CHAPTER 372 - GET BACK
JAY-JAY'S POV
I'm grateful, and Kuya's hand is fast—he immediately snatched the envelope from me and hid it from Mama.
He's like a snatcher.
Wait... wasn't Kuya a snatcher before? He has a lot of sidelines. I wouldn't be surprised if he used to be one.
"It's nothing. Just something from Jay's school," he said calmly while looking at Mama and Aunt Gema.
"Alright. My order—call the police," Mama replied before turning her back and going inside the house.
"Don't forget Angelo," Aunt Gema added before following Mama.
Once they were gone, Percy bombarded me with questions like he was the police interrogating a suspect. His saliva even landed on me.
Can I snap his throat?
"What was that? What's in the envelope? Why did you suddenly go pale, Jay? Is something bad happening again? Do you have another enemy?"
I couldn't answer. All I could think about was chalk. Of the three people who wanted revenge on me, only one's left.
Ram without jam.
Sato's gone. I haven't heard anything from Jason. Now, it's only Ram who openly hates me. Unless… there are others who secretly do. But I haven't fought with anyone else—except for those gangsters. That's their fault. I've kept quiet.
"Jay, go back to your room," Kuya ordered, then pointed to Percy.
"And you, come with me."
I couldn't calm down as they both walked away. I just sighed and went straight to my room. I looked for my phone. I knew I had to tell Keifer what happened. And those photos—I couldn't forget them.
I shortened my message, just in case he couldn't handle a long one.
Sometimes his brain is slow. You know?
He's good-looking, sure, but sometimes he's brain-dead or deaf. I get chills thinking about how many times I've had to explain us. It's exhausting. This is our relationship now.
Batman can deal with the outcome.
When someone asks what we are, I just say whatever comes to mind. Maybe I'll say we're business partners—he's my boss, I'm the side hustle slave. Just don't let anyone tease me about it, or I'll disappear.
I reviewed my message, just in case I missed a detail. If I did, I'd delete and retype it. But I was too annoyed and tired of typing, so I ended up sending a short one:
To: King_deaf
Message: n@San fooDs QoUh? mUnt!k n@ Qou ma-k!DnAp. (Where's my food? I almost got kidnapped.)
[Note: Bingi means 'deaf' means King Deaf]
I laughed at his new contact name. I've changed it a few times now. Maybe next time I'll list them all or give him a savage nickname in my contacts.
As expected, he called immediately, and I answered right away.
"What happened? Are you hurt?" he said.
"Nope. Where's my food?"
Priorities. I'm hungry enough to fight a guy in a helmet.
"Does your cousin know what happened?" he asked again.
"He knows. He immediately brought me inside. There was also an envelope with my photo and a message on the back. What time are you bringing my food?"
"Another threat? I'll talk to your cousin about this."
"I noticed something in the pictures." I was stunned for a moment. Maybe I'm just making a mistake, and those pictures were taken without us realizing it.
"Is there something wrong? Is there an inappropriate shot of you?" he asked worriedly.
"N-Nothing. Maybe I'm just imagining things. Send me food—you promised."
I heard his slight laugh. "Yes, I will."
I said goodbye and hung up. I need to look at the pictures properly first. Maybe I'm just wrong.
Besides, if the pictures were taken of us, who among the Ulupongs took them? It's impossible for any of them to be a traitor. It's not like someone just grabbed them from the Ulupongs' social media posts.
Some of them are still busy posting. Even though our faces are blurred, they keep uploading. And they still get likes.
I opened Facebook and looked for Section E's account. I went through the photos they had been posting, one by one. None of them matched the ones I received. I also checked their Instagram and Twitter, but still didn't see anything. That means the picture was taken without our knowledge. But who took it? I don't remember ever being with someone we didn't know.
I don't want to think that one of the Snakes is taking the pictures and sending them to Ram. They all know what I went through with him. Would they really do something like that just to destroy me again? Maybe—if they want to see me lose it.
But who?
Maybe it was me, and I sent it to Ram. I swear, the things I do in life.
No matter how much I deny it, all the clues point to the Ulupongs. I want to roll on the floor. I feel like a terrible person for thinking badly of them.
I sat in my room for a few hours until I heard Aunt Gema call me. I quickly ran out and saw Mama in the living room.
"Someone delivered food. It's for you," she said and looked at me.
She was clearly sensing something was up, so I couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What are you doing with your life? Why do you always end up hurt or in trouble?" she asked, concern in her voice, even though she tried to sound annoyed.
I honestly don't know. Disaster seems to follow me.
"I don't know. Maybe this is what happens when someone really wants to see their dad. Maybe if I meet him, I won't keep getting hurt," I answered with a smile.
She frowned and turned away. I thought my excuse would work. But no—she's hard to fool.
Her name should really be "The Rock."
I went straight to the kitchen, hoping that's where they placed the food delivery.
