Jay's pov :
I dropped my pen onto the desk with a heavy clack that felt like a victory cry. I stared at my Biology paper, and for the first time in my life, I didn't feel like I was looking at an ancient, undecipherable language.
I actually answered everything. Even the tricky part about the Krebs cycle!
I hate to admit it-I really, really do-but Elara is a genius. Not just the 'I'm-smarter-than-you' kind, but the 'I-can-force-information-into-your-thick-skull' kind. Those review sessions she dragged me through were like a brutal training montage from a movie. I might have cried twice, but hey, I think I just passed a Watson-level exam!
I let out a long, satisfied breath and started stretching my cramped fingers. Around me, the rest of Section E was in various states of mental collapse. Felix was face-down on his desk, and Josh looked like he had just seen a ghost.
As the teacher collected the papers and left, the room instantly transformed from a silent library back into the usual circus. I stood up, feeling a hundred pounds lighter, and was about to head out when I spotted David.
He was at his desk, humming a little tune while packing his bag with suspicious amounts of energy. He looked way too happy for someone who just finished a two-hour science torture session.
A memory of the morning flashed in my head-the "war zone," the "chase," and that weirdly timed "I love you" dare.
My eyes narrowed. Something wasn't adding up.
I marched over to his desk and slammed my hand down on his bag just as he was about to zip it.
"David," I said, my voice dropping into that low, 'Angry Bird' register.
David jumped, nearly dropping his water bottle. "Ay, tipaklong! Jay-jay! Why are you sneaking up on people? My heart can't take the stress after that exam."
"Forget the exam," I hissed, leaning in. "Tell me what really happened this morning. Why was everyone standing outside like a bunch of refugees? And why did you guys burst in like you were chasing Elara? Don't even try to lie to me-I can smell the guilt from here."
David's eyes darted toward the door, then back to me. He swallowed hard, his "happy" expression melting into a nervous grin. "Oh... that. Well, you see, Jay... it started with a circle on the grass..."
"David."
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, ELARA?!"
I screamed so loud that the ceiling fans in the cafeteria seemed to wobble. I didn't care. I pointed a trembling finger at Elara, who was currently the embodiment of "Peace and Quiet" while my life was a dumpster fire.
"You were the chosen one!" I continued, my voice reaching a pitch only dogs could hear. "You were supposed to be the sane friend! The one who doesn't treat my love life like a Netflix special! How could you be like those Section E idiots?!"
Elara didn't even pause her spoon. Beside her, Keifer was practically vibrating with joy, eating his lunch with the smug energy of a man who just won the lottery and a trophy wife in the same day.
Okay, let me explain why I'm currently losing my dignity. I just found out the truth. The whole 'carrying me' and the 'I love you' drama? It wasn't just Elara being a supportive friend.
NO.
It was because of a Truth or Dare deal. Apparently, Felix-that little traitor-bet Elara that she couldn't make the 'King of Snakes' and the 'Angry Bird' confess in under ten minutes. The stakes? The loser becomes the winner's personal servant for a day.
Elara didn't do it for my heart! She did it because she wanted a free butler! She traded my soul for someone to fetch her juice! I feel used! I feel cheap! I feel like I need to throw a chair!
"What is happening here, Jay?"
I spun around to see Aries standing there, looking at me like I'd finally lost the last remaining marble in my brain. "Why are you vibrating? Is it a medical condition?"
"It's called 'betrayal,' Aries!" I snapped.
"It's called 'romance,' Aries, don't mind her," CN chimed in, sliding into the seat next to Keifer with David and Eren close behind.
"Yeah, Jay-jay, stop complaining," David laughed, leaning in. "That was the best live show we've seen all year. I'd pay tuition again just to watch Keifer's face when you finally stopped cursing and said it back."
"Shut up, David! Or the next thing I throw won't be an eraser!"
Before I could launch into a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation on why my friends are snakes, Elara finally spoke.
"Felix," she said, her voice
L smooth and chilling. "I'm craving ice cream. Vanilla. With the little sprinkles."
Felix, who had been trying to hide behind his rice bowl, let out a sound that was half-sigh, half-sob. He stood up dramatically, his shoulders slumped as if he were carrying the weight of the entire world.
"Yes, Ate..." he whimpered.
"Go on, Servant Felix!" Eman teased as Felix walked past.
"Make sure the sprinkles are symmetrical, or she might make you do her homework too!"
