POV: Jay
After school, Section E decided we deserved food.
Which is how we ended up in a small restaurant near campus.
Keifer sat beside me.
Yuri and Felix across.
David and Ci-N arguing over fries.
Aries "accidentally" joined.
"I was hungry," Aries defended.
"You were not invited," Keifer replied.
"I invite myself."
Classic Aries.
Everything felt normal.
Laughing. Teasing. Noise.
Then the rain started.
Not soft rain.
Dramatic movie rain.
Thunder. Heavy drops. Windows shaking.
We paused dinner plans and stood near the entrance waiting for it to calm down.
Felix was scrolling his phone.
Yuri was complaining about humidity.
Keifer was standing close to me, arms folded.
Then—
The restaurant door opened.
The bell above it rang.
I looked up casually.
And my heart stopped.
Blue eyes.
Familiar blue eyes.
Wet hair.
Standing there like he walked out of a memory.
I tapped Keifer's arm.
He looked down at me. "What?"
My voice felt small.
"Percy."
Keifer frowned. "What?"
Everyone turned.
Felix looked first.
And froze.
"Percy?"
The boy at the door turned toward us.
And his face changed.
Shock.
Pure shock.
Then he stepped back.
And ran outside into the rain.
"HEY!" Aries shouted.
We all ran after him.
Rain soaked us instantly.
Aries grabbed his arm first.
"What the hell?! You're alive?!"
Keifer came next, grabbing his shoulder.
"Why didn't you call us?!"
Yuri stepped forward.
"Why were you running?!"
Percy looked at all of us.
Wet. Breathing hard.
Blue eyes wide.
And for the first time since I'd known him…
He looked guilty.
Felix stood a few steps away.
Not moving.
Like he was afraid Percy would disappear again.
Percy swallowed.
"I didn't know how to face you."
Silence.
Rain hitting pavement.
"I didn't die," Percy said slowly.
"We figured," Keifer snapped.
Percy looked at Aries.
"The accident… it was bad. Really bad. They thought I wouldn't wake up."
Aries' jaw tightened.
"They blamed me," Aries said quietly.
"I know," Percy replied. "But it wasn't your fault."
We all believed Percy died in that car accident.
Aries was driving.
The guilt almost destroyed him.
But Percy continued.
"My mom took me to America. Secretly. She didn't want the media. Didn't want questions. Didn't want… enemies knowing I was alive."
"So you just disappeared?" Yuri demanded.
"I couldn't contact you," Percy said. "I was in recovery for months. Then therapy. Then… my mom remarried."
We blinked.
"What?" David muttered.
Percy looked at me.
"My mom is married to Jay's dad."
Everything went silent.
The rain felt louder.
"…What?" Keifer said slowly.
Felix looked at me.
I looked at Percy.
"I have another sister," Percy continued. "Her name is Jayjay."
My brain short-circuited.
Excuse me?
Even I was shocked.
Aries stared at me.
"You didn't know?"
I shook my head.
Percy nodded. "I found out when I woke up. Mom explained everything. They kept it quiet."
Ci-N whispered, "I'm so lost."
David leaned toward him. "Same."
Percy looked around.
"I wanted to come back sooner. But there were things happening. Legal stuff. Security stuff. Mom said it wasn't safe."
"Safe from who?" Keifer asked sharply.
Percy hesitated.
"…no idea."
Felix finally moved.
Slow steps.
Rain dripping from his hair.
He stood in front of Percy.
For a second, they just looked at each other.
Then Felix pulled him into a hug.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just tight.
Like he was confirming Percy was solid.
Real.
Alive.
Percy hugged him back.
"I'm sorry," Percy whispered.
Felix didn't answer.
Keifer stepped forward.
And shoved Percy.
Percy stumbled.
"Hey—"
Yuri punched him in the shoulder.
Aries punched him too.
Percy blinked. "What was that for?!"
Keifer answered first.
"For—"
Yuri added.
"Making—"
Aries finished.
"Us."
Percy stared.
Ci-N leaned toward David. "Why are they saying one word each?"
David nodded seriously. "I think they're forming a sentence."
"…Wait," Percy said slowly.
Keifer crossed his arms.
"That's for making us wait."
Percy looked at all of us.
Then laughed weakly.
"…I deserve that."
Yuri sighed. "You do."
Aries shook his head.
"You idiot."
Percy smiled slightly.
"…Sorry, guys."
Ci-N snapped his fingers. "OHHH. That's what they meant."
Yuri wiped rain from his face.
"So are we going to keep standing here in the rain?"
I finally spoke.
"Let's go back inside."
Keifer glanced at me.
Then at Percy.
"…You're not disappearing again."
Percy shook his head.
"No. I'm back."
And this time…
He looked certain.
We walked back toward the restaurant together.
Soaked.
Confused.
Shocked.
But together.
And for the first time since that accident—
The empty space in Section E didn't feel empty anymore.
End of Chapter 107 🌧️💙