Jayjay POV
Exam? Already? Can't it be next year instead? Why so soon?
The only thing I'm happy about regarding this exam is that my older brother allowed me to skip school today. He said I should rest since I just got out of the hospital, and on top of that, I got indigestion yesterday because I tried to regain my strength by eating too much lechon.
But I have a strange feeling I can't explain.
"Bye, Aries. Take care, okay?" Aunt Gema said, waving at Aries as he drove away in his car… which was a gift from my father.
"Why didn't your brother let you go to school?" Mom asked when she saw me. Aunt Gema also turned to look at me.
"He told me to just rest."
Mom didn't seem to accept my answer, but she couldn't say anything else because, as I said, it was my brother, Angelo, who made that decision. It wasn't my request.
"That's good. That way, you get a long rest. Tomorrow's the weekend, then next week, their exams start," Auntie said with a smile.
Mom accepted her sister's reasoning. She turned to me and nodded. "Alright, make the most of your rest. You should also review."
Sorry, but geniuses like me don't review. Just kidding.
I don't even have proper notes to use for reviewing. As for the printed lessons our teacher handed out, I don't even know where I put them. I might have thrown some away.
Why am I such a good student?
Since Mom turned away, I headed straight to my room. I planned to sleep again or maybe play on my phone. But first, I sent a message to the gang.
Ulupong GC
Me:
h3nD! m3 pW@S0c. sAb3h KhUyah p@H!nGa mUna m3.
(No class for me. Kuya said I should rest first.)
Mayo:What the f***! I can't understand a single thing!
Rory:Why are you giving us headaches this early, Jay?
Ci-N:Let's just do a call, please. T_T
Edrix: If you need help with your phone, Jay, I'm here.
Eren:It's not the phone that's broken; it's your eyes. Can't even type properly. Can't see the letters.
Eren's message was flooded with laughing reactions. I reacted with an "Angry" emoji.
My message was fine. They're the ones with eye problems. But even though they're like this, I still accept them as my friends. We're just not on the same level of intelligence. That's normal.
I froze when my phone rang. The King of the Gang was calling. I let it ring a few times before answering. I didn't want him to think I was eager to pick up. I waited about 0.1 seconds before pressing the green button.
"Is there something wrong? Why didn't he let you go to school?" was his opening line.
I smiled slightly. He's the only one who can read my messages properly. I'd say we're on the same level of intelligence—except I get lost when teachers suddenly shift topics, and I can't follow anymore.
"Nothing's wrong. Kuya just wants me to rest," I replied.
"Are you sure? He didn't say anything else?" he asked, making me frown.
"No. Should he have said something else?"
"I don't know. It just feels unusual."
I thought about it. This isn't the first time my brother let me skip school. But honestly, I can't help but feel uneasy, and now, because of him, that unease is growing.
"There's probably nothing. I'd tell you if there was."
"Okay, that's a relief. Let me know if anything happens. Get some rest." He sounded like he was smiling.
I smiled, too. "Yeah, and update me on what's happening at school."
"Message me if you want or need anything."
"I just want food. But I have some here."
"How about me? Don't you want me?"
I grimaced. I knew he was just teasing. This guy really knows how to throw lines. The King of the Gang, indeed.
"Just food," I answered, and he burst out laughing.
"Later, I'll send food."
There! Now that's a line I'll fall for. Even if it's corny, I'll still get excited every time. That's how pickup lines should be—ones that really make you fall.
"I'll be waiting. Bye."
"I love you—" he added just before I hung up. Of course, he had to have the last word.
I tossed my phone onto the bed in frustration. When I turned to the door, I jumped in shock. My brother, Angelo, was standing there, looking at me seriously. I thought he was a ghost just casually hanging around my bedroom door.
I'm not a religious person, but if that had been the case, I might have called upon every saint I could think of. He scared the life out of me.
"W-What?" I asked.
"Bring all your notes. I'll review with you," he said before turning away.
Notes? Review?
I stepped back and clutched my chest. My knees weakened, and I dropped to the floor.
This is it. My end has come. This is where my story ends. The long-awaited finale. This is where Jasper Jean meets his doom.
