Jay-Jay POV
"What plan, Keifer?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He didn't answer.
"Tell me what plan, Keifer!" I yelled, louder this time, my heart pounding like it was trying to escape.
He stood up slowly, like he was about to drop a bomb.
"Do you want to know what the plan was?" he said, voice calm—too calm.
I nodded, even though every part of me was screaming Don't.
"Then I'll explain it to you," he said, like he was reading a script. "The moment Aries showed up in front of me, acting like he cared for you… The plan started. To be exact? That was the time we made fun of you at the gymnasium."
My breath caught.
"I used you," he continued. "And the whole Section E knows it."
Used me?
I blinked. Waited. Someone says it's a joke. Someone laughs. Someone yelled, "gotcha!" But no one did.
Cin was crying. Mouthing sorry over and over like it would fix anything.
"I used you to get revenge on your cousin Aries—wait, your brother, I meant."
I froze.
They knew. They knew from the beginning. And no one told me. Not one person. Not even Cin.
My stomach dropped. My ears rang. My brain was spinning so fast I couldn't even think straight.
I didn't know what to do. I was frozen. Like, literally frozen. My legs felt like jelly, but somehow I moved—slow, shaky, like I was underwater.
I scanned the room, searching for a spot where they wouldn't be near me. Somewhere I could breathe. Somewhere, I could pretend I wasn't falling apart.
I found it. The seat near the door. The one no one ever wants because it's cold and drafty and basically screams loner. Perfect.
I sat down, eyes locked on the floor, trying not to cry. Trying not to scream. Trying not to look at anyone.
They all knew. They all watched it happen. And no one said a word.
I was the joke. The plan. The revenge.
And now I was alone.
I told myself not to cry. Crying is for weak people, I whispered in my head like a mantra. But my body didn't listen. The tears came anyway—hot, fast, traitorous. I wiped them away quickly, before anyone could see. Before anyone could add pathetic to the list of things they already thought about me.
I stared at my desk, trying to disappear into it. Trying to pretend I was somewhere else. Somewhere safe.
I knew it was too good to be true. A place where I could be happy. People who loved me. A life that felt like mine again.
But that only happens in dreams.
The rest of the classes became blurry, and the bell rang.
Everyone tried to talk to me, but I didn't listen to anyone and quickly walked out of the building.
And then, out of nowhere, I remembered something Reycee's mom once told me.
"If you're ever angry or sad, don't let your emotions consume you. Sleep overnight, and if your emotions are the same, then we'll see what happens then."
Her voice echoed in my head like a whisper from a better time. Back when things made sense. Back when people didn't lie to me or use me like a game piece.
I got out of the building, still numb, still trying to breathe. My feet hit the pavement, and I wasn't even looking—I just wanted to get away.
Then—SCREECH! A car swerved way too close.
I jumped back, heart slamming into my ribs. I was about to yell something—something loud, something angry—but then I saw the driver.