Jay-jay's POV
Silence. It's like an angel was watching over. Kuya Angelo?
That's no angel. He's just pretending. His two hands were clasped together, covering his face. His eyes were shifting around the table, watching all of us. I couldn't help but feel nervous. My own eyes started darting around like his.
"I'll go visit Jeana." Aunt Gema broke the silence.
I paused for a moment and looked at her. She didn't even glance in my direction. I feel like this is the first time I've ever heard her say she was going to visit Mama. I know they never really got along, but Aunt Gema has always tried to mend whatever it is between them.
"Take care." Aries said lifelessly.
"I might not come home until tomorrow." Aunt Gema added, which made Kuya stop.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Aunt Gema shook her head. "Jeana just needs my help with something."About what?
"C-can I come with you?" I asked.
"No." Kuya Angelo and Aunt Gema answered quickly, at the same time. Aries and Uncle Julz looked at them too, just like I did.
"It's better if it's just us. It's nothing important anyway." Aunt Gema said, forcing a smile.
I looked at Aries and saw that he was also looking at me. Aunt Gema quickly finished her food and left the table. Uncle Julz followed her to walk her out.
Now there were only three of us left at the table. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next.
A disaster!
"Jay." Kuya called my name. Here it comes! The spoonful of rice I was about to eat froze midair.
"W-what is it?"
"I talked to Alvin," he began, and I slowly lowered the spoon to my plate. "He said you're not following his instructions and that you talk back to him rudely."
Whut?
"That's not true!" I defended myself.
Unbelievable—Sir Alvin went and tattled on me to my brother when I haven't done anything wrong to him. Kuya Angelo raised an eyebrow at me, as if trying to confirm something. I couldn't help but feel scared by the way he looked at me.
"J-just once," I answered and looked down.
Kuya suddenly slapped his palm on the table. Even Aries was startled by it and almost choked on the water he was drinking.
"Why are you treating him like that? You're even being arrogant towards him!"
"I-it's not like that. I-it's just that..." I couldn't find the right words.
I wanted to cry. It was too early in the day for this kind of scolding. I had been so happy because it was Friday and I'd get to rest tomorrow. I wouldn't have to see the face of that annoying King of the Snakes. I could finally recharge my energy to face him again next week. But now my day had already started off horribly.
"It's like you're saying we didn't raise you with good manners! Did we teach you to disrespect your teacher?!" my brother asked angrily.
I shook my head while keeping my head down. I had thought he was going to talk to me because Kei—kwanan—was back. Turns out, he's scolding me just because Sir Alvin complained.
"N-no. It's just... um, Sir..." I tried to reason out, but just one look from Kuya Angelo made my tongue retreat.
Aries stood up, so I glanced at him for a second. He's probably going to take a shower. If he gets ahead of me again, he'll rush me, and it'll be a huge crime if we're late because of me. You'd think being late would kill him or something.
"K-kuya, I'll be late," I said, almost pleading, while slowly starting to stand.
"What's your plan?" he asked, stopping me in my tracks.
"I'm going to take a shower."
"About Keifer."
I completely froze. I couldn't even speak. What am I planning, anyway?
I got outsmarted by that jerk so many times yesterday. Good thing Aries came to pick me up from the classroom after dismissal, because those idiots were planning to go out and party.
If I could just avoid him entirely, I would. But it wasn't that simple—Keifer wouldn't just leave me alone. He had just come back, and he has already started ruining my day.
At least my stiff neck was gone—something I totally blamed him for. Thanks to Aries' strong smack on the back of my head yesterday on our way home. He was mad because I was frowning and acting like I didn't appreciate him picking me up. I was just thinking how they'd all be eating again, and I wouldn't be included.
"I know you two have a thing," my brother said calmly.
"What thing? There's no such thing!" I quickly defended because there really wasn't.
"He played you. Which means you had feelings?"
"Yes—I mean, no!"
I had to deny it because that was the right thing to do. Nothing good would come from this so-called love. Especially not with my cousin playing the angel who fell from heaven.
Kuya shook his head. "Where do you think your nonsense will lead you?"
"I'll finish my studies," I said proudly.
"I never said you wouldn't. Even if you got pregnant now, you'd still graduate."
"Why would I get pregnant?!"
"Just a hunch."
