"He wore the thorns so I could have the rose,
the silent hero of the stories nobody knows."
Jay-Jay's POV
The breakfast table was a battlefield of vibes. Tita was serving rice while Percy and I were practically vibrating, exchanging grins every time Kuya Angelo reached for his coffee. Every time he tried to look like the "Strict Boss," I'd just think of the word Patootie and have to bite my lip to keep from exploding.
After the meal, I scrambled to my room to get ready. When I finally ran outside, Aries was already leaning against the car, looking at his watch like it was a ticking time bomb.
"If you were any slower, the school would be closed for the holidays by the time we arrived," he scolded, his voice sharp. "Get in."
I hopped into the passenger seat, still breathless. As the engine hummed to life and we pulled out of the driveway, the usual bickering didn't start. I stayed quiet, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window, my eyes drifting toward him.
I watched his profile—the way his jaw was set tight, the way he navigated the morning traffic with a focus that seemed too heavy for someone his age.
Sometimes I forget. I look at him and see the "Horoscope" brother who scolds me, but he's so much more than that. He's my Big Brother, but he had to grow up in a way that wasn't fair. While I lived in a blur, not remembering the worst parts of our past, Aries kept every memory like a scar.
He was the one who stood alone when he needed someone the most. He was the one who carried the weight of the allegations when everyone thought Percy was dead. He blamed himself for years. He lived with the ghost of a brother who was actually alive, mourning someone while being hunted by the truth. He faced the trauma of Mom leaving, the pressure of keeping us together, and the fear of failing us. He didn't just survive it; he took all that pain and turned it into this protective, iron-clad wall.
I felt a lump form in my throat. I wanted to reach out and tell him that I knew. That I saw the weight on his shoulders. That he didn't have to be the "guard dog" all the time.
I must have been staring at him with a really intense, tragic expression for way too long, because I didn't even see his hand coming.
Flick!
"OUCH!" I yelped, clutching my forehead. "What was that for?!"
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Aries asked, his eyes flicking to me for a split second before returning to the road. He looked genuinely weirded out. "It's creepy. Did you run out of brain cells or are you trying to hypnotize me into giving you my allowance?"
"Nothing!" I said, forcing a smile to hide the sudden burst of emotion. "I just realized your nose is kind of big from this angle."
Aries shook his head, his grip on the wheel relaxing just a tiny bit. "You're an idiot, Jay-Jay. Go back to being loud. The 'thinking' face doesn't suit you; it looks like you're having a localized stroke."
"Hey! I was being deep!"
"Be deep on your own time.
We're here," he muttered, pulling up to the school gate. But even though he was acting grumpy, I saw the way he checked the perimeter twice before letting me unlock the door.
He might be a "Horoscope" and a "Grumpy Bear's" little brother, but he's my hero. Even if he hits like a truck.
The car came to a halt in front of the school gate. Usually, this is the part where I tumble out of the door like a sack of potatoes, Aries yells at me to fix my collar, and I stick my tongue out at him before disappearing into the crowd.
But today, I couldn't move. My feet felt heavy.
I watched him as he put the car in park. He looked so normal, so focused—but all I could see was the boy who had to hold the world on his shoulders while I was off in my own little world of amnesia and chaos.
We both stepped out of the car. He adjusted his jacket, looking around with that sharp, protective gaze he always has, making sure the coast was clear.
"What are you waiting for, Jay? Go. You're already pushing the 'Late' boundary," he muttered, reaching for his bag.
Instead of running away, I walked around the car toward him. Before he could react, I wrapped my arms around him in a tight, sudden hug.
Aries froze. It was like hugging a marble statue. He actually stopped breathing for a second, his arms hovering awkwardly in the air like he'd just been struck by lightning.
"Thank you, Aries," I whispered into his chest. "Really. Thank you."
The silence lasted about three seconds before the "Aries" I knew came roaring back. He scrambled to push me away, his face flushing a bright, embarrassed pink as he looked around to see if any of his classmates had witnessed the "emotional" moment.
"What—?! Jay-Jay! Get off! Shoo!" He swatted at me like I was a particularly clingy mosquito. "What is wrong with you? Did you hit your head on the dashboard? Are you sick?!"
"I'm fine!" I laughed, though my voice was a little shaky.
"Then why the 'thank you'?! Did you break something of mine? Did you lose my favorite watch?! Why are you acting like we're in a soap opera?!" He was practically vibrating with confusion and second-hand embarrassment.
"I just felt like thanking you, that's all!" I grinned, stepping back and beginning to jog toward the school entrance. "Bye, Aries! See you later!"
"Jay-Jay! Get back here and explain yourself!" he shouted after me.
I didn't stop. I glanced back over my shoulder just as I reached the heavy school doors. He was still standing there by the car, completely motionless, his hand still frozen where it had been trying to push me away. He looked totally baffled, his "horoscope" logic completely failing to explain why his annoying sister had just turned into a human marshmallow.
He can scold me all he wants, but I know he needed that. Even a guard dog needs a pat on the head once in a while.
