Jay-jay's POV
Weird! So weird! Super duper weird! Super duper ultra weird! Super duper ultra omega to the highest level weird!
Jay-jay, your face is weird.
I was standing in front of my table, staring at the food. Yes, at THE food. There was a box of doughnuts on my table. There was also a cup of coffee from Starbucks.
"Jay-jay!" Ci-N greeted as he approached.
He looked at the box of doughnuts. His eyes immediately widened with excitement, as if the food was meant for him.
"Give me some!" he said, reaching for the box, but I smacked his hand hard.
"...Ouch!"
"You're just taking it! We don't even know who it's from!"
"Of course, it's from one of our classmates! You don't have any admirers outside who would bring you something like this!" he said irritably while rubbing his hand.
I squinted my eyes at him. "I know it's from one of your fellow Vipers! What I mean is, who among them?!"
We both looked at the Vipers. The first person that came to my mind was Eman since he was our cook here. Our eyes met, but he just raised an eyebrow at us.
Okay, not him!
Next, we looked at Yuri. He just smiled and waved at me.
Okay, not him either!
I turned to the left, where the group of troublemakers and rivals sat.
First, I looked at Edrix, who was busy with his phone, but the idiot didn't even notice. It looked like he was playing some game.
Okay, not him!
Next to him was Rory, writing something in his notebook. He looked in my direction but quickly turned back to his notebook, as if listing something I couldn't understand.
Not him either.
Definitely not him! That one's a glutton too—if it were from him, only the box would have made it to me!
Next, I observed Mayo. He would glance at Kit occasionally but quickly return to his conversation with Josh.
Doesn't seem like him either. He's too focused on Kit.
Then I turned to Josh, but it didn't seem like him either. If it were, he would've given it to his pet cat first before me.
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
I was about to look to the right when I suddenly stopped—Ci-N had already opened the box, holding a doughnut in his hand while taking a big bite.
"Hey! I looked away for just a second!"
"Deli...ous," he mumbled, mouth full.
I frowned. "What?!"
All I got from him was more chewing. He wasn't even satisfied with one—he grabbed another before sitting in his seat.
I sighed and sat down while scratching my head. When it comes to food… Haizt!
I secretly peeked at the doughnuts. They really did look delicious. They were different flavors and seemed to be from an expensive shop.
The ones I could afford were only 11 pesos each.
I looked at the Vipers nearby. They were watching, but when I noticed them, they quickly averted their eyes—as if they were really waiting to see if I would take one or not.
Tsk! If I take one—of course, I'll get to eat. I don't care what they think. Doughnuts are delicious!
But if I do what they expect—whatever! I'm eating this! No second thoughts. Why should I even think about it? This is food! Food is life! My life, to be exact.
Let's dig in!
I didn't care if they thought I lost just because I accepted the gift. I grabbed one and ate it quickly. I even heard someone clap, but I ignored it.
I kept eating, and Ci-N joined me. Then, I noticed David arriving. He raised an eyebrow at us, silently asking where the food came from.
"Do you want some? Go ahead." I offered.
"Maybe just the coffee." He took the cup.
He looked exhausted—again. Well, he always seemed sleep-deprived. He'd probably nap until later.
David, the sophisticated one, but always half-asleep.
We were nearly done eating when I glanced at the box. There was some writing on it, partially covered by the remaining doughnuts. I picked them up and handed them to Ci-N so I could read it.
'Congrats,
Since you ate what's inside, it means you agree to go on a date with me.
Later, after class.
—Felix.'
My eyebrow shot up. Felix gave this? Wow, bold move! And what date?!
Son of a... I got played!
I quickly stood up and threw the box at Felix, who was grinning mischievously. He ducked to dodge it.
"I never said I agreed!" I shouted at him angrily. "...And I wasn't even the one who ate it—it was Ci-N!"
"But you still ate it." he said, smiling.
"Whatever! I'm not going on a date with you!"
I went back to my seat and crossed my arms, leaning back. I could still hear their teasing and laughter. These Vipers really thought they could outsmart me like that.
No way! I'm too sharp for that, man! Too sharp!
Sir Alvin arrived, and our class started. He began by giving instructions about our upcoming exam until...
"You only have a half-day today." he announced. I straightened up immediately, almost as if my ear grew bigger to hear him better. "...Because the board members and faculty have a meeting."
The Vipers quickly celebrated. Some even clapped and cheered as if they had just won the lottery. Sometimes, aside from being Vipers and Dead Guts, they were also just plain overdramatic.
Sir continued teaching even though my attention was still on his announcement.
Hehehe...
Time passed without me realizing it. Our class ended, and since there were no more lessons, I quickly packed up my things.
I was about to leave the room when I heard Felix calling me.
"Wait for me! We still have our date!"
I grimaced. As if I would agree to this so-called date.
"You have a date?" Ci suddenly appeared in front of me.
