Chapter 169 - Holy Shit

Jay-Jay's POV

Our province is simple. There's a residential area and a rural part. Unlike the city, where cars are everywhere, walking or cycling is more common here.

Thinking about it—based on what I remember—we only had a few neighbors. Mama and I lived in an unfinished house. There was a room for me and one for her.

A big tree stood nearby, and I used to climb it often with Aries.

Then, the incident happened—the one I don't remember. After I was discharged from the hospital, I moved in with Grandma. She lived in a much bigger house—an old, sturdy Spanish-style home.

I was enrolled in a public school, but my student life there was terrible. I was always getting into fights, so they transferred me to a private school. They thought—just like I did—that I'd be better off at Holy Saints.

I became well-known, but not because of my beauty. It was because I kept getting into fights. I had no real friends. Some classmates were afraid of me, while others acted nice because they found me useful.

I was in the guidance office every day. They called Grandma daily, but when she got fed up, Kuya Angelo took over. Even though he lived in the city, he would come home just to visit me at school.

I was scared of him!

Then came Cyrus. He kept flirting with me, even though it was obvious we didn't like each other. He just used my popularity. Since I had no choice, I answered him—and I had no idea that would be the start of a bigger problem.

That guy was insane!

I took his place at the top. The school was on fire—figuratively—and I loved the feeling. Until the unexpected happened. I accidentally hurt him. Then, Grandma had a heart attack and nearly died.

That was the final straw. That's why my aunt took me in. I left all my painful memories behind in this province.

I never thought I'd return so soon. Immediately? I was hoping for three to five years at least.

"We're almost at the campsite," Sir Alvin announced over the bus microphone.

The other students who had been sleeping woke up and stretched. Some yawned, planning to go back to sleep.

It was a good thing we had our own bus this time. We thought we'd have to squeeze in with another section.

I wouldn't have liked that!

I glanced at the seat across from me. Keifer was staring, but I just looked away. I was still mad at him.

But that wasn't the real reason I was avoiding him. Back at school, I could tolerate it, but now that we were heading to my province, I couldn't deal with it. I didn't want anyone to notice, so I avoided him. That's also why I chose to sit at the very back—away from everyone else.

As we passed through familiar places, I saw spots I used to visit. We had reached the forested area. The bus drove through an old gate that read: "Camp is Rock."

Huh?!

Couldn't they come up with something more original? Just remove the "is," and it would match the movie title!

The bus came to a stop, and we all got off with our bags. Our organizers had planned a nature trip.

I'd been here before, but back then, it was undeveloped. We used to hang out and drink here—until the landowner kicked us out, claiming there were too many snakes.

Wait… could there still be snakes here?!

As expected, some of our batchmates were dressed ridiculously. Who in their right mind wears heels to a retreat?

Oh, Freya, of course.

That girl must be crazy! With her high heels, you'd think we were going to the mall. So extra!

"Here we are!" the organizer called out through a megaphone.

We stopped in front of a hall, queuing up by section. From where I stood, I could see Aries looking at me. I knew he could tell I wasn't happy about coming back home.

The organizer started explaining something, but I wasn't listening. My mind was elsewhere.

"…You'll find a flag with your section's name. That will be your campsite," he continued, motioning for us to move.

No one was in a rush. No one even wanted to look for our campsite.

"Where's our spot?" Blaster asked.

David pointed toward a different path, separate from where the others were headed. I was stunned.

Why was our campsite in a completely different direction?

Even those of us who had no enthusiasm—including me—forced ourselves to go find it.

But when we got there, we were beyond disappointed.

The place was a mess! The ground was dirty, and it looked abandoned. It seemed like no one had camped here in ages.

Are we in an alien zone or something?!

Not far away, I saw tall grass. What if there are snakes in there?!

"Are we really supposed to stay here?" Felix asked, kicking an old burnt can on the ground. "…Does the organizer hate us?"

I wanted to ask the same thing. It felt like we weren't actually part of this retreat. That's why they charged Rory extra, claiming we weren't in the budget.

"Doesn't this place seem small?" Eman said as he walked around.

I rolled my eyes. He's right! It was way too cramped for 17 people to pitch individual tents.

The organizer definitely had it out for us!

"Well, we're here now… There's nothing we can do," Denzel said, starting to clear a small area. "Let's just set things up."

The others followed his lead. First, they unloaded their bags and started setting up tents.

I was about to set up next to Ci-N when suddenly, someone grabbed my bag.

"Hey!" I yelled at Keifer.l

He suddenly dropped my bag and quickly opened it. He pulled out the tent parts and started assembling them.

"What are you doing?" I asked, annoyed.

"Washing," he replied sarcastically. "...Are you blind?"

I was so irritated. What an infuriating start to my morning! I had no choice but to approach him and help.

After setting up the tents, I finally noticed that mine was right next to his.

So that's why he put me here!

I went inside my tent and started organizing my things—pillows, blankets, a small lamp, and of course... Snorlax.

I couldn't leave him behind, even though stuffing him into my already full bag was a struggle. While arranging my things, I glanced at the envelope inside my bag.

Tsk! The one I need to sign.

After making sure everything was in place, I stepped out of the tent, holding the envelope, and turned to Keifer.

"I'll be back soon," I told him.

"Where are you going?" Yuri asked.

"To my old school... I need to sign something," I replied casually.

"I'll go with you," Ci offered with a nod, but I quickly shook my head.

"It's fine... I won't be long."