I stepped into the school building with my head held high and my hands in my pockets, channeling my inner "bad boy" energy. I didn't care if my hair was a mess or if my tie was crooked—after surviving the "Gelo-patootie" interrogation and hugging a bewildered Aries, I felt like I could take on the world.
From the opposite end of the hallway, Elara appeared.
She was walking with that signature smug attitude, her chin tilted up like she was a queen returning to her throne. Our eyes met across the crowded corridor. We didn't say a word. I don't know which kind of telepathy conversation we were having.
As we drew closer, we didn't stop. We simply raised our hands as we passed each other, performing a perfectly timed, high-aura mid-air clap, perfect high five. Smack! Without breaking stride, we both pivoted and merged into the same path, walking side-by-side toward Section E like we owned every single floor tile in this building.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keifer's POV
I was leaning back in my chair, Yuri sitting nearby as we waited for the inevitable storm that is Jay-Jay to arrive. The classroom was its usual brand of noisy until Calix and Rory suddenly roared at the top of their lungs, pointing toward the hallway.
"Look! Over there! Edrix and Freya!"
The entire Section E squad scrambled to the door, a line of grinning idiots staring out into the hall. Even Yuri stood up, his eyes narrowing. I don't know what has happened to him, after getting girlfriend, he is behaving pookie. Ugh!, this jerk.
In the middle of the hallway stood Edrix and Freya. They were currently practicing "social distancing" at its extreme, standing at least two meters apart. Edrix looked like he was vibrating with nerves, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, while Freya stared at him with wide, expectant eyes, waiting for him to finally ask the question. She has really changed, after being with yuri, me , aries, kiko, she seems to be transforming into her usual old self.
"He's going to do it," Edrix's friends whispered. "He's going to ask for the date."
Suddenly, Yuri spoke up, his voice low and amused. "See... two more are coming."
I looked past Edrix and Freya, and my breath hitched.
There was my queen jay and Elara.
They weren't just walking; they were marching. They had this ridiculous, high-level "Main Character" attitude—shoulders back, smirks on their faces, radiating pure confidence. It was like they had formed a two-girl alliance to take over the school.
"One thing is for sure," Kit muttered, shaking his head.
"Section E can never have normal students."
"Yeah," David replied, a grin tugging at his lips. "Both the girls of Section E are just fire. Pure fire."
"Nowadays," Rory added, "no one even dares to look at them with their heads held high, not even section A. They've got the boys' aura now."
I watched them, a mix of amazement and a strange sense of pride swelling in my chest. That was my little disaster out there, looking like she could stare down a lion.
Jay and Elara's eyes landed on the awkward scene of Edrix and Freya. They exchanged a brief glance, a synchronized nod, and a pair of identical, mischievous smirks.
"Don't you think they're thinking something dangerous?" Yuri whispered to me.
I just hummed, my eyes wide open. Elara is really getting close to jay, feels like they also know to do telepathy.
Jay and Elara suddenly split apart. Jay drifted to the left, walking casually beside Freya, while Elara slid to the right, coming up next to Edrix. They didn't slow down. They didn't even say hello.
In one smooth, coordinated motion, they both stuck out their hands and shoved.
THUMP!
Edrix and Freya were sent flying toward each other. Freya landed right against Edrix's chest, her face turning a deep, instant shade of crimson as he instinctively grabbed her to keep them both from falling.
Jay-Jay and Elara didn't even look back. They didn't check to see if their "victims" were okay. They just kept walking toward us, smirking, leaving a trail of romantic chaos in their wake.
Note to self: Never, ever get on the bad side of the Section E girls. They don't just break rules; they break physics to make things happen.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuri's POV
I watched with my usual blank expression as Elara and Jay-Jay coming towards us. There was no mistaking it—the "old" Jay-Jay, the one with the reckless spark and the "I don't care" attitude, was officially back. She and Elara looked like a two-woman wrecking crew, and the air in the room seemed to vibrate with their combined energy.
Suddenly, the wall of boys crowded at the door shifted violently.
CN—who apparently has the physical properties of a liquid—came scrambling out from under the legs of the other guys. He was like a heat-seeking missile aimed directly at Jay-Jay, shouting her name at the top of his lungs.
In the sudden surge of bodies, someone bumped into me. My balance, usually steady, completely failed. I stumbled back, my hand catching the edge of the doorframe.
Rip.
A sharp, rusty iron nail sticking out of the wood tore across my palm. I felt the sting immediately, a hot line of pain blooming across my skin. I didn't cry out. I didn't even flinch. I just stood there, staring at the thin trail of red starting to bead up on my hand.
What was I even supposed to say?
I looked up, ready to maybe mention it, but CN was already gone. He had launched himself at Jay-Jay and Elara like a golden retriever on caffeine. Jay-Jay was doubled over laughing, trying to dodge his tackle, while Elara looked halfway between wanting to kick him and wanting to laugh along.
They were so loud. So bright.
I looked back down at my hand. The iron nail was cold and indifferent. The boys were still cheering, Keifer was watching Jay with that look he only gives her, and the chaos of Section E was in full swing.
I quietly tucked my hand into my pocket, the copper scent of blood faint in the air. In a room full of fire and lightning, a small scratch on a quiet boy didn't really mean much.