"I hate all of you!" Felix yelled over his shoulder, making the whole table erupt in laughter.
I just stood there, jaw dropped, watching the absurdity. Felix actually came back with the ice cream. He tried to sit down, but Elara gave him a 'The-Servant-Does-Not-Sit-Yet' look.
"Drag an empty chair beside me," she commanded.
Felix let out a long, suffering sigh and pulled a chair right next to her. Finally, Elara looked up at me. She reached out, grabbed my wrist with a grip like a velvet handcuff, and yanked me down into the chair. Before I could even yell 'Kidnapping!', she draped her arm around my neck, pinning me to her side.
She scooped up a big mound of ice cream and moved the spoon toward my face.
"Get that away from me," I hissed. "I am a woman of principles! I am currently boycotting your friendship!"
"Eat, Jay," Elara said, her voice sweet but eyes sharp. "You've been screaming for five minutes.
Your vocal cords are parched, and your brain is clearly running on emergency power because you're making a scene in front of Aries."
"Oooooh, feed her, Elara! She needs the sugar to process her feelings!" Josh shouted, mouth full of chips.
"And besides," Elara added, moving the spoon closer, "if you're eating, you can't tell everyone that you actually liked the kiss. We wouldn't want to ruin your 'Angry Bird' reputation, would we?"
"I DIDN'T-" I started, but she seized the opportunity to shove the spoon in.
The cold hit my tongue. It was delicious. I wanted to spit it out to prove a point, but it was expensive vanilla.
"See?" Keifer leaned in, resting his chin on his hand as he watched me chew. "She's much quieter when she's being fed. Maybe I should try that next time instead of just kissing her."
"You try that and you'll lose a finger, Watson!" I mumbled through the ice cream.
"Good girl," Elara whispered, roasting me with a smirk while she scooped another bite. "Now, stay quiet and eat. Felix worked very hard to walk twenty feet for this."
"I did! My legs are cramping!" Felix wailed from beside us.
"Shut up, Felix, no one asked the help," Edrix joked, throwing a crumpled napkin at him.
I sat there, being fed like a toddler, while the boys of Section E carried on their loud, chaotic conversations around me. I was still mad. I was definitely still mad. But... the ice cream had sprinkles. And at Section E, sometimes sprinkles are the only thing that keep you from committing homicide.
I finished the ice-cream but still not that satisfied.
I was stomping toward the school gate, my bag swinging violently with every step. I was ready to go home, lock my door, and pretend I didn't know anyone with the last name Watson or anyone who lived in the Section E building.
But as I stepped outside the gate, I stopped dead in my tracks.
"What in the world..."
There, lined up along the sidewalk, was the entire Section E crew. It looked like a protest, but way more embarrassing. CN and David were at the front, holding a giant, crooked banner made of Manila paper that said: "SORRY NA, BOSS JAY! 'WAG KA NANG MAG-ALABAS!" "One, two, three!" CN shouted.
"WE ARE SORRY, JAY-JAY!" the entire class roared in a messy, uncoordinated unison that made passersby stop and stare.
"Forgive us, our Queen!" Josh yelled, dramatically dropping to his knees. "The bet was Felix's idea! We were just the hungry audience!"
I looked over and saw Felix wearing a cardboard sign around his neck that read: 'I am a traitorous snake. Please kick me.' He was currently holding Elara's umbrella to shade her, looking like he wanted to be erased from the timeline.
Elara stepped forward, looking perfectly poised. "Jay," she said, her voice calm. "I realize my actions were... strategically questionable. As a sincere apology, I have prepared a list of 50 reasons why you are superior to every boy in this school, and I've forced Felix to memorize it. Felix? Reason number one."
Felix sniffed, standing at attention. "Reason number one: Jay-Jay has the patience of a saint for not burning this building down every morning."
"Keep going until she smiles, Felix," Elara commanded coolly, then turned back to me with a small, "Devil" smirk. "Also, if you forgive me, I'll let you use Felix as a footstool for the rest of the evening. He's very sturdy."
"Hey!" Felix wailed, but he didn't move an inch.
Suddenly, Keifer pushed off the lamp post he was leaning against. He walked right into the center of the circle, looking me dead in the eye with a terrifyingly serious expression.
"My turn," he said.
"If you say you're sorry because 'you got a kiss,' I will punch you," I warned, my face already heating up.
"No," Keifer said, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper.
