Jay-jay's POV
"Kuya Angelo is right, Jay." Tita said. "...You shouldn't go to school for now."
"But Tita..." The Ulupong are planning to send a video message to their King. "...I really need to."
"You almost got hurt last night. It's a good thing Aries was there."
I lowered my head. Both Aries and I weren't allowed to leave by Kuya Angelo.
He knew we had gone out last night, and the moment I saw him running after the car—it had really happened.
Kuya tried to chase the car, but it was too fast. Plus, it didn't even have a license plate.
"Stop being stubborn. Just rest." Tita added.
She kissed me on the head before standing up and leaving the room. I immediately looked for my phone to text C-in.
To: BatangKumag
Message: Hnd aq ppsok. My nangyri kc.
(I'm not going to school. Something happened.)
I only waited a few seconds before he replied.
From: BatangKumag
Message: Anung nangyari? Bkt may nangyri? Kanino nangyri?
(What happened? Why did something happen? To whom did it happen?)
I grimaced. I could already imagine his face while asking me that—his eyes wide and looking excited to hear my answer.
I heard a knock on the door, and it slowly opened. Aries' face appeared before me.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "You? Are you okay?"
He stepped inside and walked toward me. He forced a smile. "I'm okay too."
"Can you now tell me my fortune for today?" I asked innocently, and a strong flick on my forehead knocked me down.
"Aagghhh! That hurts!" I screamed, clutching my forehead and rolling around on the bed. "Freaking shit! Ouch!"
"You're so full of nonsense! You almost died last night, and you still think like that!" he said, annoyed.
Tearing up, I checked my forehead in the mirror. It was red and looked swollen. I felt like my brother's nails were as hard as stone because of the pain.
Even my soul felt hurt.
"It hurts..." I whispered. "…so bad"
"You're so dramatic." He said irritably and stepped closer. "...Let me see."
I faced him angrily. "Here! Look!" I practically shoved my forehead toward him.
And just like that, another flick. I almost collapsed to the floor from the pain. I heard his loud laughter as he walked out of my room. And he actually seemed happy with my suffering.
But for some reason, something inside me felt warm. I smiled and flopped down on my bed. Is this it? Is this what it feels like to be okay with your sibling?
I picked up my phone again, and this time, I texted Percy.
To: Percing
Message: ui! ui! Twg ka! My sasbhin aq!
(Hey! Hey! Call me! I have something to tell you!)
I smiled while waiting for his reply. It took a few minutes, and I almost resent the message.
From: Percing
Message: eeww... Poor! Walang pantwag.
(Eww… Poor! No money for a call.)
My brows immediately furrowed. Seriously? I was calling him to tell him something important, and this is what he says?
Damn you, blue eyes! I'll make them black!
To: Percing
Message: buset! Gwin mo nlang!
(Damn it! Just do it!)
It didn't take long before he finally did what I asked. I quickly answered his call.
["Yes? Hello?"] he greeted me in an overly dramatic tone.
"Damn you! What do you mean I'm poor?!"
["Well, you should've called me instead."]
"Maybe I don't have load for a call?" I replied sarcastically.
["Then that means you are poor. You are now officially Jay-jay the Poorita girl."]* he said and laughed loudly.
He's insane.
"Idiot! I have something to tell you."
["And… What is it, chubby horse?"]
I grimaced, glancing at my phone before putting it back to my ear. "Aries and I are okay now!" I said happily.
["Oh? Really?"]
"Yes... I think?"
["Why is there an 'I think'? Are you not sure? What the heck!"]
"Maybe he'll suddenly change his mind."
["Here's what you do..."] he said as if giving instructions to a child. ["...go to him. Touch his forehead. If it's warm, it means he's sick—that's why he's talking to you."]
I rolled my eyes and slapped my forehead. This guy is going to drive me crazy. Is that even a thing to say? Seriously! My confidence just went up by 0.01%.
"What if he's not sick?"
["Good news! Maybe he really just wants to make up with you."]
I bit my lower lip. He's not sick—Percy is just crazy. But it's nerve-wracking.
What if tomorrow or even later, we fight again? What if he only talked to me because Kuya ordered him to—impossible because he's hard to force.
What if it's because...
"Someone is trying to kill me." I blurted out unconsciously.
["What?!"] Percy suddenly exclaimed, snapping me back to reality.
That's when I realized I hadn't told him yet about what I saw and what happened.
"Percy... do you remember what Keifer's enemy said before? The one who said that someone wanted to kill me?"
["Yes. Bak-shit! Don't tell me—."]
"Someone has been sending me death threats, and last night... s-someone tried to run me over."
["What the... Do your classmates know about this? Yuri? Keifer?"] he asked, clearly worried.
"I-I don't know."
He let out a deep sigh. ["I'll talk to your Kuya Angelo. I have to go."]
He didn't wait for my response. He immediately ended the call.
I hugged my knees tightly.
