Jay's POV
Sir Alvin, , clapped his hands. The sound echoed weakly against the peeling grey paint of Section E's walls.
"Alright, settle down! Since we have the Mariano twins joining our... Family, Class President " Sir Alvin's eyes darted toward the back of the room. "Keifer, Any questions for our new students?
The boy from the hallway—the one with the flinty eyes and the annoying lollipop—slowly stood up. He didn't look like a president; he looked like the king of a junkyard. He leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms, a predatory smirk playing on his lips.
"Yeah, I've got one," Keifer said, his voice dropping an octave. He ignored Jane entirely, his gaze locking onto mine like a heat-seeking missile. "Tell me, Miss Jean... are you still a virgin?"
The room exploded. A chorus of "Oohs" and raucous laughter erupted from the boys in the back. Jane gasped, her face turning a deep shade of crimson, her hand flying to her mouth.
I didn't blink. I didn't blush. I just looked at him,
"Sir," I said, my voice steady and cold enough to frost the windows. "asked for an appropriate question. It seems the youur IQ is too low ."
The laughter died instantly. Keifer's smirk flickered, just for a second.
He stood up straighter, his eyes darkening. "Okay, fine... when exactly are you planning on leaving this section?"
"When are you planning on leaving this planet?" I shot back.
He let out a dry, humorless bark of a laugh. "Why don't you go first?"
"Because," I leaned forward, the leather of my jacket creaking in the silence, "I'm the one who's going to make sure you disappear from this world first."
The tension in the room was a physical weight. We were two predators staring each other down across a wasteland.
"Enough!" Sir Alvin barked, slamming a ruler on his desk. "Sit down, both of you! Jean and Jane, take your seats. Middle row. Now."
The desks were arranged in a U-formation. Of course, the only open spots were right in the center—the literal bullseye of the room.
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Jane's POV
My heart was hammering against my ribs so hard I thought it might bruise. I followed Jay to the center desks, keeping my head down.
Section E was nothing like the brochures for HVIS. The "gold-plated" dream had evaporated the moment we stepped into this damp, grey building.
And Jay? She was already making enemies.
Why can't she just be quiet for once? I thought, blinking back tears of embarrassment. Keifer is terrifying.
As we sat down, the atmosphere shifted. It wasn't silent anymore; it was a buzzing hive of mischief. I could hear the crinkle of paper behind us.
"Jay," I whispered, leaning toward her. "They're staring."
"Let them stare," she muttered, staring straight ahead at the chalkboard.
Suddenly, a ball of crumpled notebook paper hit the back of my head. Then another hit my shoulder. Within seconds, it was a literal hailstorm. The boys were laughing, hooting, and launching paper missiles from every corner of the U-formation.
"Stop it! " I said, ducking my head. I felt small, exposed, and hated.
Jay didn't move. She didn't shout. Instead, she reached into her bag. I expected her to pull out a notebook to shield us, but instead, she pulled out a long, black object.
THWIP.
She snapped open a massive, oversized umbrella right in the middle of the classroom.
The paper balls bounced harmlessly off the black fabric. We were encased in our own little dome of safety. I stared at the silver lining of the umbrella, then at my sister.
"Jay? Why on earth did you bring an umbrella to school? It's perfectly sunny outside!"
Jay looked at me, a sharp, knowing smirk finally breaking her stony expression. She cast a glance toward Keifer, who was watching from the back with an expression of pure disbelief.
"Because, Jane," Jay said loudly enough for the whole room to hear, "I knew the moment we walked in here that it was going to start raining trash."
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Keifer's POV
I sat back, my hand frozen halfway to my desk where I'd been about to crumple my own piece of paper
A black umbrella.
In the middle of Section E.
The audacity was so ridiculous I almost wanted to applaud. Most girls would have cried.
Some would have screamed at the teacher. But Jay? She just created her own fortress and insulted every guy in the room without raising her voice.
"She's insane," Edrix muttered from the desk next to me, grinning. "Certifiably mental."
"No," I said, watching the way the light hit the black silk of the umbrella. "She's smart."
