Jay-jay's POV
Silent! Speechless!
"Looks dazed."
Looks daz—who looks dazed?! I immediately glared at the one who said that. Ci-N, with an ice cream in his mouth, greeted me.
"Are you talking about me?"
He shook his head. "No, them! The siblings."
He was referring to Felix and Percy. We were on our way out of the restaurant when someone greeted them—an acquaintance of their parents. And just like that, they got caught up in a conversation.
We arrived at the parking lot first and were waiting for them. We could see them clearly through the glass window.
"You're unbelievable. They even treated you." I said, crossing my arms.
He continued eating his ice cream, some of it dripping onto the side of his lips. I searched for a tissue in my bag and quickly wiped his face.
Such a messy eater!
He took the tissue from my hand. "I'll do it."
I let him be and went back to what I was doing—staring into nothingness.
I had been thinking about what Felix said. What he said sounded true, but it was hard to believe. Maybe I have trust issues now, which is why I think this way.
"Jay, give me another tissue." Ci said.
I opened my bag again and took out what he asked for, but I paused when I noticed something inside. There was a pink envelope.
I handed the tissue to the Bratty Kid before taking the envelope. It even had heart designs. It looked familiar, as if I had seen and held it before.
Deja vu again.
I opened the envelope. It was obviously meant for me. It wouldn't have ended up in my bag otherwise. I took out the stationery inside.
One thing was clear—the handwriting was beautiful! So feminine.
Dear Jay-jay,
This is not a love letter. It's more appropriate to call it a friendship letter.
I stopped reading and put it back in the envelope. The contents were too corny. I felt like dozing off because I didn't understand it. But damn, the handwriting was impressive.
I glanced at the restaurant door as the siblings came out. Percy was frowning, while Felix was smiling.
"So annoying! Why am I so handsome?!" Percy said in frustration.
For real?! Is he really annoyed?!
His brows were deeply furrowed as he searched his pocket for the car keys. Felix just shook his head while laughing.
"Why?" Ci-N asked.
"Mama's friend kept insisting that he go on a date with her daughter." Felix said, patting Percy's shoulder, which Percy quickly shrugged off. "She said her daughter is really into zombies."
Felix and Ci-N burst into laughter. Percy glared at them. Even I was laughing at the idea of Percy being a zombie. Their mom's friend must be crazy too.
"Do you guys want to walk home?" Percy threatened, and the two immediately stopped laughing.
I just shook my head. He opened the car door, and we all got in. The two were still chuckling every now and then.
"Let's go, Zombie Lord." I teased.
He slammed the car door shut. "I am NOT a zombie! Don't you get it?! I'm too handsome to be a zombie!"
I held back my laughter in the backseat. He was really trying to push the idea that he was handsome. What a lunatic!
"...If I ever became a zombie, a lot of girls would let me bite them because of my good looks!" he continued while fastening his seatbelt.
"The air conditioning is too strong!" Ci said, pretending to move closer to the car's air vents while laughing.
"Do you want to get out?" Percy sarcastically asked him. "You're talking nonsense! I haven't even started the engine! How can you say the AC is too strong?!"
That's not AC—it's a storm!
He started the car, clearly still irritated. Meanwhile, the three of us kept chuckling every now and then—especially when Ci-N started acting like a zombie. His eyes rolled back, and his tongue lolled out. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud. Felix would glance back at us and secretly laugh at Ci too.
"What's going on?! Why are you all laughing?!" Percy asked, annoyed.
"Nothing. Just drive." Felix answered, smiling.
The car stopped briefly at a red light. I looked out the window. The road seemed unfamiliar. I thought we were heading home. Wait, where are we going?
"I thought we were going home? This doesn't look like the right way." I asked while continuing to look outside.
"Who said we were going home?" Felix said with a smile. "Our date isn't over yet."
I grimaced. This guy is too much! If my phone hadn't rung, I would have cursed at him.
