One week with no classes.
Seven days of freedom.
Section E had scattered—some home, some out, some (Percy and Ci-n) planning their next documentation project.
But at the Fernandez house, four people remained.
Jay. Keifer. Aries. Ella.
And they were bored.
Jay: "I'm bored."
Keifer: "You're always bored."
Jay: "I'm bored NOW."
Aries: "Same."
Ella: "Same."
They looked at each other.
Jay: "Truth or dare?"
Aries: "We're not teenagers."
Jay: "You're literally 22."
Aries: "That's too old for games."
Ella: "You played last time."
Aries: "That was different."
Ella: "How?"
Aries: "I don't know. It just was."
Keifer: "Tss."
Aries: "Stop."
Keifer: "No."
Jay: "So? Truth or dare?"
Aries: "...Fine."
Ella: "I'm in."
Keifer: "Obviously."
Jay: "SPICY EDITION!"
Aries: "What does that mean?"
Jay: "No rules. No limits. No backing out."
Aries: "I regret this already."
They sat in a circle on the living room floor.
Snacks nearby. Drinks nearby. No parents (Tita Gema was at the market, Jasfer was out, Serina was reading in her room, Jay's grandma was napping).
Perfect.
Jay: "I'll start." She spun the bottle.
It landed on Aries.
Jay: "Aries! Truth or dare?"
Aries: "Truth."
Ella: "Boring."
Aries: "Safe."
Jay: "Fine. Truth: What's the most embarrassing thing Ella's done that you secretly loved?"
Aries: "We did this already."
Jay: "New details. Spicy edition."
Aries sighed.
Aries: "She tried to cook for me. Burned everything. Set off the smoke alarm."
Ella: "We covered this."
Aries: "I'm not done." He looked at Ella. "But she kept trying. For weeks. Got better. Now she cooks better than me."
Ella blinked. "I do?"
Aries: "You do."
Ella: "I thought you didn't notice."
Aries: "I notice everything about you."
Silence.
Jay: "THAT WAS ACTUALLY ROMANTIC."
Keifer: "Unexpected."
Ella: "...Shut up."
But she was smiling.
Jay spun again.
Landed on Keifer.
Jay: "KEIFER! Truth or dare?"
Keifer: "Dare."
Jay: "Bold. I dare you to... feed me a snack. With your hands. While looking into my eyes."
Aries: "That's not spicy."
Jay: "It's FOREPLAY spicy."
Ella: "She has a point."
Keifer grabbed a grape. Held it to Jay's lips. Looked into her eyes.
Jay bit it. Slowly.
Aries: "This is weird."
Ella: "This is them."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
Keifer: "Done."
Jay: "Good dare."
Keifer: "Good execution."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
Spin again.
Landed on Ella.
Ella: "Dare."
Aries: "You're brave."
Ella: "I'm competitive."
Jay: "I dare you to... sit on Aries' lap for the rest of the game."
Ella: "Easy."
She stood. Walked to Aries. Sat on his lap.
Aries: "This is—"
Ella: "What?"
Aries: "Fine. This is fine."
Ella: "Good."
Jay: "His ears are red."
Keifer: "Very red."
Aries: "They're not."
Ella: "They definitely are."
Aries: "Tss."
Ella: "Did you just—"
Aries: "No."
Ella: "You definitely did."
Aries: "I hate you."
Ella: "No, you don't."
Aries: "No, I don't."
Spin.
Landed on Jay.
Jay: "Dare."
Keifer: "I dare you to... whisper something in my ear that makes ME blush."
Jay grinned.
She leaned close. Lips to his ear. Whispered.
Keifer's face went red.
Aries: "What did she say?"
Keifer: "Private."
Ella: "Public game."
Keifer: "Still private."
Jay: "His ears are redder than Aries'."
Aries: "They're not that red."
Ella: "They're pretty red."
Aries: "Shut up."
Ella: "Never."
Spin.
Landed on Aries again.
Aries: "Truth."
Ella: "Coward."
Aries: "Smart."
Jay: "Truth: What's your favorite thing about Ella? Physically."
Aries: "That's—"
Jay: "Spicy edition."
Aries looked at Ella.
Aries: "Her eyes."
Ella: "My eyes?"
Aries: "They change color in different light. Green. Brown. Gold. I notice every time."
Ella stared at him.
Ella: "You notice that?"
Aries: "I notice everything about you."
Ella: "You said that already."
Aries: "It's true every time."
Silence.
Jay: "OKAY YOU TWO ARE ACTUALLY ROMANTIC."
Keifer: "Unexpected again."
Ella: "...Shut up."
But she kissed his cheek.
Aries' ears went redder.
Spin.
Landed on Keifer.
Keifer: "Dare."
Ella: "I dare you to... carry Jay to the kitchen and back. Bridal style."
Keifer: "Easy."
He stood. Scooped Jay up. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Keifer: "Comfortable?"
Jay: "Very."
He carried her to the kitchen. Walked back. Set her down gently.
Keifer: "Done."
Jay: "That was hot."
Aries: "It was carrying."
Jay: "HOT carrying."
Ella: "She's not wrong."
Aries: "I hate all of you."
Jay: "No, you don't."
Aries: "No, I don't."
Spin.
Landed on Ella.
Ella: "Dare."
Aries: "I dare you to... kiss me."
Ella: "That's your dare?"
Aries: "Yes."
Ella: "Bold."
She kissed him.
Not quick. Not short.
Deep. Long. Real.
Jay and Keifer watched.
Jay: "FINALLY."
Keifer: "Took them long enough."
They pulled apart.
Ella: "Good dare."
Aries: "Good kiss."
Ella: "Same thing?"
Aries: "Same thing."
Spin.
Landed on Jay.
Jay: "Dare."
Keifer: "I dare you to... tell me something you've never told anyone."
Jay paused.
Jay: "When we were apart. When I was with Yuri. I used to imagine you were him."
Keifer: "Jay—"
Jay: "Not in a bad way. Just... when things were hard. When he was cold. I'd close my eyes and pretend it was you. Your voice. Your touch. It's the only thing that got me through."
Keifer pulled her close.
Keifer: "I did the same. Every night. Imagined you were there."
Jay: "Really?"
Keifer: "Really."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "I love you."
Jay: "I love you too."
Aries: "Okay that was actually sweet."
Ella: "Really sweet."
Jay: "Shut up."
Ella: "Never."
The game continued.
More dares. More truths. More blushes.
Aries carried Ella. Ella fed Aries. Keifer whispered something back to Jay (her face went red). Jay dared Aries to serenade Ella (he did, badly, she loved it).
By the end, they were all laughing.
Jay: "Best game ever."
Keifer: "Best week off."
Aries: "Best... company."
Ella: "You're getting soft."
Aries: "I'm not."
Ella: "You definitely are."
Aries: "Tss."
Ella: "There it is."
Aries: "I hate you."
Ella: "No, you don't."
Aries: "No, I don't."
Later that night.
Jay and Keifer on the patio. Aries and Ella inside, watching a movie.
Jay: "Today was fun."
Keifer: "Today was chaotic."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
Jay: "I love you."
Keifer: "I love you too."
Jay: "Even when you make me blush?"
Keifer: "Especially then."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "Never."
He kissed her.
Inside, Aries and Ella on the couch.
Ella: "They're kissing again."
Aries: "They're always kissing."
Ella: "Jealous?"
Aries: "No."
Ella: "Liar."
Aries: "...Maybe."
Ella smiled. Leaned against him.
Ella: "We're okay, right?"
Aries: "We're more than okay."
Ella: "Same thing?"
Aries: "Same thing."