He suddenly pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and began to read it like it was a royal decree. "I, Mark Keifer Watson, am sorry for being so incredibly handsome that it distracted you from Elara's obvious trap. I am sorry that my lips are so magnetic that you couldn't resist the laws of physics. As an apology, I promise to let you kiss me back tomorrow so we can be even."
"THAT'S NOT AN APOLOGY, THAT'S A THREAT!" I screamed, while the boys of Section E exploded into whistles and "Yieeeee!" sounds.
"He's a poet! Our King is a poet!"
CN cheered, wiping a fake tear.
"I hate all of you!" I yelled, though I was starting to shake with suppressed laughter. It's hard to stay mad when twenty idiots are doing a synchronized 'puppy-dog eyes' look in the middle of a public street.
"Is the Angry Bird melting?" CN teased. "Come on, Jay! Group hug!"
"NO! Stay back! Don't you dare—"
Too late.
Within seconds, I was swallowed by a giant, sweaty group hug. I was buried somewhere between David's backpack and CN's shoulder. From the edge of the huddle, I saw Elara winking at me over the top of Felix's head, while Keifer leaned in over the boys' shoulders just to whisper, "Does this mean we're okay, or do I need to read the second page of the poem?"
"Okay! Okay! I forgive you!" I screamed. "Now let me go before I actually suffocate!"
Section E... truly the weirdest family I never asked for.
The mood was finally back to normal—well, normal for Section E, which means everyone was teasing each other and laughing loud enough to trigger car alarms. I was starting to relax, clutching the chocolates Elara gave me, when she suddenly checked her watch.
"Felix," Elara spoke up, her voice regaining that 'Master' tone.
"Drop me home now, and then you're free from the contract."
Felix's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?! It's over?!" But then his expression crumbled.
"Wait... Ate, I don't have my car right now. My driver took it for maintenance. Do you... do you want me to walk you home?"
Elara looked him up and down with a flat expression. "No."
Felix panicked. He looked around desperately for an escape. He glanced at David, then at the others, before finally lunging at Keifer like a drowning man grabbing a life raft.
"Keifer! Bro! My best friend! Please!" Felix begged, practically clinging to Keifer's arm. "Drop Elara home! Please! I'll give you my limited edition gaming mouse!"
Keifer didn't even blink. He casually adjusted his bag, looking completely bored. "No. I have a girlfriend to drop home."
My jaw dropped. Literally.
Did he just say that? Out loud? In front of everyone? My heart did a weird little flip-flop, and I felt that heat rising to my face again. I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open wide enough to house a small family of birds.
Elara reached over and gently pushed my chin up, closing my mouth for me. "Beware of flies, Jay. They like targets that stay open."
"Felix, please," Keifer said, shaking him off. "I have priorities."
"Puh-leeease, Keifer! Just this once!" Felix wailed.
"Noooooo," Keifer drawled, looking at me with a wink.
I was about to say something back to him when I felt a sudden, sharp tug on the back of my collar. I was being dragged backward like a misbehaving puppy. I craned my neck around to see a very grumpy-looking Aries.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" I yelled, trying to fix my uniform.
Aries didn't look at the boys; he just looked at me with that 'Little Brother/Bodyguard' glare. "Kuya told me to bring you home straight after school. No side trips. He wants to ask about your exam results."
My heart sank. If Kuya was asking, it meant he was in "Protective Brother" mode.
Keifer's smile vanished instantly. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he faced Aries. "No. I'm taking her home. We already have plans."
Aries didn't flinch. He just shifted his gaze to me, and the look in his eyes was clear: 'If you don't come home now, Kuya is going to come here himself.' I swallowed hard. As much as I wanted to spend time with Keifer, the thought of a "Kuya-pocalypse" at the school gate was too much to handle.
"Keifer..." I said softly, stepping between them. "I think I should go with Aries. Kuya sounds serious."
Keifer let out a dramatic, heavy sigh, drooping his shoulders like a kicked puppy. "Alright. If the Big Boss wants you, I guess I can't compete."
"Good," Aries muttered, still holding my collar.
I looked at Keifer, then at the desperate Felix. "Since you're not dropping me... you should drop Elara. It's on your way, right?"
Keifer looked at Elara, who was watching the scene with an amused brow, and then back at me. "Fine. But I'm charging you for the gas in 'thank you' kisses tomorrow, Jay."
"KEIFER! GO ALREADY!" I screamed, turning around to follow Aries before I died of embarrassment.