JAY-JAY'S POV
"Oy, Aries."
He ignored me.
"Oy, Aries."
Still, he didn't look back.
"Oy, Aries."
I saw him lean back in his chair and shrug his shoulders as if taking a deep breath. Then, he went back to what he was doing.
"Oy, Aries."
I noticed his grip tightening around the ballpoint pen. He exhaled sharply and muttered something under his breath, too low for me to hear. It almost seemed like he was cursing me.
I guess our race really has an impact.
"Oy…" I paused for a moment as he leaned back. "...Aries."
He stood up and faced me. I immediately wrapped myself in his white blanket to hide, even though I knew he could see me. Still, I tried to act like I was fresh from a feast.
That's it! Hide!
"What?! You're such a nuisance!" he snapped, clearly annoyed.
I didn't reply. I just curled up like a cutworm, wiggling and squirming inside the blanket.
Suddenly, I felt him push me. I tried to fight back, but being wrapped up in the blanket made it difficult to move. Before I knew it, I reached the edge of the bed.
"Waahh! I'm going to fall!"
"That's exactly my plan!" he retorted before letting me drop.
I was stunned when I hit the floor. Even though the blanket was thick, I still felt the impact. Slowly, I got up, rubbing my sore back, and glared at him.
Guess what? Taurus definitely won't congratulate you.
"Are you still mad?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
I flashed him a sweet smile. "No, I'm really happy."
He turned away from me and went back to what he was doing. I untangled myself from the blanket, stood up properly, and placed it back on his bed. I snorted and moved to sit on the side of the bed near him, watching his back. I wanted to ask him something but didn't want to bother him.
He was studying so hard.
"Oy, Ari—"
"The fuck!" he shouted, slamming his palm on the table. "I give up. What do you want?!"
Wow! He surrendered too easily.
"I just wanted to ask what happened earlier. How did your talk with the guidance counselor go?"
"Well, I talked. Have you ever seen someone speak without using words?" he replied sarcastically without even looking at me.
Ugh! Just answer properly!
I was so annoyed I wanted to strangle him, but I held back. If we started fighting, it would get out of hand.
"What did you say? Why did you settle things so quickly?" I asked, crossing my arms.
He turned to face me and stared seriously. His expression was so intense that I stopped fidgeting. We stayed silent for a while before he finally sighed.
"I asked them if they wanted a Watson to talk to them," he said.
Hearing his last name sent a pang through my chest.
It really had an impact.
"W-What did they say?"
"They said they didn't want to talk much because everyone's too busy right now. That's why they agreed to talk to Yuri instead," he explained.
I nodded slowly. Oh, so they were just too lazy to talk. I thought they were scared of Keifer.
"That's all."
"Okay, then. Can I go back to what I was doing now?" he asked, looking at me expectantly.
I grinned widely. "Can you sleep?"
He shook his head. "No. Go back to your room."
Abandoned again.
I pouted as I stood up and left the room—but not because I was following his orders. I grabbed one of my pillows and my Snorlax plushie from my room.
This is going to be a sleepover.
I quickly returned to Aries' room. He turned to me the moment he heard the door close.
"I said no," he groaned.
Ignoring him, I walked straight to his bed and set up my pillows and blanket. Once everything was ready, I lay down and smiled at him.
"Good night!" I chirped.
He let out an exasperated sigh, dropped his pen on the table, and stood up to grab a pillow. I thought he was going to hit me, so I quickly covered my head with my arms and screamed.
"It hurts!" I yelled—though I didn't actually feel anything.
Then, I felt the bed shift. Peeking out from behind my arms, I saw Aries arranging his own sleeping spot. I smiled widely.
He couldn't stand it either.
"Naughty," he commented before standing up and returning to his table.
He took out his cellphone and started typing. It looked like he had a text partner. After putting away the things on the table, he approached the bed and set his cellphone down.
"I'm just going to take a shower," he said before heading into the bathroom.
I immediately picked up his cellphone. "Game."
"What are you, a kid?" I heard his response.
Ignoring him, I opened his cellphone. He still hadn't set a password. I cringed when I saw his wallpaper.
It was a picture of the two of them hugging. Ella was all smiles, while my brother only had a slight smile, but even so, I could still see the spark of happiness on his face. I couldn't quite tell if they were lying down or if the shot was just tilted and straightened for the phone.
I couldn't help but feel jealous. I don't think Aries and I have ever taken a picture together, even as kids. Maybe to others, it was just a simple photo, but to me, it was a big deal. Especially now that he's keeping his distance from me—I wish we had at least a few pictures together.
I quickly pulled my hand away from the cellphone when it suddenly rang. Ella was calling via video.
