Jay-Jay's POV
"…Aries?"
No way! Aries, the Horoscope? That doesn't seem real. It's hard to believe.
"He was the one who talked to the Principal. He was also the one who convinced the Board Members," Rakki explained.
Is it really him?
I was touched. That brother of mine is really smart, even though it sometimes seems like his brain is left somewhere else. That's my Labs!
"Did he really do that?" I asked in disbelief.
"If you don't want to believe it, maybe ask him yourself," Ella said.
Maybe it's better for me to know the reason firsthand. I took my phone from my bag and typed a message. While sending it, Rakki informed us that they still had class.
I thanked them again, my eyes following them as they left.
"Be careful, Baby!" Calix said as he carried Mica toward the door.
I frowned at him. He just looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked.
"Flirt," I muttered. His brows immediately furrowed.
"You're just jealous. You don't have a love life."
"I don't need a love life," I shot back.
He smirked. "Then go home, because you're clearly not getting one here."
Ah, they're impossible!
I immediately raised a fist in mock threat, but he quickly ran ahead to avoid it. I just pointed at him, watching as he walked away.
I glanced at my phone, hoping to see a reply from my brother. But there was nothing.
Sighing, I looked around for a place to sit. I wanted to sit by the window, but most of the seats there were already taken.
Just my luck!
"Jay-Jay!" Kit called, waving. "Sit here." He pointed to the seat next to him, also by the window.
I was about to sit down when Mayo suddenly took the spot. Kit and I both stared in shock.
"Move! That's Jay-Jay's seat!" Kit protested, trying to push him away.
"No way!" Mayo replied smugly, then grinned. "…This way, I can hug you more often." Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Kit.
Kit immediately shoved him off, nearly knocking him off the chair. The other students laughed at the scene.
"A little consideration, please!"
"There are innocent minds here! Don't corrupt them!"
"Ha! What's innocent about you? Your toenail?"
We all burst into laughter. At least we were having fun for a moment. Since I had lost my seat, I looked for another one and ended up near the two people I always copied from during quizzes.
Not that I copied all the time.
"Jay-Jay!" Ci greeted me with a smile.
"Old habits," David remarked, adjusting the chair next to him.
And just like that, I found myself seated between them. The three of us were in the middle, as if we had our own little world—especially when I had food with me.
I won't lie, I missed this.
These crazy people always made me laugh. I glanced toward the back, where the others were. Yuri was in his usual spot, and next to him—his empty seat.
My smile faded. I quickly turned my gaze to the front, bowing my head as my eyes stung with unshed tears.
Annoying.
I discreetly wiped my eyes. I didn't want to ruin the moment. After everything we'd been through, it felt nice to have something good happen again.
"Hush! Hush!"
Someone banged on the table, grabbing everyone's attention. We turned toward the back to see Denzel, though he quickly sat down when Yuri stood up.
"I know you're all excited and happy about our new classroom," Yuri began, his voice calm but firm. "But we have to be cautious. We don't know what kind of changes this will bring."
I stood up and hugged him. "Maybe that's not the case. Aries is the one who made this happen—he convinced them to let us use this room."
"But Yuri still has a point," Rory interjected. "We know you and your brother are on good terms, but don't forget—he's still mad at us."
"Right! Right!" others agreed.
"We haven't forgotten," Drew said bitterly. "Because of your brother, we weren't allowed to leave the old building anymore."
"He's also the one who ordered our building to be turned into a garbage dump," Blaster added.
"He even pushed for Section E to be banned from the cafeteria," Eren chimed in.
I raised an eyebrow at what they were saying. I knew about the conversation in the cafeteria, but the first two accusations… it was as if I was just finding out about them now.
"Wait! Why are you accusing my brother of something?" I asked, annoyed.
"That's not an accusation. It all happened," Eman said.
My tongue seemed to retract. I wanted to defend my brother, but I couldn't say anything. I wasn't sure if they were lying, but it felt true—especially since Horoscope had also become their enemy.
Shit! This is hard.
"M-maybe... but I know he won't do that again," I said, even though I wasn't entirely sure.
"How can you say that?" Josh asked.
"Because I'll make sure of it."
They all looked at each other, as if reassured by my words.
"We trust you, Jay," May said, "...even if you don't trust us."
Oh my goodness!
I scratched the back of my neck. Mayo's remarks were always spot on.
"I think Jay-Jay has something to say to you," Yuri said with a smile.
Seriously?! Why should I be the one to say it? They all looked at me, waiting. I swallowed, suddenly nervous for no reason.
"W-what... Because... I think—" I stopped mid-sentence when my phone suddenly rang.
I quickly pulled it out, but the ringing stopped just as suddenly. When I checked, I saw a missed call… from Aries? There was also a text message from him.
📩
From: Horoscope
Message: Meet me outside the school. Right now!
