Jay-jay's POV
"Let's just sell that. At least it'll be useful."
Who was that? Who are they planning to sell? Why are they looking at me?
"Are you out of your mind? I haven't even scored with her mother yet, and you want me to get rid of her?" said one man as he lit a cigarette.
The other man laughed, saying they were going to sell me.
"That woman's something else. Looks like she never had a kid. Still has a great body." They both glanced at me. "The kid's a boy, just like his mother."
They exchanged a strange smile. It was terrifying. The man holding the cigarette whispered something to the other man. The one who was talking to him left, leaving behind the man with the cigarette. He shut the door before walking towards me.
Who are you? Don't come near me.
"Jay, wake up. Let's move to the other room, it's hot here."
What? I don't want to move—wait! Why is my body moving on its own?!
"Your mom's not back yet. Let's move for now." He said as he grabbed my arms.
Don't touch me!
He stood up and took my hand. My body was moving on its own, following the man I didn't know. We ended up in a dark place.
I don't want this! MAMA! ARIES! KUYA! HELP ME!
Why can't anyone hear me? Why can't I speak? What's happening? Why can't I move my body?
I don't want this! Please help me! Keifer.
"JAY-JAY!" Someone shouted, shaking my arms and shoulders.
I opened my eyes, and Aries, Kuya Angelo, and Tita Gema's faces appeared in front of me.
"She's awake." Aries said, stepping back a bit.
Tita Gema came closer and helped me sit up. I noticed Tito Julz at the door, looking like he was about to call someone.
"Jay, what did you dream about? Tell me." She said, wiping my face.
I only noticed that my cheeks were wet and tears were continuously flowing down. My hands—actually, my whole body—was trembling from a strange feeling.
What's happening?
Tita Gema held my hands. Kuya Angelo approached me and sat down beside me so that we were at the same level.
"It's okay, speak up." Her voice was calm but reassuring, as if she was making sure I would be okay. "Come on, tell us."
As much as I wanted to speak, I couldn't. It felt like my tongue had stiffened, and I couldn't form any words. When I tried harder, my tears just kept flowing, and I cried out loud.
Tita Gema immediately hugged me, and that was when I realized what that strange feeling was.
I'm scared. So incredibly scared.
And because of that fear, my body wasn't responding to what I wanted to do.
"Shh… It's okay. We're here. No one will hurt you." Tita said as she gently rubbed my back.
I felt Aries take my hand. Kuya moved closer, kissed me on the head.
"I'll get her some water." Tito Julz said and left the room.
I continued crying. I didn't understand where that dream had come from. But I wished it was just a dream, because even though I denied it, I knew it wasn't just a dream.
It's part of my past.
I don't understand why they keep coming back. I don't need to remember them. I don't want to know what happened to me, so I just wish those memories would stay out of my mind.
"T-tita… I don't want that. Please take it out of my mind… Take it away." I said while crying uncontrollably.
"Shh… It's already gone. We're here, we won't leave you." Tita answered, continuing to comfort me.
I don't know how long I had been crying. Tito Julz came back with water, and the house helpers brought food to help calm me down.
But all they brought was fruit.
I want fried chicken.
After drinking the water, I tried to fix my hair. My nose was still stuffed up from the cold, but I felt a little better—at least I thought I did.
"Can you talk now?" Kuya Angelo asked.
"I don't want to talk about it, Kuya." I said, looking down.
He sighed deeply before standing up. "Alright, rest for now. We'll talk tomorrow."
He left the room, and Tito Julz followed. Tita Gema stayed, making sure I was okay. She helped me lie down again and covered me with a blanket. She didn't turn off the lamp.
She smiled at me before closing the door. The silence was terrifying, and the sound of someone biting into an apple was equally unsettling.
I turned to look at Aries, who was sitting at the end of the bed. He was looking at his phone while eating.
"That's mine." I whispered almost to myself.
He glanced at me for a moment before returning to what he was doing. "Go to sleep."
I turned my back on him and hugged Snorlax. "I'm not going to sleep."
I felt him stop and put his plate down on the table. I also heard him walk toward me.
"Jay." He called before sitting next to me. "Can you tell me about your dream?"
I shook my head. "I don't want to remember it again."
"Okay then, I won't force you." He said, but as he was about to leave, I grabbed his arm.
"Stay here."
He stared at me before nodding. He lay down on the other side of the bed.
"Was your dream so bad that you don't want me to be far from you?" His tone was a bit teasing, but it was clear he was still serious.
I adjusted my position to face him. Even though I wasn't looking at him, I knew he was staring at me.
I might melt from this.
I stayed silent, and Aries chose to stay quiet as well. Thanks to the lamp's light, I could make out the other side of the room—of the horoscope.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fist. I couldn't fathom what could have happened in that dark room. I just hope those memories stay buried. I hope they never come back to me.