So many thoughts were running through my mind. What if Aries only talked to me because he thought...
He thought it was my end.
How frustrating! Why does it have to be like this? Can't he just make up with me because he wants to, because he misses me too, because he truly wants to make things right with me?
Does there really have to be a threat on my life first? Does he really have to think I'm about to die? Does it really have to be that way?
So annoying.
I couldn't take this anymore. I quickly stood up and walked out. I headed straight to his room, but he wasn't there, so I walked toward the living room.
He wasn't there either. I was about to go to the kitchen when I noticed something outside. Aries was standing there, looking at something in his hands.
I approached him, and to my shock, I saw that he was holding a photograph. I quickly snatched it from him.
It was a picture of the two of us. We were sitting on the street while Aries was holding my cheek, seemingly saying something. I couldn't be mistaken—this was from last night.
"They're closer than I thought." I heard him say.
Before I could respond, he suddenly walked to the gate and closed it.
He quickly strode back inside the house. I followed him at once.
"Manang! Make sure to check who's outside before opening the gate! Don't just let anyone in!" he shouted at their maids.
I remained standing at the door, holding the photo. My hands were trembling.
I was starting to feel scared again. Why did this have to happen now when he wasn't here? Why now, when I felt completely alone? Why now, when I was feeling so cowardly?
But I'm Jay-jay… I shouldn't be scared.
I couldn't remember ever backing down from a fight. I had never retreated, whether my opponent was a man or a woman. If I thought about it, I had no reason to be afraid of this. They were just threats, and that's all they could do.
"Come at me. You won't scare me." I muttered as I crumpled the photo.
I quickly walked back to my room, took a shower, and got dressed in my uniform. I was going to school—I wouldn't let myself be intimidated.
I was fixing my bag when my phone suddenly rang. I grabbed it and checked. An unknown number was calling.
I held my phone tightly, my fingers trembling as I pressed the answer button.
"H-hello?" I greeted the caller.
["Jay-jay? It's Eren!"] he shouted.
I frowned when I heard a commotion from his side, like people were arguing and fighting.
"W-what's going on…? Why is it so noisy?"
["Jay! We need your brother's help!"]
"What?! What's hap—Hello?! Hello!"
The call suddenly cut off. When I checked, it had already ended. I grabbed my bag and ran out. Luckily, Aries wasn't in the living room. I took my bike and rode as fast as I could to school.
Sweat dripped down my forehead from how fast I was pedaling. I had to get there immediately. The moment I reached the school gate, I saw large construction vehicles parked outside.
No way… Please, no!
Panicked, I rushed toward our building. A huge crowd had gathered—students were watching, and the Guidance Counselor was arguing with the Ulupong.
I forced my way through the crowd to get closer.
"You can't touch that!" I heard Felix yell.
"The board has already issued an order! The mess here needs to be cleared out!" the Guidance Counselor said.
"Can't you wait until tomorrow?! We'll clean up the remaining mess ourselves!" Yuri pleaded.
I looked around. The piles of old tables and chairs were gone. So was the other trash. When I turned to the Ulupong, they were blocking the stairs leading to the second floor.
"That's not possible! The demolition starts next week! We're running out of time!"
"Wait for Keifer to return! Talk to him about this!" Rory angrily added.
"Why should we wait for him?! We have a schedule to follow!"
"If you demolish this building, where will we hold our classes?!" Mayo asked in frustration.
"In the open auditorium!"
"What?! Are you insane?" Edrix retorted.
The Guidance Counselor glared at him. "How dare you talk to me like that?! You have no respect!"
"And you?! Do you respect us?!" Blaster shot back.
I forced my way to the center. The old woman might have a heart attack at this rate.
"Ma'am! Ma'am!" I interrupted, raising both my hands. "...I'm begging you. Please give us time, we'll fix this."
"Miss Mariano, we have no more time to give you! The board set a schedule, and that's final."
"Please, Ma'am. U-until tomorrow! We'll fix everything by then, just until tomorrow!" I pleaded, nearly kneeling.
The counselor looked at me and then at the Ulupong. She let out a sharp glare.
"Until tomorrow, Miss Mariano!" she said, pointing a finger at me.
She turned around and walked away, followed by the workers in hard hats. The students who had been watching also dispersed.
I faced the Ulupong. Their brows were still furrowed.
"Let's go inside the room first. We need to discuss—" Yuri started but was cut off when the Ulupong suddenly turned away.
Yuri looked at me and forced a smile. He slung an arm over my shoulder as we walked to the room. When we got inside, they all fanned themselves. The only ceiling fan wasn't working. It was also a bit dark because the only light was off.
"There's no electricity. They cut the power line." Ci-N said sadly.
Everyone's shoulders slumped. It was as if the sky had fallen on them. They looked like they had lost everything and had no hope left.
"What now? Are we just going to let them destroy the room upstairs?" Drew asked angrily.
"N-no!" I quickly answered.
"Then what are we going to do?"
