Jay's POV
The cafeteria doors felt like the gates to a fortress I wasn't allowed to storm. Rakki, with her sharp eyes and even sharper smile, disappeared inside, leaving the three of us—Jane, Cin, and me—standing in the hallway like orphans in a Dickens novel.
"She's actually doing it," Jane whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and terror. "Rakki, the Section C President, is fetching food for Section E trash. If Aries finds out, he'll have her head."
"Let him try," I muttered, leaning my back against the cool marble wall. My knuckles still throbbed from the impact of the dodgeball I'd sent screaming into the concrete.
The adrenaline was fading, replaced by a hollow, gnawing hunger.
A few minutes later, the heavy oak doors swung open. Rakki emerged carrying two large brown bags, the scent of seasoned chicken and fresh rolls wafting through the air. She handed them to me with a conspiratorial wink.
"Double portions," she whispered. "Aries was busy with Ella; he didn't even see me taking extra food. Enjoy, 'Jean'.
"Thanks, Rakki. I owe you one. ," I said, genuinely surprised by the kindness.
"Keep shaking things up, Jay. This place has been boring for too long." With a wave, she vanished back into the belly of the beast.
"To the Uplongs?" Jane asked, gesturing toward the stairs that led to the Section E wing.
"To the Uplongs," I agreed.
We trudged back to our classroom. Section E wasn't just a class; it was a graveyard of broken desks and peeling paint.
We sat in a circle on the floor—me, Jane, and Cin. The room was mostly empty, the other boys likely off causing trouble elsewhere or nursing their bruised egos from the gym.
We ate in a heavy, comfortable silence for a while. The food was surprisingly good, but the atmosphere was thick.
"Why are you here, Jane?" Cin asked suddenly, looking at my sister. "I mean, you're not banned .You're… 'Elite.' You could be eating in the cafeteria with others. Why hang out here?"
Jane tore off a piece of bread, her expression unbothered. "Because without Jay, it's boring. Besides, the I love to spend time with jay. I prefer the company of a my sister and a guy who vibrates like a child."
Cin beamed, looking like he'd just been given a medal.
As I finished my meal, the saltiness of the chicken left my throat parched. "I'm going to find water," I said, standing up. "The bottles Jane dropped in the gym are probably halfway to the recycling plant by now."
"Be careful," Jane warned, her eyes narrowing. "Don't start any world wars."
"I'm just getting water, Jane. I'm not hunting for scalps."
I wandered down the quiet corridor toward the east wing. The silence was nice until it wasn't. As I leaned over the water cooler, a shadow stretched across the tiled floor. I straightened up, wiping my mouth, to find Kiko leaning against the lockers.
He had that crooked, practiced smirk on his face—the kind of look guys give when they think their charm is a universal currency.
"Well, Jean you were looking so hot while doing pushup" Kiko purred, stepping closer. He invaded my personal space, placing a hand on the wall just above my shoulder. "You've got a hell of an arm, Jean. Fast, fierce, and—if I'm being honest—incredibly hot when you're angry.
I stared at him, my expression deadpan. "You're blocking my way, Kiko."
"I'm just stating the facts , Jay ," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. He reached out, attempting to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Section E is a rough place for a girl. You need someone who knows how to treat a girl. Someone who knows how to appreciate… talent."
"I'm not interested in a caretaker or your appreciation. And if you this much want to appreciate someone , appreciate Freya for handling you." I said, my voice like dry ice. " Now,Move."
Before he could respond, I heard a sharp intake of breath from the end of the hall. I glanced over to see a girl—Catthe, one of the hangers-on from the 'popular' crowd—staring at us with wide, predatory eyes. She didn't stay to watch; she spun around and sprinted toward the common area.
I shoved Kiko's arm away. "Congratulations. You just made me the target of whatever high-school drama you are part of."
"Take care," Kiko laughed, clearly enjoying the attention.
I didn't wait. I pushed past him and started back toward the Section E room.
I was chatting peacefully with Jane and Cin. I smelled a wall of silk and expensive perfume before me. Freya stood there, her face flushed a deep, angry red. Behind her stood Catthe and behind her Mica , Grace and some other girls looking like they were ready for a public execution.
"So," Freya hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "After doing a few push-up . You think you can move in on my territory? I saw you, Jean. Catthe told me everything. Flirting with Kiko by the locker? Do you have no shame?"
"I wasn't flirting," I said, my voice dangerously low. "He was in my way. Now you're in my way. Do you see a pattern?"
