I woke up on a bright Saturday morning with the sun blasting my face like it had beef with me.
Honestly? I didn't even care.
Because today wasn't just any day.
Today was The Big Plan Day.
For the past few weeks, everything had been messy. People arguing. People moving out. People crying in group chats. Basically… a telenovela with worse acting.
But after Section E forgave Drew, and after Sir Alvin, Ma'am Cindy, and Yuri moved out of my place, I decided something very important:
I was gonna bring the group back together.
Aries.
Percy.
Yuri.
Keifer.
All in one place. Reunited. Peaceful. Maybe even… friends.
(I know. Ambitious. But let me dream.)
I grabbed my phone, sent the texts, and prayed no one would cancel. Shockingly… they didn't.
Which meant the chaos was about to begin.
I dragged myself to the kitchen, poured a bowl of cereal, and sat down like I actually planned to eat in peace.
At least… that was the plan.
Aries stormed past the table, muttering, "Something stupid is gonna happen today, I can feel it."
Wow. He really is a horoscope.
I didn't even look up. "Bro, it's 8AM. Can you at least wait until I finish my breakfast before having a crisis?"
Before he could answer, I heard footsteps. Calm. Normal. Way too normal for this disaster zone.
"Good morning."
Oh. Kuya Angelo.
"Morning, Kuya," Aries and I said at the same time.
Angelo grabbed a plate and rubbed his eyes. "Why is everyone awake this early? It's Saturday."
"I invited people," I said, trying to sound innocent.
Aries froze. "You… WHAT?"
"How many people?" Angelo raised an eyebrow.
I set my cereal spoon down slowly and smiled like a villain. "Three."
He choked. "Three?!"
And right on cue—
knock knock knock
My soul left my body.
Aries whispered, "If it's Percy, I swear—"
From behind the door came that obnoxious, screaming voice:
"OPEN UP, BESTIES!"
Angelo laughed so hard he almost fell off the couch.
I just stared at the door, praying this was a dream. "Why… why do I live here? Why am I awake?"
I clapped my hands like I had just summoned the Avengers. "Okay, Jay! Let the chaos begin!"
I looked at my half-finished cereal. Rest in peace, breakfast.
Percy, Yuri, and Keifer piled through the door like a storm of energy.
Aries immediately backed up, arms crossed. "If he calls me baby one more time—"
I sighed. "Brace yourself."
Percy didn't even notice Aries. He flopped onto the couch, grinning. "Yo, Aries! BABY! Come sit with me!"
Aries' eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I— AM— NOT— GAY!"
Yuri looked around, arms crossed. "Wait… why are we even here?"
Keifer glanced up from his phone. "Yeah… seriously. I didn't sign up for this. What's the plan?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "The plan… is bonding."
Yuri groaned. "Bonding? We're not toddlers!"
Percy laughed. "Relax! It's fun! Group therapy, baby-style!"
Aries sighed
Keifer muttered, "This is going to be a long day."
And then there was Angelo. Calm. Composed. Sitting at the kitchen table with his coffee, eyebrows raised like he'd survived this exact chaos a hundred times before.
"Jay," he said gently, "you do realize you invited all of this on yourself, right?"
"Yeah…" I muttered, staring at Percy wrestling Aries' arm. "But it's The Big Plan…"
Angelo chuckled softly. "Maybe this is good for them. And for you. But… don't get too caught in the chaos. You're supposed to supervise."
I blinked. "Supervise? Angelo… Percy just called Aries baby."
He smirked faintly. "Then supervise harder."
I groaned. Of course.
Percy continued to annoy Aries. Aries continued to yell. Yuri continued to glare. Keifer continued scrolling.
And me? I clapped my hands like a general trying to keep order in a battlefield.
"Okay, everyone! Let's start… bonding!"
Angelo leaned back, calm as ever. "Good luck, Jay. You're going to need it."
I stared at him. "Thanks, Kuya."
Angelo just smirked and sipped his coffee.
After about thirty minutes of Percy yelling, Aries almost exploding, and Yuri giving everyone death glares, I decided we needed a change of scenery.
