I rolled in at 7:30 PM, my bag bouncing against my shoulder. Curfew had passed, but Mason had kept me longer for some "urgent corporate secrets" chat. Typical. My stomach growled in protest, but I forced a grin. Survival first, dinner later.
"Jay! You're late again!" Angelo's voice cut through the air like a whip. I froze, giving him the most innocent wide-eyed look I could muster.
"Kuya Angelo…" I whispered, scared enough that my knees almost wobbled.
Aries leaned against the wall, grinning like the entire scene was his personal comedy show. "Look at her, Tita… the famous Jay, late as usual. Piggy and sloth combo, my favorite. You're making a habit of breaking curfew now!"
Tita's eyes darted between Angelo and me, worried but trying to stay calm. "Jay, dinner's ready. You should eat before…"
I forced a grin, hoping it would mask my exhaustion. "Yeah, sure… dinner… right after I survive the scolding."
Aries smirked, sliding me a plate like he was feeding a trapped animal. "Here, Piggy. Eat before I turn you into a buffalo for real." 😏
I stuck my tongue out. "Keep dreaming, Aries."
Dinner passed in a blur of sarcasm, teasing, and careful tiptoeing around Angelo's strict gaze. Every bite of food felt like a tiny victory. Once done, I headed to my room, groaning at the thought of studying late. Notes, exams, chaos—the perfect storm.
Morning Madness
The next morning, Aries returned as my personal alarm clock and tormentor.
"Wake up, Piggy! Sloth alert! Are you still asleep, buffalo?"
I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. "I swear, one day I'll… one day…"
Aries smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe. "One day what? Survive school without me calling you every animal in the dictionary?"
I glared at him, dragging myself out of bed. "Not today, troll."
He winked. "Sure, sure. Now hurry up—we're picking up Ella too. Don't want you slacking on the way."
I sighed dramatically, making my usual exaggerated faces as we drove. Aries smirked even more when he dropped Ella off. My disgusted, theatrical glare earned him full bonus points for smugness.
Chaos at School
Arriving at school, I bolted toward the Section E building, ignoring the chorus of "Jay, wait!" from overly eager classmates. The halls were chaotic as ever—laughter bouncing off walls, students running in every direction, and the faint smell of cafeteria food lingering like a battlefield.
Then came the announcement: Final Exam dates released!
Rory threw his pencil in the air. "THIS IS IT! THE ONE! THE UNIVERSITY DECIDER!"
Edrix groaned, burying his head in his hands. "I don't think my brain was ready for this kind of trauma!"
Cin, dramatically clutching his chest, whispered, "I can feel my soul leaving my body…"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't tell me you all are going to cry over a sheet of paper. We've survived worse—like Rory doing gymnastics on lunch trays."
And then, of course, Keifer arrived late. Skidding to a stop beside me, he puffed out his chest like a soldier entering battle.
"Traffic…" he muttered, his grin teasing, but his eyes sharp. Something serious lurked beneath that smirk. He hadn't just been dropping his brothers off—he had been with Angelo and the League, discovering Yuri's hitlist targeting me.
I narrowed my eyes. "Traffic at this hour? Really?"
"Exactly," he said, flashing that infuriating smirk. "Deadly potholes, jaywalking pigeons, suspicious squirrels… and a rogue ice cream truck nearly ran me over. Survival of the fittest, Jay."
I elbowed him lightly, grinning. "Future husband material, huh?" 😏
He laughed, leaning closer. "Only for you. Don't make anyone else jealous."
I rolled my eyes, smirking. "Keep dreaming, Keifer. And try not to make the squirrels jealous too."
Section E Chaos
Inside Section E, the chaos reached maximum levels. Rory had turned his notebook into a fortress of pens, Edrix was attempting to balance a pile of textbooks on his head, and Cin was… well, fainting dramatically every time someone mentioned exams.
"Jay! You're supposed to help with chemistry!" Rory shouted, swinging a pencil like a lightsaber.
"Or I could just eat it," I replied, brandishing my spoon like a weapon. "Efficiency, people. Efficiency!"
Keifer sighed, flipping through his notes but constantly glancing at the door, alert as ever. I noticed but shrugged. "Relax, it's just group study… mostly."
"Where's Yuri?" I asked, scanning the room for the broody one.
Rory shrugged. "Probably brooding somewhere… plotting doom."
Keifer's jaw tightened. "He's not here. And let's keep it that way."
I smirked, trusting him. "Good. I like my brooding friends imaginary, thank you."
As chaos reigned, Keifer leaned close, whispering in that infuriatingly perfect, teasing tone:
"Keep being sassy, chaos commander. I'll make sure no one explodes the house—or school—before finals." 😏
I elbowed him. "You worry too much."
"Never enough," he replied, grinning.
Rory tripped over Edrix's textbook tower, screaming, "I didn't touch it!"
Cin fainted into a pile of notes, dramatically gasping, "This is the end of me… THE END!"
I laughed, shaking my head. "And this, my friends, is why I love Section E chaos."
Deep down, though, I knew Yuri, the hitlist, and the League were out there. But tonight, in this moment, I had Keifer watching my back, Section E creating mayhem, and somehow, it all felt manageable.