I should send one last message to the gang. I should also finally confess to the King that I've been answering his feelings all along—but the idiot is deaf and always interrupted.
I should leave instructions for what I'll leave behind. Not that I have any money. Most of what I'll leave behind is just junk. This is so painful—my high school life ends like this.
Maybe the author got lazy and decided this is how my life should end. At the hands of the one person I try to avoid the most but also know I can rely on.
So dramatic. I just really don't have decent notes. I stomped my feet in frustration while still sitting on the floor.
Why is this happening? Why is Kuya the one reviewing me? He could've asked someone else. He used to have Aries do it. Or he'd just nag me to study.
Why? Why? WHY?
No wonder I had a bad feeling when he let me skip school. I knew something was wrong. But I guess I'm starting to develop David's high-class instincts. Impressive. Like an infectious disease. I wish he could infect me with his intelligence, too.
I heard Kuya call my name.
I had no choice but to stand up, grab my stuff and my phone, and, despite my reluctance, go to his room. He was sitting at his study table, and there was an empty chair beside him.
"Sit down and bring out your notes," he ordered.
My feet refused to move. I moved so slowly that he actually checked his wristwatch, probably wondering why I was taking so long. One of his eyebrows was raised as he watched me.
"Jay!" he snapped, making me hurry.
I quickly sat down in the chair beside him. He pointed at the table with one finger. I knew he was telling me to put my notes there. But I couldn't do it. It was like he was asking me to place evidence that would ruin my life.
I slowly opened my bag, stealing glances at him. I pulled out one notebook first. Of course, I chose the thickest one with the most notes—Math. I smiled broadly as I placed it on the table.
He looked suspicious. His eyebrow was still raised. He reached for the notebook, but I immediately placed my palm over it. No way! He'll see just how diligent I am in my studies.
"W-What?" I asked.
"I need to check your notes. How else will I know what you're struggling with?" he said, trying to grab the notebook.
I stopped him quickly.
"I struggle… with my life."
We stared at each other, both pulling at the notebook. He was clearly getting annoyed, but if I let him see my notes, he might go full demon mode.
"We're talking about your academics, not your miserable life."
Miserable, huh? Easy for him to say.
"I'll just tell you what I don't understand," I insisted.
He suddenly smacked my hand, making me let go. He grabbed the notebook and shot me a glare before opening it. I could already imagine my funeral.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Should I run away? I briefly glanced at his bedroom door. It was quite far from where I was sitting. With my brother's long legs, if I tried to run, he would catch me. That would make things even worse for me.
"What is this?" he asked, clearly confused by my writing. Here it comes.
"What kind of notes are these?" he asked again as he flipped through the pages of my notebook. "Why does it look like this? Is this a scratch notebook or a lecture notebook? Even your solving is here. And what the fvck is Tangerine? Were you hungry when you wrote this?"
He looked at me, obviously angry about what he had discovered. I avoided his gaze and hugged my bag. I wanted to shrink into my seat.
He went back to looking at my notebook. "Not only is your calculation and solving wrong, but even your spelling is off. You kept writing 'angel' in your notes, but it's supposed to be 'angle.' And where did you get 'pythagogo theory'? And what's this? 'What's the point of math if my crush and I won't multiply anyway?'" He glared at me after reading what I had written aloud.
I covered my face with my bag in embarrassment. I didn't even know I had written that! It was Ci-N who gave me the idea. That line came from her. I don't usually write things like that in my notebook.
"There's even F.L.A.M.E.S.," he said in irritation, and I was sure he saw my name paired with the King of Jerks.
I really wanted to disappear. I wished I could shrink to the size of a speck of dust and be blown away by the wind. I heard my brother slam my notebook shut. I slowly removed my bag from my face and looked at him. He was clearly trying to calm himself by taking deep breaths. He even rubbed his face with his palms.
Calm down, Kuya.
"Where are the rest of your notes?" he asked, holding out his hand.
I hugged my bag tightly. Just one notebook had already made him furious—what more if he saw the others?
"I-I'll just tell you the topics. Maybe you don't need to check my notes," I insisted.
