JAY JAY POV
Where was I actually going?
Certainly not to some imaginary husband's house—as much as I loved the way that lie made Keifer's brain practically short-circuit. No, I was heading to the only place that felt like a literal oxygen tank in the middle of my suffocating life.
I was going to Ben's.
My feet moved faster as I left the shouting and the "first boyfriend" drama behind me. My head was spinning with everything that had happened: Jenna's "happy family" trap, Jason rising from the dead, and Keifer acting like he owned every square inch of the pavement I walked on.
I needed a break. A real one. Before I actually lost the few marbles I had left.
Ben's house was the only place that didn't feel like a battlefield.
I knocked on the door, probably sounding a bit more frantic than I intended.
"What?" Ben's voice came from the other side. He swung the door open, looking at me with that signature "why-are-you-at-my-door" expression.
But as the door fully opened, my heart didn't just sink—it did a full-blown swan dive into a pit of despair.
"Hey, Jay!" Mia chirped, waving at me from the couch.
And sitting right there next to her? Robin. Looking way too comfortable. Looking way too... invited.
"You two are also here?!" I asked, my voice hitting that high-pitched, offended note that usually meant I was about to be a total brat.
I didn't even wait for them to explain. I marched over to the sofa and plopped myself right down in the middle of them, invading their personal space like a territorial cat. I made sure to take up as much room as possible, my casted hand resting awkwardly on my lap.
"Unbelievable," I muttered, crossing my arms. "So this is the secret hideout? This is where everyone goes when they want to avoid the Jay-Jay drama? I feel so loved. Truly. Someone call the press, I've been officially abandoned by my own crew."
I looked at Mia, then at Robin, giving them the dirtiest look I could manage.
"Is there a password? Do I need to show a ID? Or is 'almost being part of a crime scene' not enough to get an invite to the party?"
I leaned back against the cushions, letting out a heavy, dramatic sigh. Even though I was acting like the Queen of Grudges, a part of me was just glad to be there. But I wasn't going to let them know that. Not yet. I had at least ten more minutes of guilt-tripping to do before I could actually relax.
"Jay, they basically live here," Ben said, plopping down on the sofa with a bored expression that said he was 100% done with my drama. He made it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like the sky being blue
"Whatever," I muttered, sinking further into the cushions. I was still in full-blown tampo mode, but my eyes were already busy scanning the coffee table for some kind of comfort.
Then I saw it. A bottle of beer in Ben's hand. It looked cold, refreshing, and—most importantly—like the perfect thing to drown out the memory of Jason's fake death and Jenna's annoying face.
"Give me one," I said, reaching out my good hand toward the bottle. I was ready to drink my problems away until I forgot my own middle name.
"NO!"
The word exploded out of Ben and Robin's mouths at the exact same time. They sounded so synchronized it was like they had been rehearsing for a "Keep-Jay-Jay-Sober" choir.
I jumped, my eyes wide. "What the heck?! Why not? I'm the one who's stressed here! I'm the one with the broken hand and the trauma!"
"Forget it, Jay," Robin said, shaking his head so fast I thought his neck might snap. He looked at me with actual, genuine fear in his eyes. "We are way too young to meet our maker. We don't want to be hunted down and dismantled by the hands of Barracuda."
"Come on, guys! That was just one time!" I groaned, throwing my head back against the sofa. "One time! It's not like it's a daily ritual or something."
Ben didn't even flinch. He just took another sip of his drink and looked at me like I was a child trying to convince him that candy was a vegetable.
"Fine!" Mia huffed, standing up and heading to the kitchen. She came back a few seconds later and practically shoved a glass of wine into my hand.
I stared down at the red liquid like it was an alien life form. "What is this? I wanted a beer, not a fancy dinner party in a soap opera."
"They gave me wine too!" Mia complained, plopping back down next to me and gesturing to her own glass with a look of pure betrayal. "They're acting like we're at some high-society gala
I looked at Ben, then at Robin, my eyes narrowing into two suspicious slits. Both of them were acting so prim and proper it was actually starting to get on my nerves. Where were the troublemakers I liked to hang out with? Who were these two imposters?
"Wow," I said, my voice dripping with enough sarcasm to flood the entire room. "I'm genuinely impressed. Since when did you two turn into such 'gentlemen'?"
