JAY JAY POV
After the longest morning of my life, the lunch bell finally rang. I navigated my way through the high-tech hallways toward the cafeteria, feeling like an explorer trying to find civilization after being stranded in the wilderness.
I finally spotted the squad huddled at a middle table. I practically collapsed into a chair next to Mia.
"God, what the hell happened to you?" Sarah asked, pausing her mid-lunch makeup touch-up to stare at me.
"Jay, you look like a ghost," Dave pointed out, his mouth full of what looked like fried chicken.
I didn't even have the energy to snap at Dave. I just sighed. "I'm not staying here for another second," I said, reaching for my phone. "I'm calling Mama. I'm calling the Principal. I'm calling a lawyer."
Jare reached out and stopped my hand before I could dial. "Woah, what happened to the great Jay-Jay who likes challenges?" he teased, though he looked genuinely concerned.
"She died! Section E killed her," I told him, throwing my hands up. "OMG, Jare, the guys in there are hot, but their attitude is pissing me off. They are so arrogant! If I stay in that section for one more day, I might actually start killing people."
Just then, a low, melodic chuckle sounded from right behind me.
I froze and turned around. Standing there was a guy who looked like he belonged on a luxury watch billboard. He had thick, bushy eyebrows that somehow made him look even more handsome and intense. He was leaning against the table behind us, watching me with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Jay, right?" he asked.
I nodded slowly, trying to process why he looked so familiar. There was something about the shape of his eyes and the way he stood... he actually shared a lot of the same features as Jare and me.
"Aries," he said, extending his hand.
I took it and shook it, feeling a weird bolt of recognition. This was the guy Sarah had mentioned—the President of Section A. The "King" of the good kids.
"Wait, you're the Section A President?" I asked, squinting at him.
Aries nodded, smiling at both me and Jare. It was the weirdest thing—he was giving off this massive "big brother" vibe, the kind of protective yet teasing energy that made me feel like I'd known him for years instead of minutes.
"I heard you were placed in Section E," he said. His expression shifted instantly, passing through a flash of something dark and serious—pity? concern? I couldn't quite name it, but it made the hair on my arms stand up.
"Yeah, lucky me, am I right?" I said sarcastically, taking a long sip of the soda Jare had just handed me. "I get the haunted building and the guys who think they're in an early 2000s action movie."
Aries didn't laugh. He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice. "Section E is... complicated, Jay-Jay. It's not just about the grades. Stay close to your friends. And if Keifer starts giving you real trouble, you come find me in the Section A wing"
"We can handle ourselves, Aries," Jare said, his voice tensing up. My twin has always been prickly when other guys act protective over us. "But thanks."
"I'm sure you can," Aries replied smoothly, his gaze lingering on me for a second too long. "But HVIS has a way of testing people. Just keep your eyes open."
He gave me a final nod and a small, encouraging smile before turning back to the Section A elite.
"Okay, seriously," I whispered to the squad once he was out of earshot. "Is it just me, or does it feel like everyone in this school knows something we don't?"
"It's like we're in the middle of a movie and we missed the first thirty minutes," Dave muttered, finally finishing his chicken.
I looked over at the Section E table again. Keifer was still staring, his dark eyes narrowed as he watched Aries walk away. I realized then that the "President" of my section and the "President" of Section A didn't just dislike each other—there was a history there.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. A message from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN: Don't get too close to the sunshine, London. It burns. See you in class.
I looked up. Keifer was holding his phone, a mocking smirk back on his face as he toasted me with his lollipop.
"Asshole," I muttered, but my heart was racing.
"What?" Jare asked.
"Nothing," I lied, tucking my phone away. "Just realized I forgot to ask Aries if he knows a good place to buy a bulletproof vest. I have a feeling I'm going to need one."
The rest of the afternoon was... interesting, to say the least. The guys in Section E apparently decided that "teasing the new girl" was their new favorite hobby. I started putting names to faces, though the only name I remembered is that asshole's keifer's name and and then there's Ci-N.