I knew he wouldn't agree, but I was still shocked when he suddenly grabbed my bag. I quickly pulled it back. Of course, he wouldn't let me win, so he pulled it again. He was so strong I was almost dragged along with it. I was just grateful my bag was sturdy enough.
"Kuya…" I pleaded while holding onto my bag.
He smacked my hand again, making me let go. I wanted to stomp my feet in frustration. My cousin really hated losing.
He opened my bag and started pulling out my notebooks one by one. He frowned when he found one that was stuffed with torn-out pages.
"Why is this like this?" he asked in irritation.
"S-Sometimes I write lessons in other notebooks, so I just tear the pages out and transfer them here," I explained.
He grabbed another notebook, and luckily, the next few were in decent condition. But then he felt something inside. He looked at me before pulling out…
Rocks? Why was my bag full of rocks? So that's why my bag was so heavy.
"I-I don't know why my bag is full of rocks."
He just placed the rocks on his table and reached into my bag again. This time, he pulled out trash—leftover food wrappers from our meals. But they were probably just Ci-N's. She was the only one who liked stuffing trash into other people's bags. Even David's school bag was full of her garbage.
"T-That's probably Ci-N's."
He placed them on the table again. He reached into my bag once more, and this time, it wasn't trash or rocks that he pulled out.
It was a dead lizard.
It was so dried up it must have been in my bag for a long time. That explains why my stuff sometimes smelled bad.
Kuya couldn't take it anymore and dumped the entire contents of my bag onto his table. The remaining items spilled out—crumpled or torn pages, dust, sand, and even coins, just loose change I had kept.
I bit my lip as Kuya stood up. He let out a deep sigh.
"When I let you enroll in Section E, I really thought you'd straighten up because most of your classmates are more dominant than you! But instead of changing and becoming better, you got worse! Instead of standing out from them, YOU JOINED THEM!" he yelled in frustration.
He clearly chose his words carefully so I would understand. He seemed more concerned about the state of my school bag than about me. I just looked down and fidgeted with my hands. I wanted to cry. My bag didn't do anything wrong, so why was he so mad at its contents? I thought he'd only be mad about my notes, but it looked like even my accidental hoarding upset him.
Sorry.
He grabbed his phone before facing me again. "Clean this mess. I will call Alvin and talk to him about your grades. Looks like you're going back to high school."
He turned his back on me and left the room. I was stunned. Why would I go back to high school when my grades were fine? I wasn't excelling, but I wasn't failing either. Was it because of the dead lizard?
Tearing up, I cleaned Kuya's table. I threw away the trash and pocketed the coins. I carefully made a coffin for the lizard using a page from my notebook and used the dust and sand to cover it. I also placed some rocks inside, and the rest I would use for his burial outside.
He didn't get a proper wake. His friends and family didn't even know what happened to him. He deserved a proper burial.
Justice for the lizard.
I set that aside for now and organized my notebooks. I straightened out the loose pages. I did have a neat notebook. I often copied from David, so I managed to write down everything properly. I wasn't rushing, so I was able to write everything I needed. The only struggle was reading his handwriting—it was like he had his own alphabet.
Luckily, I was slowly getting used to reading his letters. I guess when someone is handsome, there has to be something ugly about them. In his case, it's his handwriting. That just proves I must be really beautiful, because my life is a complete mess. Hehe.
I turned to the door as Kuya came back in. He put down his phone and looked at me in disappointment.
"Alvin will arrange a review class for this whole weekend. You're attending," he ordered.
"Who will be there with me?"
"Who else? Probably your classmates who don't seem to have any plans for college!"
I pouted. Kuya was acting like our lives were over. We could still make up for our grades. There was still one more grading period left, and there was also a post-final exam, which helped with college entrance exams and improving our grades.
He made me pack up my things, saying he had lost the motivation to help me review. He just sent me back to my room. I slung my bag over my shoulder and picked up the lizard's coffin.
"What the hell is that?" he asked as I turned to leave.
"The dead lizard. I made a coffin for it," I answered, and he looked at me like I was crazy. "I feel sorry for it. It died without anyone knowing."