I gestured between them with my wine glass, a mocking smirk playing on my lips.
"Is there a hidden camera? Is this for a school project on 'How to be a Decent Human Being'? Or did the Barracuda finally scare you guys so much that you've retired from being cool and decided to join a chivalry club?"
Robin cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at me. "Jay, it's called 'survival of the fittest.' And right now, the fittest person in our circle is you. We're just making sure nobody gets murdered before the weekend."
"Unbelievable," I muttered, taking a tiny, spiteful sip of the wine. It tasted like "tampo" and missed opportunities.
We spent the next half-hour talking about complete nonsense—everything from our annoying teachers to the latest school rumors. But as much as I loved "sanctuary," my brain was starting to itch. The silence was nice, but my restlessness was winning the battle.
"Guys, I'm bored," I announced, abruptly standing up from the sofa.
Robin looked up at me, blinking in surprise. "What do you want to do now? You've only been here for like an hour, Jay. Can't you just chill for once?"
"My 'chill' button is broken, Robin. It was a casualty of the street fight," I snapped, though I was mostly joking. I started pacing the living room like a caged animal. I needed a distraction—something that didn't involve people shouting or checking for pulses.
Mia's eyes suddenly lit up, that dangerous, mischievous glint appearing in her gaze. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and waved it around like a magic wand.
"Tik Tok!" she squealed.
I frozen in place, a slow smirk spreading across my face. Tik Tok. The ultimate weapon of mass distraction.
"Oh, no," Ben groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Not again. Please. My house is a place of peace, not a studio for viral dances."
"Shut up, Ben!" I said, my mood instantly flipping from 'burdened by life' to 'ready for chaos.' I marched over to Mia, feeling a surge of excitement. "What's the trend? Is it a dance? A transition? Or should we just do something stupid"
Mia didn't even have to think about it.
"Lush Life," she suggested with a grin that matched mine perfectly.
"Yup! That's the one!" I snapped my fingers. I turned my head slowly toward Ben and Robin, who were currently trying to blend into the upholstery. "And you two? You're joining us. No excuses."
Ben looked at me like I had just asked him to jump off a cliff without a parachute. "Jay, seriously—"
"I haven't posted a single thing for two years, guys!" I interrupted, my voice rising in dramatic intensity. I put a hand to my chest, looking like a tragic starlet. "Two years! My fans—okay, my 40 million followers and my curious classmates—have to go absolutely crazy over my first comeback post. It needs to be epic. It needs to be legendary"
"Jay, no—" Robin started, but I was already in 'Director mode.'
"GET UP!" I shouted, grabbing a nearby throw pillow and swinging it with surprising accuracy.
THWACK!
I hit Robin square in the shoulder.
"Get up, both of you! Get the place ready! I need lighting! I need a clear background! I need you two to look like you're not miserable to be alive!" I yelled, swinging the pillow again at Ben.
"Ouch! Leche, Jay! Stop it!" Ben growled, shielding his face while Robin groaned like he was being sent to the salt mines.
They complained. They muttered under their breaths about how I was a tiny dictator. They made sounds that were definitely grumbles of protest. But they did it. They got up and started moving furniture and clearing the table, looking like the most reluctant backup dancers in the history of the internet.
I stood there, arms crossed over my chest, watching them work with a satisfied smirk.
"Perfect," I whispered to myself.
"3... 2... 1... Action!"
The music kicked in, and for a split second, I expected the total disaster of the century. I expected Ben to trip over his own feet and Robin to look like a glitching robot.
But then—they moved.
"I live my day as if it was my last..."
My jaw almost hit the floor. As the beat dropped, Ben and Robin didn't just 'move'—they literally transformed. The grumbling, reluctant 'servants' from two minutes ago were gone. In their place were two guys who apparently had been practicing their rhythm in secret.
They were perfectly in sync. Every shoulder pop, every hand movement, every sharp turn was executed with that effortless, cool Section E vibe. Even Ben—the king of 'I'm way too serious for this'—was hitting the footwork with a relaxed, smoldering look that was definitely going to break the internet. Robin was grinning, moving with a fluid confidence that made the dance look like it was made for him.
"Wait, what?!" I thought, trying to keep my own focus while my brain was screaming in confusion. "When did they become professionals?!"
