Jay-jay's POV
I was in a daze. All I was missing was drool dripping from my mouth to prove I was out of it. Well, I'm always out of it, but this time was different.
I was staring at the calendar. It's been almost two weeks since Ci's birthday ended. That means Keifer's birthday is next.
Tomorrow is February 28, and then on the 29th, it's the King of the Snakes' turn.
But not even a single call or text has come from him. And that Crazy Fool has also been texting me less and less. My hope that they are the same person is shrinking.
"Damn you, Keifer! You're such a pain."
I was about to eat the last Pepero stick in my hand, but when I looked, it was already gone. Looks like I ate it without realizing it. I checked my bag, but there was no more food.
Just when I was in the mood for a midnight snack, I ran out of snacks. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 10:43 PM—my older brother was probably asleep.
I slowly opened my bedroom door. I peeked at my brother's room. The door was closed, and there was no light coming from underneath. That meant the monster—I mean, my brother Angelo—was asleep.
I hope he never hears me call him a monster.
I tiptoed like a thief. When I reached the stairs, I walked quickly to the kitchen to see if there was anything I could eat.
When I got to the kitchen—Boom! A horoscope!
Today, you will be extremely hungry, so eat. Lucky color: mud. Lucky number: zero.
Thanks, horoscope. Is there no warning?
It looked like Aries was also looking for food. He kept peeking into containers inside the fridge but didn't seem satisfied. He let out a deep sigh, straightened up, and slowly turned towards me before closing the fridge door.
It seemed like he didn't notice my presence because he kept walking closer.
"Aries."
"What the—!" he exclaimed in shock. "Damn it, why do you always scare me?!"
I wanted to laugh at his reaction. He was becoming easy to startle.
"I wasn't trying to scare you. You were just zoned out."
He looked at me in annoyance. "I wasn't zoned out! Look where you're standing."
I looked at where I was. I was standing at the kitchen door. It was dark, with no light coming from anywhere. The lights in the rest of the kitchen were also off.
"Who wouldn't be scared by that? A voice from the dark, and I couldn't even see who it was."
"Sorry." I scratched my head.
He let out a deep sigh, also scratching his head while looking at me as if exhausted.
"What time is it? Why are you still up?"
"Midnight snack. Is there any food?"
He looked at the fridge before answering me. "There is, but it's all meals."
Oh... I don't want that. I just want snacks or something sweet.
"Ay..." I muttered, scratching my head. "...I'll just buy outside," I added as I turned away.
Before I could take another step, a hand grabbed the collar of my shirt from behind. I felt like a puppy being lifted in the air.
"What do you mean outside? Let me remind you that someone wants you dead. And you still want to go out?!" he said irritably.
"Then I'll disguise myself."
One of his eyebrows rose. He looked like he was about to say, 'Oh, how brilliant of you,' in the most sarcastic way possible.
I tried to break free from his grip on my collar, but he only tightened it more.
"Come on... I just really need to buy something." I pleaded.
"It's already late."
"Owwwsss... Really?!" I said in mock surprise.
He let go of my collar but gave me a hard flick on the forehead instead. My eyes teared up as I rubbed the sore spot.
"That hurt!" I complained.
"Oh, so that stubborn head of yours actually feels pain?"
"Excuse me, I am human, you know?!" I snapped sarcastically.
I didn't wait for his reply. I quickly turned around and walked back to my room, still determined to go outside and buy something.
I rummaged through my things for a hoodie jacket. I also looked for something to cover my face.
I found a beanie. Even though it smelled like it had been stuck in storage for ages—who cares? I needed it. I also grabbed a pair of shades that belonged to C-in but were left here the last time he stayed over.
There! Now I look like an idiot.
I grimaced as I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a strung-out American—just missing some bling. It's dark outside, and I'm wearing shades? Great! I look like a drug addict. A beanie? What is this, Baguio weather?
I took everything off and threw them onto the bed. More disguises, huh? Instead, I just adjusted my hoodie to cover my face.
This is better than looking like a strung-out American.
I stuffed my wallet and phone into my pockets. But the moment I opened the door, instead of stepping forward, I stepped backward.
Right in front of me was Horoscope's face. He was also wearing a hoodie. And would you believe it? We were wearing the same color… Red!
"You look like Kokey." He said with his arms crossed.
"Who's that? Is he an actor?"
He smirked at me and nodded. "It's an actor."
Oh wow, I look like someone famous! Nice! That's something to be proud of! I grinned and tucked my hair behind my ear. But what puzzled me was his teasing smile.
I shot him a glare. "Why are you here?"
"Duh, I'm coming with you... rather than letting you walk alone." He answered seriously.
I eyed his outfit. "Why are you dressed like that? Disguise too?"
"Idiot! It's drizzling outside. I'm too lazy to bring an umbrella," he said, turning his back on me.
This guy is so much fun to talk to.
Sometimes, I just want to slam his head against the wall. Or better yet, introduce him to his fellow Horoscope signs. Maybe he's buddies with Taurus and Scorpio?