I lowered my gaze. No matter how much I wanted to deny it and refuse to accept it, the truth was… we really couldn't stay in this building anymore.
"Can't we ask for help from your brother?" Eren asked.
I haven't tried, but I feel like he wouldn't be able to help us either.
"I don't think so... My brother is already struggling with his own problems. I don't want to add to them."
"So we're just going to let this happen? Is that it?" Felix asked angrily.
"Like we have a choice." David replied.
Felix quickly stood up and rummaged through the things at the back. He grabbed a box and walked out of the room. Yuri, Rory, and Edrix followed him.
Ci-N and I exchanged glances before we walked after them. They were heading to the second floor. I ran to catch up with them, and my worry grew when I saw them breaking the doorknob of the last room.
The picture room.
"Felix..." I called his name with a pleading tone.
He ignored me. Until finally, he broke the doorknob and forcefully opened the door. One after another, we entered inside.
He started taking the pictures off the wall and placing them inside the box. I felt weak as I watched him. My feet moved on their own to approach him and help remove the photos.
I couldn't help but look at the faces in the pictures. They all looked happy, even with bandages and band-aids on their faces. Some had serious expressions, some weren't looking at the camera, some looked surprised, and some clearly didn't care.
I froze when I saw the only picture of my brother. I accidentally looked at the back of it and saw a note.
"Myki, You're so hard to capture in a picture, but you're still handsome from any angle. -Ion"
It looks like my brother had a friend named Ion. The handwriting was neat and looked like a girl's, but I didn't want to assume because Calix's handwriting had already fooled me before.
I placed the picture inside the box. It took us several minutes before we finished. I carried the box back to the room. My heart grew heavier when I saw them packing up the things at the back.
"So this is it... We're really leaving this building?" Denzel said sadly.
I slowly nodded. We turned to Ci-N when we heard him sobbing.
"This was like my second home," he said. "This is where I found happiness, even when I had problems at home."
And this was where I found happiness too.
We decided to finish everything that needed to be done. We packed up as if we were moving houses. Even the trash in front of our room was cleaned up for the workers coming tomorrow.
It was already dark when we finished. David and Ci-N accompanied me home, while Yuri helped Eman.
"Thanks for walking me home," I said lifelessly.
"Everything will be okay, right?" Ci-N asked.
That was the same question I had been asking myself.
I wanted to say yes, but I didn't want to take away hope from this stubborn kid. I nodded at him and forced a smile. They waited for me to enter before they left.
My body felt exhausted in a way I couldn't explain. We lost… Section E lost. I felt so weak and useless.
It was like we were crippled, missing a limb. As much as I hated to admit it, ever since Keifer left, it felt like we had lost a leg. The whole school was ganging up on us.
Before, people used to avoid Section E because they knew we would always cause trouble. But now, we seemed so weak. The other students weren't afraid of us anymore.
I quickly collapsed onto my bed. I wanted to sleep, but my mind wouldn't let me. My thoughts ran wild, playing around in my head like a playground.
I forced myself to sit up. I changed into fresh clothes, hoping it would help me sleep. But it only made my insomnia worse.
I was sitting on my bed when the door suddenly opened, revealing Aries' angry face.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"S-school."
"You're really hard-headed, aren't you?"
"Something happened, so I really had to go."
He rubbed his temple, clearly ready to lecture me. He stared at me for a moment. I really wasn't in the mood to argue with him. So I just let him talk and talk.
Nothing he said stuck in my mind. His words went in one ear and out the other.
"Aries..." I called him. "Can we talk tomorrow instead? I'm really tired."
I saw the confusion and surprise on his face. He didn't reply and just walked out of my room. I let out a deep sigh. I didn't understand anything anymore.
I felt like I was going crazy.
It was as if the author of this story was an agent of darkness, delighting in making our lives miserable—my life, to be exact. Maybe they had been hit in the head too hard.
I heard my phone beep. I picked it up from my bag and saw a text message.
From: GagongBaliw Message: hey. How are you?
I wanted to scream out loud, "Fuck! I'm not okay!" But I didn't want to cause a scene and alarm our neighbors.
To: GagongBaliw Message: Keifer.
I purposely sent that message. I wanted to know who this crazy person was.
From: GagongBaliw Message: Watson.
I was slightly surprised, even though I expected it. Of course, he knew that—because he was him!
To: GagongBaliw Message: It's you.
From: GagongBaliw Message: haha... Ur cute.
I scowled. It felt like this idiot was playing with me.
To: GagongBaliw Message: I'm done playing games. Who the hell are you?
From: GagongBaliw Message: Any birthday wish for him?
A picture followed the message. In the middle of a grand hall, Keifer was standing there. He was wearing a black tuxedo and was talking on the phone.
To: GagongBaliw Message: Who are you really?
From: GagongBaliw Message: I know you more than you know me.
I dropped my phone. Damn it! Was I being played again?
Who was this person? Who the hell was GagongBaliw?