The Golden Table
[Jay's POV]
The Watson University cafeteria didn't serve food; it served status.
With its high vaulted ceilings, marble columns, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake, it felt more like a five-star gala than a student lounge. But as our group marched through the double doors, the clatter of silverware and the hum of a thousand conversations died down to a dull murmur.
We were a walking scandal.
In the lead was Keifer, looking utterly unbothered with his hands in his pockets, flanked by Erdix, Rory, C In, David, and Calix. Walking beside them—or rather, surrounded by them—were me and my girls. Freya, Mica, Rakki, and Ella were holding their heads high, looking like the elite squad they were.
"Don't look at the crowd, Jay," Freya whispered, her shoulder brushing mine. "Look at the menu. Pretend the peasants don't exist."
"Hard to do when the 'peasants' are all staring at us like we're a zoo exhibit," I murmured back.
"They aren't staring at us," Rakki corrected, adjusting her designer tote. "They're staring at the fact that the 'Chill Prince' is currently acting as your personal bodyguard. Look at him."
I glanced sideways. Keifer was walking less than an inch away from me. Every time someone got too close or tried to step into our path, he'd shift his weight slightly, a silent, predatory warning that made people step back instantly.
We reached the central area where the "Power Tables" were.
"There," Percy's voice rang out, sharp and mocking.
My step-brother was already seated at a long, rectangular table with Aries, Drew, Blaster, Mayo, and Kit. They had claimed the "Mariano Territory." Beside them sat Denzel and Grace, looking like they were trying to stay out of the crossfire.
"Jasper Jean," Percy called out, using my full name like a weapon. "I see you've found yourself a new pack of dogs. Does Father know you're slumming it with the Watsons? Or are you just hoping some of their 'chill' rubs off on your failing social standing?"
The entire cafeteria went silent..
I felt my blood turn to ice. My parents, Jeena and Jasper, had raised me to believe that any public embarrassment was a death sentence. I started to speak, my voice caught in my throat, but a heavy arm suddenly dropped around my shoulders.
Keifer.
He pulled me into his side, his thumb hooking into the strap of my bag. He looked at Percy with an expression of pure, bored indifference.
"Percy, right?" Keifer asked, his voice echoing in the silence. "I'd tell you to watch your tone, but I'm too hungry to care about your daddy issues. Move. You're in our light."
"This is the Mariano table, Watson," Aries spat, standing up. "My sister belongs here. Not with you."
"Your sister," Keifer said, his voice dropping an octave, turning dangerous, "belongs wherever she wants to be. And right now, she wants to be with us.
He didn't wait for a reply. He led our massive group to the largest circular table in the center—the one reserved for the "King of the Campus."
As we sat down, the groups naturally merged:
Erdix and Freya sat together, immediately arguing over which protein bowl was the healthiest.
C In and Rakki were comparing the thread count on their respective scarves.
Calix and Mica sat across from each other, a silent competitive energy radiating between them as they both opened their high-tech tablets.
David and Ella found a quiet corner of the table, sharing a pair of noise-canceling headphones to drown out the drama.
Rory was already high-fiving Mayo and Kit, who had abandoned the Mariano table the moment they realized where the "cool" group was sitting.
Keifer pulled out a chair for me next to him.
"You okay?" he asked softly, leaning in so close our foreheads almost touched.
"I'm fine," I said, though my hands were shaking under the table. "They just... they know exactly how to hit where it hurts. To them, I'm just a burden to the family name."
To them, you're a threat," Keifer corrected. He reached down, finding my hand under the table and squeezing it. His palm was warm, solid, and real. "They're terrified of you, Jay. A girl who's smarter than them, stronger than them, and now? A girl who has the Watsons at her back."
"Hey! Lovebirds!" Erdix shouted, throwing a grape at Keifer. "Are we eating or are we staring into each other's souls? I've got a Lab in twenty minutes."
Eat," Keifer laughed, finally letting go of my hand, though he didn't move his chair an inch back.
For the next forty minutes, the cafeteria witnessed something it had never seen before. The "Watson Court" and the "Mariano Genius" weren't just eating; they were becoming a family.
Mica was showing Calix her workout routine. David was helping Ella fix a bug in her coding project. Rory was teaching Kit and Mayo how to properly throw a football in the hallway without getting caught by the Dean.
But across the room, the shadows were watching. Percy and Aries were staring at us, their faces twisted in a mixture of rage and calculation. Denzel and Grace watched from the sidelines, seemingly unsure of which side of the war they wanted to be on.
"They won't stop," I whispered to Keifer as I poked at my salad. "My mother, Jeena... she'll hear about this by tonight. She'll call me. She'll tell me I'm wasting the Mariano reputation."
"Let her call," Keifer said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "If she wants to talk to a Mariano, she can talk to you. If she wants to talk to a Watson... she can talk to my dad, Keizer. I think he'd love to explain to her why his son is so interested in her daughter."
I looked at him, the 'Chill Prince' who was currently ready to go to war with the most powerful family in the city just to make sure I could finish my lunch in peace.
"You're a lot of things, Keifer Watson," I smiled. "But 'chill' isn't one of them.".
Only for you, Jay," he winked. "Only for you."
As the bell rang for the next period, we all stood up as one. We weren't just two separate rooms anymore. We were Section 1-A's new power block. And as we walked out, leaving a fuming Percy and Aries behind, I realized that for the first time in my life, the burden didn't feel heavy at all.