Jay Jay's POV:
If anyone asks me how I slept last night? The answer is simple.
I didn't.
My eyes? Red. My hair? Tragic. My brain? Still screaming "Stop messaging me" like it's a cursed ringtone. Thanks a lot, Yuri. Now I look like a zombie extra in a low-budget horror film. And I blame you.
Aries bangs on my door like he's the landlord and I forgot rent. "Jay! You're going to be late!"
"I'm already late to LIFE," I yell back, muffled into my pillow.
Silence. Then, sharper: "Get. Up."
OH MY GOD. Horoscope, please.
I drag myself out of bed, throw on my uniform, brush my teeth half-asleep, and wrestle my hair into something that sort of resembles human effort. Bag, check. Shoes, check. Dignity, missing.
When I slump into the dining room, Kuya Angelo is already there, sipping coffee like he's in a commercial for "CEO Mornings." He lowers the mug, eyes zeroing on me.
"You look terrible."
"Wow. Thank you. Truly the pep talk I needed."
"Are you still messaging—"
"BYE!" I grab toast, bolt for the door. "Gotta go school's waiting okay thanks bye!!!"
I don't wait for the follow-up lecture. If I did, I'd still be trapped in the dining room by lunchtime.
I open the door to sit at the back seat cause ofc the front seat is saved for his perfect girlfriend
"Are we picking your girlfriend up?" I ask casually
"Yes obviously"
I glance at the window as Horoscope takes the car out of the driveway
Aries doesn't even blink. He just adjusts the rear-view mirror like I don't exist. Classic.
We drive in silence for a while, and my brain won't shut up. Yuri's message flashes in my head like a neon sign: Stop messaging me. It's not safe.
Safe from what? Safe from who?
I tug my phone out, thumb hovering over his name. Should I? Should I not? Kuya would kill me. Aries would probably confiscate my SIM card and ground me till I'm thirty. But if Yuri's in trouble—
"Put the phone away, Jay." Aries's snaps "Stop messaging Yuri! You don't want to get into his problems"
Excuse me? He is MY friend I need to help him and support him through anything his is going through!
My soul jumps out of my body. "I— I wasn't— I was just— checking the time!"
"Checking the time on the lock screen that says 'Pres. Yuri'? Try again. You really don't want me to tell Kuya trust me!"
"How do you-" I look behind me to see that Aries's probably cleaned his car windows cause damn they are reflecting alot... maybe a bit too much.
He pulls up near Ella's house as she sits in the front seat.
Perfect hair, perfect uniform, perfect smile. She slides into the passenger seat like she's the main character of a drama, and the car instantly smells like flowers.
"Morning," she says sweetly. "Jay Jay, you look… tired."
Translation: You look like a zombie crawling out of a dumpster.
I mean she isn't lying
"Thanks," I mutter. "It's my aesthetic."
She rolls her eyes as she kisses my brother. What the flip!!??
"Ewww!! At least be considerate that your sister is in the car!" I look at the horoscope.
"You can't even be talking you and Keifer" Ella looks at me as if she just won.
UGHH WHAT THE FLIP!?
"Excuse me-" I need a comeback I need a comeback!!
Ella smirks like she already knows the burn is coming. "What?"
"WHATEVER!"
The rest of the ride was in silence
And by silence, I mean the kind of silence that makes your brain spin faster than the tires on Aries' car.
I stared out the window, trying to convince myself that the trees, the passing cars, and the occasional stray dog were more important than the chaotic swirl of thoughts in my head.
Yuri hasn't replied. He said it's not safe. Stop messaging him. But what does that even mean? Is he okay?
I squeezed my phone in my hand like it was a lifeline, pretending to check the time on the lock screen, but really… I was waiting for the little "typing…" bubble to appear.
The car finally screeches to a stop in front of the school.
I grab my bag, triple-checking that my phone is still in my pocket. Still there. Good. Alive. Safe…ish.
On the surface, school is "normal."
I enter the room as I see the regular chaos
Ci-n is balanced on one leg pretending to be a flamingo. Felix is narrating it like it's a wildlife documentary. Calix is on his phone texting someone (most likely Mica).
And me?
I walk in and smile like, haha yes everything is fine… but inside? Inside I'm one "Jay, where's Yuri?" away from exploding.
I slide into my seat, clutching my bag close. My phone burns in my pocket, screaming at me: check me, check me.
But no. Not here. Not with Keifer—
And speak of the devil.
He's already in his seat, leaning back like he owns the place. Cool. Calm. Eyes flicking up just once—at me.
I freeze.
He looks away, but not really. His smirk tugs just slightly, like he already knows I'm hiding something.
OH. MY. GOD. Not today. Not with those eyes that can read minds.
I slam my books onto my desk, way louder than necessary. "GOOD MORNING!"
Half the class jumps. Ci-n falls off his flamingo stance. Felix laughs so hard he nearly drops his phone.
Edrix narrows his eyes at me. "Since when do you sound that cheerful?"
"Since always!" I squeak. "I'm a beacon of positivity. Sunshine. Rainbows. Unicorns. That's me."
Suspicious silence.
Even Rory raises a brow. "You sure? You look like you saw a ghost."