I followed him grumpily but stopped when I remembered that my older brother was sleeping—I didn't want to wake him up. I tiptoed my way down the stairs.
My idiot brother wasn't in the living room, so I headed straight outside.
He was holding my bike, staring off into the distance.
"Let's go," he said without looking at me.
"What are you doing with my bike?"
"I'm going to walk it." He answered emotionlessly.
Oh, good luck with that plan.
I grimaced at him, and he rolled his eyes at me.
"Obviously, we're using it as transportation. Try using your useless brain sometimes."
I smacked him hard, but he blocked it with his elbow. In the end? I was the one who got hurt.
"Let's just go!" I said in frustration and walked ahead of him.
I carefully opened the gate and peeked outside. It was quiet, and the only thing I could hear was the distant barking of dogs. I didn't see any people or parked cars nearby.
I glanced behind me just as Horoscope approached. His expression was serious as he looked at me.
"I'll go out first," he said, so I stepped aside.
Once outside, he scanned the surroundings—just like I did earlier. Only when he was sure there was nothing suspicious did he bring the bike out and signal for me to follow.
He got on the bike and looked at me. I expected him to offer me a ride, but instead, he started pedaling away.
"Go ahead. Start walking now." He said lifelessly.
Oh, this little—
"Wow, I feel so honored. That's my bike, by the way." I said irritably.
He stopped and looked back at me. "Fine. Get on."
A huge grin spread across my face as I quickly approached him. I was about to sit on the bike's frame when—bam! I hit my forehead against his chin.
"Ouch..." I whispered, rubbing my head as I looked at him.
He was glaring at me while holding his mouth and chin.
I winced. "Fine... I'll just ride at the back."
I had no choice but to stand at the rear pegs of the bike, balancing myself on the small metal bars near the back wheel. I didn't like standing there because if he suddenly braked, we'd both go flying.
Hesitantly, I placed my hands on his shoulders. Within seconds, he started pedaling.
This felt weird.
It was both fun... and sad.
I was happy because this was just like before. I was riding on his bike while he took me for a ride. I never thought I'd get to experience this again.
But along with that happiness came a sense of sadness. I knew that once this night ended, this might never happen again.
To be honest, I've been thinking about the way he's acting towards me. I want to ask him, but I'm afraid of repeating what happened in his room—when he suddenly got mad at me.
I want to know if we're okay now. I want to know if he has forgiven me. I want to know if he has accepted me as his sibling. I want to know if... we can just be like this.
I looked down at my hands when I felt a few drops of water. He was right—it was drizzling.
"I hope it doesn't continue." I whispered.
He glanced at me. "Huh?"
"The rain... I hope it doesn't continue."
He suddenly stopped, making me almost crash into him. He tilted his head up and observed the sky. I did the same and only then noticed how bright the moon was.
"It won't. Look, the moon is bright, and there are even stars."
Flashback...
"Let's go home... It looks like it's going to rain." I said while looking at the sky.
There were stars, and the moon was visible, but I could already feel the drizzle.
He looked up as well. "It won't. Look, the moon is bright, and there are even stars."
End of Flashback...
I couldn't take my eyes off Aries, even though all I could see was his back. He resumed pedaling, and my gaze remained fixed on him.
For some unknown reason, tears suddenly fell from my right eye. That memory reminded me of how happy I was back then, even though my past was incomplete in my mind.
Now, I am grateful that my happy memories with him weren't erased. Even if they weren't complete, it was okay. As long as I knew that we were once happy.
And if I could make a wish...
I wish we could be like that again. I wish we could be like before—without any problems to think about. When we were together, it felt like we were the only ones in the world, and the whole place was our playground.
The single tear that had fallen earlier was now joined by more. They were racing down my cheeks. I was annoyed because I never wished to cry, yet here I was again.
I couldn't stop it. The difference was, it wasn't because I was in pain.
It was because I was wishing for something I knew was impossible to happen.
Please... I just want to be with Aries like before. I just want us to be happy again. I want that back. I miss those times. I miss what we used to do. I miss my brother.
I tried not to make a sound. I didn't want him to hear me sobbing. When the Mini Mart came into view, I took a deep breath and wiped my tears. I adjusted my hood so he wouldn't see my face.
When he stopped in front of the Mini Mart, I was the first to get off.
"So greedy." He muttered.
As I entered, the clerk motioned for me to take off my hood. Apparently, it wasn't allowed.
Do I look like a robber?
I had no choice but to lower my hood and stomp toward the food section. I wiped my eyes again, hoping the redness wouldn't be noticeable.
Ugh! Why did I even cry over that Horoscope? I grabbed some snacks before heading to the drinks section. I took a 1.5-liter soft drink. This is all mine!
"Put it back!" Aries said irritably as he approached me.
I slightly lowered my head and avoided his gaze. "This is what I want! And I'm the one paying for it!"
He snatched the soft drink from me and placed it back inside the refrigerator.
"This is why your brain is empty. All you eat is unhealthy food." He lectured while eyeing the snacks I was holding.
My brain isn't empty—it's filled with thoughts of food!
"This is what I want!" I said in frustration while trying to grab the snacks back.