"Okay," I said, clapping my hands. "Time to go outside. Fresh air, maybe some… bonding games?"
Percy jumped up. "YES! Outdoor chaos, here we come!"
Aries groaned. "Why am I friends with you people?"
Yuri muttered, "This is a terrible idea."
Keifer sighed, pocketing his phone. "Fine. But only if there's snacks."
Angelo followed calmly, like a dad shepherding a flock of toddlers. "Stay aware. Don't let things get out of hand."
I nodded, already planning how to survive the next ten minutes.
We were laughing, arguing, and Percy was trying to trip Aries, when a van screeched to a stop beside us. Doors swung open. Strong arms grabbed each of us
"HEY!" Percy yelled.
"LET GO!" Aries screamed.
"FUCKING HELL LET GO OF ME" keifer screamed
Yuri kicked, but got pulled inside.
I froze. My mind went into overdrive.
Not another kidnapping
Before I knew it, we were shoved into the van.
"Jay!" Percy shouted. "We're saving you first!"
I swallowed. "Percy... we're all in this together..."
The van was dark, cramped, and terrifying. Percy was panicking, Aries was muttering about how this "never would've happened if JayJay hadn't planned it," and Yuri was glaring at me like it was my fault.
Keifer, on the other hand... was calm. Too calm. He reached over and squeezed my hand.
"We'll get out, Jay. I've got you."
My chest tightened. I leaned closer. "If we survive this, I'm never letting you go."
He smirked. "You don't get a choice."
Aries lost it. "Ugh! Are you flirting now? In a kidnapping van?!"
I rolled my eyes. Percy groaned. Yuri muttered, "Honestly... yes."
Mid-struggle, Percy froze. "Wait... Keifer? You two... together?!"
I squeezed Keifer's hand. "Yeah. We've been... together."
Aries' jaw dropped. Yuri's glare turned into shock.
Percy cheered. "Finally! I called it!"
Aries screamed, "I— I CAN'T—"
Keifer leaned close. "We'll be fine, Jay. Trust me."
I swallowed. Somehow, even in this nightmare, I felt safe with him.
The van jolted suddenly, throwing us against each other. Percy hit the wall, groaning. Aries tried to push a kidnapper off him but ended up hitting Percy instead. Yuri rolled her eyes so hard I thought her head might spin off.
"Okay, focus!" Keifer whispered, still holding my hand. "We need to find a way out."
I nodded, heart racing. "Right. Escape plan?"
He smirked. "Follow me... and try not to scream too much."
I tried to focus, but of course, Percy had other ideas. "HEY! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE HERO! WHO DOESN'T LET ME KICK BUTTS?"
Aries groaned. "Percy, just stop before you get yourself killed."
I gave Keifer a worried glance. "You're calm... are you always this calm in a kidnapping van?"
He leaned closer, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. "Only when you're here."
My chest tightened. I was about to kiss him, but Percy barged into the moment. "AWW! CUTE! YOU TWO ARE FINALLY HOLDING HANDS!"
We've been holding hands you've just never seen it
Aries yelled. "SHUT UP!"
I buried my face in Keifer's shoulder, whispering, "I swear, Percy is actually the worst."
Keifer chuckled. "Agreed... but also hilarious."
The van swerved sharply, and a kidnapper lunged at Keifer. Without thinking, I grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and swung. He stumbled back, letting Keifer pull me behind a seat.
"Nice reflexes," he murmured, brushing a sweaty strand of hair from my forehead. "Almost too cute for this situation."
I rolled my eyes, but my heart raced. "Focus, Romeo."
Percy tackled another kidnapper, screaming, "THIS IS HERO TIME!" Aries accidentally elbowed the same guy in the face. Yuri, predictably, was a whirlwind of kicks and sharp glares.
Meanwhile, Keifer whispered in my ear, "Stick close. We get out together, okay?"
I nodded, biting my lip. "
but you owe me a real kiss when this is over." keifer said
I smirked, leaning closer. "You'll get it... if we survive."
Suddenly, the van slammed into a wall, jolting everyone. I heard a loud crash from outside.
The van didn't just crash.
