Jay-jay's POV
I feel like crying. I want to cry so hard. Really, really hard, and wail like a baby.
Louder than Baby Grazel's cries.
"See that?" Kuya Angelo asked, pointing at the name of a store. "'Happy Bread' — is what it says."
I could hear Aries's soft laughter, so I pouted.
"And that!" Kuya added, pointing at a billboard with "Sale" written for a clothing line. "'On sale' is what it says!"
"I know how to read," I mumbled.
"You do? Amazing! Since when did you learn our language? How long have you been on planet Earth?" he teased, and my horoscope sister burst out laughing.
"Kuya, come on!"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"You think you're gonna get away with this nonsense," Aries chimed in.
"I knew you wouldn't let me," I answered quietly.
"I heard that excuse last night. And my answer's the same: Still unsafe, Jay, Unsafe."
I didn't answer, choosing to stay quiet. Kuya Angelo's temper was already running high — I didn't want to add fuel to the fire and risk a continuation of last night's sermon. If only his lectures could be converted into food… I'd be the happiest person ever.
When we arrived at school, he made sure to throw in one last warning before letting me out of the car.
"Jay, behave yourself!"
I quickly opened the car door and nearly ran into school just to get away from him.
Enough already! My ears were bleeding from Kuya's endless sermons!
I admit, I can be mischeivous — but I usually have good reasons! I know they don't trust me or wouldn't allow me, so I have to come up with excuses and creative ways.
Most of the time, I just take Kuya's sermons without complaint — but it gets exhausting when it's too much. Do my antics really deserve this much lecturing?
I stopped walking when someone blocked my path. My face briefly bumped into their chest.
"Excuse me!" I said, trying to side step, but he blocked me again.
I immediately looked up to glare at him — but was met with a pair of lips coming towards me. I quickly dodged, but his lips still brushed my forehead.
I stepped back, readying my fist to punch the King of the Ulupong in the face.
"Are you crazy?!" I snapped, but he just gave me with a sweet smile. "Don't drag me into your insanity, okay!"
"Good morning too,"
I glared at him sharply. I didn't like the edge of his smile. It was as if he was planning some mischief. He almost kissed me but failed, so there was probably more to come.
"What did you eat to greet me like that?" I demanded.
He chuckled. "Is it bad to greet you?"
"Idiot, you don't greet me like that!"
Suddenly, his smile vanished. "Profanity."
What?
My eyes widened. Before he could grab me, I immediately bolted away.
I thought that damn profanity rule was done with. Apparently, the exception to that Ulupong law only applied back on the island.
"Don't come near me!" I shouted as I ran off.
I took huge strides, sprinting up the stairs just so that crazy guy wouldn't catch up. He was going to kiss me again — and we're not even together!
I was almost at our room when someone suddenly hugged me from behind. I was about to scream, but he pinned me against the wall, blocking me with both arms so I couldn't escape.
"Where do you think you're going, wifey?" he teased, grinning.
"Your face is the only wife here!" I shot back.
"Would you like me to remind you that you called me 'Hubby' back on the island?"
Oh my God, why did he have to remind me of that?!
"I don't know what you're talking about!" I denied.
He leaned his face closer to mine, so I quickly turned away and pushed him back with my hands.
"You can't deny it. You even hugged and kissed me!"
I immediately straightened up and faced him. "That's not true!"
He was about to seize the chance to kiss me, but suddenly, David appeared from beside us.
"Seriously? You're so good at getting one over on Jay-jay," David commented, crossing his arms.
Keifer stepped away from me, still grinning as he turned to David. "I saw on the internet that jealousy is an illness. So get well soon, David." He said, walking away.
But before entering the room, he signaled "one" with his finger while looking at me.
1 profanity.
He is counting again. Let him count all he wants — I'll make sure he never gets to collect. He'll grow old waiting.
I turned to David, who was watching me calmly.
"Good morning," I greeted with a smile.
