Oh right, it's Saturday today. No classes, so no one should be waking me up early. What I don't understand is the way my bedroom door suddenly opened—almost slammed open by whoever it was—and that became the reason I woke up.
I looked at the traitor—whoever he was—who opened my bedroom door. Since the doorknob is broken, it's easy to open.
Aries... but I'm a Taurus!
"Get up already and eat breakfast," he said irritably, then immediately walked out.
"Abnormal," I muttered into my pillow.
I was forced to get up even though honestly; I still wanted to drown myself in bed. I actually had so many plans for today—like sleep, sleep, sleep, and more sleep.
I went straight to the bathroom to fix myself. I changed clothes before finally leaving my room. When I reached the dining area, they were all complete—and that includes Kuya Angelo.
Dead..
He was giving me a hard stare. I knew he must've heard about me skipping school for an entire week. Solid. Which meant my punishment would be solid, too. No doubt.
"Jay," Mom called me as I sat down. "Come with us and your Uncle Andy. We're going to check out the house we're moving into."
"Can't you go without me?" I asked, bored.
"Jay!" Kuya scolded me.
Is there seriously no one on my side in this house? Tita Gema would have been, but she can't go against Mama. Lola maybe, but she already went back to the province.
Looks like it's really just me against the world now...
I just lowered my head and kept eating. I couldn't fight back against them anyway.
Looks like I'm really being forced to go on this trip with Mama and her new husband. Nothing could possibly make this situation any worse… right?
"You're coming too, Aries," Mom added.
Whaaaaaatttt?!
"No way," Aries answered instantly.
Me neither!
"You're coming, Aries," Kuya said firmly. "Unless you want me to take your car back."
I could practically see Aries clenching his teeth to stop himself from lashing out. I wanted to burst out laughing. There was something so satisfying about not being the only one getting scolded for once.
But I really don't want to go with him.
"Since he's already going, maybe I don't have to come anymore?" I asked, and Kuya's eyebrows immediately met.
"You're coming." he ordered.
I waited to see if he'd tack on some threat like he did with Aries. But apparently he had nothing else to add. He can't take away a car I don't own, he can't cut my allowance because I just ask Percy for money—yes, I ask him!—and grounding me wouldn't even work since he barely comes home anyway.
"What if I don't?" I challenged.
My brother gave me a sharp look, clearly understanding that I was provoking him.
"If you don't come…" he started, and then his eyes narrowed mischievously. "…you'll sleep in Aries' room."
WHAAAAAAAT?! NO! NO! NO!
"I said I'm coming already," I answered quickly and turned my attention back to my food.
No one spoke after that. I went straight back to my room to shower and get ready. I didn't know where we were going, but I still brought money—just in case I got annoyed at them and decided to walk out.
Aries and I stepped out of our rooms almost at the same time. He didn't look at me and just kept walking. I knew he didn't want to be with me. Fair enough—I didn't want to be with him either.
"Ready to go, kids?" Andy the annoying one greeted us.
"Yes… I'm ready," Mom answered cheerfully, even clapping her hands.
Aries and I didn't say a word. We both looked equally bored and obviously pissed annoyed.
Nice! At least we had that in common.
"Drive safe, okay?" Tita said, then kissed Aries on the cheek.
She hugged me, and I almost didn't hug her back. I wasn't mad at her—just a bit hurt by everything that had happened—but I didn't want to push her away. She was my only ally at this point.
We all piled into Andy's SUV. My dear "horoscope brother" and I took the backseat. We sat as far apart as possible, both plastered against our respective doors.
We looked like we had some contagious disease and were trying to stay away from each other.
Well, he really is sick anyway—sick in the lungs and the brain. The impact on him is strong—it gets annoying sometimes.
As the car drove off, Mom and Andy kept chatting nonstop—mostly about their upcoming wedding. I was starting to lose my mind, so I grabbed my headphones and jammed them into my ears, turning the volume all the way up.
Ear-destroying music, obviously.
The drive took three hours, thanks to traffic—wow, great!
We finally arrived at an exclusive subdivision and stopped in front of a simple but beautiful two-story house. At first glance, it looked perfect for newlyweds. Not too big, not too small—just right.
I pulled out my headphones and got out of the car. Aries followed behind me, still looking like he wanted to punch someone.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Mom asked, smiling. "Your Uncle Andy designed it!"
Really?! So the annoying guy is a designer?
"He's an architect?" Aries asked.
He literally just said he designed the house!
"Yes… Right now, I'm handling our own firm," Andy replied.
"What's an architect?" I asked absentmindedly.
Andy was about to answer me, but Aries—being his annoying self—jumped in first.
"Someone who designs brains for idiots like you!" he snapped.
My eyebrows shot up at that. I was just asking a question because I wasn't sure—but that didn't mean I was an idiot.
"Oh, really?" I said sarcastically. "Since you're smart, what's my fortune today?"
