JAY JAY POV
I didn't want to go home. I couldn't go back to that house where my parents were probably waiting with a lecture and where Yuri's smug face would be waiting at the breakfast table. So, I took the long way around the city and drove straight to Aunt Hazel's.
She's my dad's younger sister, but they couldn't be more different. She's the only one in the family who doesn't care about the money or company
I hammered on her front door until the porch light flickered on. When she opened the door, she was in a silk robe, looking half-asleep and very confused.
"Jay? Why are you here? Do you know what time it is?" she asked, blinking at me. "And why are you wearing pajamas with ducks on them in the middle of the night?"
"Should I just go back and sleep in a hotel then?" I snapped, my eyes still stinging from the anger and the rejection at the court.
Hazel's eyes widened, and before I could blink, she reached out and grabbed me by the ear.
"Ahhh! Auntie! Let my ear go!" I yelled, stumbling forward as she practically dragged me across the threshold.
"You little brat! What did I tell you about sleeping in hotels? You have family!" she scolded, finally letting go once we were in the hallway. She slammed the door shut and locked it. "You're eighteen, not thirty. If you're in trouble or if you're upset, you come here. You don't go to some random hotel where I can't keep an eye on you."
She crossed her arms, looking me up and down. Her expression softened when she saw the state of me—dirt on my elbows, messy hair, and a look of total defeat on my face.
"Sit," she commanded, pointing to the couch. "I'll make tea. And you're going to tell me why you look like that"
I wrapped my hands around the warm mug, the steam fogging up my vision. It felt like the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
"Where is Uncle Henry?" I asked, looking around the quiet house. Usually, my uncle was around to crack a joke and lighten the mood.
"He went out with the boys. Probably at some late-night lounge talking about things that don't matter," Aunt Hazel said, pulling a chair up across from me. She leaned in, her eyes sharp but kind. "So, what happened? And don't leave out the details."
"Keifer and I kissed," I said, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. "We were at the basketball court. We fell, and... it happened. But then, after he was done, he just said it was an accident. He took it all back, Auntie. He literally blamed me for it. He said I moved my lips first so it was my fault."
I felt the heat of embarrassment and anger rise in my chest all over again. "I've never felt so stupid in my life. I'm sitting there pouring my heart out about our 'future house' and designing buildings, and he treats a kiss—a real kiss—like it was a car crash he wanted to flee the scene of."
Aunt Hazel didn't laugh. She didn't even smile. She just sighed and leaned back.
"An accident," she repeated slowly. "Jay Jay, let me tell you something about boys like Keifer. When you have nothing, your pride is the only thing you own. He realizes you're a Mariano. He realizes the gap between your world and his. To him, liking you isn't a fairy tale; it's a liability. Calling it an 'accident' is his way of protecting himself because he's terrified of how much he actually liked it."
"I don't care about his pride!" I practically yelled, nearly spilling my tea. "I care that he made me feel like I was a problem to be solved. I drove away and left him there. I don't ever want to see him again."
"Liars shouldn't drink tea, it ruins the flavor," Hazel remarked dryly. "You'll see him at school tomorrow. But here's what you're going to do: you're going to act like he's right."
I blinked. "What? Why?"
"If he wants it to be an accident, give him exactly what he asked for," she said with a devious glint in her eyes. "Treat him like a stranger. Be polite, be distant, and focus on yourself. Let him see exactly what he's 'accidentally' missing out on."
I looked at her, tilting my head. "So you're basically telling me to ignore him until he talks to me?" I asked, a bit skeptical. After all, Keifer was a professional at the silent treatment. He could probably go weeks without saying a word if he wanted to.
"How do you think your Uncle Henry fell in love with me?" Aunt Hazel said, a mischievous spark in her eye as she took a sip of her tea. "He was just like your Keifer—stubborn, overly proud, and convinced he didn't need anyone. I had to use that trick on him, and trust me, it works really fine."
She leaned forward, tapping her finger on the rim of my mug. "People like them take your attention for granted. You've been chasing him, Jay Jay. You've been the one making the noise, the one talking about 'fate' and 'marriage.' He's gotten comfortable having you orbit around him while he plays the cool, detached king. If you suddenly stop? If you treat him with the same 'accidental' coldness he gave you? It'll drive him crazy."
"But what if he just... stays silent?" I whispered. The thought of Keifer never looking at me again made my stomach twist.
"Then he wasn't worth the effort in the first place," she said firmly. "But a boy who kisses back like that? He won't stay silent for long. He'll start wondering why the light went out. He'll start looking for the girl in the duck pajamas, and she won't be there to entertain him anymore."
I looked down at my duck pants. For the first time all night, I felt a little bit of my power coming back.
"Okay," I said, a slow smile finally spreading across my face. "I'll do it. I'll be a ghost. No marriage talk, no teasing, no hanging around the basketball court. Just... complete silence."
"That's my girl," Hazel cheered, clinking her mug against mine. "Now, go wash that playground dirt off your face and get some sleep."
I went to the guest room, but as I laid in bed, my phone—which I'd realized I'd left on the court—wasn't there to distract me. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if Keifer had picked it up, or if he was still standing there in the dark, wondering where I went.