I had to step up my game just to keep up with them! Mia was on fire, her movements sharp and pretty, and there I was, swinging my casted arm and trying to look like the leader of this surprisingly talented pack.
The three of them behind me were moving like a well-oiled machine. It wasn't just a TikTok; it was a production. The sharp energy of them
met the poppy beat of Lush Life, and the result was... honestly? It was terrifyingly good.
"Doing it all night... all night..."
As we hit the final pose, the room went silent for half a second. I stood there, gasping for air, staring at the phone screen.
"Did... did that just happen?" I whispered, looking back at Ben and Robin.
They both just shrugged, trying to go back to their 'bored' expressions, but I caught the small, triumphant smirk on Robin's face.
"You guys were... you were perfect!" I shrieked, lunging for the phone. "What the heck! You were holding out on me! You were better than me! I'm the main character, I'm supposed to be the best one!"
I watched the replay, and my eyes went wide.
The contrast was insane—two beautiful girls and two dangerous-looking guys doing a perfect, synchronized routine.
It was the kind of video that was going to get a million views in an hour.
"Oh my god," I gasped, clutching the phone to my chest. "This is it. This is the comeback. My followers aren't just going to go crazy—they're going to have a literal meltdown."
I looked at Ben, who was already heading back to his beer like he hadn't just been a pop star for fifteen seconds.
Leche. He really thinks he's slick.
"Next one!" I announced, my voice hitting that high-pitched "danger zone" that usually makes the boys' ears bleed.
I didn't even look at their protesting faces.
My thumb was already flying across the screen with the speed of a professional gamer.
I tapped the upload button with a victorious smirk, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline that only comes from being a total menace to society.
Caption: I'm back! 😉
"And... post!" I squealed, clutching the phone to my chest like it was a treasure chest. "The legend has returned! Bow down, citizens! Jay-Jay is officially back on the grid and she brought her personal bodyguards with her!"
Robin let out a groan so deep it sounded like his soul was literally packing its bags and leaving his body. He buried his face in a throw pillow, sounding like he was mourning his dignity.
"Jay, you're trying to get us killed," he muffled into the cushion.
"I need a break," Ben added, slumping back on the sofa like he'd just finished a marathon instead of a fifteen-second dance. Honestly, the drama with these two!
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. Leche. You'd think I had asked them to move a mountain instead of just doing a little footwork.
"Fine then, if you're both going to act like grandpas... pictures," I suggested, waving my hand at them.
"Now that is more like it," Robin said, suddenly reviving and sitting up straight.
We spent the next ten minutes turning Ben's living room into a photoshoot. No crazy choreography, no heavy breathing—just us being us. I took some solo shots too, because after two years of being a social media ghost, I had a reputation to rebuild.
I sat back on the sofa, scrolling through the gallery with Mia leaning over my shoulder.
"Jay, what are you going to put on the third slide?" she asked, pointing at the draft.
I chewed my lip, staring at the screen. "Probably just me," I muttered, still trying to figure it out.
Like, come on. Everyone knows the third slide is the most important part of the carousel. It's the one people wait for.
In the end, I decided to just keep it real.
The first slide was me—looking all "I-don't-care-about-the-world." But the rest? It was pure chaos. I included the one of me and Robin making ugly faces, Mia and I laughing so hard our eyes were closed, and a blurry shot of all of us—including a very reluctant Ben—holding up our drinks.
For the first time since I stepped into Ben's house, I felt like I could actually breathe
"And... post," I said, clicking the button with a satisfied smirk.
I threw my phone onto the cushion and leaned back, finally feeling the weight lift. "There. The queen has returned to her throne. Everyone can stop holding their breath now."
I was still riding the high of our TikTok comeback when Ben's voice cut through the air, sounding way too casual. Way too... suspicious.
"Jay, did Percy tell you about the surprise?" Ben asked, a smirk playing on his lips that made my stomach do a nervous little somersault.
I froze. "No," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "What surprise? And why are you smiling like you just won the lottery while I'm the one being sold into slavery?"
The room went thick with a sudden, heavy silence. Mia, who was usually the first one to blab about anything, didn't say a word. She just sat there, looking back and forth between us like she was watching a tennis match between two liars.