"I don't believe you. Your social instinct sucks," I said and turned my back on him—but not before going back for the rice on my plate. I finished it off and grabbed a hotdog before finally leaving.
"Jay. Take care," my brother called after me just as I left the dining area.
I ran straight to my room and into the bathroom, moving quickly. I almost forgot to brush my teeth. And while I was getting dressed, fate came knocking—literally.
"You're so slow!" Aries complained.
"Alright, alright!" I rolled my eyes in frustration.
In my rush, my socks didn't even match again. But I left it as it was—nobody really noticed at school anyway. And even if they did, did they do my laundry? No? Then they had no right to comment. They could buy me some soap if they cared so much.
I finally walked out once I was sure I had everything I needed. I even said goodbye to the two snorlaxes.
"Took you long enough!" Aries grumbled before getting into his car.
I didn't say anything anymore—didn't want to add fuel to the fire. He might curse me or something. No way, Today has to be a good day.
Because today is Friday—the last day before Saturday and Sunday. And what are Saturday and Sunday? My rest days, the rest of my eyes, the rest of my mind, and rest for my heart that are being crushed by the intense anger at that damn man's face.
So today had to be good vibes only.
The car stopped at the school parking lot. Aries and I didn't exchange any more words—thankfully, no curses were thrown. I walked into the school, keeping my head high despite noticing the stares and whispers of the other students.
I think I already know the reason why. Of course, the King of all pesty Snakes is back. Gossip's about us were probably spreading again. I just rolled my eyes at the air.
It's hard being this pretty.
When I reached our classroom floor, I stopped. Here we go again—I need to stretch my patience and raise my pride.
I took a deep breath before stepping inside. As usual, the idiots were being rowdy—and the reason? Food. Again.
Good thing I'd already had breakfast—was that the scent of French toast?
I took a quick peek at what the idiots were eating. There was fried rice, hotdog, ham, omelette, longganisa, tocino, spam, and all kinds of breakfast food that's not even Filipino anymore.
My eyes roamed around to check what others were eating when they suddenly locked with Kei-kwanan's.
He gave me a casual smile, thinking I'd return it.
I casually raised my middle finger in response, pretending to pick my nose with it. Instead of getting annoyed, his smile just grew wider.
I rolled my eyes at him and went straight to my seat. I paused when I noticed a box with a ribbon on my desk.
It looked like a gift, though the box wasn't even wrapped. Gifts should have wrapping paper—they look nicer even if there's nothing inside.
I organized my things a bit before giving the box my attention. Is this for me? Or did someone just leave it there?
I turned to Ci to ask, but he was too busy stuffing his face. His mouth was so full it barely closed. Changing my mind, I faced David instead, who was calmly sipping his coffee.
Such a waste of coffee—it wouldn't keep him awake anyway.
"David," I called.
"Hm?" he answered, eyes still on his phone while taking a sip.
"Is this for me?" I asked, pointing at the box on my desk.
He glanced briefly and looked at what I was pointing at. "What do you think?"
"It's on my desk, so it's for me." I replied.
He gave a faint smile. "Nope. Someone just placed it there."
I glared at him. So nice to talk to, huh. He had coffee but was clearly in the mood to mess with people again. Is this what having a fancy instinct does to you?
Suddenly, I remembered what Kuya said. Not that I believed it, but I just wanted to be reassured. I wanted to hear the opinion of someone with a real fancy instinct.
"Dabid," I called him again, scooting a bit closer. "I just have a question."
He paused his attempt to drink his coffee and let his phone screen go black, just to listen to what I was about to ask.
"Do you think I'll get pregnant early?"
His face quickly twisted in disgust, like my question was both shocking and repulsive. He looked like he was about to be grossed out.
Wow, so dramatic.
"What the hell? Did you do that… thing?" he asked in shock.
I blinked several times, trying to figure out what thing he was referring to. Then I quickly went ohhh once I realized what he meant.
"No! I am just asking... I mean, do you think I would, based on my personality."
He stared at me for a moment. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Because you have a fancy instinct, right?"
He scratched his eyebrow. He didn't say anything, so I figured he was thinking. It took him quite a while to speak again—long enough that I'd already debated several times whether or not I should open the box.
"So slow..." I muttered deliberately loud enough for him to hear.