I didn't wait for them to argue. I walked off immediately and found Sir Alvin talking to the organizer. I approached him and asked for permission to leave.

Since he already knew about it, he let me go without any issues.

I exited the old gate and waited for a jeepney. The school was quite far from this place.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long before a jeepney arrived. As soon as I got in, I noticed a few students from Holy Saints in their uniforms staring at me.

They still remember me.

The jeepney stopped at the tricycle terminal, and I transferred to a tricycle, telling the driver my destination.

With every turn of the tricycle, my nerves got worse.

It felt like I was heading straight to my doom. Overdramatic? Maybe. But that's exactly how I felt.

The tricycle stopped in front of the gate. Déjà vu! It's like I've lived this moment before. Weird.

I approached the guardhouse and explained my reason for being here. The security guard was new, so he didn't recognize me.

Lucky me.

The guard signaled for me to go inside. It was class time, so there weren't many students around. But I didn't go unnoticed.

"Jay-jay?" someone called, squinting at me. "...Is that you?"

No! It's just a hologram!

I turned to see the school janitor staring at me. I forced a smile as I walked toward him.

I felt guilty. I was one of the people who used to insult him before. But not once did he get mad at me.

"H-how have you been?" I asked awkwardly.

"It's you!" he said in shock, resting his broom on his shoulder. He looked around as if making sure no one else was watching. "...Why are you here? Are you enrolling again?"

"N-no... I just need to sign something at the guidance office," I explained.

He smiled—the same warm smile he always gave me, even when I used to yell at him.

"A lot has happened since you left," he said.

I chuckled. "So, things finally calmed down?"

He laughed loudly. "The troublemakers may have left, but now new ones have taken over!"

I scratched the back of my head. Damn. I actually thought this school would be peaceful without me. But it looks like it's just as chaotic as ever.

"...Alright, I have to get back to work. Take care! It's good to see you again," he said, picking up his broom.

Before he could leave, I grabbed his arm.

He looked at me, surprised, but I was serious.

"Manong... I just want to say... I'm sorry for everything I did to you before," I said sincerely.

I felt a heavy weight lift off my chest as I let those words out. Not because I was forced to, but because I knew that no amount of "sorry" could make up for what I had done to him in the past.

He smiled again. "It's okay..."

That was all he said, but it was enough. It felt like a thorn had been pulled from my heart.

I smiled back—genuinely this time—before letting go of his arm.

That brief encounter with Manong gave me the courage to keep walking toward the guidance office.

But just as I reached the building, the school bell rang.

Students poured out of their classrooms, filling the hallways.

Oh, shit.

Panic. Shock. Disbelief. Those were their reactions when they saw me.

"Is that Jay-jay?"

"Bro! It's Jay—"

"Wait... she's even prettier now!"

"Idiot! You might get punched!"

"What the hell..."

"Why is she here?"

The whispers grew louder as I quickened my pace toward the guidance office, located in the second-largest building on campus.

But before I could reach it, I had to pass in front of the cafeteria—where half the student body was gathered.

Damn it!

I should've put on my headset. So annoying! Now I have to listen to all this chatter again.

While walking, I saw familiar faces—some were old classmates, some were people I had fought, and others were those I had bullied.

Speaking of fights… Cyrus.

I heard he came back to school. I wasn't sure when, but Kuya Angelo had mentioned it.

And that made me even more nervous.

Because of him.

"Look who's here!" a familiar voice shouted.

I stopped walking and turned slightly to face him. He was one of the people I had fought with before.

"...How dare you come back here after what you did to Papa Cyrus!"

I raised an eyebrow. Papa Cyrus? Since when? The way she said "Papa" sounded more like she was calling him "Father" rather than using it flirtatiously.

Honestly, I had already forgotten her name.

"...You're still as annoying as ever! You know that?!"

I looked at her, irritated, but I tried not to show it. I responded the same way I always did when she tried to provoke me.

"So what?"

The other students burst into laughter. It wasn't even that funny, but I guess they found it amusing because, after all this time, I still gave her the same response—and she still couldn't come up with a comeback.

I ignored her and continued walking, making my way to the Guidance Office building. It was on the second floor, so I quickened my pace. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

Standing in front of the office door, I hesitated. Should I be nervous?

I tightened my grip on the brown envelope I was carrying.

Come on, Jay.

Just sign it. Then leave. No complications.

I knocked on the door. It opened, and the Guidance Counselor appeared before me.

Miss you, Ma'am! Hehehe.

"Ms. Mariano, right?" she asked.

"O-oh."

My heart pounded. Of course, I remembered her. I used to be in this office almost every day—I could never forget her.

"Do you need something?"

"Hmm... I just need this signed," I said, handing her the brown envelope.

She chuckled, catching me off guard. Did I say something funny? She took the envelope and glanced at it.

"You're so polite now... Back then, when you yelled at me, it was like we were the same age," she said, smiling mischievously.

Oh, great.

She remembers that. Embarrassing!

I scratched the back of my neck and tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

After reading the document, she handed it back to me. "Let's talk about this. Come inside and wait for me—I just need to speak with someone first."

I did as she said. The Guidance Office had two rooms—one for her office and another for counseling sessions with students or parents.

Nothing had changed.

That made me smile a little. I knew every corner of this office like the back of my hand.

But the moment I stepped into her office, my smile disappeared.

Because of the person sitting inside.

"What..." I whispered.

He looked up at me.

"Nice to see you here," he said, smirking.

"...Jay-jay."

"C-Cyrus."