"What is the surprise?" I demanded, my patience wearing thin. I turned my glare toward her. "Mia? Do you know something?"
Mia turned to me, her eyes widening in indignation. "No! These assholes didn't tell me either!" she snapped, throwing a death glare at Ben and Robin. "I've been sitting here like an extra in my own life while they play secret agents!"
I turned back to the boys, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Is it a good surprise or a bad surprise?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. "And keep in mind, my definition of a 'good surprise' usually involves food and zero percent chance of me getting arrested or heartbroken."
Robin let out a short, cryptic laugh, leaning back as if he enjoyed seeing me squirm. "It depends on how you take them," he said, his eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and something I couldn't quite read.
"How I take them?" plural?!
Leche. My mind immediately went into overdrive. Was it a visitor? A prank? Was Percy finally coming home, or was he sending another 'gift' that would turn my life upside down?
"Dépends on how I take them?!" I practically shrieked, grabbing a pillow and looking ready to launch it at Robin's head. "That is the worst sentence in the history of sentences! Give me a hint before I decide that this friendship is officially on probation!"
Ben just chuckled and took a sip of his beer, looking way too relaxed for someone who was about to be interrogated by a very frustrated Jay-Jay. In this house, Percy's name was the only thing more powerful than my tampo, and right now, I felt like the punchline of a joke I hadn't even heard yet.
The "surprise" talk was officially eating my brain alive, and I wasn't about to sit there and let Ben and Robin smirk at me all night.
"I should go home. I have school tomorrow," I announced, pushing myself up from the sofa. I needed to escape before my overthinking reached level 99. "Bye!"
"Bye!" the three of them chimed in, sounding way too cheerful for people who were hiding secrets from me.
I stepped out into the night air, and almost immediately, the back of my neck prickled. The walk home usually felt short, but tonight, I felt like I was being watched by something—or someone.
"What the fuck," I hissed, spinning around on my heel.
Nothing. Just the empty street and the yellow glow of the streetlamps. But far back, tucked away in the shadows, I could see the silhouette of a car. It didn't move
"Great. Just great," I muttered, my heart hammering a rhythm against my ribs. I picked up the pace, my feet practically flying over the pavement until I finally reached my gate.
But as soon as I stepped inside, I realized I had just traded one nightmare for another.
"Jay."
I froze. Aries was standing there, his arms crossed and his face looking like a thunderstorm about to break.
"Where were you?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"I went to Ben's house na," I horizontal-spaced, trying to sound casual even though I felt like a criminal.
He didn't even give me a chance to explain. He marched toward me, and before I could dodge, he flicked my forehead so hard I saw stars. Then, he grabbed my ear.
"Aries! Stop!" I yelped, squirming like a worm. "Aray! Let go!"
"Are you stupid or what?" he barked, pulling my ear even higher until I was standing on my tiptoes. "Just last night a car almost turned you into a pancake, and now you're out wandering around? And you drank?!"
Shit. He saw the post. Note to self: block Aries from seeing my stories immediately.
"Have I ever told you what a wonderful brother you are?" I wheezed, my hand flailing as I tried to pry his fingers off my ear. "Truly! A saint! A model of sibling affection! Now let go before my ear falls off and I have to sue you!"
Leche. Between the mystery car and Aries' Kung-Fu grip, I should have just stayed at Ben's and slept on the floor. At least the floor didn't try to pull my ears off!
"Aries, let go of your sister's ear," Tita's voice rang out from the hallway like a beautiful angel of mercy.
The grip on my ear finally loosened, and I scrambled away before Aries could decide that my forehead needed another flick. I felt like a prisoner who had just received a last-minute pardon from the governor.
"Thanks, Tita! Love you!" I chirped, not giving Aries even a second to breathe.
I bolted toward her and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Before she could open her mouth to ask where I had been
"Goodnight! Don't wake me up unless the house is on fire!" I yelled over my shoulder.
I dove into my room and slammed the door shut, leaning my back against it and letting out a long, exhausted breath. Leche. My ear was still throbbing, my head was spinning from the "surprise" mystery, and I was pretty sure I was going to dream in TikTok transitions.
I didn't even bother changing into fancy pajamas. I just kicked off my shoes, threw myself onto the bed, and let the darkness take over.
But for now? The Queen of Trouble was officially offline.
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