"Fortune?" he asked, confused.
"Aren't you a Horoscope?"
He obviously got what I was implying, and his irritation flared up. He raised a hand as if to smack me, but before he could, Mom threw her arms around both of us.
"Picture time!" she announced, and I heard the camera click.
Ugh, great! Just perfect.
Shit! What kind of face did I make in that photo? I'm 100% sure I looked like a complete idiot.
I was about to go to Andy and grab his cellphone, but he opened the gate to the house and stepped inside.
"Come on! Come on!" Mom called excitedly.
Mom followed Andy inside, and Aries and I were left standing at the gate. I glared at him—It was his fault I probably looked stupid in that picture.
"Jerk," I muttered, though it seemed he heard it.
"You're an even bigger jerk!" he shot back.
"Horoscope!"
"Tomboy!"
"Gay!"
"Ugly!"
"You're uglier!"
"What time do you plan on stopping?" Mama cut in, staring at us irritably.
I didn't answer. I just stormed ahead into the yard. The space was pretty big, and there was a garage area, though it still needed some work.
Andy was at the door waiting for us. I stopped with my arms crossed and looked at Mama who was coming in behind me.
So annoying!
Why did I even agree to come on this trip? We weren't even doing anything useful.
My brother Angelo was so annoying sometimes. I couldn't tell if he was just getting revenge or if this was some weird punishment. Either way, it was ruining my mood.
"Hon!" Andy called out to Mom, handing her the house key.
Mom took the key eagerly, beaming like a model on a commercial. I only just realized that Andy was taking photos of her.
Ugh! A door model. Seriously.
"Okay, here we go… We're about to enter our future home," Mom announced dramatically as she slowly opened the door. "Tada!"
I peeked inside. Mom was the first one in, followed by Andy. I slowly followed behind them.
The house already had some furniture—like a sofa set still wrapped in plastic, a dining table, and a refrigerator. Andy flipped the light switch, and the lights came on perfectly.
It just needed people to live in it.
"Let's go check out the second floor," Mom said, leading the way.
She went up the stairs first. I followed, and just my luck, I ended up walking alongside Aries on the stairs.
"I went first," I said irritably.
"So what?" he shot back.
"It's Saturday... idiot!"
"Moron!"
Before I could respond, he had already reached the top of the stairs. I quickly chased after him, but his strides were too long.
When we reached the second floor, I saw another sofa set and a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. There were three doors that looked like bedrooms and one door leading to the terrace.
Mom held my hand and pulled me toward the first door.
"This will be your room," she said as she opened it.
t wasn't as big as my room at Aunt Gema's house, but it was enough for me. There was a cabinet and a study table too. A bed frame and a mattress still wrapped in plastic.
"And this one's for Aries," Andy said, opening the door across from mine.
It was the same as my room, but Aries didn't seem pleased. He crossed his arms and looked annoyed.
"Why do I have a room here?" he asked seriously.
"Of course, once we're all living here—"
"Wait a minute!" Aries cut Mama off. "...Are you saying we're going to live here too?"
Oh right… I hadn't even thought about that. Mama did say I'd live with them for a while, at least until I get married or something. But after everything I found out, that's definitely not happening anymore.
"Yes... but only for a little while. Just during your school breaks," Mama replied.
"No! That's never gonna happen," Aries said, shaking his head.
"Aries... I just want----"
"There you go again! What you want... what about what we want?" he snapped, cutting her off again.
"Aries," Andy said calmly, trying to stop him.
He stopped and gave Mama a harsh look. Then he turned to look at me briefly before suddenly walking down the stairs. The three of us were left just staring after him.
I understood Aries. It felt like she was making decisions again without asking for our opinions. As much as I wanted to protest like my Horoscope sibling did, I didn't.
Because I know she already knows how I feel.
Mama looked at me, about to say something, but I turned my back on her before she could. I walked straight out to the terrace and stared at the surroundings for a moment.
The feeling was painfully familiar.
I saw Aries outside, looking like he was talking to someone on the phone. He kept pacing, and even though I couldn't hear what he was saying, he looked extremely annoyed.
He glanced in my direction so I immediately looked away. I turned to look somewhere else, but all I saw were rooftops and power lines.
Ugly view…
I just went back inside. Mama and Andy were gone, but I could still hear their voices. They were probably downstairs. I went back to the room meant for me. I just looked around and kept looking even though there was nothing interesting.
When I got tired of staring, I finally went down. I saw Mama and Andy in the kitchen, talking. They both looked at me at the same time.
"Jay... What do you guys want to eat? Your Uncle Andy's going out to buy some food," Mama asked with a smile.
"I'll ask Aries," I said flatly.
I went outside to find Aries. It wasn't hard because he was still in the same spot where I had seen him earlier, still on his phone.
"What do you want to eat? They're going out to buy food."
"Whatever... as long as it helps fill your empty head!" he snapped.