"You're a bitch," Freya spat, stepping into my face. "A cheap, desperate whore who thinks a few pushups make her special. You're nothing but Section E trash trying to climb a ladder that doesn't exist for people like you."
The insults slid off me. I'd heard worse. I just stood there, watching her lips move, wondering how someone could be so loud and yet say so little.
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Keifer's POV
The noise was what drew us out. A shrill, screeching sound that could only belong to Freya in the middle of a meltdown.
I stood at the back of the crowd with the rest of Section E—Denzel, Rory, and even Aries, who had appeared from the shadows with few of Section D boys.
We watched from the doorway as Freya cornered Jay in the hall.
"What's the move, Keifer?" Eman whispered. "Should we break it up?"
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. I wanted to see how Ms.Hurricane handled a different kind of combat
"Your mess, you should handle," I said loudly enough for Jay to hear. "Let's see if she's as good with words as she is with dodgeballs."
Freya took my lack of interference as a green light. She grew bolder, her insults becoming more vitriolic.
"I could forgive you," Freya said, her voice dripping with mock condescension. "If you get down on your knees, lick my shoes, and admit that I'm the Queen of this school. Maybe then I'll let you free.And forgive you."
Jay didn't flinch. Instead, she let out a short, dry laugh. "Queen?" she repeated. The way she said it made the word sound like a joke. "You think a plastic crown makes you royalty?"
Jane pushed through the crowd, her face pale with worry. She looked at Aries, her eyes pleading. "Aries, help her! Stop this!"
What the hell? Why is she talking to Aries? Are they related?
I looked at Aries.He didn't move. His face was a mask of cold indifference. "She's my cousin.But she's responsible for her own actions. If she wants to play big,she has to deal with the consequences too."
What the fuck! They are cousins ... How ???
Jane looked at him like he was a stranger. The disappointment in her eyes was so sharp I felt it from across the hall. She turned to Freya, trying to step between them.
"Freya, stop. This is pathetic. Let us go."
But Catthe, emboldened by the drama, stepped forward and shoved Jane back.
"Shut up, Jane. Nobody asked the sidekick's opinion. You're just as much of a loser as your sister. Maybe you should both get on your knees."
That was it.
The air in the hallway didn't just get cold; it froze.
Jay's movement was so fast I almost missed it. One second she was standing still, the next, her hand was clamped around Catthe's throat. She slammed the girl back against the lockers with a sickening thud.
Catthe's eyes went wide, her hands clawing at Jay's wrist as her feet left the ground. She wasn't just holding her; she was crushing her.
"Jay!" Aries shouted, finally stepping forward, his composure breaking. "Stop! You're going to kill her!"
Jay didn't even turn her head. Her eyes were fixed on Catthe, burning with a terrifying, primal light. "MICHAEL ARIES FERNANDES!" she roared, her voice echoing like a thunderclap. "STAY. OUT. OF. IT."
Aries actually recoiled. I'd never seen anyone speak to him like that, let alone use his full name like a command from a higher power. He froze, his hand suspended in mid-air.
Catthe's face was turning a mottled purple. She was gasping, her strength failing. The hallway was silent, the kind of silence that happens right before a disaster.
"Jay… please." Jane's voice was soft, trembling. She placed a gentle hand on Jay's arm. "Calm down. Look at me. Don't let them win. Exhale, Jay. Just exhale."
For a long, agonizing second, I thought Jay was going to snap the girl's neck. Then, slowly, the tension bled out of her shoulders. She opened her hand.
Catthe slumped to the floor, coughing and gasping for air, clutching her throat.
Jay didn't look at her. She turned her gaze to Freya, who was now trembling, her 'Queen' persona shattered into a thousand pieces. Jay stepped toward her, and Freya backed away until she hit the wall.
"I don't care about your titles," Jay said, her voice a low, vibrating growl. "I don't care about your boys. But if you, or any of your little pets, ever touch my sister again… I won't just take your soul. I'll take everything you are. Do you understand?"
Freya couldn't even nod. She just stared in sheer, unadulterated terror.
Jay turned and walked away, Jane following close behind. As she passed me, she didn't even glance my way.
I looked at the scuff marks on the lockers, then at the terrified girls and the stunned Section E boys.
My heart was thudding against my ribs, a wild, erratic rhythm.
She wasn't a ghost. She was a hurricane. And I realized, with a sinking, exhilarating feeling in my gut, that I didn't want to hide from the storm. I wanted to be right in the center of it.
"God," I whispered to the empty space she left behind. "What have you done to this school?"
A/n
Guys so here is the new chapter ..
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