"I didn't!" My laugh is way too loud. "I don't even believe in ghosts!"
They all stare.
Great. Perfect. I've officially made myself more suspicious.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Keifer again. Arms crossed. Watching. Not saying a word.
My stomach flips. Nope. I need to move before he corners me with that 'what are you hiding, Jay?' tone.
I slide my chair closer to Edrix and Rory. "Sooo, random question… Have you guys seen Yuri lately?"
Both of them blink.
Rory tilts his head. "Why?"
"Wh-why?" I laugh, way too high-pitched. "No reason! Just asking. Friendly curiosity. Totally casual."
Edrix narrows his eyes. "You've been weird all day."
"I'm always weird."
"Yeah, but this is extra weird."
Rory tilts his head. "What's going on, Jay?"
My brain explodes. DEFLECT! DEFLECT!
"HEY!" he yells, crumbs flying.
Rory frowns. "You never ask about Yuri. Not unless…"
I choke. "NOT UNLESS WHAT?!"
Edrix leans closer. "Not unless something's wrong."
OH MY GOD. These two should be detectives.
"Nothing's wrong!" I insist, "Totally fine. Everyone's fine. I'm fine. Yuri's fine. The weather's fine. Fine fine fine!"
They just stare at me. Deadpan.
I keep checking my phone. Every. Five. Seconds. No new messages. No "sorry I scared you." No "just kidding." Nothing.
"Jay Jay!" Ci-n smacks me on the arm with a ruler. "Why are you zoning out like a sad goldfish?"
"I'm not zoning out," I snap. "I'm… thinking."
"About Keifer?"
I throw the ruler at his head. He dodges. "OW, abusive best friend!"
"Shut up!"
The rest of Section E cracks up. Great. Totally subtle, Jay.
Inside, though, my stomach twists. Something feels off. Yuri's been gone too long. Too quiet. And the paper I saw in his pocket at Drew's house—it wasn't just nothing. I know it. He's hiding something.
And I need answers.
At the corner of my eye I see Keifer, he isn't smirking like he would but looks worried...
Did Rory and Edrix tell him I asked about Yuri!? I should have known that everyone in section e are secret Keifer spys. Seriously Jay!? What were you thinking!
I should've known. He always notices.
I'm sitting in class, staring blankly at the chalkboard, when a shadow falls across my desk.
I nearly fling my pen across the room. Of course it's him. Keifer slides into the seat beside me like he owns the place.
"You're jumpy," he says casually.
"I'm not jumpy!"
"You're definitely jumpy."
"Stop saying jumpy!"
"See? You're proving my point."
OH MY GOD. Somebody bury me.
"I'm fine," I hiss. "Completely fine."
His eyes narrow, scanning me like an X-ray machine. "Then why do you keep checking your phone?"
My soul yeets itself into space. "Wha—phone? Who? Me? Never! I hate phones. Disgusting inventions. Ew. Boo. Phones bad."
He raises a brow. "Jay."
OH NO. That tone. That soft but serious Keifer tone. Abort mission. Retreat. Run.
"I—I need to sharpen my pencil!" I blurt, bolting out of my chair with the speed of lightning.
"Jay, it's a pen."
I keep walking. Don't look back. Survive.
I beeline straight for the door, ignoring the fact that my so-called pencil is clicking like a very obvious pen in my hand. My classmates barely even notice—they're too busy with Ci-n balancing a ruler on his nose and Felix giving a full play-by-play like it's the Olympics.
Perfect cover. Thank you, chaos.
I lean against the hallway wall, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart is doing parkour, my brain screaming: Abort mission, Jay! He knows! He always knows!
"Running away again?"
I freeze.
No. Nope. Not possible. I turn my head slowly—
—and of course. Keifer. Standing there. Arms crossed. Leaning against the lockers like some kind of villain out of a teen drama.
"How did you—?!" I sputter. "You were just—inside—"
He shrugs. "I have my ways."
Not this again. Not the I have my ways!
"I wasn't running away," I say quickly. "I was… uh… scouting the hallway for suspicious activity."
"Oh?" His eyebrow arches. "Find any?"
"Yes! Totally. Uh. Dust."
He almost—almost—smiles, but it's not the usual smug grin. It's softer. Wary. "Jay… you're hiding something."
My stomach plummets. "I'm not—"
"You asked about Yuri," he cuts in quietly.
My throat dries up. "N-no I didn't."
"Rory and Edrix aren't exactly subtle." His voice dips lower, gentler now. "If something's wrong with him… you'd tell me, right?"
I open my mouth. Nothing comes out. My chest twists because—oh god—he's not teasing me this time. He's actually serious. Concerned.
I swallow hard, forcing a shaky laugh. "You worry too much. I'm fine. Yuri's fine. We're all fine."
But Keifer doesn't look convinced. His gaze lingers, heavy, like he's trying to read every crack in my words.
Before he can press further—
RIIIING.
The bell saves my life. Again.
"Class!" Sir Alvin's voice booms from inside.
I practically bolt back into the room. Safe. For now.
But my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I don't dare look. Not with Keifer sliding back into the seat beside me, eyes still sharp, still suspicious.
Oh no. Ohhh no.
I'm so dead.