JAY-JAY'S POV
I cried. I wanted to cry out loud. Strong? Strong? Done. I acted like a baby—louder than Baby Grazel's cries.
"You see that?" Kuya Angelo asked, pointing at a store sign. "'Happy Bread' is wet over there."
I heard Aries' soft laugh, so I snorted.
"That! 'On Sale' is wet over there!" Kuya added, pointing to a billboard advertising a clothing sale.
"I know how to read," I muttered under my breath.
"You do? Amazing! When did you learn our language? How long have you been on planet Earth?" he teased, making my horoscope-obsessed brother laugh loudly.
"Big brother!"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"You thought your nonsense would go unnoticed?" Aries was still listening.
"I know you won't agree," I answered weakly.
"I heard you last night. And I'm giving you the same answer. It's still unsafe, Jay. Unsafe."
I didn't respond and chose to remain silent. If I argued, Kuya Angelo would only get more worked up. His lecture from last night would just continue. If only I could exchange all his sermons for food, I'd be the happiest person alive.
When we arrived at school, he even threatened me before letting me out of the car.
"Jay, come to your senses!"
I quickly opened the car door and ran into the school just to escape him.
That's right! My ears are bleeding from Kuya's endless sermon!
I admit I can be reckless, but sometimes, I have a good reason. I also know they don't trust me, and they won't allow me to do certain things, so I have to come up with excuses and strange ways to get around them.
I usually just endure Kuya's lectures, but sometimes, it gets exhausting. Is my stupidity really that bad for him to scold me this much?
I stopped walking when someone suddenly blocked my way. Before I could react, I bumped my face into his chest.
"Excuse me!" I said and tried to step aside, but he blocked my way again.
I immediately looked up at him, ready to glare—but instead, I was greeted by his LIPS. I dodged quickly, but his LIPS still brushed against my forehead. I immediately stepped back, clenching my fist, ready to punch the King of Snakes in the face. 😂🩷
"Are you crazy?" I snapped, but he just smiled sweetly.
"Don't drag me into your madness!"
"Good morning to you too," he replied.
I stared at him suspiciously. I didn't like the way he was smiling. It felt like he was up to something. He almost KISSED me, and since he failed, he was probably planning something even worse.
"What did you eat for breakfast that made you greet me like that?" I asked.
He chuckled. "Is it wrong to greet you?"
"Idiot! That wasn't greeting me!"
His smile suddenly vanished.
"Profanity," he said.
What?
My eyes widened. Before he could grab me, I immediately ran away. I thought that sly profanity rule only applied on the island!
"Don't come near me!" I shouted while running away.
I took big steps, even when climbing the stairs, just so I wouldn't be overtaken by that sneaky gnat. He would KISS again, but not us.
I was almost at our room when someone suddenly hugged me from behind. I was about to scream, but he pushed me against the wall and pinned my arms so I couldn't escape. 🔥❤️
"Where do you think you're going, WIFE?" he asked with a smile.
"Your face, wife!"
"Would you like me to remind you that you called me 'HUBBY' back on the island?"
Pow! Reminded already!
"I don't know what you're talking about!" I denied.
He gradually brought his face closer to mine, so I immediately turned away. I also used my hand to push him away from me.
"You can't deny it. You even HUGGED and KISSED me!"
I immediately stood up straight and faced him. "That's not true anymore."
He was about to seize the opportunity to KISS me, but David suddenly appeared beside us.
"Seriously? You're getting good at learning from Jay-Jay," he said, folding his arms.
Keifer stepped away from me and faced David with a smile.
"I read on the internet that envy is said to be a disease. So, get well soon, David," he said and walked away. But before entering, he made a gesture with his fingers while looking at me—one profanity. 😂
He was counting again. He was keeping track. I'll make sure he never reaches the final count. He'll be waiting forever.
I turned to David, who was calmly looking at me.
"Good morning," I greeted with a smile.
"Good morning to you too. How long are you going to let Keifer be alone with you?"
I shook my head. "Not long. I can handle it, don't worry."
"I know you can handle yourself, but not him."
I snorted. "W-because..."
He sighed. "I think a rock isn't so fragile now."
He turned and entered the room first. I followed, and we were quickly greeted by the Ulupongs. We were almost complete, except for Denzel, who probably couldn't leave his newborn wife.
Yuri was already in his place, talking to Keifer. I chose not to greet him first, just in case he suspected something different about me or that I knew something.
When I sat down, Ci-N smiled sweetly at me.
"Good morning, Kokey," he greeted.
I looked at him intently before giving him a fake smile. I even faked a laugh, and he followed along.
"Kingina, I won't give you free snacks," I said, making his smile disappear.
"Just kidding! It's not a joke anymore," he tried to hold my hand, but I pulled away. "Don't worry, you're prettier than Kokey. He's just more famous."
I glared at him and playfully threatened him with a punch. "You dare to piss me off."
He grinned widely, his gums showing. He really knew how to act cute when he did something wrong.
He was strong and good to me.
