Jay-Jay's POV
Florida was supposed to feel like a fresh start.
New place. New air. No Section E.No Keifer.
But after a few days…I realized something I never thought I would:
Florida is boring.
Not the beaches or the food — those were great — but me.I was bored of myself.Every day felt the same. Wake up, watch TV, walk around the neighborhood, try to pretend I'm not thinking about everything I left behind.
I thought running away would give me peace.Instead, it gave me…silence.
Too much silence.
Percy was doing his best though — dragging me to malls, forcing me to try weird American snacks, making dumb jokes. But every time he tried to say anything even slightly serious, I shut him down. I wasn't ready for emotional conversations. Not yet.
One night, while eating dinner, I just couldn't take the boredom anymore. Papa looked happy to have me home, and that made me feel a tiny bit lighter. He kept asking if I needed anything, if I wanted to go sightseeing, if I was comfortable.
I love him.But I also needed something more.Something to do. Something to distract me from the mess in my head.
"Papa," I said, placing my fork down.
He looked up immediately. "Yes, mahal?"
"I think…" I paused, trying to find the right words. "I think I want to work."
His eyebrows lifted. "Work? Here?"
"Yeah. Something to keep me busy. I'm tired of… you know… doing nothing."
Papa leaned back in his chair, thinking. "Where do you want to work?"
I swallowed. This was either the smartest idea I ever had…or the dumbest.
"Can I work at… Mariano Corporation?"
Papa blinked. Twice. Then he laughed — not mocking, just surprised.
"Mahal," he said, smiling softly, "that is not a small place. That's my whole life's work. It's intense. It's stressful. Are you sure you want that?"
I nodded. "I want to try. I want to learn. And I want… structure. Something real."
Also, maybe I needed to prove to myself I could be independent. That I wasn't just the girl who ran away.
Papa's smile faded into a more serious expression. "If you really want to work there, I will allow it. But you'll start from the bottom. No special treatment. You'll train like every new employee."
"That's fine," I said quickly. "I don't want to be treated special."
Another lie. I was dying for something to make me feel important again.
He sighed and nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the office. But Jay-Jay…" He leaned forward. "Working won't make your problems disappear."
I knew that. But I still said, "I'm not running from anything."
He raised one eyebrow. Yeah, right.
Later that night, lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, I felt… something. Not excitement. Not fear. Something in between.
A new chapter. A new environment. A new chance to rebuild myself.
But as I closed my eyes, I felt a familiar ache in my chest.
Every time I get close to escaping…something always pulls me back.
Not yet. But sooner or later…I know I'll end up right back where I started.
With them.
With Section E.
With him — Keifer.