--: Jay Jay's POV: --
The first thing I felt was the warmth. It was a steady, radiating heat that wrapped around me like a shield, pulling me back from the cold, dark edges of my dreams. I opened my eyes slowly, realizing I was tucked firmly against Keifer's chest. His heartbeat was a rhythmic, soothing thrum against my ear—the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
I stayed perfectly still, watching the morning light filter through the curtains and dance across his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, yet even in sleep, I could see the faint lines of exhaustion near his eyes. My heart twisted with a sharp, stinging guilt.
He's suffering because of me, I thought, my chest tightening. He's carrying the weight of my past, my trauma, and my monsters on his shoulders.
Right then, I made a silent vow. I wouldn't be the girl who collapsed in the dark anymore. I wouldn't let him see me breaking, because every time I broke, it tore him apart too. I needed to act normal—to be the Jay Jay he fell in love with—so he could finally breathe. I would bury the fear so deep that even I couldn't find it, just so he wouldn't have to worry.
I reached up, my fingers hovering just inches from his cheek. I didn't want to wake him, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to be his anchor, just as he had been mine through the storm.
--: Keifer's POV: --
My eyes fluttered open as I felt a soft shift in the bed. The first thing I saw was Jay Jay. She was already awake, her eyes searching mine with an expression so soft and full of love that it made my breath hitch.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, my voice thick and raspy from sleep.
"I'm good, Keifer," she whispered. Her voice was steady—maybe a little too steady—but she looked at me with a small, determined smile that I wanted so desperately to believe.
Before I could say anything else, she leaned in. She didn't just give me a quick kiss; she pressed her lips to mine in a long, deep, and lingering kiss. It was a kiss that tasted like a promise, like she was trying to pour all her strength and gratitude into me. My hands found her waist, pulling her closer until there wasn't a breath of air between us.
Once we finally pulled apart, the air felt a little lighter. Jay Jay went to the washroom first to get ready. I waited for her, feeling the quiet morning settle the chaos in my mind. Once she was done, I took my turn. We moved around the room in a comfortable silence, eventually heading downstairs together to face the day.
--: Author's POV: --
The dining hall was buzzing with energy. The whole of Section E was already there, huddled around the long table alongside the F4, Aries, and Percy. The only ones missing had been the two currently walking through the door. Jay Jay scanned the room and felt a surge of warmth; the F4 were actually talking and laughing with the boys of Section E. The barrier was finally breaking.
"Finally, the sleepyheads have arrived," Angelo teased with a small smirk as Keifer and Jay Jay took their seats.
"You all might have forgotten, but today was actually your graduation result day," Angelo said, leaning back in his chair and looking around the table.
Jay Jay and Keifer both froze, their eyes widening in shock. "Oh my god," Jay Jay breathed, her hand flying to her mouth. "How could we forget that?"
"How did we miss it?" Keifer added, looking at the rest of the boys.
Angelo chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I already talked to Alvin. I explained the whole situation to him—everything that happened last night—and he was completely understanding. He told me he'd send the results online as soon as they were ready."
The tension in Jay Jay's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Just then, a sharp ping echoed from Angelo's phone. The table went dead silent. Angelo pulled out his phone, his eyebrows shooting up. "It's from Alvin. He sent the results and a message.
💌 From, Alvin:
Congratulations to the toughest class I've ever taught. You all made it. Also, tomorrow is your Prom. Be ready.
+ File attachment
A wave of excitement rippled through the room. Angelo opened the file and began to read the list:
Michael Aries Fernandez: 98%.
"Nice, Congratulations Aries" Angelo said proudly..
Thyme smirked, clapping Aries on the shoulder while Ren offered a quiet nod of respect. And all others all congratulated him
-:Now the Section E:-
Abejar, Rory Sage: 91.5%
Rory jumped up, accidentally knocking over his orange juice in his excitement.
Andrada, Superman: 84.0%
Eman let out a massive sigh of relief, his shoulders finally dropping.
Braselton, David Theodore: 92.5%
Kavin whistled, impressed. "Not bad, David. Not bad at all."
Castillo, Denzel Luan: 82.2%
Denzel grinned, already thinking about how proud Grace would be.🤭
Collins, John Felix: 89.1%
Felix pumped his fist, wide smile breaking across his face.
De Luna, Eren Kyle: 81.3%
Eren let out a shaky breath, clearly happy to have cleared the hurdle.