Ugh, this guy is impossible!
"Then don't eat! Die there of hunger!" I shouted and stomped back inside.
Andy was already standing by the door, holding his car keys. It looked like he was waiting for my answer. But Aries didn't give me anything useful except another insult.
"He wants pizza and a bucket of chicken," I said.
He said anything—as long as my brain gets something in it.
I guess that's fine. At least my stomach and brain will be satisfied. Better than nothing.
Andy the Annoying left, and the three of us were left in the house. Mama and I were now sitting at the table. Aries had just finished talking to whoever he was on the phone with and sat down too.
We looked pathetic, just waiting for food to arrive. I think I'd already given dialogue to every ant that passed in front of me.
"It feels like we used to be like this before, right Aries?" Mom said, and I looked at them.
I couldn't remember a time when we'd all sat together at a dining table like this. I was only three years old when Aries was sent to live with Tita, I don't remember much anymore.
Aries lowered his head, one hand resting on the table. "Y-yeah..."
"You still remember?" Mom added, forcing a smile.
I couldn't relate.
"Of course, I remember..." Aries said, looking at Mom. "...I also remember how you used to hit me when I didn't follow you. I remember how you'd curse at me whenever I made a mistake."
His eyes slowly changed. What I saw now was anger. I wanted to cut in and ask something, but he might throw his anger at me instead.
"...I remembered it. I remember how you hit me with slippers, belts, or hangers. I remember how you called me 'useless,' 'stupid,' and 'brainless.' Well, let me tell you—I do have a brain because I remember everything you did!" he accused.
Mom couldn't respond. Even I was stunned by what I was hearing. I had no idea about any of this.
"...and you know what I remembered the most? When you made me sleep outside just because I left Jay-jay alone in the house!" A tear fell from one of his eyes. "...But do you even know the reason? Do you know why I went out and left Jay-jay alone?! Because I went out to buy her food! Because you weren't there to cook for her!"
He took a deep breath. "I did what you were supposed to do, but in the end, I was still the bad one!"
Mom took a deep breath, and that's when I realized she was already crying. She held Aries's hand tightly.
"I was just carried away by my anger... I didn't mean it." She said while continuing to cry. "...Please forgive me. I was still very young back then---"
"That's not an excuse!" Aries shouted. "...Jay-jay was the only one important to you! Why?! Because his dad is rich while mine was just a jobless bum?!"
Shit! I'm getting confused!
I know Aries and I have different fathers, but I had no idea about everything he was saying. I didn't know he went through all that with Mama.
Aries tried to pull his hand away from Mom's grip. He finally succeeded because of her weakness. Mom kept crying, and honestly, it hurt me even though it shouldn't.
"That's probably why you gave me up for adoption." Aries added.
Please stop... Please.
The heaviness of this conversation was too much. I stared into the distance and took a deep breath.
"Stop it, Aries." I said, and he turned his angry gaze toward me. "...Just stop."
"Aries..." Mama called him. "...I didn't want to give you up for adoption. I just had to, so I could take better care of Jay-jay. Your sister was sickly; she needed me more."
"And I didn't?!" Aries's voice was filled with resentment. "I didn't need a mother?! Is that it?!"
"Enough." I tried to stop them.
"I know you needed me... But please try to understand."
"It's always about understanding you! What about you trying to understand me?!"
"Just stop it, Aries."
I felt like I was about to lose it from their endless back-and-forth. My head hurt, and my chest felt so heavy. I expected there would be some arguments, but not this kind of painful blaming while digging up the past.
"I was useless to you! That's why you had me adopted!"
I slammed my hand hard on the table. "STOP IT ALREADY!" I shouted, glaring at Aries. "...FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!"
Even Mom stopped speaking. She wiped her face, which was soaked with tears. I heard her take several deep breaths.
"Stop blaming Mama for everything she lacked! In case you forgot, you're not perfect either!"
With me! "…The way you talk! As if you've never done anything wrong!"
From across the table, he grabbed the collar of my shirt. I stood up as he pulled my face closer to his. His eyes looked like they wanted to kill me.
"You have no idea what I went through—"
I cut him off."And you don't know what I went through either!" One tear fell from my eye on its own. "…I may not remember everything, but I know. I know it was hell!"But were you there to protect me?!
I didn't say those last words out loud, but I knew he understood. He understood exactly what I meant.
Slowly, he released me. We still didn't break eye contact.
"Ma…" I called out without breaking eye contact with him. "…Stop crying already. And if possible…"
"Don't expect that everything will ever be okay amongst us,"," Aries finished for me.
Silence filled the room between the three of us. I didn't know how long we stayed like that until Andy finally arrived with the food.
"D-did something happen while I was gone?" Andy asked Mama.
Mom just answered with a smile. If only you'd arrived earlier, you could've caught the whole drama.
You might've even bought popcorn while watching.