I was right—and I caught Kuya Angelo and Percy already devouring my food like they did the shopping and delivered it themselves. My stepbrother even had one leg up on the chair.
That's for me! I hope they choke....just a little.
"Oh, there she is," Kuya said, moving closer to me.
They had opened the boxes of pizza and lasagna, chewing together like a tag team.
"It's mine! Why are you eating it?" I asked, annoyed.
"You're afraid we'll finish it before you get some," Percy replied before taking another bite of pizza.
Ugh. I wanted to strangle him. Couldn't they wait for me?
Thankfully, I was so happy with what the King of Snakes sent that my irritation faded. Three boxes of pizza and a tray each of lasagna, carbonara, and baked mac. He knows exactly what I love.
Are our brains connected? Probably not. I just hope he knows I've been replying to him for a while now.
"Did you tell Keifer what happened?" Kuya asked as he walked to the fridge.
"Yes," I answered without looking at him.
"That's why I rushed over."
I looked at Percy because of what he said. The kumag rushed here?
I threatened to hit him, but he dodged. "Run over there."
"He delivers what you eat," explained my cousin.
I looked at all the food in front of me. He actually brought the food personally, but why didn't he show himself?
I wish he were here to greet me. Where did you go?
"Where is he? Why didn't he show himself?" I asked with a hint of annoyance.
Kuya seemed to notice my tone, so he looked at me. I immediately looked away, placing my hand behind my ear.
"Is he required to show up for you?" he asked, annoyed.
I shook my head and simply took a bite of the gingerbread I had picked up.
"Sis, I already bit that."
Oh, putragis!
I stopped chewing and glared at my step-brother. I spat out what was in my mouth. I would've thrown a stone at him.
"Why is it still on the tray if you already bit it?" I asked, annoyed.
"My plate was full. Of course, I had to put it back there first. I knew you'd take it."
I got bored and placed the gingerbread I was holding on his plate. Even the one I spat out—I put it there too, which he quickly complained about.
"That's disgusting!" he said angrily as he removed what I had placed.
"You have a virus!"
I still have the virus.
"You're thick!"
I walked away from him to get a plate and fork. I looked at Kuya, who was still staring at me. It's like I'm always doing something wrong in his eyes. Unless my antics are considered wrong, then I'll accept his point of view.
Does the dead lizard in the bag count?
"Confess to me. What other nonsense did you do, and why is Ram so mad at you?" he accused.
"Y—You already know what I did to him, right?"
I couldn't help but feel nervous at his tone. Even though I know I haven't done anything wrong, I still feel bad.
Here we go again.
"What else?"
"Nothing really," I answered calmly.
There are days when Kuya is just too suspicious. It's like he always thinks he's being lied to. Was he traumatized by some betrayal?
I looked at Percy, who was glaring at Kuya Angelo. He took a sip from the glass he was holding, but he didn't take his eyes off my cousin.
"Why's your tone like that, Boss?" he asked seriously.
I don't know why, but his voice suddenly made me nervous. I've said it many times—when Percy gets serious, there's something different about him. Maybe I'm just too used to his jokes.
He's usually corny.
"I just want to make sure he's not hiding anything from me anymore."
"She already answered that. If you need more information, ask Keifer or Yuri. They were the first to meet Ram."
He and Kuya stared at each other. Unlike Keifer, I didn't see any challenge from him. Just calm—but clearly, he won't back down if it comes to that.
Too calm.
Kuya looked at me again. I moved slightly away from him. I might be the one he lashes out at next.
I'm not ready. I'm hungry.
"I want you to be honest so I can help you. So I hope there's nothing else you're hiding," he said to me before walking out of the kitchen.
I winced. I'm still hiding a lot from him—like the missing chocolates in their fridge every night. I know who buys them, but of course, it's not me.
Before he could finally leave, Percy added: "You're pushing them away. What you're doing is suffocating."
Kuya didn't answer and left for good. I went over to Percy and pulled his ear.
"Aray! What was that for?" he asked, annoyed.
"You're going to start a fight here at home."
I was afraid of what he might do. He smiled broadly at me. It didn't seem serious at first.
"I'm just afraid to start a fight and then my enemy turns out to be Angelo. I'd rather just go back to that cliff I mentioned."
I was afraid of what he said, so I hit him. I think he forgot that he almost died on that cliff. And now here he is, joking about it.
"Why?"
"Don't joke about what happened to you. It's scary."
He suddenly laughed. "My sister's concerned."
He even managed to make it sound cute. I was just embarrassed, so I smiled to make him stop. I grabbed something to eat and sat next to him. We ate together and talked a bit.
Lunch was over, but we were still in the kitchen. "Sometimes Angelo seems to be overdoing it with you," he said, making me pause. "It's right to be strict with you if something goes wrong. I'd do the same with Felix and Dalia if it happened. But he… he's even stricter than our father ever was with us."