It was as if he had completely given up on believing I was sane. He even rubbed his temples.
"Then go inform its family," he said in annoyance. "They'll have you arrested. The crime scene is in your bag."
My mouth fell open. "Oh, right! They might think I killed it."
Kuya slapped his forehead. "Please leave before I end up burying you alive."
I quickly ran out to my room, then grabbed the lizard's coffin and ran outside. Kuya pretended to be annoyed, but he totally went along with my antics. Then, in the end, he got fed up.
He's something else. I must have inherited it from him.
I first looked for something to dig with, but I only found a single stick. I went straight to the garden outside the fence of the house. I quickly searched for a place to bury the lizard and dug into the soil. Once I was sure it was deep enough, I laid the lizard to rest.
I placed the remaining stones I had taken from my bag as a marker for its grave.
"May you rest in peace."
As I stood up, I froze upon seeing someone standing in front of our gate. He was dressed in black—a black helmet, black jacket, and black pants. I was about to walk inside when he suddenly approached me, making me step back.
"W-Why?" I asked, my voice trembling.
I couldn't help but feel scared of him. First, he just appeared out of nowhere. Second, he wasn't saying anything—he simply kept moving towards me.
He extended his hand toward me, but instead of accepting whatever he intended, I ran toward the gate. I didn't realize he had followed me until he grabbed my arm. I struggled and screamed.
"KUYA ANGELO!"
He seemed alarmed by my reaction. He tightened his grip on me, but I refused to give in. I started kicking wildly, not even knowing where my feet were landing in my panic. Eventually, he let go, and I took the opportunity to run toward the house. But before I could make it, he grabbed me again.
"KUYA!"
"HEY! LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER!" my mother yelled from the doorway.
The man seemed startled and quickly released me. Unfortunately, I tripped and fell to the ground.
My mother ran after him, chasing him out of the house. I saw Kuya Angelo and Aunt Gema rush toward me.
"Who was that?" Aunt Gema asked as she helped me up.
Kuya followed Mama outside, but they returned shortly after.
"Call the police. Make sure they catch that man," Mama ordered my cousin before turning to me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded. They helped me inside the house. I slowly sat on the sofa, my whole body aching.
"What happened? Did he do anything to you?" Aunt Gema asked.
I shook my head. "He was just trying to pull me away."
"I thought Jay-Jay was safe here? What is this? Why is someone trying to kidnap her?" Mama asked angrily.
I lowered my head. If only they knew how many times I had encountered danger inside this subdivision. So far, nothing too serious had happened, so I kept convincing myself that this place was safe. Haha, who was I kidding?
Aunt Gema walked to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water, handing it to me.
"Drink this."
I accepted it and quickly finished it. My breathing was heavy, and my chest felt tight. That man was so bold—he tried to take me while I was inside our own yard.
Another kidnapping attempt. I'm getting tired of this.
We were interrupted by someone calling from outside.
"Hello! Bossing!"
I frowned, but the voice sounded familiar. Aunt Gema peeked outside.
"It's Percy," she said, turning back to us.
Kuya Angelo immediately stepped out to meet my stepbrother.
"What do you need?" Kuya asked.
"I was hoping to get something to eat," Percy said with a laugh. "And I wanted to talk about something. Then I saw this at your gate—it wasn't even properly delivered."
I stood up to see what was going on. Kuya was holding an envelope, which he began to open.
"Jay, go inside and rest," Mama ordered, but I ignored her.
Percy looked up and saw me. "Oh, you didn't go inside?"
He was about to walk toward me when I noticed the contents of the envelope Kuya was holding. I quickly moved closer to take a better look and even snatched it from his hands.
They were pictures of me—inside and outside of school. Some showed me with the Ulupong group. But what alarmed me the most was that some were taken inside the classroom, where only Section E students were present. There were even photos of me at the hospital. I had no idea how someone managed to take these in places where only my classmates and I were.
Who took these pictures?
I turned them over, confirming my suspicion. Another death threat.
But this time, it seemed to be the final warning.
"Can't wait to finally get back at you."