Chapter 10 – Profanity Rule
The morning sun spilled through the tall windows of HVIS, bouncing off polished floors and the chatter of a restless Section E. The classroom was buzzing like a beehive on caffeine. Felix was teasing Rory about his accidental scream on the haunted house ride, while David and Endrix were still laughing over JJ's legendary kick that had sent the "monster" sprawling.
JJ sat at her usual desk near the window, arms folded, trying to look unbothered, but every giggle and whisper from her classmates made her cheeks heat. She shot a glare at Felix, who was smirking like he had personally orchestrated the entire amusement park fiasco.
"So, JJ," Rory started, nudging her shoulder, "did the President here save your life or what?"
JJ rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, yeah, I survived. Don't make a big deal out of it."
"Big deal?" Calix snorted. "You literally jumped into Keifer's arms like a damsel in distress!"
"Damsel?" JJ scoffed. "I call it tactical defense."
Keifer, sitting at the front, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, smirking but secretly fuming. Tactical defense, huh? That was her excuse for screaming and nearly knocking a poor actor unconscious.
"Why does everyone insist on exaggerating everything?" he muttered under his breath, though no one heard.
Felix poked Rory again. "I think it's official—Watson has a crush."
"Shut up!" Keifer hissed, glaring at the two boys.
JJ, of course, noticed. She grinned mischievously, leaning toward Calix. "Oh, don't worry, he's way too uptight for me. My kind of chaos would break him."
Keifer's eyes narrowed, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Break him, huh? She wasn't wrong.
---
The bell rang, and chaos erupted as students shuffled out for the corridor break. JJ bounced on her heels, still laughing at something Rory whispered, when she misjudged a corner and slammed into a wooden bench sticking out of the wall.
"What the hell—!" she yelled sharply, cursing louder than she ever had in the classroom.
Before she could even process the pain in her shin, a firm hand wrapped around her waist, pinning her against the wall. JJ's eyes went wide, and she immediately realized exactly who had her trapped.
"Wifey," Keifer said, leaning in just slightly, a dangerous smirk curling his lips. "You curse so much. It's… not nice. Now, here's your punishment."
JJ blinked, utterly confused. "Wait, what—punishment?"
Keifer's tone was deadly serious, even as his eyes danced with amusement. "Every time you curse from now on… I will claim your strawberry sweet lips."
JJ's mouth fell open. "What the—Gago! You think I will—"
And before she could finish, Keifer leaned in and kissed her. Hard, precise, and shocking enough to make her knees wobble.
For a moment, the world froze.
The hallway seemed impossibly silent except for the faint squeak of shoes and JJ's sudden intake of breath. Her hands flailed, partly in shock, partly in a futile attempt to push him away.
Felix, Rory, and Calix stood frozen, jaws hanging. David whispered, "Oh my god… did that just happen?"
Endrix, ever the overdramatic one, clutched his chest. "Section E is officially doomed."
From somewhere behind, Eman muttered, "Watson… what did you do?"
JJ, cheeks flaming red, spun around, glaring daggers at the entire group. "No! I am NOT his girlfriend. Keep your fantasies to yourselves!"
Keifer, hands still holding her lightly against the wall, smirked. "Message delivered?"
JJ huffed, crossing her arms, trying to regain composure. "I'm not saying a single word. You're—annoying. That's all."
Felix muttered, almost to himself, "She's blushing… and he kissed her… I knew it."
Rory elbowed him. "Quiet, man! Let them stew in their own chaos."
Meanwhile, JJ's heartbeat was going a mile a minute, even though she tried to act furious. Her hands trembled slightly, her stomach fluttered, and she couldn't stop thinking about how Keifer had crushed her into the wall and kissed her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Keifer, for his part, was internally screaming in a way only he didn't admit out loud. She was… infuriating. Bold, reckless, untouchable, and yet utterly… magnetic. Every time she cursed, every time she smirked, every time she looked at him like he was just another obstacle in her path—he wanted to do it again. And maybe a little more slowly next time.
---
By the time the rest of Section E shuffled back into the classroom, the whispers were already spreading. Cin was trying to stifle laughter as she elbowed Rory. "Watson finally snapped," she whispered.
Calix whispered to David, "I think JJ's gonna kill him later, but… wow, look at her face."
Eman muttered darkly, "I do not want to see what happens if she actually punches him."
Keifer released JJ finally, stepping back with that smug grin of his. "Consider it a warning. Curse again, and I'll kiss you again. And maybe in front of all your friends this time."
JJ groaned, slamming her backpack down on the desk. "I hate you, Watson. Absolutely hate you."
"You love me," he countered smoothly, leaning against his desk. "Don't lie."
JJ's jaw dropped, and she stomped her foot in outrage, but even as she did, she couldn't stop the small twitch of a smile at the corners of her lips.
Rory, unable to resist, leaned over to Felix. "You see that? They're like… a disaster waiting to happen."
Felix nodded, eyes wide. "I don't know who's going to survive the school year—JJ, Keifer, or the rest of Section E watching this."
---
By lunchtime, the rumor had spread like wildfire. JJ and Keifer sat across from each other, attempting to eat, both trying to act normal, both failing spectacularly.
JJ poked at her sandwich, glaring. "You better not even think about doing that again, Watson."
Keifer raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're already thinking about it, aren't you?"
JJ huffed, but inside, her heart skipped in ways she couldn't quite explain. Section E, of course, was watching the silent exchange like hawks, exchanging knowing smirks.
Felix whispered to David, "I swear, they're killing each other slowly… and enjoying it."
David nodded. "It's the perfect mix of chaos and romance."
JJ, for the first time, realized just how chaotic and complicated life with Keifer Watson could be. And for reasons she didn't want to admit, she was secretly… looking forward to it.