I took my phone out of my bag. A text message had arrived—from Yuri.
From: Pres. Yuri
Message: How's it going? Enjoying your date with Felix?
Oh, right! I edited his contact name. I added 'Pres.' which stands for President—since he's the president of our club. I immediately started typing a reply to him.
I took my cellphone from my bag. A text message had arrived from Yuri.
From: Pres.Yuri
Message: How are you? Enjoying your date with Felix?
I had already edited his name. I added "Pres." which meant President—because he was the President of our club. I immediately typed a reply to him.
To: Pres.Yuri
Message: It's okay. Not really. By the way, Ci-N and Percy are with us.
Less than a minute later, he replied.
From: Pres.Yuri
Message: You're not enjoying because you have company? 😲😲
I almost laughed at his emoji, as if he was really shocked. Smiling, I replied to him.
To: Pres.Yuri
Message: Not that! I just feel awkward.
From: Pres.Yuri
Message: Ah..I thought it was because you were with them. I'm getting jealous, you know. 😧😧
I shook my head while smiling. This fool was acting like a boyfriend. Maybe that's also why he texted—because he was feeling restless. Yuri, the jealous one…
To: Pres.Yuri
Message: Tsk! To keep you quiet, Ci-N is the one sitting beside me right now.
From: Pres.Yuri
Message: 😥😥
To: Pres.Yuri
Message: 😒😒
From: Pres.Yuri
Message: 😙😙
I was about to type a reply when I suddenly felt a presence leaning on my shoulder. I glared at Ci-N, who was currently reading my messages over my shoulder.
And it seemed like the fool wasn't even aware of it. He was still peering at my phone. I tried to move it away, but his eyes followed.
This kid is intense! A solid snoop.
Annoyed, I shoved my phone right into his face.
"There! Damn it! Shove it into your eyes! Your nosiness is embarrassing!" I said irritably.
He just laughed at me when I pulled my phone away from his face. He even pouted and flashed a peace sign with his fingers.
I swear, sometimes I just want to flick his forehead.
"Who are you texting, anyway?" he asked.
I glanced at the rearview mirror, and just at that moment, Percy was looking there too. I quickly looked away and coughed slightly to clear my throat.
"No one."
I held my phone tightly. Percy didn't like it when Yuri was mentioned. The longer time passed, the more his anger towards his former friend seemed to grow.
I was trying to figure out the real reason, but he just kept avoiding me. If he wasn't dodging the topic, he was either changing the subject or getting angry, as if even mentioning the truth disgusted him.
But if he didn't tell me, I wouldn't understand.
I had a feeling this wasn't just about his issue with Freya. I knew it was more than that. Whatever it was, I just hoped it wouldn't be the cause of another conflict between all of us.
My phone rang again. I thought it was Yuri texting me back, but a different name popped up on the screen.
From: GagongBaliw
Message: Busy?
Your face is busy!
Here was another mystery in my life. I had a strong hunch! A really strong hunch! My gut was telling me that this person was connected to the King of Snakes.
I didn't reply. I was waiting for this annoying person to make a move. Those moves would eventually lead me to catching him.
"We're here!" Felix announced.
I looked outside to see what they were looking at. One of the biggest arcades in our area.
Game House!
Percy parked the car in front of the building. The Little Rascal was clearly excited. He was the first to get out, practically squealing as he pointed at the Game House building.
"Come on! Let's go inside! I'm egzoyted!" he said.
I scratched the back of my head as I got out of the car. His childish side was showing again. He just had a birthday—he should have leveled up mentally, but it seemed like his brain went down by one instead.
"Why did we even bring him along?" Percy muttered.
"You don't want him here? Fine. We'll go home then." I threatened, and he quickly shook his head while smiling.
"Just kidding. Just kidding."
I rolled my eyes at him before walking towards Ci, who was already at the entrance. His face was pressed against the glass door. I placed a hand on his head and gestured for him to enter. The fool was so eager that he almost got hit by the door. Fortunately, the guy inside managed to dodge in time. I just apologized to avoid further discussion.
