Chapter 29 - Guidance

Guidance

Jay-jay's POV

🎶 Rain, rain, go away

Come again another day

Little Jay-jay wants to play

Rain, rain, go away 🎶

I sang while walking. It was still raining, but not as hard anymore. Just drizzles now, and sometimes the sun would come out, but then it would drizzle again and suddenly pour heavy drops. What weird weather, right?

When I entered the room, it felt like the whole Section E had gone dead silent. Everyone looked so serious. Ci-N was the first to approach me.

"Jay... Keifer is calling you to the Guidance office." He said seriously.

I suddenly felt nervous. It seemed like a really serious issue. Why are we being called-shit !Could it be because of what happened with Section D?! Hala! I saw Keifer stand up from his seat and walk toward me.

"Let's go, so we can get back quickly." He said before walking away.

Before following him, I glanced at Yuri, who was also looking at me. Oh right, we had a conversation planned. I ran to catch up with Keifer, who was walking really fast. Ugh, their strides are too long. The Guidance office was in the new building.... Guidance. That's why we could see other students.

We stopped in front of the door. I took a deep breath to gather my courage. This is it-I have to face it.

"You go first.." I instructed Keifer.

Hehe... I'm nervous..

"Tss." Keifer responded.

The magical 'Tss' of Keifer.

He knocked on the door first before opening it. The assistant of Ma'am—I don't know our Guidance Counselor. I always forget her name—greeted us.

"Please sit down first." said the female assistant.

It seemed like we were expected. She didn't even ask why we were there. How would she know if we just had a question? The female assistant entered another door. She probably spent a few minutes inside before coming back out.

"You may enter now." she told us.

As usual, I let Keifer go in first. The moment I stepped inside, I was immediately stunned. There were the two students from Section D- the ones I had criticized-no, we had criticized. It seemed like they were just waiting for their companion.

"Sit down." instructed Ma'am Reyalidad.

Thank you, nameplate. We sat down on the bench in front of them The two had casts and cement on their arms and legs.

Keifer did that!

"Do you want to call your guardians?" Ma'am Reyalidad asked while pushing the phone toward us.

Keifer just shook his head, and I did the same.

Who would I even call?

Kuya Angelo?

That would just get me scolded. No way!

"Let's begin..." Ma'am Reyalidad started. "Mr. Dela Cruz, can you tell us what happened?"

I saw the Cemented Leg look at his parents before speaking.

Admit it! He was drawing strength from them.

"We were smoking behind the gym when Jay suddenly approached us. We asked her what she was doing there and told her to leave. Suddenly, she punched and kicked us. We tried to fight back, but since she was a girl, we couldn't hurt her. We tried to stop her, but we just ended up taking all her punches and kicks. Then Keifer arrived and did this to us." Explained the Cemented Leg.

I suddenly laughed. I knew I would get scolded for what I did, but- I really couldn't stop myself. Even Keifer started laughing too.

"Hahahahaha... hahahaha.."

So intense!

They could already be writers for the story they narrated.

So exaggerated! They even added more.

"Ms. Mariano... Is there something funny?" asked Ma'am Reality with authority.

I just smiled and bowed my head

That's it! Caught!

Ma'am turned again to the two. "Mr. Marquez... Do you agree with what Mr. Dela Cruz said?" He looked at us with his arm in a cast before nodding.

He's even looking! I tried to avoid making eye contact.

"It is clear that you hurt the student. A bone fracture was the result of what you did, and one of them is still in the hospital right now," Ma'am said to us. said to us.

"Mrs. Reyalidad, we want these kids expelled," one of the parents demanded.

Expelled?! Already?

Can't they just suspend us first?

This parent is so harsh!

"Mrs. Dela Cruz, we don't immediately impose expulsion..." Ma'am replied. I sighed in relief. I thought my brother would scold me.

"...But for Keifer's case, that penalty could be imposed," added Ma'am Reality, smiling smugly.

I looked at Keifer. I didn't see any fear in him,but I couldn't miss the trace of anger. It's as if he already expected what Ma'am was about to say.

"In our last discussion with Mr. Fernandez, it was made clear that Keifer could face expulsion if there were another complaint. In this case, the parents of three children from Section D are filing a complaint," Ma'am explained.

Is this why Yuri wanted me to take the blame for everything? Because Keifer might get expelled from school? If Keifer already knew this would happen, why did he help me? He should've just called someone else instead of getting himself involved.

"...So, Mr. Watson, I would like you to call the parents so we can discuss this matter." Keifer just kept staring at the phone.