"Good morning too. How long are you going to let Keifer keep getting one over on you?"
I shook my head. "He's not. I can handle myself, don't worry."
"I know you can handle yourself. But not him."
I pouted. "B-because…"
He let out a heavy sigh. "Guess the only thing not fragile these days is a rock."
He turned around and entered the room first. I followed and was quickly greeted by the Snakes. We were almost complete, except for Denzel, who was probably still with his wife, who had just given birth.
Yuri was already in his seat, talking to Keifer. I decided not to greet him yet, just in case he suspected something was off with me and thought I knew something.
When I sat down in my seat, Ci-N gave me a sweet smile.
"Good morning, Kokey," he greeted.
I shot him a sharp look before flashing a fake smile. I even added a fake laugh, which he mimicked.
"You son of a… I won't treat you to snacks," I said, and his smile vanished.
"Just kidding. Geez, you can't take a joke," he said, trying to hold my hand, but I it pulled away. "Don't worry, you're prettier than Kokey. She's just more famous."
Irritated, I raised my hand to pretend to hit him. "You're such a tease."
He grinned widely, showing his gums. He really knew how to act cute after doing something wrong. Good thing I was fond of him.
"Jay…" Eman called me. "Want to join the gift-giving? We're planning to get something for Grazel."
"Sure," I quickly agreed. "What are you guys planning to give?"
"A house and a lot," he answered, and my smile faded.
"What do you take Grazel for? She's probably just a baby."
He chuckled softly. "Baby stuff. A crib, walker, stroller, and some toys too."
I nodded. That was a good idea. Grace hadn't been able to buy everything she needed for the baby. It would be a big help if we gave gifts.
"We're also planning to give cash to Denzel," he added.
"Alright, I'm in. How much is the contribution?"
"Whatever amount you can give."
I thought for a moment. I only had 200 on me today, but I could probably catch up with more contributions in the coming days.
"Does it have to be cash?" Keifer asked, making me turn to him. "I'll cash in 10 million."
Holy crap! This guy's pitching in millions.
It almost made me want to have a kid too. Would they chip in like this too? Would he give me 10 million?
"Chill bro, it's just for baby stuff," Felix said, sweating nervously.
"A baby doesn't need that kind of money yet," Eren said, scratching his head. "An adult might, though."
Exactly! Exactly!
"Just contribute it to us instead," Rory suggested.
"You know, Keifer, I got someone pregnant. Chip in for my future kid too. I'd be happy with just 1 million," Drew said with a grin, but Calix quickly smacked him on the head.
"That amount is baby-priced. If it were for an older kid, I'd give 100 million," Keifer said innocently. "Nothing wrong with that, right? I'm the godfather, after all."
"N-nothing wrong with that," Eman agreed, though it was obvious he was forcing it.
I heard Yuri laugh, making me look at him. "Grace might pick a fight with you if you give that much."
I smiled a little, seeing that Yuri could still laugh with his friends. I wouldn't deny that I was afraid David might be right—that Yuri didn't really see them as friends.
But he's wrong. His instincts are off.
"Yuri's right. And why would we still chip in if you're already giving that much?" Mayo said, sounding annoyed.
"Just match the amount we're giving," Kit suggested.
The other Serpents quickly agreed.
"How much are you guys giving?" the King asked.
"15,000," David answered, and we immediately protested.
It was like our stuff was about to fly straight at his face. his was more troubling than that idiot's 10 million offer.
"Idiot! We're not rich."
"Wait, I'll just sell my kidney."
"I hope you meant 15 pesos."
I hit him to make him come to his senses about the amount he said. He must've forgotten that most of us are broke and can't shell out that kind of money.
Would I be still be considered rich if I had an island but couldn't shell out that kind of money?
I still feel poor as hell.
"We could just give whatever amount we can afford," Ci-N suggested, and I nodded.
"How much are you giving?" I asked.
"If Drew pays me back, I'll give 10 pesos," he said, turning to Drew. "Pay me that 7 pesos you owe, and I'll contribute that to Grazel."