The place was huge and divided into three sections: a playground for kids, an arcade for adults, and an area where you could buy food, toys, and clothes.
Awesome! This place is heaven for professional slackers.
"Wow! It's huge." Felix commented from behind me.
"Jay-jay!" Ci-N called out, waving. "Let's ride this!"
I walked towards him to see what he was pointing at. It was one of those trains used in malls for sightseeing. But we couldn't ride that anymore—we wouldn't fit.
Some younger kids who were about to board the train looked at us, probably wondering why we wanted to ride something so small.
We'd look ridiculous.
"Ci… Uh… W-we can't ride that." I said hesitantly.
His expression immediately changed. His shoulders slumped as he looked at me.
"Oh no… Looks like the kid's gonna cry." I heard Percy teasing nearby.
"Poor thing…" Felix added fuel to the fire.
I pointed at them threateningly. They were really enjoying this, huh? Why didn't they help me explain to Ci-N that we just couldn't ride it?
I turned back to Ci and was shocked to see tears welling up in his eyes. His lips were pouted like a real child.
Confirmed! His mind really regressed.
Ci-N. You're too old for— I didn't get to finish what I was saying because he suddenly sniffled.
Haizt! I can't believe I'm doing this. But I can't be the only one looking ridiculous here.
"Fine, fine. We'll ride it." I said, bored.
He even clapped his hands in excitement while jumping up and down. I could only shake my head.
"On one condition," I added, making him stop. "...they have to come too."
He turned towards the two fools. Percy was still picking his nose when they both looked our way. I signaled for them to come closer.
"What?" he asked, flicking away the finger he just used to dig for hidden treasure in his cave.
Disgusting!
"WE are riding this." I emphasized the word "we."
"There is no 'we.'" Felix replied.
"Do you want me to punch you in the gut?" I threatened.
"Let's go! Hurry! It's about to leave!" Ci urged excitedly.
"You go ahead. Don't drag us into this!" Percy protested.
"I want Jay-jay to come with me."
"And I want you guys to come too." I said, referring to the two of them.
Percy turned to Felix and patted his shoulder. "Go with her."
Felix furrowed his brows and glared at Percy. "SHE said 'we.' That means not just one person."
The two of them kept bickering. I leaned over and whispered to Ci to go ahead and buy four tickets. Once he found a spot, I quickly positioned myself behind the two of them and shoved them with all my strength.
"W-wait! We're not getting on this!" Percy protested.
I kept pushing them into the train car. They couldn't do anything because the entrance was too narrow. Once they were inside, I climbed in as well and sat close to them so they couldn't escape.
They might just jump out at any moment.
I thought Ci-N was with us, but when I looked for him, he was sitting right next to the driver in front of us. It looked like the guy had no choice but to let him sit there. The man just scratched his head while looking at the Batang Kumag.
"Why did we have to come along?" Felix grumbled.
"Who planned this date in the first place?"
"This is so embarrassing. This is for kids."
"Then why did you guys bring us here?"
"Percy said... you wanted to go to the arcade."
I quickly turned to Percy, who was frowning. "Who said I wanted to go to the arcade?"
Instead of answering, he just gave me a wide grin. I wanted to punch him in the gut so bad. Where the hell did he get that idea?
We suddenly heard the loud ringing of a bell—indicating that the train was about to move. I even laughed when I saw that Ci-N was the one ringing it.
"We're moving!" he shouted.
Almost at the same time, Felix, Percy, and I bowed our heads. People were staring at us and laughing. I couldn't really blame them.
This was really embarrassing.
"This is all your fault, Jay." Percy said, covering his face with his hands.
"It's YOUR fault! You knew we had a kid with us, yet you brought us here!" I snapped back.
To make things worse, the train was excruciatingly slow. I think I could crawl faster than this.
Let me just crawl, please! Hurry up!