Back then.
"Aries." I called him softly.
"What?" He responded.
"Where were you then? When I was with Mama?"
I felt him turn to look at me. "Why are you asking?"
I shook my head. "I just want to know."
It took him a while to respond. It seemed like he was thinking carefully about what to say. He was probably scared my reaction would be angry.
"I was here." He answered softly.
I already knew that. I just wanted to know if you ever thought about me while you were having fun.
"Were you with them?" I asked. He didn't answer. "Yuri, Percy, and Keifer." Still no response.
He was probably asleep by now. It was past midnight. I didn't even know how long he had helped Kuya Angelo earlier, and then everything got messed up because of my bad dream.
"You were still friends back then." I continued, even though I knew he was probably asleep. "You were a bunch of idiots. Now you're just idiots, but Percy is still an idiot. And you... you're just an idiot—ow!"
Suddenly, I felt a sharp flick on my head. When I lifted my gaze, I saw Aries frowning at me, staring.
Oh, he's still awake.
"What the hell are you talking about?" He said irritably.
I pouted, subtly rubbing the spot on my head where he flicked me.
"Aren't you planning to sleep?" He asked as he adjusted his position. "Fine, I'll sleep now, but you stay awake and watch over me. In case someone suddenly attacks me."
My eyes widened when I remembered that. It was the blanket! I was just teasing Ella. She probably thought I was a pervert? From my own brother? What a dirty mind, it was so tempting to scrub it out.
"I thought you were supposed to watch over me?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "You did that last time."
He used one of his arms as support.
"Let's switch. That job is tiring too."
Oh wow.
I winced at him. "Go to sleep. Your beautiful sibling will watch over you." I said sarcastically.
He looked at me seriously. His brows furrowed as he slowly moved closer to me.
"I only have one sibling." He got even closer. "And she's not beautiful." He flicked my forehead.
I was so surprised that my hand moved on its own and slapped him hard. He was also shocked by my action. I thought he would get angry with me, but then he just smiled.
"You're okay. You're back to hurting me." He said, followed by him hugging me. "Go to sleep now. Whatever your dream is about, I'll make sure it never happens again."
I hugged him back. "As much as I want to sleep, I can't. Your armpit smells so bad, it's enough to wake me up—aaaarrrraayyyy!"
He pinched my back. I quickly let go, squirming like a fish out of water, flopping on the bed.
"That hurts!" I complained, trying to reach the spot on my back where he pinched me.
"You're full of nonsense." He replied. "You even dragged Ella into your nonsense."
I sat up and stared at him with wide eyes. "Did she tell on me? It's okay though."
"Don't tease her, next time you two might fight." He said, as if it was a very serious matter. "And you, when you get married—."
"Oh no! □Johnny, Johnny no papa!□" I sang back, and he immediately gave me a look of disapproval. "It's late, Aries. It's just sleepiness."
He threatened to hit me on the head, so I immediately raised my arm in defense.
"You! You always have a comeback. I hope you're like that in your exams." He said before standing up and walking to the table where he had placed the plate earlier.
He took it and handed it to me. There was barely half left, and most of the fruits were almost gone.
This Horoscope thing is sacrilege, it wasn't even for him, and now he ate it.
"Finish it."
Even without him saying so, I was going to do it anyway. I started devouring the remaining fruits. And even though I was eating, I couldn't help but think about this brother of mine and Ella. I really couldn't tell if they loved each other. It seemed like their relationship wasn't that solid.
Aries didn't react much. He wasn't the type of guy to go out of his way for a girl. And he was often grumpy, as if he was carrying a lot of problems.
As for Ella? She was mean.
There was something about her that I couldn't quite pinpoint. She told me she made a mistake before. She thought she still loved Yuri, but it turned out she loved Aries. But it still felt like something was missing.
I watched Aries as he was fixing his bed. I didn't really plan on asking about them, but I also wanted to know.
"Aries..." I called to get his attention, but he kept on with what he was doing. "Do you love... Ella?"
He looked up at me for a moment before going back to what he was doing. "Isn't it obvious?"
I nodded. "Then what about Freya? Were you together?"
He stopped what he was doing. He sighed and sat beside me.
"You might not believe me, but Freya is like my girl best friend. We actually fight more than we get along." He answered.
Girl best friend?
"Next time, don't read other people's conversations." He added, and I turned my gaze away. "So, what did you read?"
I shoved all the remaining apple slices in my mouth. I didn't want to answer in case he got mad at me.
"You left our conversation open. So whatever you read, just tell me so I can explain."
I didn't mean to leave it open. How was I supposed to know I'd fall asleep right after crying so much?
This was all the damned, pestilent, good-for-nothing King of Serpents' fault! It was definitely his fault! It was their fault—him and Freya, and Ella too. It was their fault because they were all so flirtatious. Couldn't they just date from afar, or at least not where I would have to know?