Fine, Keifer Watson, I thought as I closed my eyes. It was an accident. Starting tomorrow, you're just a guy who takes up space in the back of the classroom.
But my heart, traitorous as ever, still felt the ghost of his lips on mine.
NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL
The next day at school, I put Aunt Hazel's plan into motion. I was still fuming, of course, but I channeled that anger into a cold, perfect wall of indifference.
When the first bell rang, I marched straight past Keifer's usual spot and slumped into the chair next to Mia. She immediately nudged me, raising an eyebrow toward the back of the room. "Your future husband is sitting over there, you know," she teased, nodding toward Keifer.
I didn't even turn my head, though I could feel him watching me, a small, knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Future husband my ass," I muttered loud enough for Mia to hear.
The teacher interrupted our chatter to announce a project. We were told to form groups of three, so naturally, I stuck with Mia and Sarah. Across the aisle, Ben, Dave, and Keifer formed their own trio. But then the teacher dropped the hammer: "Now, find another trio. You need to combine into groups of six."
"What?" I asked, genuinely confused by the sudden change.
"I don't know, we might as well just join up with the boys," Mia suggested, already gathering her things.
"Yeah, it'll be easier since we already know them," Sarah added.
"We know everyone in this class, Sarah," I reminded her dryly.
"Tomato, tomato," she chirped, making me chuckle despite my mood.
Suddenly, Yuri appeared at the edge of our desk, looking way too polished for a Monday morning. "Jay, can my guys join your group?" he asked, flashing a charming smile.
I opened my mouth to give him a polite "no," but someone beat me to it.
"No. Their group is joining ours," Keifer interjected firmly.
I rolled my eyes, keeping my face stoic, but inside, a tiny spark of triumph flared. It's working. He was already getting territorial.
Yuri's smile vanished as he shot a look at Keifer. "I wasn't talking to you, Watson."
Ben didn't miss a beat, leaning back in his chair. "Well, we were talking to you. Group's full, Yuri."
"Jay, hurry up and say something to him," Dave urged, looking back and forth between the growing tension of Yuri and Keifer. He clearly wanted me to settle the dispute.
I finally looked up from my desk, giving Yuri a small, apologetic shrug that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Sorry, Yuri. We've all known each other since forever," I said simply, gesturing to Mia, Ben, and the guys. "It just makes more sense to stick with the people who already know how to deal with my 'annoying' habits."
I caught Keifer's reaction out of the corner of my eye. He shifted in his seat, his jaw tightening slightly when I used the word annoying—exactly the word he always used to describe me.
Yuri looked like he wanted to argue, but the dismissal was clean. "Right. Since forever," he repeated, his eyes flickering to Keifer with a cold sort of understanding. "I get it." He turned and stalked off toward another group.
As the boys dragged their desks over to join ours, the atmosphere was heavy. Usually, I'd be making some comment about how Keifer couldn't bear to be in a group without me, or I'd be trying to catch his eye to share a secret smile. Instead, I stayed perfectly quiet, pulling out my project rubric and acting like I was deeply fascinated by the grading criteria
"Okay, since this is a project... wait, which class is this again?" I asked, looking around the table blankly. My brain was still half-stuck on Aunt Hazel's porch and half-stuck on that basketball court.
Dave laughed and reached over, hitting my forehead lightly with his palm. "Idiot. It's ELA."
"Right, right," I muttered, rubbing my head.
I didn't have to look up to know Keifer was watching us. I could practically feel the heat of his gaze burning holes into Dave's face for touching me.
"So, since the project is about the main idea of the story and we have to create a poster representing the theme, we can do something easy," I said, leaning over the rubric.
"Did you even read the story?" Keifer asked. It was the first time he'd addressed me directly, and his voice was tight, like he was forcing the words out.
"Yes," I shot back, finally meeting his eyes for a split second before looking away. My voice was clipped and professional. "It's about a girl and her love life. Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet."
I let out a small, cynical huff. "The theme is pretty obvious: impulsive decisions and people claiming they're in love after five minutes when they don't actually know each other at all. It's basically a tragedy about people who can't communicate."
I felt Mia kick me under the table. She knew exactly what I was doing.
"Wow, someone's a critic," Ben joked, looking between me and Keifer. "I thought you were the resident romantic, Jay Jay."
"People change," I said, shrugging effortlessly. I tapped my pen on the table and looked at Keifer. "Since you're so concerned about whether I read it, why don't you suggest a better theme? Or was your plan just to sit there and judge my reading comprehension?"
Keifer looked like I had just slapped him with a wet fish. He opened his mouth, then closed it, his eyes darting to where Dave's hand had just touched my forehead.
"The theme is fate," he finally said, his voice dropping an octave. "Two people being pulled together even when the whole world is trying to keep them apart."
"Please," I rolled my eyes, turning back to my notebook. "That's just an excuse people use when they don't want to take responsibility for their actions. It wasn't 'fate' that killed them; it was a series of unfortunate accidents."
I put a heavy emphasis on the word accidents.
Keifer flinched. The pen in his hand snapped with a sharp crack.
"Anyway," I continued, ignoring the broken pen. "Let's just get to the poster. Who's good at drawing?"