"Aries! Your girlfriend is video-calling you!" I shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of the shower.
"What?!" he called back.
"Your girlfriend! Video call!" I shouted louder.
"I can't hear you! If it's Ella, just answer it! It might be important!"
Fine. I'll answer.
I did as he said and accepted the call. Her smooth face appeared on the screen. Meanwhile, the first thing my camera caught was my nostrils. Beauty really is something else. Her nose came first.
["Jay? Why are you holding Aries' phone?"] she asked, her tone laced with irritation.
"Playing," I answered innocently.
["Can you please give Aries the phone?"] she ordered.
I shook my head. "He's in the shower. Do you need something?"
I could see the irritation in her eyes as she stared at me. Honestly, I wasn't happy with her attitude toward me. I've been annoyed with this girl for a long time, but I let it slide. But I won't forget the food she made me eat before we left the hospital.
Now that she's here, I'll annoy her.
"Aries is still in the shower. He's getting ready for bed—we're sleeping together," I said sweetly.
["You two are sleeping together?!"]
There it is. That reaction I wanted.
"We'll be sleeping next to each other," I clarified smugly, watching her mouth drop open.
["I don't think it's appropriate for you two to sleep side by side. You're both a young man and a young woman. What would people think—"]
"Hey, we're siblings. What's wrong with that?"
["Even so!"] Her voice rose.
She looked like she was really fuming. I wanted to grin and laugh, but I held it in so she wouldn't get even angrier. It would be more satisfying if I dragged this out.
"Your mind is dirty. We won't do anything inappropriate. We'll just cuddle and sleep."
Her irritation finally broke through. Any second now, she might snatch the phone away from me and lecture me.
["You know, Aries has had a long day. He's done a lot and needs rest. You sleeping next to him won't help."]
Smart. But I'm smarter.
"No. I'll help him sleep. I'll give him a massage. I'll—"
["Oh my God!"]
"—massage his muscles," I finished, acting surprised at her reaction. "Why are you reacting like that? I'm not going to molest my own brother."
She gave me a long, hard stare before forcing a smile.
["Of course not. But Keifer wouldn't like that."]
What?!
Why did she have to bring him up? That name is a bad word in my book. Is she making this personal?
Fine. Let's play.
"Even if he doesn't like it, there's nothing he can do," I said confidently. "And I don't care about him. You two can stay together all you want."
["Wow, so bold,"] she said sarcastically.
"Of course. So don't worry about Aries. I'll take care of him. I'll hold him tight so he doesn't get away tonight," I added with a big smile.
She raised an eyebrow before smirking sweetly. Too sweet—so much so that I wished giant ants would eat her.
["Go ahead, hug him. He sleeps a bit restlessly—not like Keifer, who barely moves when he sleeps,"] she said with a wink.
What?! Say that again?!
I blinked a few times. If I hadn't been focused on annoying her, I might have taken that personally.
["Unlike Keifer, Aries falls asleep quickly when he doesn't have anyone to cuddle."] She continued. ["Neither of them snores."]
Okay…?
["But Keifer sleeps better."]
Excuse me?
["Both of them like sleeping shirtless."]
Hold up.
["Keifer actually prefers sleeping with the lights off."]
What's happening?!
["Of course, he also likes tight hugs when he wakes up."]
Wait—
["And he enjoys being kissed in the morning."]
What just happened?
My goal was to annoy her, to get back at her for making me eat that food. But somehow, things took a turn. Instead of rattling her, I was the one who ended up flustered.
["Oh, why? Did I say something wrong?"] She asked, sounding concerned.
I stared at her carefully before blinking. I bet I scratched her smooth face. She looks like she was born without pores.
"You know," I said, watching as she waited for my next words. "Tonight at midnight—" she raised an eyebrow, "I will take what Aries owns."
Her nostrils flared in anger and shock. ["What?!"]
Just then, I heard the bathroom door open, so I immediately ended the video call. Aries stepped out, wearing boxer shorts and a blue shirt, towel-drying his hair.
"What are you going to take?" he asked, looking at me.
I was caught.
"Did you hear what I said earlier?" I asked him again.
He shook his head. "Just the last part. It didn't make sense." He tossed the towel into a basket near the bathroom door. "What are you going to take?"
What are you?
"Your blanket," I answered. He frowned for a moment.
"Why?"
Shaking his head, he ruffled his hair before moving to sit on the bed. But before he could, someone knocked, and the door opened. Aries and I turned to see who it was.
Brother… Did I do something wrong?
"Alright, Kuya!" I said.
He frowned when he saw me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm going to sleep."
"Whatever," he muttered before turning to Aries. "I need a hand."
