JAY-JAY POV
Today's the day I go back to school.
But I'm not walking in as the JayJay they remember — quiet, tomboyish, easy to overlook.
I'm going back as me.
The old JayJay. Confident. Girly. Unbothered.
I stood in front of the mirror, brushing foundation over the bruises that hadn't fully faded. Lined my eyes sharp. Glossed my lips. Not to hide — to reclaim.
My uniform was crisp, but I added a Kuya Jare's fitted jacket over it. Something bold. Something that said, I'm not the same girl you left behind.
They don't know what I've survived.
But they're about to see who I've become.
I came downstairs like a plot twist.
Uniform crisp. Jacket sharp. Lip gloss lethal. The hallway went silent like someone had hit pause on reality.
Percy choked on his coffee.
Jare dropped a screwdriver and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "What the hell."
Luna gasped, then clapped like she'd just witnessed a miracle.
"Okay," Percy said, blinking. "Who are you and what did you do with my emotionally unstable sister?"
"Correction," I said, grabbing toast. "Still unstable. Just prettier now."
Jare squinted. "You're wearing eyeliner."
"And heels," Luna added, eyes wide.
"Is this a threat?" Jare asked.
"Obviously," I said. "I'm threatening the entire school with my existence."
Percy stood up. "You're not seriously going back like that."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to wear a hoodie and cry in the bathroom again?"
"No," he muttered. "I just wasn't prepared for… this level of vengeance."
Luna leaned against the counter. "This is the kind of energy that makes people rethink their life choices."
"I am people's life choices," I said. "The bad ones. The unforgettable ones. The ones that come with emotional damage and a killer jacket."
Jare groaned. "You're going to cause a scene."
"Good," I said. "Let them stare. Let them whisper. I'll give them something worth talking about."
Percy tried to argue, but Luna cut in. "She's sunshine with a side of chaos. Let her burn."
I tossed my bag over my shoulder. "I'm not just going back to school. I'm going back to ruin someone's day."
"Just one?" Jare asked.
"I'm pacing myself," I said. "Can't emotionally devastate the whole school in one morning. That's greedy."
Luna handed me a water bottle. "Hydrate before you annihilate."
Percy threw a napkin at me. "Try not to get suspended."
"No promises," I said, already halfway to the door. "Also, someone tell me who's dropping me off. I'm not walking in heels unless it's to stomp on someone's ego."
Jare grabbed the keys. "I'll drive."
"Perfect," I said. "You can witness the chaos firsthand."
And as I walked out — heels clicking, sarcasm loaded, chaos trailing behind me — I knew exactly who I was.
Not fixed.
Not healed.
But dangerous.
And finally, finally, me.