Jayjay POV
School resumed like nothing had ever happened.
The hallways were loud again. Lockers slammed. Friends reunited. Teachers already looked tired — and it was only the first day back.
But for me?
Everything felt… different.
Especially us.
Weeks ago, he would have grabbed my hand without thinking.
Now?
His hands stayed in his pockets
Meanwhile, I just walked in quietly beside Chantelle.
"Remind me again why vacation can't last forever?" she complained, adjusting her bag. "Who invented school reopening? I just want to talk."
I let out a small laugh.
"You complain every semester but still show up looking this good."
She flipped her hair proudly.
"Education is important. Looking fabulous while suffering is more important."
That almost lifted my mood.
Almost.
Then my eyes betrayed me.
Across the courtyard…
I saw him.
Kiefer.
Standing with Yuri and David like nothing in the world had ever gone wrong.
For a second, my heart did that stupid thing — the one where it forgets every warning sign and starts racing like I'm seeing him for the first time again.
Don't look.
Don't look.
Too late.
As if he felt it, Kiefer lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
And just like that…
The noisy campus disappeared.
It was only us.
God… why does he still look at me like that?
Like I'm still his person.
He shifted slightly, almost like he wanted to walk toward me.
My breath caught.
But then—
Sienna stepped closer to him.
She touched his arm casually and showed him something on her phone.
He leaned down to look.
Then he smiled.
Not the bright smile he used to give me…
But it was still a smile.
And for some reason, that hurt more than if he had just ignored me completely.
I looked away first.
Coward.
Chantelle followed my line of sight and immediately sucked her teeth.
"Oh wow. Look at them. Morning show has already started."
"Please don't," I muttered.
"What? I didn't even say anything yet."
"You were about to."
She crossed her arms.
"I don't like her."
"Chantelle…"
"I said what I said."
I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm.
"It's none of my business who he talks to."
The words tasted like a lie the moment they left my mouth.
Chantelle stopped walking and grabbed my wrist gently.
"Jay… since when do you lie to me?"
I pulled my hand free, pretending to fix my sleeve.
"I'm not lying."
But even I could hear how unconvincing I sounded.
Before she could press further, I felt it again.
That pull.
I looked back.
Kiefer was still watching me.
Not smiling.
Not looking away.
Just… watching.
Why does he look like that?
Like he wants to say something but doesn't know how.
For a dangerous second, I almost walked toward him.
Almost.
Then Sienna said something that made Adrian laugh, and the spell broke.
I straightened my shoulders.
"Let's go. We're going to be late."
Our lecture hall felt colder than I remembered.
Or maybe it was just me.
I slid into my seat while Chantelle kept whispering complaints about early morning classes.
Usually, I would tease her.
Usually, I would laugh.
Today, my mind kept replaying that look.
Why didn't he come over?
Why didn't I?
Ugh, Jayjay, get a grip.
Focus on your life.
Not on a boy who barely talks to you anymore.
Halfway through the lecture, my phone buzzed.
For a split second…
My heart jumped.
Kiefer?
I quickly checked.
Unknown notification.
My shoulders dropped.
Wow.
Look at me.
Getting excited over nothing.
Pathetic.
I rested my chin on my palm.
Why are we like this now?
We used to talk about everything.
Now we can't even say "good morning."
Did we really fall apart that easily?
Or…
Is someone slowly pulling us apart?
No.
Stop overthinking.
Still…
Something about Sienna has never felt right.
And I hate that I can't prove it.
After class ended, students poured into the hallway.
Chantelle stretched dramatically.
"If professors continue like this, I might pass out before midterms."
"You say that every—"
I froze.
Because the hallway suddenly grew quieter.
Not actually quieter.
Just… quieter for me.
Kiefer was walking toward us.
My heartbeat immediately lost coordination.
Stay normal.
Stay calm.
Don't stare.
Don't—
He stopped right in front of me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
God… this is awkward.
Say something, Jay.
Anything.
Before I could gather the courage—
Sienna appeared beside him.
Of course she did.
"Kiefer, the professor said—" She paused when she noticed me, then smiled politely. "Oh, hi Jayjay."
That smile.
Sweet on the outside.
Sharp underneath.
"Hi," I replied.
Kiefer opened his mouth slightly like he wanted to speak.
But the words never came.
Instead, he just gave me a small nod.
A nod.
Since when do we nod at each other like strangers?
Chantelle looked between us and whispered,
"This is painful to watch."
I almost agreed.
Almost.
"Come on," Sienna said gently to Kiefer. "We're getting late."
We.
Such a small word.
Such a loud meaning.
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then he walked away with her.
And I stood there…
Feeling like something important had quietly slipped through my fingers.
Chantelle bumped my shoulder.
"You're handling this very calmly."
"I am calm."
"You're smiling."
"I always smile."
"Yes," she said. "But this one looks like it could crack your face."
I laughed softly despite myself.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe I was trying too hard to pretend I was okay.
As we walked toward our next class, one thought kept circling my mind…
This is only the first day back.
And somehow…
It already feels like the longest semester of my life.
*When did we become strangers…*