Aries nodded and started walking toward him. I immediately stood up to follow, but Kuya stopped me.
"This is Aries' business. Stay here and be quiet. Go back to your room. Stop getting in the way." He scolded me before turning and walking away.
How rude!
I winced. Aries just shook his head before following him. Left alone, I rolled around on the bed. I only stopped when I bumped into Aries' phone. It looks like he forgot to take it with him. Taking advantage of the moment, I decided to continue teasing Ella. I quickly picked up the phone and opened Aries' Messenger.
I planned to message Ella before Aries saw and got mad at me. That would be my doom. A cursed horoscope. Instead, I thought about looking for good games to play. Just as I was about to exit Messenger, a message suddenly popped up from the human coloring book. I had no intention of paying attention to it.
Until I saw what it said.
📩 "I need money."
I frowned. Is she in debt? Why does she owe Aries money? Is she struggling? I know this girl is well-off—she has her own car.
She and Drew are close.
Shrugging it off, I was about to continue my plan, but another message came in. This time, I couldn't ignore it.
📩 "Keifer is not givin—"
The message was cut off. My fingers twitched with the urge to tap her name and read the full message. But Aries would know I read it. Freya also mentioned that Aries was online.
I bit my nails as my mind debated whether to read it or not. Whatever. Batman and Robin can back me up. I pressed Freya's name, and their conversation appeared in full. I went straight to the most recent message.
Freya:
"Keifer is not giving me money anymore. I blame your cousin-turned-sister."
KEIFER GIVES HER MONEY?
I didn't understand why the King of Snakes was giving her money. Sure, it was his money, and I had no right to interfere, but I still didn't get it.
A strange ache spread through my chest. My lips trembled, so I bit them. Aries might get mad at me for this, but I needed answers.
I scrolled up through their conversation, determined to find clues. Even though they only spoke occasionally—months apart—it still felt like a long search.
Then, I found something.
Freya:
"I have a new car. He gave it to me. ❤"
Aries:
"What in exchange?"
Freya:
"Nothing. He has no right to ask for anything in return."
Aries:
"When will you stop? Stop, Keifer."
Freya:
"He promised me this."
I dropped the phone and ran a hand over my face. Keifer gave her a car. But why? What promise was she talking about? I continued reading.
Freya:
"She's eww. Stop talking to her."
Aries:
"Ella didn't do anything to you."
Freya:
"My new phone from Keifer was delayed because of her!"
Aries:
"Just stop."
Freya:
"She's a silent bitch. I can sense it."
If I wasn't mistaken, this was the time when Ella was in Section A. Looking at the date, there were long gaps between their messages. They only spoke once in a blue moon.
Freya:
"Are you okay? How's your face? Which one hurts more—Keifer's or Yuri's fist? 😂
You'll definitely stand by that. Just choose a decent girl. Do you really put more faith in social networking? She's just a damn social climber."
Aries:
"One more insult, and I might forget you're my friend."
Freya:
"Whatever."
I kept scrolling, searching for clues, but the answers to my questions seemed to drift further and further away—until one message finally broke me.
Freya:
"I think I'm pregnant."
Aries:
"Are you using him?"
Freya:
"Jeez, stop using the word 'using.'"
Aries:
"When will you learn? Every time you message me about him, I feel like throwing up."
Freya:
"It's like you two were never even friends. Besides, Keifer said he's ready to support me financially. I can make him a father. He will never say no to me."
Aries:
"Delete his contact and go to sleep. I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow."
Freya:
"No need. I can take care of myself."
I held my face as tears fell uncontrollably. I didn't even know why what I had just read weighed so heavily on me. It wasn't clear whether Keifer was the one they were talking about as the possible father of her child.
Maybe not, since Freya said let her father do it.
But I still didn't understand. Why was Keifer involved in whatever was happening with Freya? Why was he giving her money? A car? A cellphone? And Aries knew about it all.
I wiped my tears and tried to calm myself. I checked the date of the messages. If I wasn't mistaken, this was during the time Yuri and I were still engaged—and he already knew about Keifer and me.
None of it made sense. I tried to see if Freya had mentioned anything else about her pregnancy, and I finally let out a sigh of relief when I saw the picture she sent of the test result.
Negative — She wasn't pregnant.
But even though she wasn't, it still hurt. It was still painful, weighing heavy on my chest. I was a mess. What if he really wanted Freya? I had been so worried about Ella, but maybe he had been obsessed with someone else all along.
I collapsed after crying so much. The pain of not having answers was unbearable. He needed to come home and explain everything.
If he didn't love me, he should just end it.
Come back—so I can punch you!