"What were you going to say?" Ci-N asked.
"Maybe later. Aries wants to meet me," I said and walked out.
I heard them calling my name, but I ignored it. I rushed down the stairs, knowing how impatient he could be. I'm always in a hurry.
It's better this way. We need to talk. Now, I'll finally know what Snakes were saying about him. I also need to make sure that whatever he did was with good intentions.
I trust him, but I need to hear it from him.
As soon as I reached the ground floor, I ran toward the gate. Just a few more steps and I'd be there—when suddenly, I collided with something. I fell to the ground.
"Ouch!" I yelped.
"Ow! What the hell?! Are you stupid?!" a loud voice shrieked.
I stood up, brushing the dust off my clothes. When I looked at who I had bumped into, I almost wanted to turn around and walk away. Of all people… I couldn't believe it. It was Freya.
"What the hell?! Could you be any dumber?!" she shouted, shaking out her skirt, which had caught some dirt.
"I'm sorry," I muttered and tried to walk past her, but she immediately blocked my way.
Great. Here we go again.
"Where do you think you're going? Planning to ditch class?" she asked accusingly.
I shook my head. "I'm going to—"
"Jay-Jay? Freya?" a familiar voice called out.
We both turned toward the source of the voice. It was Rakki, walking toward us.
"Jay? What are you doing here? Your class is about to start," she said.
I pointed toward the gate, about to explain that I was meeting Aries, but Freya beat me to it.
"She's planning to skip class," she said smugly.
I sighed in frustration. I didn't have time for this. I had somewhere to be, and I needed to get to Aries now. If I let her hold me up, she might just start an argument for no reason.
"Really?" Rakki asked, looking concerned.
I shook my head. "Don't listen to her. She probably hit her head when I bumped into her."
Rakki nodded, accepting my explanation.
"I have to go now. Otherwise, he might get—"
"Hey! You!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted.
Damn it. Now what?!
I faced Honey, who was frowning. I guessed it was about Percy again. My goodness! What is that man doing to that woman?
"Oh?" I responded, bored.
"Where on earth is your fucking stepbrother?" She demanded as she approached me.
That again!
"I dunno," I answered, which obviously irritated her.
I glanced at Freya, who was standing almost next to her. Her eyebrows were raised as she looked Honey up and down. Maybe she was amazed that there was someone worse than her.
An idea popped into my mind.
"Maybe Freya knows where Percy is," I said with a smirk, glancing at Freya.
The witch immediately shot me an evil look. Honey quickly turned to face her. That's it! Like a rooster ready to fight. I might as well put on red lipstick... Freya, because Honey's lips are already pink.
"And who the fuck are you?" Honey asked flatly.
Of course, this one wouldn't back down.
"Wrong question. It should be, 'Who the fucking bitch are you?'" she shot back at Honey.
That's it! That's it! They're about to fight!
"Jay... who is that?" Rakki whispered to me.
"She's Percy's future," I answered.
"What a bitch! I don't have time for you," Honey said before turning back to me. "You're coming with me." She grabbed my arm and started pulling me.
But before we could even get past the gate, Freya and Rakki blocked our way. Rakki immediately pulled me away from Honey, while Freya stood her ground, full of courage and fury.
"How dare you? You have no right to drag a student around!" Freya said boldly.
Honey stepped closer until their faces were nearly touching. "Look, I don't give a shit about anything you're saying."
Freya crossed her arms. "Guess what? You have to give a shit because you're in my territory, and I'm the queen here."
Honey looked her up and down. "A queen? More like a queen wannabe."
I expected them to start throwing punches, but all they did was glare at each other—until I saw Mica and Ella approaching.
"What's going on here?" Ella asked, her eyes landing on Honey. "...Honey? What are you doing here?"
Wait—do they know each other? Ah, right. Kwanan is Kwanan's ex.
Honey raised an eyebrow at her. They didn't seem to vibe. I wasn't surprised; they were equally cursed.
"Jay-Jay…" Mica called my name. "...What are you doing here?"
Then I suddenly remembered—I was supposed to meet my brother!
"It's Aries! We're supposed to meet! He might get mad. He's been texting and calling me for a while now," I said, reaching into my pocket for my phone.
But I couldn't feel it. It was gone.
Damn it!
Mica and Ella suddenly exchanged glances, as if something about what I said didn't sit right with them.
"How could that happen? He lost his phone earlier," Ella said.
That's exactly what I was wondering. If he doesn't have his phone… then who texted me? Maybe it was a different number, and I just didn't notice. But I couldn't be wrong—I knew it was his number that had messaged me.
Wait—shit!
I quickly turned around, a strong hunch forming in my mind. Thanks to David's social instincts—or maybe it was just my own intuition.
"Jay? Is something wrong?" Mica asked, concerned.
"Can we talk inside?" I said, still scanning the area.
