Jay-jay's POV
"Jay-jay." Someone called. "Wake up."
I forced my eyes open, and the open window greeted me. It was still dark outside, so I couldn't understand why they were waking me up already.
"Get up. We're going to watch the sunrise," Ci-N said excitedly. "Then we're going home."
Oh, right. Before we went inside to sleep, we agreed to watch the sunrise before heading home. We all agreed because it might take a while before our next outing. I forced myself to get up.
Kei—kwanan greeted me, wiping his face with a towel. Did he sleep here?
"Get up! I'll wake the others," Ci said with a smile before leaving the room.
I got up as he told me to and glared at the King of the Snakes. He raised an innocent eyebrow at me.
"Did you sleep here?" I asked, my voice laced with threat.
"No. I just washed my face here," he replied, calming me down. I quickly stood up to get ready. I locked the bathroom door as soon as I got inside. I washed my face and freshened up, then changed my clothes.
I stared at the remaining clothes for a moment. What would happen to these when we leave? There's no one else on this island, so no one would use them or take them. Should I take them home? After fixing myself up, I left the bathroom and the room. I was busy tying my hair as I went down the stairs.
The Snakes were in chaos. Felix, David, Eman, and Yuri were rushing the others. Ci-N kept going in and out of the door, clearly excited.
"Hurry up! The sky's already getting light!" the Little Brat said eagerly. Kit was still half-asleep, trying to wake Mayo beside him. Eren was already looking for his phone. Blaster was about to go back to sleep, but Eman hit him with a pillow. Drew was already up, racing Josh to the bathroom.
"Can we have coffee first?" Calix asked after stretching.
"Later. Wash your face first, hurry!" Eman urged. Everyone was forced to get up and line up for the bathroom. Some went upstairs, while Eren dragged Kit to the back where there was a faucet. Mayo and Denzel followed them.
"Good morning," Yuri greeted me with a smile.
"Good morning. Did you even sleep?" I asked. We went to bed late, and some of them stayed behind to finish their conversation and drink the remaining alcohol.
"Three hours. Then I woke up because of Ci-N," he answered, yawning.
That one really gets too excited. I shook my head and excused myself to go outside. I saw Ci-N pacing between the beach and the house's terrace. True to his words, the sky was indeed getting lighter. I hadn't noticed the time earlier, but I guessed it was around 5 AM.
"It's starting! We're going to miss it!" he shouted, sounding truly distressed.
"Here we go…" Felix replied lifelessly as he stepped out of the house. The other Snakes followed, clearly just going along with it. I wanted to hit them for their attitude. They agreed last night, but now they looked like they didn't want to go through with it.
"Let's go to the cliff," Kei—kwanan said, leading the way.
We all followed him until we reached the big rock where he had slipped before. We each climbed up to find a good spot at the top. As I was nearing the top, Yuri offered me his hand to help me up. I took it, getting up faster.
Since the top of the rock was uneven, we each found our own comfortable spot. The sky grew even brighter.
Ci-N stood at the far edge of the rock, while I sat at the other end beside Kei—kwanan.
He yawned, making me glance at him. He caught me looking and met my gaze. He smiled and winked. I rolled my eyes.
It's too early! Stay quiet!
"My morning is better now because I know you're just by my side," he said, and I suddenly heard retching noises.
"That's so corny!"
"I feel sick!"
"Dude, are you pregnant?"
"Idiot! Do I even have a uterus?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is an example of someone who forgot to eat breakfast," Yuri teased, making the Snakes laugh.
Kei—kwanan picked up a small rock and threw it at Yuri. He didn't mind and just laughed, shaking his head.
"It's here!" Ci-N shouted, making us all look ahead. The sun was starting to peek out. We all moved closer to see better.
I couldn't help but smile as the light and darkness mixed. But the light quickly took over because of the sun's rays. I couldn't help but be amazed as the sky showed off its colors.
I looked at the Snakes, and they were all just as awestruck—except for one. The shameless King of the Snakes was looking at me instead.
I gestured for him to look ahead, but he just reached for my hand and held it.
"I love you," he mouthed.
It felt like my heart was kicked and started going wild.
Thankfully, everyone else was looking ahead. I tried to pull my hand away, but he just laughed. If I get annoyed, I'm going to throw him off this rock.
I closed my eyes when the sun's rays hit my face. I raised a hand to block the light, but Kei—kwanan's broad hand did it for me, so I turned to look at him.
His serious, expressive eyes met mine.
"Jump!" they shouted, but I didn't manage to see what they were doing because of the light—or rather because I couldn't tear my gaze away from this idiot.
Then I heard their shouts and the sound of them hitting the water.
"For the economy!" One.
"I love you, Mica!" Two.
"More debt!" Three.
"He said he loves you, Friend!" Four.
"You're crazy, Rory!" Five.
"Kit and Mayo! Forever!" Six.
"There's no forever!" Seven.
"I want a mermaid girlfriend!" Eight.
"A whale for Eren!" Nine.
"I'm going home, Edy!" Ten.
"More sleep!" Eleven.
"I hope I get a girlfriend!" Twelve.
