Chapter 29 — Sulky Jay
The first bell hadn't even rung, and Jay was already sitting at her usual desk, arms crossed, frowning like the world had personally offended her.
"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the century," Eman said, smirking as he dropped his bag onto the desk beside hers.
Jay didn't look up. "I'm not sulky."
"Sure you're not," Felix said, grinning. "You're just brooding dramatically, like a billionaire in exile who lost his favorite pen."
"No maybe she's missing a billionaire"
Someone shouted.
Jay shot him a glare, but even she had to bite back a small smirk.
Section E Teasing
By mid-morning, everyone had gathered around her, sensing her mood and determined to have fun with it.
David leaned over, whispering, "Come on, Jay… admit it. You miss Keifer."
Ci-n joined in, smirking. "Yeah, you've been staring at your phone like a sad puppy for days."
Percy, of course, narrated the whole thing like a sports commentary: "And here we see Jay, sulking in her natural habitat, clearly mourning the billionaire boy wonder who has left the country!"
Jay groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Stop. Just stop."
Alys, sitting quietly beside her, shook her head but couldn't hide her small smile. "They never stop, do they?"
"Nope," Jay muttered, voice muffled. "And honestly… I kind of miss him too."
Doubts About Keifer
By lunch, Jay had retreated to a quiet corner of the courtyard, tossing a pebble across the grass, lost in thought.
Keifer… billionaire now. Gone to London. How long until he comes back? Does he even care?
She sighed, curling her knees to her chest. The thought of him so far away, achieving more, living a life that seemed untouchable, made her chest tighten.
"Still sulky, huh?" Alys asked softly, sitting beside her. "It's… okay, you know. You can miss him."
Jay looked at her friend, eyes tired. "Yeah… I know. But what if he doesn't come back? What if he's… moved on?"
Alys reached over, squeezing her hand gently. "He won't. You know that."
Jay wanted to believe her, wanted to hold onto the hope, but doubt still gnawed at the edges of her heart.
End of the Day Chaos
By the time school ended, Section E had joined her in the courtyard again, trying everything from bad jokes to ridiculous dares to cheer her up.
Percy tried to carry her on his back, claiming it was "sulky Jay rescue mode."
Felix had crafted a giant paper crown with "Sulky Queen" scrawled on it.
Eman tried singing an off-key "get over it" song, which ended with everyone laughing, including Jay.
Even Alys, though still quietly worried about Drake, laughed softly at the chaos surrounding Jay.
For a moment, Jay let herself feel lighter, the teasing and absurdity breaking through the clouds of doubt.
But as she walked home later, her thoughts returned to Keifer—billionaire, gone, unpredictable—and she sighed, realizing that while laughter could fill a day, it couldn't fill the space he had left.