Jay POV
Everyone was talking at the same time.
Blaster was fighting with Kit over the remote.
Mayo was stealing chips from Felix.
Eren was sitting on the floor like he lived here.
Ci-n was fixing my blanket for the fifth time.
Keifer's house had officially turned into a classroom.
I was just about to stand up when—
A sharp pain hit my stomach.
I froze.
Oh no.
Not now.
Not in front of my entire section.
I slowly sat back down, pressing my hand against my lower abdomen.
David noticed first. "Jay, you okay?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah. Totally. Living my best life."
Another cramp hit.
Harder.
I winced.
Keifer turned toward me immediately. "Jay?"
Rory narrowed his eyes. "That did not look like 'totally fine.'"
Blaster paused the TV. "Why did the show stop?"
"Because Jay looks like she's dying," Mayo said.
"I am not dying," I snapped.
Then whispered, "But I might."
Ci-n rushed to my side. "Is it your stomach again?"
I nodded.
Denzel leaned forward. "Is it serious?"
Josh whispered, "Do we call an ambulance?"
"NO," I said quickly. "No ambulances. No drama."
Too late.
Eman stood up. "We should give her space."
Felix handed me water.
Eren passed me a pillow.
Drew adjusted the fan.
Everyone suddenly became very responsible.
Keifer knelt in front of me. "Cramps?"
I nodded.
Edrix gasped. "Oh."
Mayo nodded seriously. "Say no more."
Kit whispered, "We understand."
Rory said, "We will protect your dignity."
Eren added, "We will forget everything."
I looked at them. "You're all being very weird."
Blaster pointed at Keifer. "Bro, take care of her."
Keifer helped me stand. "Come on. Let's go to your room."
As he guided me away, I heard—
Mayo: "Moment of silence for Jay's uterus."
Felix: "MAYO."
Ci-n: "Have some respect."
I sighed.
Only Section E could turn my cramps into a full emergency meeting.
The moment Keifer closed the bedroom door, my legs gave up.
I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching my stomach.
The pain was different this time.
Stronger. Sharper.
Like my body was trying to fold itself in half.
"Jay," Keifer said softly, kneeling in front of me. "Breathe."
I tried.
Another wave hit.
I hissed and bent forward, pressing my forehead into his shoulder.
"It hurts so much," I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me. "I know. I'm here."
My fingers clenched into his shirt.
I hated crying in front of people.
I hated being weak.
But this—
This was unbearable.
"Keifer… I feel dizzy," I said.
He quickly made me lie down and pulled the blanket over me.
"Okay. Okay. Stay still," he said, grabbing the heating pad.
He placed it gently on my stomach.
I curled around it.
Tears slipped out anyway.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"For what?" he asked.
"For ruining the evening."
He frowned. "You didn't ruin anything. You're in pain."
Another cramp twisted inside me and I let out a small sob.
He sat beside me and held my hand.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he said quietly.
"You just have to let me take care of you."
My breathing was shaky.
"I hate this," I whispered.
"I know," he said. "But it will pass. It always does."
Outside, I could hear muffled voices.
Section E was still there.
Waiting.
Worried.
And for the first time, I didn't feel embarrassed.
I just felt tired.
And grateful that I wasn't alone.
The pain wouldn't stop.
No matter how I curled up.
No matter how tightly I held the heating pad.
No matter how hard I tried to breathe through it.
It just kept getting worse.
"Keifer…" my voice came out shaky. "I feel really dizzy."
He looked at me, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Jay, look at me."
I tried.
The room felt like it was spinning.
My hands were cold. My stomach felt like it was being squeezed from the inside.
"I think I'm going to throw up," I whispered.
That was enough.
Keifer stood up immediately. "We're going to the hospital."
"What? No—"
"You can barely sit," he said firmly. "I'm not taking chances."
He opened the door.
Section E was sitting outside like a worried committee.
The moment they saw my face, everything went silent.
Ci-n stood up. "Jay…?"
Felix frowned. "She looks really pale."
Blaster whispered, "Bro, that's not normal."
"I'm taking her to the hospital," Keifer said.
Josh jumped up. "Do we come?"
"No," Keifer said gently. "You stay here. I'll update."
Rory nodded. "Go. Now."
Keifer lifted me carefully into his arms.
I didn't even protest.
That's how bad it was.
The car ride was a blur.
I kept my eyes closed, holding his sleeve.
"Stay with me," I murmured.
"I'm right here," he said, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding mine.
The hospital lights were too bright.
A nurse rushed us inside.
They made me lie down.
They checked my temperature.
My pulse.
My blood pressure.
