Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at me surprised
"Jay, hey," he said, and there was this weird spark of excitement in his voice — like he was actually happy to see me.
Too bad for him.
I held up my phone right in front of his face. "Do you know what this is?"
Before he could even properly look at the screen, he practically shoved the phone back into my hand.
"I— I don't know," he stammered.
I stared at him.
Oh, you snake.
You didn't even look at it.
My brows furrowed at his behavior.
I felt like he didn't want to look at my phone. I placed it down on his desk.
"You're good with gadgets and computers, right? Uninstall this from my phone. Or just format it entirely" I ordered, already irritated
Edrix bit his lower lip and wiped his palm on his tight.
I frown at his reaction
His reaction was strange— too obvious, like he was hiding something from me
"Jay- Jay" he started hesitantly "I- I can't"
I exhaled
"You can't?" I asked sarcastically "Who are you fooling? Yourself"
Edrix glanced at that king of serpents for a moment. That only strengthened my suspicions. My blood started to boil again
I snatched the phone back and held it right in front of his face, close enough that he had to lean back.
"Say what the fuck this app does before I lose my mind," I yelled, my voice echoing through the whole damn room.
Section E went dead silent.
Edrix blinked at me, stunned — like he'd never heard me raise my voice before, like he didn't expect this version of me to show up.
"Jay-jay" some called my name, but my focus remained on Edrix.
He swallowed first and took a deep breath he took the phone from my hand
He opened my phone and unlocked it
Asshole. I knew it.
"OTJ101 stands for Operation Tracking Jay‑Jay version 10.1," Edrix said, like he was explaining a science project and not a federal crime. "I programmed the computer and the app to track your phone's location."
My stomach dropped.
That explained everything.
Why they always showed up within ten minutes.
Why they always "just happened" to be nearby.
"Why?" I asked, my voice low, dangerous.
"Because you were getting into trouble a lot and we wanted to save you," he said, like that made it okay.
I stared at him, then asked the question even though I already knew the damn answer.
"Is this app linked to someone's phone?"
Edrix hesitated.
Then looked straight at Keifer.
"Yes. Keifer's."
I turned to Keifer
I glared at him, every ounce of betrayal, anger, and humiliation boiling under my skin.
"Wow," I said, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. "You and the whole section would do anything to make sure your plan goes right, huh?"
Keifer rolled his eyes.
Rolled. His. Eyes.
That was it.
That was the last straw.
I was so pissed I didn't even think — I just threw my phone at him.
He dodged it easily, of course.
Because of course he did.
The phone hit the wall with a loud crack, and the entire room gasped.
And I stood there, chest heaving, hands shaking — not from fear, but from pure, white‑hot fury.
"You asshole!" I snapped, stepping forward, ready to swing.
But before I could even lift my arm, two strong arms wrapped around my waist and yanked me back.
"Ben, let me go!" I yelled, twisting, kicking, trying to break free.
"No," Ben said, voice firm, breath warm against my ear.
"Ben, let me go! I want to kill that asshole!" I shouted, still fighting his grip.
"Exactly why I won't let you go," he said, tightening his hold like he already knew every trick I'd try.
Robin and Mia were staring at us — wide‑eyed, half‑shocked, half‑entertained.
Five seconds passed.
Five seconds of me struggling like a feral cat.
"I won't do anything, just let me go," I said, trying to pry his hands off my waist.
Robin snorted. "Jay, that's what you said you'd do to Max."
"And he walked out of the room with a broken nose," Mia finished, nodding like she was presenting evidence in court.
I glared at both of them.
Ben's arms stayed locked around me.
"Let her go," Yuri said from behind us, voice sharp, like he had any authority here.
Ben didn't even turn around.
"Don't tell me what to do, you fucking rooster," he snapped back, every syllable dripping with venom.
A few people in Section E choked on their own air.
Yuri's glare could've set the room on fire.
But Ben didn't budge.
His arms stayed locked around my waist, holding me in place like he was the only barrier between me and a full‑scale homicide.
Yuri took a step forward, but Ben finally turned his head just enough to look at him.
"Back. Off."
"Let's go before you both end up in jail for a murder attempt," Mia said, stepping forward like the only sane person in the room.
"Forget about a murder attempt," I snapped, still pinned in Ben's arms. "I'll go to jail after I kill that motherfucker."
I pointed straight at Keifer.
The room exploded with reactions.
A few gasps.
A couple of "oh shit" whispers.
Someone in the back muttered, "Yeah, she's definitely back."
Keifer didn't even flinch.
He just stared at me — jaw tight, eyes unreadable
Ben tightened his grip around my waist. "Jay, stop."
"I'm not stopping anything," I hissed. "He tracked my phone. He tracked my life. He tracked every time I breathed wrong."
Robin let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Ben, just carry her outside, man."
Ben didn't even argue.
One second I was standing there ready to commit a felony,
"Ben— BEN— put me down!" I yelled, kicking my legs
"No," he said, completely unfazed, marching straight out of Section E with me in his arms like I was a misbehaving cat.
The entire room watched in stunned silence.
"Holy shit—"
"He's brave."
Mia and Robin followed behind us, trying not to laugh.
Ben carried me all the way outside, ignoring every twist, kick, and insult I threw at him, and set me down in the passenger seat of the car like I was a toddler who needed a time‑out.
He shut the door firmly.
Then leaned down, eyes level with mine.
"Stay," he said.
Like I was a dog.
I glared at him so hard the window should've cracked.