"No! You have to come with me," Honey insisted, trying to pull me again.
Rakki quickly stopped her, and they exchanged sharp glares. What?! Let's fight inside instead!
"Seriously?! What the hell is wrong with you people?" Honey snapped, glaring at us.
"Just leave," Freya ordered.
Honey immediately turned to face her, both of them looking ready to pounce. Ella and Mica quickly stepped in to separate them. She finally let go of me, but as soon as Rakki noticed, the two started throwing punches at each other.
I was starting to get tired of them arguing. Too bad—I thought I'd get to watch a cockfight between two damned people.
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
"Leave! You're a slut!"
"Compared to you, bitch!"
"That's enough! Stop it, Freya!"
"We're attracting attention! Get ready!"
Because of all the noise, I was late to notice that we had already stepped outside the gate. I didn't even realize a black van approaching where we stood. Just as I turned to look at it, a black cloth was suddenly thrown over my head, and my hands were grabbed.
"Son of a—! What is this?! Let me go!" I screamed as they dragged me away.
I could hear Ella shouting at the top of her lungs, followed by Freya and Honey swearing. They forcefully shoved me into what felt like a vehicle. Something thin and rough was tightly wrapped around my wrists. I tried kicking, but I had no idea if I was hitting anyone.
Are you kidding me?!
Kidnapped again?! Seriously? I'm so tired of this! Why is it always me? Don't they ever get bored? kidnappings? Can't we try something new this time?
"What?! Don't fucking touch me!" Freya's voice sounded close to where I was.
"Freya?" I called out.
"The hell! Where are you?! Ugh! What's on my head? It stinks!" she complained.
Then I heard Mica's trembling voice. "Please, don't! Have mercy on us!"
"This is wrong! When my uncle finds out, you're dead meat!" Honey, who seemed to be behind me, threatened.
"Take this off!" Ella shouted from somewhere nearby.
What's going on? Why are they here? I was sure they were only after me, so why did they take Mica and the others too?
I could only think of one person who would do this to me—the one who had been threatening my life for quite some time.
R. Sato.
The one who kept sending me pictures of myself with cryptic messages on the back. The one who constantly texted me, aside from Yuri and GagangBaliw. He was Yuri's enemy, yet for reasons I couldn't understand, I got caught up in the mess.
I heard the loud slam of a car door and the murmuring of voices. Honey and the others kept yelling, and Mica was sobbing, her cries breaking between words.
Even I wanted to cry out of fear, but this wasn't the time to break down. I needed to be strong. I had no idea what would happen next.
"SHUT UP!" a man suddenly roared, silencing everyone.
I took the chance to speak. "Did Sato order this?"
"Don't answer," one of them muttered from behind me.
"Why did you have to take my friends too?"
"OMG! We're not friends!" Freya cut in.
Even now, she just had to be difficult.
"Bitch! She's not talking about you!" Honey snapped at her.
"Shut up!"
And just like that, the two started arguing again, throwing insults and cursing at each other. If only I could slap myself right now for thinking they'd actually be useful.
"Are you going to shut up, or do I have to make you?" a deep voice, seemingly in front of me, threatened.
Ugh!
I couldn't see a damn thing with this cloth over my head. And he was right—it did stink. Like old sweat and something rotten.
The two fell silent.
With every passing second in the car, my breathing grew heavier. My heart pounded so fast it refused to settle, no matter how much I tried to calm myself down. Then the car came to a stop. The sound of a door opening made my body tense.
"Don't touch me!" I heard Freya scream.
Then someone pulled me out of the car. I almost fell because I couldn't see what I was stepping on.
"Quick!" the person holding me urged, trying to help me stand up.
"How can I get rid of that thought when I can't even see what I'm going through?" I snapped, annoyed. But he didn't answer me.
As we walked, I could hear others following behind. Freya and Honey were responding to each other, one after another. Ella and Rakki were complaining, while Mica sobbed softly. We stopped for a moment, and I heard a door open. Then, I was forced to sit down.
"Ouch! What the hell!" Rakki complained, seemingly right next to me.
"Remove it," a man's voice commanded.
The covering over my head was pulled away.
Son of a—
I shut my eyes against the sudden brightness. My eyeballs felt dry. When my eyes finally adjusted, I barely had them open when I saw him.
A man stood before me, dressed in a sleeveless white suit. He was clearly not Filipino. His arms and neck were covered in tattoos. His sharp features could have rivaled Yuri's—if he didn't look like a drug addict hanging around a street corner. To top it off, he had piercings on his nose and lips.
Great. Just what we needed.
"Who are you?" I asked, even though I already had an idea.
He smirked at me foolishly. "Me?"
Oh no! Who else would I be talking to?
He stepped closer and bent down toward me. I frowned and tilted my head up, forcing him to meet my gaze.
"I am your Grim Reaper."