Drew immediately frowned. "Son of a…"
I was amazed at how much he was planning to give. We were about to debate over the contribution amounts, but Sir Alvin arrived. Eman told him about our plan, and he wholeheartedly said he'd join the gift giving.
We were delighted. Not all teachers would do that. Sir really looks out for us, even though we sometimes talked back and played pranks on him.
Our class started, but even through the next subjects, we kept talking about the gift giving. Some teachers just passed along their "congratulations" for Baby Grazel's safe delivery. It was obvious they were only congratulating Grace and not including Denzel.
Is Denzel really that bad?
They don't see that he's changed and is ready to step up as a father despite his young age.
Yes, he'd pushed Grace away before, but if they only saw what he was doing now, would they still call him a bad person?
When lunchtime came, the Snakes scattered, rushing to the cafeteria. The King didn't prepare anything today. That was fine because I needed a walk outside the classroom anyway.
"I'll come with you," Ci said, catching up to me.
"Aren't you going with your grandpa?" I asked, referring to David.
He pointed behind us. "He's right behind us."
I just nodded and kept walking. As we went down the stairs, David caught up along with an another Ulupong. I raised an eyebrow at him while Ci looked confused.
His craziness was acting up again.
"What?" asked The King Of Snakes.
"Why are you coming with us?" I asked.
He smiled. "I just want to."
I grimaced but let him be and continued walking. Since the silence was getting awkward, the annoying kid started asking questions and telling stories. Thankfully…
"I could probably give some of my toys to Baby Grazel, right?," he said.
"Your toys are expensive collectible items. Some of them aren't even really toys," David replied, and I remembered the toys he often bragged about to me.
"Of course, I'll give different toys."
"What kind of toys?" I asked.
"A PS4."
Different toys indeed.
We all turned to him and barely understood anything after our successive scolding.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Grazel is too young for that kind of game."
"That's not for her."
He just answered with laughter and a peace sign. He really couldn't go a day without making a scene.
We resumed walking until we reached the cafeteria. Some people turned to look at us and quickly whispered to each other. There were also some girls we passed by who tried to act cute in front of Keifer and David. Some greeted Ci-N, and he greeted them back.
I glanced at the line of students. Of course, the Ulupong gang wouldn't fell behind when it comes to food. They'd already cut into the line, and it was obvious a lot of people were annoyed at what they were doing.
I so wanted to call them out.
"Jay! Come over here!" Edrix called out loudly, drawing everyone's attention to us.
I wanted to slap him for stealing the spotlight. We quickly approached them, and while we stood in line, I felt something strange — like someone was glaring at me.
I subtly scanned our surroundings without being obvious, pretending to either look at other students or at dust particles on the ceiling. When I finally glanced toward the far end of the cafeteria, I caught Freya's hostile glare from her group.
I quickly looked away. I still hadn't talked to Edrix about that matter yet. That annoying girl was probably waiting for me impatiently. She seemed way too thrilled..
I bit my lower lip briefly. Watching Edrix in front of me, I raised my hand to reach for him but quickly withdrew it.
I didn't know what to say. But I needed to say something soon - that witch was getting impatient and might pick a fight with me.
Left with no choice, I nudged Edrix, who was standing in front of me. He turned to me and smiled mischievously.
"I'm not letting you cut in line. We're all hungry here," he teased.
"That's not it, you ulupong!" I replied, annoyed, and he laughed.
"I'm just kidding. You can't take a joke anymore." he said, leaning closer to whisper. "Maybe Keifer hasn't been sweet-talking you enough."
I elbowed him in the stomach for that last remark. He yelped in pain and doubled over, while clutching his belly. The sudden noise made people turn to stare at us.
"What's going on?" Keifer asked.
"H-He wouldn't let me cut in line," I made up as an excuse.
"Wow, it's scary not giving Jayjay what she wants," Rory said, patting Edrix on the shoulder.