Hanamitchi, Yuri: 98.15%
MJ laughed, "A genius hiding in a fighter's body, eh?"
Harington, Christopher Saimon: 82.1%
Kit high-fived the nearest person, which happened to be a surprised Ren.
Madrigal, Blaster Wren: 84.4%
Blaster cheered, "College, here I come!"
Then, Angelo's voice grew thick with pride.
Mariano, Jasper Jean: 98.99%
The room exploded. Jay Jay burst into tears of joy—all those early mornings, the coffee-fueled nights, and the stress had been worth it. Angelo walked over and hugged her tight, whispering, "I knew you could do it." The F4 joined in the congratulations, with Thyme even giving her a rare, genuine smile. "You're a legend, Jay Jay," he said.
Then Keifer hugged her very tightly and congratulated her...
Mercado, Andrew Klondike: 85.0%
Drew stood up, beaming with a mix of pride and relief. "Look at that, Drew, we're officially a graduate!" Someone shouted.
Peralta, Cinco Neith: 100%
"A perfect score?!" Kavin gasped, as the boys began chanting Ci-N's name.
Peñaflor, Edrix Knight: 93.4%
Edrix looked stunned, his eyes wide as he processed the high mark.
Ramos, Mayo Jeson: 89.6%
Mayo did a little victory dance right there at the table.
Rivera, Calix Reineir: 85.2%
Calix leaned back, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
Venites, Joshua Lyle: 93.1%
Josh was immediately tackled into a group hug by the others.
Watson, Mark Keifer: 99.00%
Jay Jay turned to Keifer, her eyes shimmering. "We did it," she whispered. He kissed her forehead, radiating pride.
--: Author's POV: --
With the results in, the mood shifted to celebration. "We need to go shopping for the Prom," Ci-N announced.
Angelo stood up, checking his watch. "I have a meeting to attend, so you all can go ahead without me. Take the F4 with you; show them around the city and the mall."
"I'll call Ella," Aries said, pulling out his phone. He stepped slightly away but everyone could hear his grin.
---------------
On call:-
"Hi babe! Are you home from school?" Aries asked when she picked up.
"Yes, I just got back," Ella's voice came through. "Wait, why are you and the rest of Section E not coming to school?"
Aries chuckled. "It's a long story, I'll tell you everything later. Btw What's your percentage? Sir Alvin just sent ours."
"I got 95%!" Ella said proudly. "What about you?"
"98%," Aries replied.
Ella squealed on the other end.
"Anyway, we're going Prom shopping right now. Do you want to join us?"
"Oh, I'd love to! Freya is right here, she says she's in too!"
"Ohh, then you both wait I'll pick you up" Aries said..
---------------
The celebration shifted to the shopping mall that afternoon. It was a massive group. Calix brought Mica, CiN went to take Rakki, When Denzel walked in with Grace and baby Grazel, the tough Section E boys turned into total piles of mush.
"Give her to me! She likes me best!" Rory shouted, reaching for the baby.
"No way, her first word is gonna be 'Mayo'!" Mayo argued, trying to block him.
"Move over, you'll scare her," Calix muttered, trying to look gentle.
"Actually, I think she prefers a man of intellect," Yuri said calmly, though his eyes were twinkling.
Even Aries and Percy stepped in, trying to make the baby laugh. Grazel just giggled, reaching out for Jay Jay, who took her with a bright smile.
Jay Jay eventually went into a boutique to find her dress. She stood before the mirror in a gown that looked like it was spun from moonlight. "I don't generally like to wear dresses," she told Keifer. "But for our Prom, I have to look beautiful."
"You are beyond beautiful," Keifer whispered, complimenting every piece of jewelry she tried on. He spent the hour complimenting every detail—the dress, the silver heels, the jewelry.
The mall was full of laughter. Rory was relentless, mocking Edrix for stealing glances at Freya. But in the middle of the joy, Freya leaned over to Jay Jay.
"Jay Jay, can you come with?" Freya whispered. "I need to talk to you alone. It's important."
Jay Jay nodded, handing her phone to Keifer. "Hold this for me? We'll be right back."
The two girls walked toward the elevators. They stepped inside, and the doors slid shut. Moments later, a heavy, metallic clunk echoed through the shaft. The lights flickered and died. The lift was stuck.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I was helping David pick out a tie when I realized Jay Jay and Freya had been gone far too long almost 45 minutes. A cold prickle of unease climbed up my spine. I walked toward the elevators and saw the red "Out of Order" light flashing. My blood turned to ice.