Keifer...

"Just a moment, Ma'am..." I started."...What if Keifer didn't really do anything to them?"

All of them turned their eyes toward me. My heartbeat quickened. I needed to come up with an explanation quickly. My chance that they wouldn't believe me

"Ms. Mariano... If you're just trying to cover up for Mr. Watson-"

"I'm not covering for him... What I said is true. I'm the only one responsible for what happened to them. Keifer came there to pick me up and stop me."

"Dear... Don't take this the wrong way, but a girl wouldn't do something like that to my child," interrupted one of the parents.

I didn't answer. "Ma'am Reality, I know that you're aware of my records from my previous school. You also know that I'm capable of doing it."

Ma'am didn't speak. She just stared at me.

This sucks!

I didn't want to mention my records, but I had no choice.

"I-I believe Ms. Mariano. She is capable of doing such things," Ma'am hesitantly said, now looking at me.

"Ma'am! Don't believe her! She's just covering for Keifer!" interjected the one with the cast on their arm. This must be Marquez.

"I'm not covering for him!"

"Liar! He's the one who did this to me!" he accused, pointing to his arm.

"Why would Keifer do that to you?"

He couldn't answer. Because Keifer hit him. You were about to do it again, but Keifer caught you. You can't say anything now, can you?! I smirked. It seemed like I asked the right question. He fell silent.

"Mr. Marquez... Was it Keifer who did that to you?" Ma'am asked him, confronting him with reality.

Even though he didn't want to say it, it was obvious he was being forced to. "I-it was Jay-jay..."

"If that's the case, Ms. Mariano, call your guardian... I need to talk to them about your expulsion."

Damn it! I didn't think about that!

Of course, I took the blame, so now I was the one in trouble. How stupid of you, Jay! I was doomed when it came to Kuya Angelo. Even though I was reluctant, I dialed the house number. I was hoping my aunt would be the one to go instead.

["Hello?"]

Damn! Bad luck!

It was Kuya Angelo's voice on the other end. Just my luck. Why did he have to come home now?

["Hello?"] he asked again.

"H-hello... Kuya, it's Jay-jay." I admitted.

My heart was pounding fast. I could already imagine what he was going to say to me.

["Jay? Why?"]

"Well, it's just that..." They were all looking at me. It felt awkward."...Can you come here to the school?"

Even though he wasn't the one I wanted to come, he was still the one who would.

["Jay..."] He said my name with disappointment.

That feeling when someone already knows the reason-you get even more nervous.

"Uhmm..."

["Okay... I'm on my way."]

He hung up the phone, so I did the same. I turned to Ma'am.

"He said he's on his way."I said.

I glanced at Keifer, who was staring at me. No reaction. It was as if he was waiting to see how I would respond. I didn't even know if I should smile at him to show I was okay. But the truth was, I wasn't okay...

I wasn't afraid of that expulsion. They had tried to expel me before at my old school, but it didn't push through for several reasons. Even though I knew it was really happening this time, I still wasn't scared. What I was worried about was Kuya Angelo's anger. He had once thrown a chair across the hospital in his rage at me before.

Sigh...

We waited for about 20 minutes before Kuya arrived. When the door opened, it was as if he had seen a ghost. Ma'am Reyalidad and even the two from Section D were there. He didn't look angry, but he looked very serious. Keifer and I both turned to look at him.

"M-Mr. Fernandez... Please have a seat."

Ma'am's voice had a hint of nervousness. Is Kuya that scary? Well, I guess I'm scared too.

"Alright. Can I know why you called me here?'" Kuya asked directly.

Ma'am glanced at me first, as if checking whether I should be the one to answer.

'Ah, well... The parents of these kids have filed a complaint." She pointed at the two.

Kuya also looked at them, then turned his gaze to us.

"Who exactly are they complaining about? Jay-jay or Keifer?"

I looked at Keifer. How does he know this guy?Wait, was he the one Ma'am Reyalidad referred to as Mr. Fernandez earlier? I thought she was talking about Aries, since those two clearly knew each other. But it turns out Kuya Angelo knows him too. Keifer avoided eye contact. It was obvious he wasn't happy that Kuya was there.

"T-the truth is, they were both complained about, but Ms. Mariano took responsibility for the incident." Ma'am explained.

"I want to discuss what happened. I will take responsibility for what she did, they don't have two----"

Keifer suddenly stood up and glared at Kuya. "I don't need your help and Jay-jay is the only one with a case, not me.." He said and walked out of the Guidance office.

Are they close? Why does Keifer look like that to Kuya?