"Grace and our baby!" Thirteen.
"More food!" Fourteen.
"Wait for me, Hahaoya!" Fifteen.
No one was left. Just me and the King of the Snakes, still staring at each other.
I knew we should follow the others before they started wondering why we were taking so long.
"Kei—"
"I'd bet all my wealth, as long as you're the first thing I see when I wake up," he said, his tongue twisting over the Tagalog words.
Me too, except I don't have any wealth.
"K-Keifer—"
He suddenly smiled, stopping me. I saw his eyes glisten and tears slowly fall.
I wanted to ask why when I'd only just said his name. "Why does my name sound so lovely when it comes from your lips?" he asked.
What? Before I could say anything, his hands cupped my face, and his lips pressed against mine.
I didn't know why, but I felt a strange yearning—as if I had finally found something I'd been searching for. My arms wrapped around him on their own, my eyes closing as I surrendered to his kiss.
The wind blew strongly, brushing strands of my hair aside. And because of the wind, I felt the cold touch of water on my cheeks. Tears. But they weren't Keifer's. They were mine.
My heart pounded faster and louder. My chest tightened, and countless thoughts filled my mind. I didn't know what the right thing to do was — all I knew was that it would be hard for me to let go. I was holding the person I loved, the one I had waited for so long — but why did I feel afraid?
I didn't know how long we stayed in each other's arms, but all I knew was that time belonged to us, and we held it in our hands.
When he finally pulled away, he pressed our foreheads together. I kept my eyes closed, trying to stop myself from crying.
"Let me keep you," he whispered.
I searched desperately for the right words to respond. A big part of me wanted to say yes, but fear and doubt still lingered. I couldn't think of anything else to say.
"I—idiot," was all I managed to get out.
I heard his soft laughter. He was about to respond when we heard the other Ulupong calling out.
"Hey! Jump already!"
"What are you two doing there?"
"Jump, Jayjay!"
He let go of me and wiped his face. He took a deep breath, followed by a smile.
"They're looking for us," he said, walking toward the edge of the rocks.
"Keifer! Jump already!"
"Come on over here!"
Keifer waved at them before turning to look at me.
Keifer.
Why was I so hesitant to say his name? Maybe because every time I heard or spoke it, my heart would leap. I still had feelings for him, but now I was no longer afraid to say his real name.
"I'll wait for you," he told me before positioning himself.
"I love you, Jasper Jean!" he shouted before jumping.
I walked toward the edge of the rocks and immediately spotted the Ulupong looking up at me. They waved, so I waved back.
I could jump. I had done it the other day when that fool fell — but I stopped when I saw him with the other Ulupong.
Why did my heart feel like it was about to burst? I knew it was wrong to give in. It was wrong to respond to his kiss, but I couldn't help surrendering every time I saw him in pain. I'm so weak!
I looked down at where I would land. I took a deep breath and glanced at the sun.
"Don't be weak!" I shouted before jumping. I felt the impact of the water. Someone immediately pulled me up so I could breathe. As I wiped my face and opened my eyes, I was greeted by their loud cheers.
"Nice one!" Eman teased.
"So weak!" Eren laughed, copying me.
"You're something else!" Felix said, clapping.
You're all so annoying! Their teasing ended in a fit of laughter. We stayed in the water for a few more minutes before getting out because we were starving.
We hadn't even had breakfast. We couldn't stop talking as we walked back to the house.
"Let's come back here after graduation," Ci suggested.
"Let's do it every summer," I replied, and he clapped excitedly. When we got back to the house, I went straight to the bathroom to shower and freshen up. I moved quickly because I knew we were leaving the island soon, and I still had to pack my things.
I put on my uniform again — the same one I wore when I arrived here. Keifer had washed it for me using the washing machine. There was a laundry area downstairs next to the faucet. I felt a pang of regret for the things we were leaving behind. Even though they weren't mine, it still felt like a waste.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, my eyes landed on my bag on the bed. Next to it was the box I had gotten last Friday — the one with the Snorlax mug. Beside that were my phone and a few notes we had used for review. My mismatched socks were there, too.
The first thing I grabbed was my phone and turned it on. My heart pounded with fear as messages flooded in one after another. I had a strong feeling they were from the so-called angel. Was it time for me to write my farewell letter?
Once the endless notifications finally stopped, I checked my messages. My brother had the most — 529 messages. Aries followed with 413. There were 12 from Aunt Gema and a few others from the Ulupong and my network, reminding me of my load's expiration.
I opened some of my brother's messages first.
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: Where the fvck are you?
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: Are you ignoring my messages?
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: I can't reach your phone. Call me when you get my messages.
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: JASPER JEAN! IT'S 12 MIDNIGHT!
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: JASPER JEAN!!! I'M ABOUT TO LOSE MY TEMPER NOW!
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: TELL KEIFER THAT HE'S DEAD!!
From: Kuya Angelo Messages: NO! YOU'RE BOTH DEAD!!