"I think..." he began, making me sit up straighter.
"No."
I smiled at his answer. I trusted his instinct more than Kuya's.
"As long as Keifer doesn't become your boyfriend," he added, wiping the smile off my face—and making him laugh.
"Are you serious right now?" I asked sarcastically.
He shook his head. "My instincts are usually based on a person's personality and, of course, the common logic around it."
Wow. I didn't understand a thing. It's hard being dumb.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Based on Keifer's personality, if you two end up together, he won't ever let you go. So pregnancy and marriage would come quickly," he explained.
He had a point. Knowing that idiot—the King of Demonic Snakes—it was more than likely he'd do something like that. Because he's crazy like that.
"What if I don't end up with Kei—kwanan? What if it's with another guy?"
His brows furrowed. "Kei—what?"
"Kwanan."
His brows furrowed even more, and his mouth hung open slightly, clearly not getting what I was saying.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"It's a pronoun," Ci-N suddenly chimed in, raising a finger like some trivia host. "It's often used to substitute the name of a person, object, or animal. For example: 'Kwanan's breath stinks.' And the person being referred to is Calix—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence because a notebook flew straight at his head. It hit solidly, clearly aimed right at his.
"Ouch," he mumbled, rubbing the spot where he was hit.
"Got it," David said with a grin. "What's with the pronoun, though?"
"Nothing," I replied, playing with the ribbon on the box.
I heard his soft laugh, so I just rolled my eyes at him. Our conversation was starting to drift. It was supposed to stay on topic—it felt like it had already walked out of the room.
"So, my question?" I reminded him.
"You won't get pregnant," he answered quickly, and my face immediately brightened. "Especially if I become your boyfriend," he added.
I shot him a glare. We were having a serious conversation, and coming up with nonsense again. His mischievous grin spread wider.
"Should I just punch you?" I asked sarcastically.
He only laughed in response. Suddenly, Ci-N popped up in front of us, eyes wide as he looked back and forth between me and David.
I already had a feeling what was coming next.
"Keifer! David's hitting on Jay-jay!" he blurted out so fast I almost didn't catch the words.
But the message was clear—he was tattling to their so-called King. David and I both turned our heads at the same time. Keifer stood there, one eyebrow raised, shooting daggers at us with his eyes. I met his glare head-on.
So what if I get a boyfriend? I bet he had plenty of girls waiting for him in London. That wouldn't even be surprising. Honey just didn't want to admit it to me when I asked her how the King of Demonic Snakes was doing.
Just a hunch of mine
And since this pest of a Kei—kwanan always teased me, I decided it was time for payback. I also wanted to see how he'd react. I wanted to know what the truth really was.
I turned to David and held both of his cheeks. His eyes went wide in shock.
"Fine, you'll be my boyfriend—as long as I don't get pregnant too soon," I declared and he started blinking rapidly.
"I'll cover the coffee."
"We've got plenty of bread at home."
"Just cremate him; his face probably won't be recognizable if we put him in a coffin."
I could hear the Snakes muttering. I knew they were watching, and I also knew exactly who they were talking about. Death, seriously?
"So? Do you agree?" I asked David seriously.
I saw him swallow nervously. Sweat was literally dripping on his face, like his life depended on his answer.
"Hello? This is Keifer Watson," we suddenly heard Keifer say. "I would like to speak to the head of the Braselton family."
Braselton family? Was that David's family?
David suddenly removed my hands from his face like I had some kind of contagious disease. I would've cursed if I hadn't noticed how pale he had turned.
"I value our friendship, but I don't wanna die early," he said, and suddenly stood up with his phone in hand.
He practically ran out while dialing a call on his cellphone. I just blinked in confusion, eyes following him.
What just happened?
"Thank you. Maybe some other time." said that pest, that damn demon Kei—kwanan, who was apparently already beside me.
I glanced at him discreetly. He pressed something on his phone before sliding it into his pocket.
He leaned closer to me. "I never said you were allowed to look for a new boyfriend."
"Who asked for your permission?" I shot back.
He leaned in even more, so I backed away. "Remember? Before I left, I marked you."
I blinked, confused. I had no clue what he was talking about. Marked? Isn't he the one named Mark—Mark Kei-kwanan?