She wasn't just reacting; she was prepared. She had read the room the second she stepped inside. She knew we were going to test her, and she'd turned our "prank" into a joke where we were the punchline.
My chest felt tight—a mix of annoyance and something else I couldn't quite name. Interest? Maybe. I'd spent my whole life surrounded by people who bowed to the 'President' of Section E.
Jasper Jean Mariano didn't just refuse to bow; she looked like she wanted to set my throne on fire.
Game on, wildfire, I thought, a real smile finally touching my face.
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Jay's POV
The bell finally rang, signaled by a distorted buzzing sound that suited this dump perfectly. Jane was practically vibrating with the need to leave.
"Aries said he'd be at the cafeteria!" she said, grabbing my arm. "Come on, Jay. Let's find people who don't throw things at us."
I sighed, letting her drag me toward the main building. The transition was jarring. We went from the peeling grey walls of the annex to a cafeteria that looked like a high-end food hall.
We found Aries sitting at a large circular table. He wasn't alone. He was surrounded by the "Inner Circle"—the kids who actually belonged in the Ferraris outside.
"Hey! Over here!" Jane called out, dragging me over.
There were several of them: Aires introduced them , Freya, looking like a porcelain doll; Ella and Mica, who were whispering to each other; Kiko, and Mykle who looked like they'd just stepped off a runway.
"Everyone, these are my cousins," Aries introduced us. "Jane and Jay."
"It's Jean",I said correcting him.
Jane immediately switched into her "pageant mode." She smiled, she laughed, she asked Ella about her earrings. She fit in like a puzzle piece that had finally found its spot. I, on the other hand, stood three feet back, my hands buried in my leather jacket pockets.
I watched them. I watched the way they looked at us—with a kind of polite curiosity that felt like they were looking at animals in a petting zoo.
"You guys are in Section E, right?" Freya asked, her voice airy. "That must be... hard."
"It's good," I said shortly.
"Don't worry. She fit their right.Jane are you ok there?",Aries said to Jane.
The table went quiet. Jane nodded and shot me a pleading look saying Ignore him.
"I'm going back," I said, not waiting for a response.
"Jay, wait! Eat with us!" Jane called out, but she didn't follow me.
She was happy here. She wanted the "gold-plated" life. I couldn't blame her, but I couldn't breathe in it either.
I walked back to the annex. The hallway was empty, the air cooler and smelling of old dust. I sat on a wooden bench near the lockers and pulled out the lunch Tita Gemma had packed for me. The smell of fried rice and longganisa filled the small space.
I was just about to take a bite when a shadow fell over me.
Before I could react, a hand reached down and snatched the plastic container right out of my lap.
"Hey! Smells good, newbie," one of the boys from —a guy with messy hair and a wide grin—said, passing the container to another boy.
"Give it back," I said, my voice dropping into that dangerous low register.
"Don't mind my classmates," a voice came from behind me.
I turned to see another boy, the guy who sat near Keifer. He was leaning against a locker, looking at me with a tilted head. "They're like that. Hungry animals. By the way, I'm Felix."
"Hungry animals? More like scavengers," I said, rolling my eyes. I didn't chase after my lunch. If they wanted it that badly, they could have the germs.
Felix chuckled. "Where's your twin? The pretty one?"
"In the cafeteria. She got some friends. The kind with money and manners."
Felix tilted his head. "Why did you come back here, then? You could be sitting in the AC eating expensive salad."
"I don't like their vibe," I said, reaching into my jacket pocket and pulling out a backup pack of chips I'd hidden there. "Too much fake glitter. It hurts my eyes."
I popped the bag open, but before I could get a single chip, Felix reached out and snatched the bag from my hand. He popped a chip into his mouth, crunching loudly.
"And we're like that," he said, echoing my earlier sentiment with a smirk.
I stared at him, my fists clenching at my sides.
"Assholes," I cursed.
Felix just laughed, offering me a chip from my own bag. "Welcome to Section E, Jay. You're going to hate it here. And we're going to love having you."
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