It exploded into chaos.
Metal screamed, the world flipped sideways, and the next thing I knew, pain shot through my whole body as we slammed into the pavement. People were shouting — Percy, Aries, Yuri, Keifer — but everything sounded like it was underwater.
Then darkness.
When I opened my eyes again, all I saw were bright hospital lights. My whole body hurt. My head felt heavy. My throat was burning.
I tried to sit up. "Keifer…?"
A warm hand caught my shoulder. "Jay. Don't move."
Keifer's voice was soft but shaking. His arm was in a cast, wrapped in bandages, bruises blooming across his face.
"Are you okay?" I whispered.
He laughed softly, but it cracked. "I'm alive. Because you swung that pipe. Because you protected all of us."
Before I could answer, Percy burst through the curtain, limping, one arm in a sling, face scratched up like he wrestled a tiger.
"JAY! YOU'RE AWAKE! THANK GOD, I THOUGHT YOU DIED — I WAS READY TO FAINT — I—"
Aries grabbed him from behind, dragging him back by the collar. Aries had a brace on his neck, stitches above his eyebrow, and a miserable look like life personally offended him.
"Percy, stop yelling! He literally just woke up," Aries snapped, but his voice cracked too. He looked at me, jaw tight. "Don't… don't scare us like that again."
Yuri entered quietly behind them. His arm was wrapped from wrist to elbow, and there were deep cuts along his legs. He crossed her arms — carefully — trying to look annoyed, but his eyes were red.
"You're an idiot," He muttered. "A brave idiot. But still an idiot."
I blinked. "Are… all of you are admitted?"
Percy pointed at himself dramatically. "YES. I ALMOST BLED OUT—"
"Percy, you sprained your ankle." Yuri rolled his eyes.
Percy gasped. "PAIN IS PAIN."
Aries sighed. "We all got hurt, Jay. Because of that fight. Because the van rolled. Because…" His voice dropped. "Because we wouldn't leave you."
Keifer squeezed my hand again. "We're here because we care."
Before I could say anything, the door slammed open.
Section E filled the room.
All of them.
Loud. Crying. Panicking. Shoving each other. Hugging each other. It was a disaster.
"JAY!!"
"What happened?!"
"WHO DID THIS?!"
"WHY ARE THE FOUR OF YOU IN BEDS?!"
"Jay, blink twice if you need us to assassinate someone!"
The nurse nearly had a stroke trying to push everyone back.
Percy puffed his chest. "EVERYONE PLEASE CALM DOWN! I ALMOST DIED!"
Aries threw a pillow at him. "NO YOU DID NOT!"
Section E swarmed around our beds, asking a million questions. I looked at the four disasters around me — Percy rambling, Aries glaring at everyone, Yuri pretending he didn't care but absolutely caring, and Keifer refusing to let go of my hand.
They all noticed me staring.
Percy smiled softly.
Aries looked away.
Yuri nodded once.
Keifer whispered, "We're not letting anything happen to you ever again."
For the first time all day, I felt my chest loosen.
"I'm… really glad you guys are here," I whispered.
The four of them exchanged glances — real ones. Honest ones. Not annoyed. Not sarcastic. Just… relieved.
Percy sat at the edge of my bed. "We were scared, Jay."
Yuri added, "Like… genuinely scared."
Aries rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't make us go through that again."
Keifer leaned closer. "You're the reason we're all still here. You bring us together."
Section E quieted down, watching us. Waiting.
I swallowed hard, tears burning behind my eyes. "I just wanted us to bond… not end up in the hospital."
Percy grinned. "Well, congratulations! We bonded through trauma!"
Aries groaned. "Percy, shut up—"
But then he laughed.
Yuri laughed too.
Keifer squeezed my hand and rested his forehead against mine.
And for the first time in a long time…
Everyone was together.
Everyone cared.
Everyone stayed.
Because of The Big Plan.
Because of us.
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A/N:Sorry guys for being so late — I had some work to finish up.I wrote this in a hurry before going to bed, so please don't mind the grammar mistakes.Let me know if you have any ideas!
Good night — signing off, your author 💫