Suddenly, Eren flashed a mischievous grin, his eyes practically sparkling.
He turned to the people in line and shouted, "That's what'll happen to you if you don't clear the way for us!"
It seemed like they got scared, and some immediately stepped aside to make way for us. I wanted to stop them, but other students avoided eye contact. Some left the line because they had no choice. Others were outright driven away by the Snakes.
I just slapped my forehead at what they did. And when the line cleared, the Ulupong gang rushed to the front like a pack of hungry tigers. I wanted to apologize, but Ci-N pushed me forward to order our food.
I just pointed at random items so we could leave quickly and let the people they shoved out return to the line.
"You guys are crazy!" I scolded them as we left the cafeteria.
"Your punch turned out to be a blessing in disguise," Edrix said with a laugh.
I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. He looked at me puzzled.
"We need to talk," I said seriously.
"What? It's fine. I'm not mad about the punch," he said, but I shook my head.
"It's not about that."
He became serious. "Did something happen?"
Even the other Ulupongs stopped and looked at me.
They were all too anxious.
"It's about Friend," I said and smiled.
The Ulupong members suddenly nodded and went "Ahhh" as if they knew exactly what I was talking about.
"No problem, guys. Let's head back to the room and eat," Eren said, walking away with a grin.
"Oh, it's just about Friend. Edrix has this covered," Blaster said, earning a glare from Edrix.
"Let's go… May he be blessed with courage," Josh said under his breath before turning away.
The other Snakes chuckled softly while shaking their heads. Keifer gave a small smile before walking away too, with the remaining Snakes following behind.
"Who's Friend? Isn't she our friend?" Ci-N asked, but David was dragged him away.
I saw Rory's wicked grin as he walked off.
Why did it feel like they already knew something?
"They don't know anything… right?" Edrix asked nervously.
"N-no… maybe," I replied uncertainly.
We walked and looked for a spot with fewer students. We ended up in the parking lot. I checked the surroundings before speaking.
"What about Freya?" Edrix asked impatiently.
"Well… Freya and I talked about something," I started, and he seemed to grow even more impatient. "Well… uh…"
"Did you say something about me?"
I shook my head. "But I did mention that someone has a crush on her."
His eyes suddenly turned sad. "She doesn't like it, right?"
"She accepted it!" I said, and his face lit up. "She's willing to give it a chance."
"NICE!" someone shouted, and I almost dropped the food I bought from the shock.
When we turned around, Rory's beaming face greeted us.
That damn gossip had followed us.
"You're amazing, Jay! This is Edrix's chance," he said like he was thanking me for a donation.
"Crazy! It just slipped out because of something that happened, but Freya doesn't know it's Edrix I'm talking about," I explained.
"That's fine! As long as our buddy has a shot."
"All we need to do now is prepare his courting-"
"I'm not doing it," Edrix cut him off.
Rory and I both turned to him, shocked. We were one step away from slapping him just to knock some sense into him.
Are you kidding me?! This is your chance!
"You're using the wrong words," Rory said.
"No, you heard me right," Edrix replied, and my shoulders slumped.
"But why?"
"Isn't it obvious? Because all I have is myself. Nothing else. I have nothing to brag about," he said and started walking away.
Whaaaatttt?
I'm dead meat with Freya. What am I supposed to tell her? That her suitor backed out? She'll be furious and might think I am a liar.
I ruffled my hair in frustration. "He backed out."
"No, Jay. He can't back out," Rory said seriously. "This is his chance to be happy." Then he looked at me with a devilish grin. "Leave it to me."
I lightly slapped him. He looked like a panty thief about to raid a clothesline.
"Ouch," he complained.
"You look like a crazy person," I said, then glanced at Edrix, who was already far away. "What are you planning?"
Rory also looked in Edrix's direction. "You know, a person's closet hides a lot of secrets."
I turned to him. Rory really knew a lot. Especially when it came to his friends' secrets.
Just how many secrets did this Ulupong know?