Ci-N is the youngest of the group and easily the most childish. The kid is a literal genius—he's only fourteen but he's already in the senior class, which says a lot. What it doesn't say is why on earth a pint-sized Einstein is stuck in Section E. I thought this place was for the troublemakers and the kids who'd given up, not for boy wonders.
As the final bell rang, Ci-N bounced over to my desk yet again.
"So, Jay-Jay, right?" he asked, beaming at me.
I sighed, swinging my backpack over my shoulder. "You've asked me that five times today, Ci-N. And for the fifth time, yes, that is my name."
I started walking toward the door, ready to escape this school
"Jay, if you don't mind, I can walk you to your house!" Ci-N offered, skipping slightly to keep up with my pace.
I paused. I was supposed to meet Jare, but after the weird encounter with Aries and the even weirder vibe in my classroom, I kind of just wanted to clear my head. I pulled out my phone and messaged Jare: Don't wait for me. I need some air. See you at the apartment/haunted-house-thing.
"Sure," I told Ci-N.
He nodded happily, and as we started walking across the campus, I asked a question I immediately regretted. "Your name, Ci-N... it's interesting. How did you get it?"
"Oh, that? It's a long story, but since we have time, I'll tell you!"
Big mistake. Huge.
The kid started yapping. He didn't just tell me the origin of his name; he gave me a historical breakdown, a philosophical analysis, and probably a few mathematical proofs along the way. I drifted off after the first five minutes, nodding occasionally and trying not to trip over my own feet while he went on for what felt like twenty minutes straight. I rolled my eyes so hard I'm pretty sure they momentarily disconnected from my optic nerves.
"And that's how I got my name!" he finally finished, looking at me expectantly with those big, innocent eyes.
I forced a tight smile. "Wow, Ci-N. That is... really interesting."
"I know, right?" he chirped, puffing out his chest like he'd just delivered a TED Talk instead of a twenty-minute lecture on his own name.
"Thanks, Ci-N. This is the villa—and I use that term very loosely—that the school gave us. See you tomorrow," I said, already reaching for the rusted gate.
"Hey, wait!" he called out.
I turned back, one eyebrow raised. "What?"
"This is my number. Save it," Ci-N said, holding out his phone with a grin.
I nodded and took it down. I figured having a genius on speed dial couldn't hurt, especially if I ran into any more of Ms. Rodriguez's "surprise" math equations. We swapped quick goodbyes, and he headed off, still looking as energetic as a toddler on a sugar rush.
As he walked away, I noticed Jare standing by the front door of our miserable apartment building, watching the whole exchange with an amused expression.
"That kid looks way too excited to have met you," Jare pointed out, leaning against the doorframe.
"Don't count on it," I groaned, walking up the cracked steps. "And whatever you do, Jare, never ask that kid about his name. I seriously regret it. He gave me his entire family history, back to the stone age, I think. But yeah... he's kind of a vibe. A very loud, smart vibe."
Jare chuckled, but then his face went serious. "Get ready."
I stopped mid-step. "Get ready for what? I was planning on face-planting onto my bed for the next five years."
"Tita Serina's house," Jare reminded me, checking his watch. "Mom called again. She was very specific—we have to go today. No excuses."
Shit. I had completely forgotten.
"Can't we just tell her we got lost in the jungle?" I pleaded. "I look like I've been through a car wash, and my mood is currently 'approaching a felony.'"
"Nice try, but Mama already texted me saying she'll know if we're lying," Jare said, tossing me a clean hoodie he'd brought down. "Go fix your face. We're leaving in ten minutes."
I stomped up to our room, grumbling the whole way. I did a quick five-minute "emergency glam" session—basically just enough concealer to hide the fact that Section E was draining my soul—and threw on a fresh outfit.
Twenty minutes later, we were in a taxi heading toward the fancy gated community
As the gates opened and we pulled up to the massive white mansion, I felt that weird knot in my stomach again.
"Remember," Jare whispered as we got out. "Behave. Don't mention the ghosts in our building, and definitely don't try to fight any of Tita Serina's sons."
I rolled my eyes but managed to nod