I just wanted this humiliation to end.
Meanwhile, Ci-N was having the time of his life sitting next to the driver. He was even waving like some kind of celebrity in a motorcade.
The embarrassment hit even harder when we passed by the arcade. The place was filled with high school students, and they all turned to look at us, laughing.
Damn it! So annoying!
We spent several more minutes with our heads down before the train finally stopped. The moment it did, we all practically jumped out of the car.
We stepped away and almost simultaneously crossed our arms, waiting for Ci-N, who looked like he didn't want to get off.
"One more time!" he said excitedly.
I furrowed my brows. "No."
"Oh, come on. Just one more. Please!"
"That's enough," Felix grumbled. "...I might lose my dignity."
Ci scratched his head and pouted. We finally headed to the arcade—where we actually planned to go instead of that stupid train ride.
Percy bought the arcade cards for us, loading them up with credits to pay for the games. He handed them over to us with a scowl. He had one too.
Ci-N immediately ran toward the ticket-prize games. He said he wanted to collect enough tickets to get a stuffed toy he saw on display.
There were a lot of games to choose from, but I went straight to the basketball machine.
The area was filled with guys, but I didn't care. They weren't the reason I was here.
Not my problem!
I swiped my card and started playing. I kept throwing the ball. By the time I reached the second round, I noticed something from the corner of my eye.
A group of guys who had been playing earlier were laughing while looking at me. I turned slightly toward them—and the moment I saw what they were doing, my irritation flared.
They were mimicking my chest, pretending to have boobs by cupping their hands and making bouncing motions, all while laughing and pointing at me.
I shook my head in annoyance.
I didn't come here for trouble, but it looked like that's what I was getting.
I was about to shoot my last ball when I accidentally let it slip from my hands—except I intentionally threw it straight at one of their faces.
"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to." I pretended to apologize.
"Be careful!" one of them said to me in irritation.
They threw the ball back to me. I smiled at them and thanked them. I hadn't even returned to my previous position when they spoke again.
"Looks like you have a thing for us!" one of them said, and they all laughed.
A thing?! I feel like I'm about to throw up.
I raised an eyebrow at them. "Excuse me?"
"No need to act shy. Just tell us if you like one of us."
I just laughed at what they said. Turns out, these guys are like Percy—but the ugly versions.
"Amazing. You guessed it right," I said, smiling.
They must be related to Madam Auring. The idiots quickly grinned at each other and high-fived. I gripped the ball tightly.
"Which one of us? Just point," one of them said arrogantly.
"I like all of you..." My smile disappeared. "...I'd like to smash all your faces!"
I threw the ball at one of them with all my strength. It hit him right in the face! The crowd erupted in chaos, with everyone staring at us.
"You asshole!" one of them cursed at me.
They rushed to their friend, who had collapsed on the floor, trying to help him up. Panic filled their faces when they saw the blood dripping from his nose.
"Shit, bro! There's so much blood!" one of them shouted.
"You son of a bitch! What's your problem?!" another one yelled at me.
He was about to charge at me, but a large body quickly stepped between us. Felix was too tall for them to confront.
"You're mad at her for what she did to your friend? What about the way you harassed her?" Felix retorted.
Had he been here this whole time? He even heard everything they said.
The guys didn't dare fight back, especially when Percy joined Felix's side. The two were about the same height, same intimidating aura, same intense presence.
"Is there a problem here?" Percy asked, pretending to be clueless.
The guys slowly shook their heads. Panicked, they lifted their injured friend and fled. I could still hear people around us laughing at them.
Felix and Percy turned to me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded and glanced at Felix. He was smiling at me as if telling me everything was fine now. I don't know why, but I found myself smiling back at him.
"T-thanks," I said, lowering my head.
I felt his hand gently land on my head. "You're really good at starting trouble."
I suddenly burst out laughing at what he said. So did he. And in that simple moment of laughter, it felt like a weight had been lifted off us.