"Jay..." Eman called. "Would you like to join the giveaway? We intend to buy a gift for Grazel."
"Alright," I quickly agreed. "What do you plan to give as a present?"
"A house and land," he answered, and my smile disappeared.
"What do you think Grazel is, royalty? Maybe she's just a baby."
He laughed softly. "Baby stuff. A crib, walker, stroller, and some toys too."
I nodded. That was a good idea. Grace couldn't buy everything she needed for the baby, so this would be a big help.
"We also intend to give Denzel some cash," he added.
"Alright. I'll contribute. How much should I pitch in?"
"Whatever you can afford."
I thought for a moment. I only had 200 with me now, but maybe I could gather more money in the next few days.
"Is cash needed?" Keifer asked, turning to me. "I will cash the 10 million." 💸
How ridiculous! A million is just a contribution from the foolish.
I want to have children too. Will I also receive something like this?
Will he really give me 10 million?
"Just relax, Kei. It's only for the baby," Felix said, sweating.
"The baby doesn't need that much," Eren said, shaking his head. "It's good that the old man does."
Right! Right!
"Just contribute," Rory suggested.
"Keifer, you know, I'm pregnant. Help my future baby too. I'll be happy with just 1 million," Drew said, smiling, but Calix immediately hit him.
"That price is for a baby. If he were older, I'd give him 100 million," Keifer replied innocently. "There's nothing wrong with that—I'm his godfather."
"W-Whatever," Eman agreed, though it was obviously forced.
I heard Yuri laughing, so I looked at him. "Grace might fight you if you give that much."
Somehow, it made me smile to see that he could still laugh in front of his friends. I won't deny that I was afraid David might be right—that Yuri didn't consider them friends.
But he's wrong. His instinct is wrong.
"Yuri is right. Besides, why should we contribute when you're already giving such a large amount?" Mayo said, annoyed.
"Just follow the amount we're giving," Kit suggested.
Their Ulupong fellows quickly agreed.
"How much will you give?" their King asked.
"15,000," David answered, and we immediately protested.
Our belongings nearly flew at his face. It seemed like we had bigger problems than Keifer's 10 million.
"You idiot! We're not rich!"
"Wait, I'll just sell my kidney."
"I hope you meant only 15 pesos."
I immediately hit him to knock some sense into him. I guess he forgot that most of us are poor and can't afford to spend that kind of money.
Does owning an island make me rich if I still can't afford to spend a large amount?
I still feel poor.
"It's up to each person to decide how much they can give," Ci-N said, and I nodded.
"How much will you give?" I asked.
"If Drew pays me, I'll give 10 pesos," he answered, facing Drew. "Pay me 7 pesos, and I'll contribute that to Grazel."
Drew was immediately shocked. "Son of a—"
I was amazed at how much he was willing to give. We were about to argue over the amount when Sir Alvin arrived. Eman told him about our plan, and he agreed wholeheartedly to contribute to the gift.
We were happy. Not all teachers would do that. Sir truly cares about us, even though we've sometimes talked back to him and played pranks.
Class started, but the gift discussion continued. Some teachers simply extended their "CONGRATULATIONS" for Baby Grazel's safe arrival. It was obvious they were only congratulating Grace, as if Denzel wasn't involved.
Is that really how it is for Denzel?
They don't see that he has changed and that he is ready to be a father at a young age. Yes, he pushed Grace away before, but can't they see what he's doing now? Can they still call him a bad person?
When lunch arrived, the Ulupongs ran to the cafeteria. The King hadn't prepared anything today, but that was fine because I needed to step out of the classroom for a bit.
"I'm coming with you," Ci said, catching up to me.
"Aren't you going with your Grandpa?" I asked, referring to David. He pointed behind us.
"We're just following him."
I simply nodded and continued walking. We were heading down the stairs when David and another Ulupong joined us. I raised an eyebrow at him while Ci looked at him in curiosity.
His crazy mind started working again.
"What?" the King of Serpents asked.
"Why are you coming with us?" I asked.
He smiled. "I just wanted to."
I winced but let him go and continued walking. Since the little boy and I were known for being quiet, we started asking questions and telling stories.
It felt good…
"Maybe I can give some of my toys to Baby Grazel?" he said.
"Your toys are expensive collectible items. The others aren't even real toys," David answered, and I remembered the toys he used to brag about to me.
"Of course, I'll give her a different toy."
"What kind of toy?" I asked.
"A PS4."
That's a different kind of toy.
We both stared at him, and he barely understood anything from our repeated scolding.
"Are you crazy?"
"Grazel is too young for that kind of game."
"That's not for her."
He just laughed at us while holding up a peace sign. It's impossible for him not to have a witty remark.
We kept walking until we reached the cafeteria. Some people turned to look at us and quickly started whispering. Some of the girls who had been at the funeral immediately found Keifer and David cute. Others greeted Ci-N, and he greeted them back.
I glanced at the line of students. Snakes really don't hold back when it comes to dining. They had already cut into the queue, and it was clear that many people were angry about it.
They really do know how to eat.