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
He flashed that arrogant smirk again. "Would you like me to refresh your memory?" he asked, bringing his lips closer to mine.
I moved back so fast that I ended up falling off my chair. My hip hit the ground hard, one leg still struck on the bench.
"Ouch… that hurts," I grumbled as I slowly tried to get up, but I froze when I heard someone whistle.
"Such a wonderful view," said that said that filthy, despicable, no-good, traitorous, demonic pest of a King of the Snakes, holding out his hand as if to help me.
My thighs were fully exposed to him. My cycling shorts were short, so he had a clear view of my smooth—yes, smooth—legs.
All that scrubbing was worth it.
I quickly swatted his hand away and stood up even though my hip was still aching.. I fixed my skirt and shirt before pointing a finger at him.
"You're a pervert!"
"That's a compliment," he said, and briefly closed his eyes like a thought just hit him. "Oh, I forgot—you're not used to compliments." That infuriating smile of his crept again.
I felt a vein in my forehead about to burst from anger. I raised my fist, ready to punch him, but stopped, knowing he'd just dodge. Instead, I grabbed a chair and prepared to swing it at him. But before I could, the Snakes quickly intervened.
"Hey! Jay!"
"Jay-jay!"
"Oi! Chill!"
They all shouted at once while rushing toward me. Felix and Edrix quickly grabbed the chair. Denzel and Eren moved in between us. Ci-N wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Just relax!" Felix yelled as he tried to pull the chair away from me.
I wasn't really planning to calm down—until Sir Alvin walked into the room. David followed behind him, still wiping sweat from his face.
"Behave" Sir Alvin ordered, clearly not in the mood for any jokes.
Well, neither was I. Someone ratted me out.
I was forced to return to my seat and hand over the chair to these damn snakes. Sir started organizing the attendance. I briefly glanced behind when I heard the faint laughter of those idiots
I froze when Kei—kwanan—winked at me. I rolled my eyes in response. I sat properly again and shifted my gaze to the front. But because the box in front of me was so eye-catching, I couldn't help but think about opening it. However, I didn't want to upset Sir Alvin, so I just set it aside for now.
The attendance was starting when suddenly, Yuri entered through the door. He was sweating and his uniform was all messed up. He apologized to Sir before heading to his seat.
He smiled at me, and I did the same, but I couldn't help but notice the trace of blood on his chin. I kept my eyes on him. I was about to point out the blood to him, but Kei—Kwanan beat me to it.
"What happened?"
I couldn't help but feel anxious. I knew he wouldn't tell me what happened to him. The longer this goes on, the worse my gut feeling gets.
Even when the class started, Yuri was still on my mind. And even after Sir's lecture ended, I was still worried about him.
"Mariano," Sir Alvin called me.
"Y-yes?" I answered, a bit startled.
"I need to talk to you," he said and walked out.
Ci-N and I exchanged glances before I followed Sir Alvin. When I got outside, he was already waiting for me.
"What is it, Sir?"
"Help Watson review. Just get the other lessons from my table—"
"I don't want to!" I quickly protested.
He always orders me around. Not even a "Could you?"—just a straight-up "Help him."
He's up to something! I know it!
Sir's brows furrowed immediately. "I'm giving you an order."
I shook my head, even though there was a threat in his voice. I was ready to comply, as long as it had nothing to do with that jerk.
"You really don't want to?" he asked again.
I shook my head again. He sighed deeply before pulling out his phone from his pocket and started pressing buttons. He placed the phone to his ear, and I almost screamed when I heard the name of the person he called.
"Angelo... yes. This Jay-jay here refuses to follow my orders." He said.
Like a kid! He actually tattled!
"What should I say her? She'll get hit by you" Sir said, looking at me. "She's got a sharp tongue." I held my head. "You'll shave her eyebrows." I clutched my eyebrows. "You'll spank you." I grabbed my butt.
Oh no! Now there's spanking involved too!
"S-Sir! I'll follow! I'll follow it!" I quickly interrupted.
I didn't miss the mischievous grin on his face before it quickly disappeared.
"Okay, Angelo. I've got it handled," he said before ending the call and facing me. "Just get the lessons from the faculty office before you go home. You handle him."
I only managed a tight nod before he finally left. If I could see my own face, I bet it was red with anger.
"You animal, Watson!"