I almost cursed in shock. He was worse than a mushroom, popping up out of nowhere. I glared at him in annoyance.
"No! Let's go home!" I said, pulling on his bag.
I took big strides away from our room to avoid Felix. Whatever, he can deal with it himself. He can date his own face, for all I care.
When we reached the gate, we blended in with the crowd of students. I could still hear them calling my name. Once outside, I let go of Ci and sprinted away. I knew that pesky kid would follow me anyway.
I only stopped running when I felt exhausted. We were already quite far from school.
"Hey! Jay-jay!" Ci-N called out, annoyed.
I caught my breath before answering him. I ran so fast earlier, as if I were in a marathon.
Feeling long-legged.
"Jay-jay!" he called again.
I turned to him in frustration, ready to scold him, but my words froze in my throat when I saw who was beside him.
Felix was leaning against a car, while Percy peeked out from the window. Both of them were smiling smugly at me. I frowned at Ci-N.
"Keep running! They have a car!" he scolded me. "I was calling you earlier."
"My bad."
"Did you really think you could escape me?" Felix teased. "Wais to bro, wais."
That's my line!
"Did you really think I would agree to a date with you?" I mimicked his tone. "Wais to bro, wais."
"Let's go out." Ci suggested.
I shook my head. No matter where they took me, even if it was Enchanted Kingdom or Disneyland—
"Shopping." he added.
I shook my head again. Even if they bought the entire Philippines—
"Food."
Another shake of my head. Even if it was all the food—maybe I'd reconsider.
"Free."
I shook my—wait! This was different. He said free.
I looked at Ci-N, who was smiling at me. The same went for Felix and Percy, who was already gripping the steering wheel.
He's going to agree! He's going to agree!
NO! I won't be fooled by this "free" trick. No matter what it is. No! No! No!
"Fine. I want pizza." I said quickly before hopping into the car.
Ci-N and Felix even clapped in excitement. I took a seat in the back, and the pesky kid followed suit.
"Who said you could come?" Percy asked Ci, irritated.
"Jay-jay did." he quickly answered, clinging to my arm.
I never said anything!
"It's fine. This way, Jay-jay won't feel awkward around me." Felix said while fastening his seatbelt.
He turned to me after and winked. I just rolled my eyes. I felt like this cat was absorbing the king's arrogance. Or maybe he was just naturally a snake.
He was a cat. Felix the Cat.
If I weren't hungry, I wouldn't have gone with them. I'd just pretend Percy and Ci-N invited me. I knew what this was about. I knew this was part of their plan to win me over. Did he really think he could charm me with this date? I was still upset with him despite everything we had been through—not that I was trying to guilt-trip him.
But I was definitely going to guilt-trip him.
I knew he had been mad at me before because I was Aries' relative—the one he blamed for Percy's death. That's probably why he was so determined to push their plan forward.
My chest ached at the memory. I subtly glanced at the two brothers sitting in front. This must have been planned.
Whenever Percy and I hung out, he would always find a way to bring up Felix. He would ask if I had forgiven his brother or try to convince me to talk to him.
Unbelievable! I shouldn't have eaten that doughnut.
The car gradually slowed down. I looked out the window and saw a vintage-style pizza house. Just as expected, the car turned into the parking area.
Felix and Ci-N got out first. Percy and I followed shortly after.
"We'll find an empty table." Felix said before quickly heading inside.
"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" Ci-N chanted while following Felix.
"Hey! You better pay for what you eat!" Percy shouted at Ci.
The brat ignored him until he was inside. I quickly turned to Percy and glared.
"What is this?! This was all planned, wasn't it?!"
He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "I'm just helping my brother. I want us to be a happy family."
I pointed a finger at his face. "Happy family, my foot! You're my only brother, not Felix!"
Percy was my stepbrother because he was the son of my father's wife. Felix, on the other hand, was his stepbrother because his father was married to Felix's mother. So how did that make him my family?
Through the forehead?
"Then let's adopt Felix. We can make him a Mariano too. After all, he's not even a real Collins."
I swung my fist at him, but he quickly dodged. From what I knew, Felix was only given the Collins surname because of Percy's father—to make it easier to bring him to America when the time came.
I walked toward the entrance of the pizza place, but before I could grab the door handle, Percy blocked my way. His serious eyes stared directly at me.
"If you're going to force me to adopt Felix—."
"That's not it." He cut me off. "...give Felix a chance to explain."
I frowned at him. "Even if—."
"Jay. Everyone makes mistakes. Felix made a mistake, but please don't deprive him of his right."
"Right?"
"The right to be forgiven and given a chance." He smiled at me. "...such a waste of my handsome brother. He takes after me, so give him a chance."
He really had to slip that in.
I was about to slap him, but he quickly went inside. My hand almost hit the door. The pain hadn't completely gone away yet, so it was a good thing I pulled back in time.