"Jay! Come on!" Edrix called out loudly, looking at us.
I wanted to slap him for drawing attention. We quickly approached them, and while standing in line, I felt something strange—like someone was watching me with hostility.
I shifted slightly so no one would notice. I pretended to casually look at the students or the ceiling. When I turned towards the back of the cafeteria, I met Freya's cold, piercing gaze.
I immediately looked away. I hadn't even talked to Edrix about that yet. I was probably waiting for the right moment to gauge her reaction.
That idiot looked excited.
I bit my lower lip, watching Edrix for a moment. 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 impatient—she might even start a fight with me.
With no other choice, I grabbed Edrix, who was standing in front of me. He looked at me and smirked teasingly.
"I won't steal your food. We're just as hungry as you are," he said.
"That's not what this is about," I replied, annoyed. He laughed.
"Just joking. You're no fun." He leaned in and whispered, "Keifer probably hasn't touched you yet."
I smacked him for that last comment. He yelped in pain, doubling over while clutching his stomach. People quickly turned to look at us.
"What's going on?" Keifer asked.
"H-He doesn't want to stand in line," I blurted as an excuse.
"Terrifying! It's dangerous not to give Jay what she wants," Rory said, patting Edrix on the shoulder.
Eren suddenly grinned mischievously, his eyes twinkling.
He turned to the line and shouted, "That's what will happen to you if you don't get out of the way!"
Some of the students looked scared, and a few immediately stepped aside to make way for us. I wanted to stop them, but the other students were already looking away. Some even left the queue because they had no choice. One person was actually shoved out of line by another Ulupong.
I slapped my forehead in frustration at what they had done. And as the line disappeared like fleeing prey, the sneaky snakes ran to the front. I was about to apologize when Ci-N pushed me forward to make my choice.
"What I taught was just so that those who were kicked out could immediately leave and return to the queue.
"You crazy people!" I said, annoyed, as we left the cafeteria.
"Blessing in disguise that you punched me," Edrix said with a laugh.
I grabbed his arm before he could get away from me. He looked at me strangely.
"Let's talk," I said seriously.
"What are you doing? I'm fine. I'm not mad at you for punching me," he said, but I shook my head.
"It's not about that."
He became serious. "Did something happen?"
The other Ulupong also stopped and looked at me. They seemed too nervous.
"It's about Fre-Friend," I answered and smiled.
The snakes suddenly nodded. They even "ahhed" as if they knew exactly what I meant.
"No problem, guys. Let's go back to the room and eat," Eren said and walked away with a smile.
"It's just Fre-Friend. Edrix can handle that," Blaster said, and Edrix immediately shot him a glare.
"Come on... May he be blessed with courage," Josh muttered and turned around.
The other Ulupong chuckled softly, shaking their heads. Keifer smiled briefly and walked away, followed by the other Serpents.
"Who is Fre-Friend? Aren't we his friends?" Ci-N asked as David tried to pull him away.
I could clearly see Rory's silly grin as he walked off. Why do I feel like they already know something?
"They don't know anything... do they?" Edrix asked me nervously.
"W-well... nothing... I guess."
We walked until we found a place with fewer students. We went to the parking lot. I looked around before speaking.
"What about Freya?" he asked impatiently.
"Freya and I talked about something," I started, but he already looked bored.
"What… because…?"
"W-did you say something about me?"
I shook my head. "No, but I mentioned that someone likes her."
His expression immediately fell. "She doesn't want to, does she?"
"She accepted," I said, and his face lit up. "She's willing to give it a chance."
"NICE!" someone suddenly shouted, making me almost drop the food I was holding.
When we looked back, Rory was grinning ear to ear.
Such a gossip.
"You're amazing, Jay! This is Edrix's chance!" he said, as if he had just received a great blessing.
"Damn! Something just happened because I mentioned it, but Freya doesn't know I was talking about Edrix," I explained.
"That's fine, as long as our guy has a shot."
"Now all we need to do is prepare for the courtship—"
"I won't," Edrix interrupted.
Rory and I turned to him at the same time. We were both tempted to slap him just to make him realize what he had just said.
Queen! This is your chance!
"You used the wrong word," Rory said.
"No, you heard me right," Edrix replied, his tone firm.
"But why?"
"Isn't it obvious? Because I have nothing to offer. Nothing to be proud of," he said and started walking away.
Whaaaattt?!
I'm obsessed with Freya. What do I say? Has her lover backed out? That will make me mad, and he might think I'm lying.
I ran a hand through my hair. "He hated it."
"No, Jay. He can't just refuse," Rory said seriously. "This is his chance to be happy." He looked at me and smiled mischievously. "Leave it to me."
I slapped him lightly. He looked like a panty thief caught in the act.
Still, his confidence was impressive.
"Oh, come on!" he complained.
"You look crazy," I muttered, glancing at Edrix, who was now far away. "What are you planning?"
Rory followed my gaze. "You know, a man's closet holds many secrets."
I looked at him. Rory knew a lot—maybe even more than he should.
Just how much does the Snake know?