Kuya's hurtful words came back to me. I accepted the rest because I knew I was wrong, but I couldn't help how I felt. When I answered him back, my conscience felt heavy.
Especially when I told him he's not my Dad. I remember how much that hurt him.
I don't want to question the way he treats me. He still takes good care of me. I have no reason to blame him for helping or caring for us. Sometimes, I even dream that he's my real brother.
But now, Kuya seems to be speaking to me differently.
I try not to think about it, because I feel like I don't have the right to feel that way about him. He's already shown so many times that I'm important to them too.
"When you feel like he's too much and you can't take it anymore, tell me. Even if it gets messy, I'll take you." he said seriously. "But only when we're ready for that kind of trouble. I'm not there yet," he added with a laugh.
I winced.
Sometimes, I really don't understand how his brain works. Maybe he's so full of wind, even his own mind can't keep up.
We continued to talk about Kuya. He told me how they first met. It was like Keifer's story in Kin No'n. He also shared adventures with the four of them and how Felix would sulk when he was away from home too long.
I laughed when he told me how Kuya used to carry him by the collar like a puppy.
Percy the Puppy. 🐕
Then I suddenly remembered the day Mykeliling beat Aries at school. Kuya came then, and that's when I heard from Yuri the gossip about Kuya's life.
"Do you know the story about him burning the school?" I asked my step-brother Tukmol. He thought for a moment. "Not exactly. I guess that was the time he disappeared from our lives."
"Kuya became distant with you?"
He nodded. "It's like we suddenly didn't exist to him anymore. Maybe he was just busy with his own life."
It seems like a lot happened to Kuya that they don't know about. After all, they couldn't be around him 24/7. Maybe Aries knows something but won't talk about it. He always gets mad when I ask. He says I care too much.
Then I ended up reporting it to Kuya.
"The one you should laugh at is Tiger. He's always the one who used to be with him."
Yes, aside from Sir Alvin, Tiger was also his friend from high school. That was when I confronted him after he and Doctor Claudia visited Kuya's unit.
And then, I drank glue after they left.
Hey, Keigan. I understand your pain, but I really hope it doesn't happen again—Keiren repeated.
We talked about a lot of things—mostly about school or Kuya Angelo. But throughout our whole conversation, he never mentioned my Dad. I don't know if he was just being careful, or if he had truly forgotten about my life and my father.
I also wanted to ask him, just in case. I thought maybe someone would hear me, and Mama would find out. Maybe she'd get really mad and not let Percy come over anymore.
It was late afternoon. He was still planning to eat dinner—if only he hadn't received a text from his mom... his real mom. We almost ran into Aries, who had just gotten home from school. He seemed to be in a hurry.
"Are you okay?" my brother's horoscope opened up to me.
Why don't you guess?
"I'm fine," I answered with a smile. I was about to turn away and head to my room, but he spoke again to stop me.
"Keifer told me what happened. Are you really okay?"
I blinked. It was a bit refreshing that Keifer actually talked to him. I hope it was casual and not one of those moments where they'd end up arguing again.
Wow, the frenemies actually talked.
"Yes, I'm not hurt."
He nodded. "That's good."
I didn't leave right away. I watched him for a bit and noticed he sighed. He looked really tired. It seemed like he did a lot at school—aside from studying and flirting with his girlfriend.
Maybe he cleaned the whole school. Maybe he's a janitor now.
He has so many side jobs. Aside from reading fortunes, he's also a janitor now.
Amazing.
Seems like only Kuya Angelo has more sidelines than him. That's why the rich keep getting richer.
Me too, I'll look for a sideline. Maybe I'll get rich. I'll sell food at school—though I probably won't earn anything since I'll end up eating it myself. I'll just sell mobile load credits instead. I might make money there. My schoolmates are rich—maybe they have multiple phones. That can be another sideline for me.
"What?" he asked when he noticed me staring at him.
"You didn't fight with Keifer, did you?"
He was clearly surprised by my question. "What makes you think we'd fight?"
"Aren't you always like that when you meet?"
He laughed. "Didn't we already tell you? For your sake, we've decided to talk again."
Right.
They'll only get along when it's about me. I'm hoping they're telling the truth. Because if they can agree now, maybe someday they'll really be happy together.
I know things won't be like before, because a lot has changed. But at least I know they're okay. You can still be friends with someone even if you argue a lot.
I just nodded and went straight to my room. I immediately checked my phone. I had messages from Keifer, Yuri, David, and the "Ulupong" group chat. They all just said HI. Some thought Blaster had messaged, but he didn't show up today. Maybe he's auditioning for something.
But of course, someone reminded us about the review session tomorrow at Sir Alvin's house. It's obvious no one wants to go, but we don't have a choice—Kuya Angelo arranged it. I kind of feel guilty because of that.
Kuya's stressed... all because of a dead lizard.