"Jay Jay?" I slammed my hand against the button. Nothing. I sprinted for the stairs, screaming their names. "JAY JAY! ANSWER ME!"
Finally, on the fifth floor, I heard it. A faint, weak scratching.
"Keifer..." it was a voice so airy it was barely there.
"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE GETTING YOU OUT!" It took an hour of pure agony. The F4, her brothers, and Section E worked with technicians to pry the doors open. When they finally gave way, the heat was suffocating.
Jay Jay and Freya were slumped on the floor, unconscious. The lack of oxygen, the heat, and for Jay Jay, the terror of the dark had been too much.
"MOVE!" I roared, lunging into the lift. I gathered Jay Jay's limp, pale body into my arms. Edrix scooped up Freya. We didn't wait. We ran for the cars, heading straight for the hospital.
--: Keifer's POV: --
The hospital hallway felt like a tunnel with no end. I paced the linoleum floor, my knuckles raw and bloodied from where I had punched the elevator doors in a desperate attempt to reach her. Edrix sat on a chair nearby, his head in his hands, his entire body shaking.
The rest of Section E, the F4, Aries, and Percy were scattered along the wall, a silent, grim army. The joy of the graduation results had been replaced by a suffocating, heavy dread.
When the doctor finally stepped out of the emergency bay, Edrix and I were in front of him before he could even look up from his clipboard.
"How are they?" my voice was a jagged edge.
The doctor gave a weary but reassuring nod. "They are stable. Both young ladies are conscious now, though very weak. We have placed them in the same recovery room so they can see each other, but I must warn you—do not crowd them. They need air, not more suffocation. Only one or two people at a time."
"What exactly happened?" Aries asked, his voice vibrating with suppressed fury.
"It was a combination of factors," the doctor explained. "The elevator was small and the ventilation failed quickly. They suffered from acute dehydration and mild suffocation. But more than that... they were exhausted from the fight. According to what we've gathered, both of them were desperately trying to pry the doors open and screaming for help until their lungs gave out. They were both terrified, and they both fought until they simply collapsed from the sheer exhaustion of fear and screaming."
--: Jay Jay's POV: --
The white ceiling blurred as I blinked, the rhythm of the IV drip the only sound in the room besides the soft breathing of the girl in the bed next to mine. I turned my head slowly. Freya was looking back at me. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red from crying, but there was something different in the way she looked at me now.
In that elevator, we weren't the "The two girls who always used to fight with each other." We were just two girls who didn't want to die in the dark. We had clung to each other, our screams echoing together until we both went silent. In that moment of shared terror, a bridge had been built between us. We weren't enemy's anymore; we were friends.
The door creaked open, and Keifer and Edrix walked in, looking like they had been through a war.
"I'm sorry," I croaked, my voice sounding like it was being dragged over gravel. "The shopping... I ruined it."
"Are you kidding me?" Keifer leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine. His hand was trembling as he gripped hers. "I don't care about the clothes, Jay Jay. I thought I lost you. When those doors wouldn't open... I felt like the world was ending."
I looked past Keifer's shoulder to the next bed. Edrix was kneeling by Freya, his face a mask of raw agony.
"You really scared me, Freya," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I heard you screaming through the door... I couldn't get it open fast enough."
Freya didn't say anything at first. She just reached out and brushed a stray tear from Edrix's cheek. The way her eyes softened, the way she let her hand linger on his face—it was obvious. It was clear as day: Freya had started liking him, and it wasn't just a crush anymore. She was looking at him like he was her whole world.
I reached out my free hand toward the space between the beds, and Freya reached back. Our fingers linked—a silent bond.
"Keifer?" I asked softly.
"Yeah?"
"We're still going, right? To the Prom?"
He paused, looking at my pale face. He glanced at Edrix, who looked just as hesitant. "Jay Jay, the doctor said you need rest."
"No," I said, my voice gaining a tiny bit of strength. "We spent days and night studying for those results. We spent today fighting for those suits and that dress. I'm not letting a broken elevator take our graduation away from us. I want to dance with you."
Freya squeezed my hand and looked at Edrix. "Me too. I want to go. Please."
Keifer sighed, a small, tired smile forming on his lips. "Okay. We'll go. But the moment you feel tired, we leave. Deal?"
"Deal" I smiled, and I saw Freya give a weak, happy nod to Edrix too.