Keifer stood beside me the whole time.
"She has severe cramps," he explained. "They're worse than usual."
The doctor nodded. "We'll give her something for the pain and run a few tests."
I felt scared.
Not because of the pain.
But because I could see the worry on everyone's faces.
"What if something is wrong?" I whispered to Keifer.
He squeezed my hand. "Then we'll handle it. Together."
The medicine slowly started working.
The pain faded from unbearable to manageable.
Tears slipped down my temples anyway.
Not from pain.
From relief.
The doctor smiled gently.
"It's a severe case of period cramps. Painful, but nothing dangerous."
Keifer let out a breath he had been holding for hours.
I closed my eyes.
I was exhausted.
But safe.
And I wasn't alone.
The hospital was quiet when we finally stepped outside.
The air was cool, and the lights from the street lamps made everything look soft and blurry.
Keifer opened the car door for me.
"Careful," he said gently.
I moved slowly and sat down. My body felt tired in a way that reached my bones.
He closed the door, walked around, and got into the driver's seat.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The engine started.
The city lights passed by the window like stars that forgot how to shine.
I hugged the blanket the nurse had given me.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Just… drained."
He reached over and held my hand. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he said quickly. "I'm just glad you're okay."
The road was empty.
No honking.
No traffic.
Just the sound of the car and my breathing.
I leaned my head against the window.
"Thank you for not leaving me there," I said.
"I wasn't going to," he replied. "Not for a second."
My eyelids felt heavy.
"You can sleep," he said. "I'll wake you when we reach home."
I turned toward him. "Promise?"
"I promise."
I closed my eyes.
The car hummed like a lullaby.
His hand stayed wrapped around mine.
And for the first time all day, my body finally relaxed.
Keifer POV
The gate creaked softly as I pulled into the driveway.
The house lights were on.
That was the first sign something was wrong.
I parked the car and got out quickly, walking to Jay's side and opening the door.
"Easy," I said. "We're home."
She nodded, still tired, and carefully stepped out.
Before I could even lock the car—
The front door flew open.
Keagan rushed out first.
Then Keiren.
"Kuya!" Keagan ran down the steps. "Where were you? You weren't answering your phone!"
Keiren's eyes went straight to Jay. "Why does she look so pale?"
Jay tried to smile. "Hi."
Keagan's face fell. "What happened to her?"
I said calmly, "Hospital."
Both of them froze.
"HOSPITAL?!" Keagan shouted.
"For stomach ache ," I said quickly. "She's okay now."
How do I tell a child of 12 about cramps?
But Keigan understood the real meaning of stomach ache .
Keiren stepped closer. "You took her to the hospital for stomach ache ?"
"That was really bad," I said. "She almost fainted."
Keagan looked at Jay. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Jay shrugged weakly. "Didn't want to scare anyone."
"You already did," Keiren muttered.
I guided her toward the door. "Let's go inside. She needs rest."
Keagan opened the door wider. "Come, sit. I'll bring water."
Keiren ran to the kitchen. "I'll warm some soup."
Jay blinked. "You guys are doing too much."
Keagan crossed his arms. "You went to the hospital. We are doing the minimum."
I helped her sit on the couch and placed a cushion behind her back.
She sighed softly. "Thank you."
Keiren came back with a blanket and draped it over her shoulders.
"The doctor said severe pain?" he asked me.
"Yeah. Painful but not dangerous."
Keagan finally relaxed a little. "Good. Because I was about to panic."
Jay smiled faintly. "Too late."
I sat beside her.
The house was quiet again.
But this time, it felt safe.
And I was grateful she was home.
The house was finally quiet.
Keagan had gone to his room after checking on Jay three times.
Keiren had turned off most of the lights and whispered, "Call me if she wakes up."
Jay was lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, her breathing slow and steady.
Her face looked peaceful now.
No more frowning.
No more trembling.
No more pain written on her features.
I sat beside her and brushed a few strands of hair away from her forehead.
"She's finally sleeping," Keiren whispered from the door.
"Yeah," I nodded. "The medicine worked."
Keagan peeked in. "Is she okay now?"
"She will be," I said softly.
They both nodded and quietly closed the door behind them.
I stayed.
Jay shifted slightly and mumbled something I couldn't understand.
I leaned closer. "What is it?"
She sighed and relaxed again.
I pulled the blanket higher around her shoulders and made sure the heating pad was still warm.
"Good," I whispered. "Sleep."
I sat there for a long time, just watching her breathe.
After everything she went through today, she deserved a peaceful night.
And I promised myself—
Tomorrow would be easier for her.
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Just one more chapter of Jay's periods and mood swings.
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