Without hesitation, he flicked my hand, making me let go. He quickly returned the snacks to the shelves. I followed him with a frown.
He moved to the other shelves. "You should eat food like this." He said, grabbing a loaf of bread.
"We have that at home."
He looked at the bread in his hands. "Not anymore. I ate it this morning."
Oh wow! Someone's been hiding their appetite.
"Will that even fill me up?" I asked, irritated.
"Of course! Every food fills you up!"
So annoying! I don't even like that.
I begrudgingly browsed through the biscuits section. I also checked out the pre-heated food. Even the yogurt that I didn't like—I decided to grab one anyway.
When I approached him, my arms were nearly overflowing with food. I was even leaning back to keep everything from falling.
"You pay for this." I told him.
He rolled his eyes at me. "Fine." He quickly took the items I wanted before facing me again. "...this is embarrassing. You took so much, and it still might not be enough."
We both walked toward the cashier. While the cashier was scanning our items, I discreetly stepped back and returned to the shelves. I grabbed some snacks and hid them behind me. Just as the cashier was about to finish, I placed them all on the counter.
Both the cashier and Aries flinched in surprise.
"These too!" Horoscope shot me a sharp glare. "So stubborn."
I batted my eyelashes at him to act cute, which only made him even more annoyed. I couldn't help but laugh.
You'll never win against my stubbornness.
When we stepped out of the Mini Mart, we were carrying three plastic bags. Horoscope looked grumpy, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The total bill had gone over 1,000, and it seemed like all the food was mine.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He said sarcastically.
I couldn't stop smiling as I sipped from my probiotic milk straw.
"Food is life."
He walked over to the bike and lifted the stand. Slowly, he pushed it forward with one hand. In his other hand, he carried one of the plastic bags. I held the other two—since, well, they were all mine anyway.
"Are we just going to walk?" I asked.
He raised the plastic bag he was holding. "Can I drive with all this stuff?"
"I mean... Yeah, let's just walk." I quickened my pace to keep up with him.
We remained silent at first, just looking ahead at the road. I chose not to speak, even though his silence made me uneasy.
Instead, I focused on the contents of the plastic bag. I opened the cheese bread and started eating it.
"Are you pregnant?" he suddenly broke the silence, making me choke.
I almost spat out what I was eating. "Idiot! Where did you even get that idea?!" I glared at him.
"Ever since you ended up in Section E, you've been eating a lot. And now, it seems like you've doubled your intake. Have you weighed yourself?"
I looked at myself. I wasn't exactly gaining weight. My clothes were getting a bit tighter, but it wasn't a problem.
"Percy just loves feeding me. He acts like I'll be executed if I don't eat a lot." I explained, which was true.
Whenever I said I wanted a certain kind of food, he would immediately buy it. I was starting to feel spoiled by him.
Aries' expression suddenly changed, as if he didn't like what I said. He turned his gaze forward and continued walking.
It seemed like they still weren't talking.
"D-do you know..." I started, but he still didn't look at me. "...Percy is furious with Yuri."
He let out a deep sigh. "And I am furious with both of them."
I stopped walking and just stared at him.
"And you're furious with me too."
He stopped in his tracks, as if my words hit him like an arrow in the back. He didn't turn to look at me, and I saw his shoulders slowly slumping.
"Why, Aries? Why? What did I do to you for you to be mad at me and hide the fact that we're siblings?"
Seconds, minutes... maybe even ten passed. He didn't say a word, until he slowly started walking away again.
"Let's go home. It's dangerous for you to stay outside."
I bit my lower lip. I was annoyed with myself. I shouldn't have spoken. What was I expecting, anyway?
Neither of us spoke again. We were almost at the gate of the house when he stopped. I stopped too, a few steps away from him.
"Jay..." he called my name and slowly turned to face me. "...give me some time."
I don't have a watch.
I looked at him in confusion. I didn't understand what he meant by "time."
"...Give me some time to think about everything that happened..." He smiled at me. "...Your brother will make it up to you."
My lips moved on their own, forming a smile. I was about to run toward him when we heard the sound of a speeding car.
It was coming from behind me, so I turned around, and fear gripped me as I saw it heading straight for me. My legs froze in place, my heart pounding loudly.
JAY-JAY! MOVE!
It was too late to dodge. I could only shut my eyes and brace myself for the impact—but that wasn't what I felt.
Two arms wrapped around me, and the next thing I knew, we were thrown to the side of the road. The grip on me was tight, keeping me from moving.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the back of the speeding car, followed by Kuya Angelo running after it.
My ears were ringing. I couldn't hear anything because of my racing heartbeat. Only a sharp, piercing sound echoed in my ears.
Why was this happening?
I faced Aries. He was shouting something directly at me, but I couldn't hear his words. Until, little by little, things became clearer.
"Damn it! Answer me!" Aries yelled. "...Jay! What hurts?!"
I slowly shook my head. "N-nothing... I-I'm okay."
Suddenly, he pulled me into his chest. His breathing was deep, and I could hear the loud pounding of his heart.
"Damn it! You were so close."