Jay-jay's POV
"Attendance! Don't forget to sign the attendance!" Eman shouted while waving the paper in his hand. We were in a mess. It was already a University Visit but we still outdid the outings with the amount of food we brought.
"Fix your uniforms!" Edrix shouted. I looked at myself. Like before, my tie and blouse were still neatly dressed, my skirt wasn't that short either.
"Jay... How is this?" Ci-N asked while trying to fix his necktie.
"It's mine!" I said and fixed it for him. They don't fix their uniforms when they go to school. As long as they say they're wearing a polo, it's okay with them.
"That's it! Okay!"
"Thank you Jay!" Ci-N said.
Blaster, Eren and Josh came to me. They were also holding their neckties.
(--_--)
"We too..." Blaster asked.
I reluctantly took the tie from his hand. I put it around his neck and started to fix it. It's a good thing Tita Gema taught me on my first day here at school. I finished with Blaster and helped Josh and Eren.
"Thank you." They said.
I grabbed my bag and was about to sling it over my shoulder when I saw Yuri. His collar wasn't properly fixed, even though his tie looked fine.
I walked up to him and immediately reached for his collar.
"W-why?" Yuri asked me.
"Your collar… It's not in place," I answered while fixing it.
"Thanks…"
I just smiled in response. Once I was done, I turned to walk toward my bag, but suddenly, a hand holding a tie appeared in front of me.
I raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know how," Keifer said, avoiding my gaze.
"You've been studying here for four years and you still don't know how to wear your tie properly?" I scolded him.
"You talk too much! Just say if you don't want to!" he snapped.
I just rolled my eyes and took the tie from his hand. I lifted his collar, looped the tie around his neck, and adjusted it.
Should I tighten this enough to strangle him?
While fixing his tie, I couldn't help but smile. We looked like a married couple—Wait! Why am I thinking that?
"Ouch!" Keifer suddenly yelped.
I had accidentally tightened the tie too much. I got distracted by my own thoughts.
I tugged at the tie a bit. "Sorry…"
"Do you want me dead?!" he grumbled.
I just smiled and flashed a peace sign.
"Tss."
He was annoyed. I didn't mean to hurt him, though. He started walking away, so I grabbed my bag and followed them.
The bus we were supposed to ride was already waiting. The school said each section would have its own bus—wait, what?! Why were there only four buses parked?
"Where's our bus?" everyone started asking.
I tried looking around, hoping there was another bus hidden from view.
But there really wasn't one.
We saw Sir Alvin talking to another teacher. When he noticed us, he walked over.
"Section E… I'm really sorry, but the school only prepared four buses. There was a budget shortage," Sir explained.
"Tss. Bullsh*t," Keifer muttered.
It seemed like Sir didn't hear him because he kept talking. "…Don't think the guidance office and the board members did this on purpose. You'll have to share a bus with another section—"
"We brought a car… Can we just use that instead?" David interrupted.
It looked like he wasn't ready to share a bus with another section either.
"That's not allowed… You're all being counted," Sir replied.
"We're screwed!" "Maybe we shouldn't go anymore." "This sucks!" "I'm definitely riding with Section C. Rakki's there." "We'll probably end up fighting with another section." "Which section are we sharing a bus with?"
These guys had a point. This was going to be a mess. There were 17 of us, and we'd definitely be split up between different sections.
"This is going to take forever! Anyone who can handle being with Section A, come with me!" Keifer announced, already walking away.
I wanted to go with them, but… I wasn't sure if Aries knew that Kuya Angelo didn't allow me to.
David, Calix, Yuri, Edrix, and Felix walked toward Keifer. Not wanting to face Aries, I stuck close to Ci-N.
I knew he was heading to Section C—of course, where Rakki was!
But Yuri and the others kept giving me questioning looks like they were asking, "Why aren't you coming with us?"
I just looked away and held on to Ci-N.
"Don't you want to go with them?" Ci-N whispered to me.
I shook my head. "I pulled a prank on Aries… I don't want him to see me."
"Hahaha… So you're scared of Aries too?"
"Not him. I'm scared of Kuya Angelo."
"Hey, Jay-jay!" someone suddenly called out.
"Hey, 'Hey Jay-jay'!" I replied automatically, startled.
The others burst out laughing. Even Sir Alvin chuckled. Tsk! I'm getting so flustered.
"Come on! Join us in Section A!" Keifer called out.
I shook my head furiously.
"Come on!" he called again.
I shook my head again. I was starting to feel dizzy from shaking my head so much.
"Don't make me count!"
I shook my head once more and clung even tighter to Ci-N.
"One!" he started counting, his glare getting more intense.
"I don't want to! I'm staying with Ci-N!"
"Two!"
"I said no!"
"Three!"
"You're so annoying! Can't you just—aaahhh!!! Sir Alvin! Help!" I screamed.
Keifer suddenly picked me up like I was a sack of rice.
Instead of helping me, the others just laughed—those traitors!
"Yuri! Help!" I called out.
Yuri just smiled and kept walking.
Seriously?!
"Stop squirming, or I'll drop you!" Keifer threatened.
"Then drop me—ow!"
He smacked my butt like I was a child.
It hurt!
When we reached the bus, he finally put me down. I glared at him while rubbing my sore backside.
"Get in!" he ordered the others.
Yuri and Felix went in first. They both paused, probably shocked or exchanging glares with someone.
Calix, David, and Edrix followed. I was planning to run back to Ci-N, but Keifer gave me a look that said I had no choice but to get on the bus.
Fine! I'm going!
As soon as I stepped inside, everyone gave me the stink-eye.
Leading the pack was Freya. Of course, who else?
Yuri was at the back, but before I could reach him, I had to pass through the gauntlet. And by gauntlet, I meant walking past Freya and Aries.
"Go on," Keifer pushed me forward.
No choice.
I walked slowly toward Yuri. Every step I took earned me more glares.
I was almost at the back when someone suddenly tripped me. I fell flat on the floor, planking in the aisle.
The entire Section A burst into laughter.
Screw you all!
I got up quickly and glared at the person who tripped me—Freya.
"What a loser," she sneered.
I just kept on walking.
I sat beside Yuri, at the very back. He was next to the window. As soon as I sat down, the King sat next to me.
Ugh, I don't want to sit next to him!
"What?!" he snapped at me.
He must've noticed I was frowning.
"Nothing!" I answered.
The bus started moving. I actually wanted the window seat so that if I got too annoyed, I could just jump out.
We'd been on the road for about 30 minutes when the bus stopped at a red light.
Suddenly, Aries stood up and gave me a nasty look. He was holding his phone.
Crap! I think I know what's coming!
My phone started ringing. I quickly grabbed it, but I didn't answer the call.
It was my older brother Angelo calling. I'm doomed!
I glanced back at Aries.
"You really are so stubborn!" he shouted, making everyone in Section A turn to look at us.
I had nowhere to hide. I just lifted my bag and used it to cover my face.
"Jay..." Yuri called my name. "...Did something happen?"
I turned to him with a grimace, still holding my bag up.
"I did something stupid..." I whispered. "...My brother really didn't allow me to join this trip."
"Then who signed your waiver?"
"I-I did... I forged it," I whispered again.
Yuri just shook his head and smiled. He probably understood why I did it.
I really wanted to join this trip.
I sneaked a glance at Aries. It looked like he had finally sat down again. But my phone kept buzzing — nonstop calls and texts.
I dared to check one of my brother's texts.
From: Kuya Angelo Message: We're going to talk when you get home!
Oh no, I'm dead meat! Can you blame me, though? I just really wanted to come along.
There's nothing wrong with that, right?