Keifer POV
I couldn't help but grin as I leaned against the edge of the classroom, watching Jay half-asleep, half-dramatic, trying to look like she didn't care about food. Classic Jay.
"Hey, what are you going to eat?" I asked, my voice intentionally cheerful. She looked up at me, groggy and annoyed, like I had just disturbed her peaceful world.
"I'm… not hungry," she mumbled.
Oh, come on. That was an obvious lie. Her eyes might say "I'm fine," but I could read her better than anyone. And, honestly… the thought of her refusing pizza made me chuckle.
"Oh no, you can't abandon food. That's bad for the soul, Jay-Jay," I said, mock-seriously, letting my grin widen.
She rolled her eyes, but I saw the little twitch of a smile. She was trying to stay strong, but I was onto her.
Then Yuri chimed in with the "Food Lord" nonsense, and Ci-n threatened to eat her if she didn't take a slice. I shook my head, trying not to laugh too hard. The chaos was beautiful.
David added his sage advice about balance—classic David. I caught Jay's slight smile and knew she was enjoying the ridiculousness despite herself.
Then came Percy. Oh, Percy, holding an army of pizza boxes like some kind of cheesy superhero. The moment he walked in, every boy in the room went berserk.
"Jay! You must eat all of this!" one of the boys yelled, dumping a box on her table.
"NOOO! I can't eat all that!" she protested, throwing her hands up dramatically.
I leaned down, wiggling my eyebrows. "Then I'll help you."
Ci-n jumped in too, and suddenly Jay had a small army of boys insisting on sharing her pizza burden.
Nathan and Hannah arrived with drinks, and the room turned into complete chaos—music blaring, boxes flying, and everyone laughing. I couldn't stop smiling.
At one point, Jay leaned over and whispered, "Wouldn't we get in trouble?"
I winked. "Teachers are in a meeting for like… an hour or two. Totally safe. Have fun."
Her little smile when I held her hand was enough to make me melt. She didn't even notice, probably, but my chest… yeah, it definitely noticed.
I tugged her toward the little dance circle Ci-n had started. She stumbled, and I caught her mid-step. "See? Safe," I teased, letting her roll her eyes at me.
Then she laughed. That laugh—oh man, that laugh—like bells clanging perfectly in tune with my mood. I wanted to tease her even more, but I didn't want to stop her from enjoying the moment.
She glanced at me when we danced, trying not to get too close, but she kept holding my hand. My inner voice went into full overdrive: Yeah, this is good. This is really good. Why is her hand so warm? Why does her laugh feel like it's meant just for me?
And there it was—the small victory of seeing her happy. Not just happy, but really… free in that moment. I smiled, leaned a little closer, whispered, "Eat, laugh, dance. Don't hold back."
She smirked back. "You talk a lot."
"Yeah, I do," I admitted. "But only when it matters."
And as we joined the rest of the chaos—pizza, music, laughter, and teasing—the world outside the classroom vanished. All that mattered was the warmth of friends, the ridiculousness of boys arguing over slices, and the way Jay's eyes sparkled when she laughed.
I knew this would be a memory we'd look back on—the day we laughed in a classroom, ate too much pizza, and forgot everything else. And somewhere in the back of my mind… yeah, I knew I'd always want to be the one standing next to her, making her smile.