Keifer POV
Monday.
For the first time in days, I wasn't walking into school alone.
Jay was beside me.
Hands in her pockets.
Expression calm.
Like she hadn't disappeared for almost a week.
Like she hadn't caused half of Section E to lose their minds.
😐
I glanced at her.
"Ready?"
She sighed.
"No."
"Good."
"Why is that good?"
"Because neither am I."
She frowned.
"You're not the one walking into Section E."
Fair point.
😭
The moment we reached Classroom 3-E, Jay stopped.
Inside, everyone was doing their usual thing.
Felix was standing on a chair.
Ci-n was arguing with Blaster.
Yuri was trying to study while being interrupted every three seconds.
Normal chaos.
Then Ci-n looked toward the door.
And froze.
Completely froze.
Like someone had pressed pause.
He blinked once.
Twice.
Then pointed dramatically.
"SHE'S ALIVE."
😭🔥
The entire classroom went silent.
For exactly one second.
Then exploded.
"JAYJAY?!"
"WHERE WERE YOU?!"
"YOU DISAPPEARED."
"ARE YOU OKAY?"
"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY THEORIES WE MADE?"
Jay immediately looked overwhelmed.
Which honestly was funny.
Because this was the same girl who fought kidnappers.
But Section E?
Too much.
😭
Before she could say anything—
Ci-n launched himself across the room.
"YOU IDIOT."
And hugged her.
Hard.
😭💖
Jay froze.
Completely caught off guard.
"...Ci-n."
"YOU VANISHED."
"I'm aware."
"NO CALLS."
"I know."
"NO MESSAGES."
"I know."
Ci-n stepped back.
Looking genuinely upset.
"Don't do that again."
The room got quieter.
Just a little.
Because everyone could hear he meant it.
😭✨
Then Felix immediately ruined the moment.
"MOVE."
And shoved Ci-n aside.
😭
"MY TURN."
"FELIX NO."
Too late.
Felix wrapped an arm around her shoulders dramatically.
"I missed my favorite victim."
"Victim?"
"For pranks."
"That makes it worse."
The class laughed immediately.
The tension breaking.
Yuri walked over next.
Trying very hard to act normal.
Failing.
"You're okay?"
Jay smiled slightly.
A real one.
Small.
But real.
"Yeah."
Yuri nodded once.
Relieved.
Even David looked up from his desk.
"Good."
Then immediately went back to reading.
😭✨
Blaster pointed dramatically.
"I knew she'd come back."
"No you didn't."
"I absolutely did."
"You literally said she joined the mafia."
"That was Plan B."
😭🔥
The classroom became noisy again.
Questions flying everywhere.
Everyone talking at once.
Everyone wanting answers.
And standing near the back of the room...
I watched Jay.
For the first time in days...
She laughed.
Not the fake laugh.
Not the polite one.
A real laugh.
Surrounded by the people she'd been avoiding.
The people who'd been worried.
The people who were driving her insane right now.
Her class.
Her chaos.
Her family.
Section 3-E. ☀️💖
Just then, Sir Alvin walked in.
Took one look at the noise.
One look at Jay.
Then adjusted his glasses.
"Welcome back, Miss Fernandez."
Jay straightened.
"Thank you, Sir."
Sir Alvin nodded once.
Then pointed toward her seat.
"Now sit down before your classmates destroy the classroom."
The entire class immediately protested.
"SIR."
"WE HAVE QUESTIONS."
"LOTS OF QUESTIONS."
😭🔥
And for the first time in nearly a week...
Classroom 3-E felt complete again. ✨📖💖