Most of his following texts were threats, written in all caps. I felt like crying. I collapsed onto the bed, kicking my feet in frustration. This isn't my fault. Why am I getting dragged into this? I didn't even want to end up on this island. If I had known, I wouldn't have drunk that water. What's the point of this island if I'm going to die early? Maybe I could offer my brother this island in exchange for my life? I'd tell him he could have it — just don't hurt me. But of course, he wouldn't agree, and I wouldn't want to lose this island anyway. I finally had a place to run and hide when my brother lost his temper.
I didn't know how I'd face him. I was sure to get a serious scolding. I needed to come up with a counterattack quickly. I have an island! You don't! Lines like that. Let's see if he doesn't slap me out of anger.
Next, I opened Aries's messages — the second most.
From: Horoscope Messages: Who are you with?
From: Horoscope Messages: Don't go with Percy.
My brow furrowed at his text about Percy. I suddenly thought this might have something to do with my dad coming home. Did that mean Aries knew something, too?
I remembered the first time I met my dad during our school tour at a university. Aries knew my dad and spoke to him like they'd known each other for a long time. I couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Were they starting to keep secrets from me again? Was I going to be the one left in the dark? I continued reading Aries's other messages, my frown deepening.
From: Horoscope Messages: No matter what he says against me, I have an explanation.
From: Horoscope Messages: I have a lot to explain. Don't make assumptions.
I bit my thumbnail. He was clearly hiding something from me, and he was afraid Percy would tell me first. He knew I'd jump to conclusions. But about what?
I really needed to get home and talk to him. I quickly packed my things, stuffing everything into my bag before carrying it out of the room. I hurried down the stairs.
"Eat breakfast first, Jay!" Eman called from the kitchen. Right on cue, my stomach growled. Aries could wait — food couldn't.
I set my bag down on the sofa and approached them. Since there was nowhere to sit, some of them were eating while standing.
"Hey! Who took the ham?" Rory asked angrily.
"Go look for it with Friend! You idiot!" Edrix snapped back, but the other one just responded with loud laughter.
"More fried rice!" Ci said, holding her plate out to Eman.
"How many times have you gone back for food?" Felix asked, watching the rice being scooped.
"That's your third serving!" Eren answered.
"It's only my second!" Ci corrected, but it was obvious no one believed her.
I quietly grabbed a plate and handed it to Eman. We looked like we were waiting for rations. When the plate was handed back to me, Felix and Ci-N burst out laughing — my plate was piled high with rice, as if I wouldn't be going back for more.
I shot a dirty look at Eman, who grinned mischievously, clearly pleased with his prank.
"You jerk," I muttered.
"What? That's how much you really eat anyway," Eman teased.
"Where am I supposed to put the viand?" I complained.
Their laughter grew even louder, drawing the attention of the others.
"So greedy!"
"Are you preparing for execution?"
"So you won't have to go back!"
I glared at them. These troublemakers never missed a chance to tease me.
"Time Jay-jay! See how long it takes her to finish that," Yuri told Felix, starting a betting pool.
Some bet five minutes, some ten, and the longest was fifteen. They didn't let me eat until they had settled their bets and started the timer.
No one won because I finished in seven minutes — I rushed because I kept choking from all their teasing.
Breakfast ended quickly. Denzel, Drew, and Blaster were assigned to wash the dishes. It was only when they finished that I noticed Kei—Keifer was missing. I was about to ask when Ci-N came out.
"Keifer's here!" he announced.
We each headed out. The King of the Troublemakers pointed us down the same path his fellow troublemakers had taken the day before.
I walked up to him to ask a question.
"What about the house and the stuff inside?"
"Someone's coming to take care of all that," he answered with a smile. He reached out, about to take my hand, but I quickly walked ahead toward David, who was lagging behind.
"Seriously? Until now?" he called out, but I ignored him.
I glanced at David when I heard his soft chuckle. When I looked at him, he just shook his head slightly.
"You're laughing, huh?"
"How long do you plan to treat him like this?" David whispered.
"I don't know. Why?"
"Just making sure I have popcorn ready while watching him suffer," he replied, and we both laughed softly.
I glanced at the King of the Troublemakers and was surprised to see him glaring at us. But instead of being scared, I just laughed more.
We walked a good distance until I saw the yacht they claimed they'd used to get here. I blinked in amazement at the size and beauty of it.
Then Eren had the audacity to say his "girlfriendsssss" wouldn't all fit. Just how many girlfriends did he have?
We walked across a long wooden ramp leading to the yacht. We hadn't even gotten that close when my eyes narrowed at the name written on the side of the boat.
Jay-jay's Rocking Boat.
I immediately searched for the culprit. Seriously, he put my name on this boat?
"What is this? I'll bite you!" I shouted, pointing at my name.
The troublemakers' laughter echoed as they boarded the yacht.
"What? You should feel flattered that I named it after you."
"Do I look like a boat to you?" I asked sarcastically, and he just laughed.
Shaking his head in amusement, he approached me and tried to help me onto the yacht. I hit him first before following along, rolling my eyes at the idiots welcoming me with laughter.
They were just getting on my nerves. I decided to sit quietly in a corner.
I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep until I felt someone carrying me and gently placing me on a soft bed.
"Sweet dreams, my queen."