With a scowl, I entered. There weren't many people eating inside. The design was entirely old-fashioned, from the tables to the ceiling lights.
I spotted Ci-N and Percy in a corner, seemingly pushing each other.
People were starting to stare at them because of what they were doing.
"I said me! I should sit next to her!" I heard Ci say.
"No! Me! I'm the sibling! I should be there!" Percy argued.
"What are you two doing?" I asked irritably.
The two quickly moved apart and almost simultaneously pointed at each other.
"I said I wanted to sit next to you," explained the Brat.
"I'm the sibling. So it should be me."
I could only shake my head at them. These two really couldn't be together without arguing. Instead of fueling their fight, I just chose to sit at a table for two near them.
Before the two fools could argue over who would sit across from me, Felix had already taken the seat.
I should've chosen a single-seat table.
"Why? What's going on?" he asked innocently while the two glared at him.
"Thief," Percy muttered at him.
Ci-N sniffled like he was about to cry. They had no choice but to sit at another two-person table close to us. The two continued throwing glares at Felix.
"What do you want to eat?" Felix asked.
"I feel like eating a live chicken," I replied sarcastically. "...obviously, pizza. I told you earlier, didn't I?"
He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."
He called over a waiter nearby and asked for the menu, which was quickly handed over. Even the two childish ones were given menus.
Felix ordered for me, and of course, those two rebels ordered like it was a feast. They almost argued over which dish was better.
It felt like they were the center of chaos.
Good thing there weren't too many people here. Now I was starting to think the food here wasn't good. Hopefully, that wasn't the case, or I wouldn't enjoy this at all. I wasn't even enjoying the company; at least let me enjoy the food.
"Jay-jay." Felix called me.
I pretended not to hear him. I kept my gaze around the room, checking out the decorations. Even the light bulbs on the ceiling had caught my attention.
"I know you can hear me," he said. "...I just hope you'll understand my explanation."
I rolled my eyes. It was a huge mistake to come along. Damn that free meal!
You really look like a free meal!
Damn these Snakes! Taking advantage of my weakness. I should come up with a strategy to avoid their nonsense.
"I'm sorry, Jay," he began. "...I'm sorry we lied to you. You can't blame me, I was mad at you back then. Every time I saw you, I was reminded of Aries. It all came rushing back."
"I already know that." I responded lifelessly. "...you don't need to repeat it."
"Yes, but I don't think you realize that not everything that happened between us was a lie."
I looked at him, my brows furrowed in confusion. I didn't understand what he meant. He smiled at me and reached for my hand, but I quickly pulled it away.
"The times we spent with Section E weren't a lie. The moments we were happy together, the days you helped us face our problems, the times we were laughing because a rebellious Jay-jay had come into our lives." He shook his head while smiling. "...all of that was fucking real."
Sweet words are nice to hear, but terrifying to believe.
I looked over at Ci-N's table. It was obvious they were eavesdropping but pretending not to care. I turned back to Felix, and this time, my gaze on him was lighter.
Just like how I felt about Yuri and Ci-N when I was trying to put up with them. That's exactly what I was feeling now. A sting in my chest.
"How can you say that? It was all a lie, wasn't it? It was all a deception." I laughed bitterly. "...and that's the whole concept of it. Making someone believe in something that wasn't real."
Felix looked at me seriously. As if my words had hurt him.
I couldn't blame him, but that's what had been in my mind all along.
I blamed myself for being fooled by them. I thought I was stupid for letting them do it. But I was wrong because even the smartest person in the world can be deceived in some way.
It only meant that they had their ways of fooling me. Ways that could make me go along with it. Ways that could make me believe so easily. By showing something real, but hiding the true deception behind it.
And that is the process of manipulation.
I believed that the moments we shared when I was still unaware were real. The laughter, the teasing, the way they supported me. To me, all of that was real.
But behind all those moments was the truth. The truth that shattered me completely.
"I know it's hard to believe... But we gradually let go of the plan." He stared intently into my eyes as he spoke. "...because Keifer stopped a long time ago. We could feel it. Because even he..." He smiled. "...was starting to have real feelings for you."
Sh*t.
My mouth slightly opened. I wanted to say something, but my tongue felt tied. I even blinked rapidly, forcing myself to look away from him.
Just in time, my gaze met Ci-N's. He was smiling, looking proud of what Felix had just said. It was as if he was silently telling me that it was the truth.
"Honestly, my view of girls changed because of you. We became friends, and you put up with me even when I kept pushing you away." He reached for my hand again, and this time, I didn't let go. "...I deeply regret it, as do our classmates. I regret forcing that plan on Keifer. I accept your anger, but I hope you can give me, or us, a chance to prove to you that you matter to us... that you belong with us."
My tongue remained tied.
Everything was a mess. A complete mess. An absolute mess.
I no longer knew what to believe.