Damn it! Boyfriend after boyfriend, can't they just focus on their studies first?
"Ask already." He ordered.
I bit my lip. There was nothing Aries needed to explain to me because he wasn't the one at fault. So, I didn't have any questions.
I shook my head, then finished the remaining fruits on the plate. I chewed them before swallowing and handed the plate back to him.
"I don't have any questions. I'm fine with it."
He looked at me with a stern expression before taking the plate and putting it on the table where he had gotten it from. When he returned to his spot, he lay down, using his arm as a pillow.
"Do whatever you want, it's your problem too." He said, with a tone of guilt-tripping.
"If I were to ask something, it would probably be about you."
He raised one eyebrow as he looked at me. I scooted over and faced him.
"During the time we weren't speaking because you were mad at me, what happened to you?"
He took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling.
"That incident happened. Keifer got mad at me, he tried to mediate between Yuri and Kuya Angelo but it didn't work. A lot of people got mad at me, and the investors in the company pulled back. I had to pull some strings to make sure no one would surpass me because I knew people would bully me. I met my classmates, became friends with Rakki, then Freya became my girlfriend. Our fight got worse, and then you came, and the rest is history." He explained, as if he were just reporting in class.
Wow, so much happened.
"Why are the investors like that? Why did they pull back?"
"Because everyone thought I left Percy. They judged me so quickly and said I was a bad person. Of course, they thought my brother was Kuya, so they linked what happened to what Kuya might do to the company's future."
I nodded. They're so judgmental. Why would they act like that right away? Are they all on the same wavelength to know that Kuya Angelo is the same way? They weren't even there when the incident happened, so they don't know the real story. They're so quick to judge, ridiculous! Just because they're rich, does that mean they have the right to do that?
But me, even if I don't know the full story, I know Aries would never leave Percy like that.
That stepbrother of mine is important to him, even if it's not obvious. That's why he couldn't visit me when I needed him, because he was busy with his friends.
"I know you didn't really leave him." I said, and he looked at me again. "Because every time you talk about that accident, your eyes... they twinkle."
Little star.
He chuckled slightly. "What?"
"Your eyes look like you're about to cry, then you squint like this." I said, imitating how his eyes squinted. "Because if you really left him, you wouldn't have the courage to tell me, and the pain wouldn't show in your eyes."
Yes, I know a lot.
He smiled a little at me. "Maybe. Where did you get that idea? From Percy?"
"No, I've known this for a long time. I'm smart, you know."
He chuckled lightly. "Is that why you're not reviewing? The exam is just around the corner." I froze when I remembered the 4th grading exam. "Stop asking about the accident. You're just like Percy, repeating it over and over."
Those blue eyes?
"Why?"
"Just because. He's weird. He probably thinks I'm going to talk to him."
What's with Percy asking about the accident? That idiot probably forgot that they were together, so whatever Aries knew, Percy must have known too.
Aries glanced at his phone. It seemed like he was just checking the time.
"You really don't plan to sleep?"
I shook my head. "There's no school tomorrow, so don't sleep either."
We're in this together.
"Whatever. Find a way so I can't sleep." He said, closing his eyes.
I smiled mischievously before resting my hand on his stomach to pinch— I mean, grab his skin. He immediately jumped up, startled and in pain.
Well, now you're awake.
He glared at me while hugging his own stomach.
"What the hell! What's wrong with you?!"
"See! You're wide awake now!" I said, grinning mischievously.
Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around my neck.
"Ouch! Let go!" I complained while hitting his arm.
He didn't answer and tightened his grip around my neck. He only let go when I started coughing, unable to breathe.
"You're all nonsense."
Who was the one who told me to wake him up?
I scratched my head and stood up to fix the bed. He did the same. Once everything was arranged, he lay back down while I sat again, hugging Snorlax.
I noticed him turning and shifting positions. When he still wasn't satisfied, he sat up and glared at me.
"This is your fault, I've lost my sleep."
Blaming me.
This damn Horoscope.
Who could be waking both of us up? Now he's blaming me.
"Yeah, it's my fault. I'm the sinner." I sarcastically said.
"Are you like this with your classmates? And with Keifer?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't mention that guy!" I answered irritably.
"Why are you suddenly angry?" He didn't finish what he was about to say. It seemed like he thought of something and looked at me. "Is it because of what Freya and I talked about?"
I didn't answer. I turned my back to him and lay down. I didn't plan on asking about that. I'd rather hear it from him directly.
"Didn't I say I'd explain? Just ask, instead of sulking like this." He said and nudged me with his finger.
I quickly pushed his hand away. "What's the matter? I'll just ask him."
He didn't say anything more, and I also fell silent. I felt him lie down again. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again. I didn't want to listen, but what he said was important to me.
"It's not Keifer. He's not the one Freya is in love with."