Chapter-237


Siblings


Jay-jay's POV


Stupid. I think my saliva is just not enough to say I'm not
myself. Well, I'm always not myself but today is different.
I'm stunned by the calendar. It's almost two weeks since
Ci's birthday. That means Keifer's birthday is next.
February 28 is tomorrow and the King of Snakes is on the 29th.
But I haven't received a single call or text from him.
Then GagongBaliw, who is also texting me, is also getting in the way.
My hope that the King and I are the same is dwindling.
"You're a pest, Keifer! Your gums are hurting."
I was about to swallow the remaining Pepero stick I was holding but when
I looked, it was gone. I felt like I had eaten without realizing it.
I checked my bag but there was no food left.
When would I feel like having a midnight snack and the chutchirya
in my bag be gone. I checked the time on the wall clock. It was 10:43PM,
they must be asleep, Kuya.
I slowly opened my room door. I peeked at
Kuya's room door for a moment. It was closed, there was no light at the foot of the door either. That
means the monster was asleepâ€"this is Kuya Angelo.
I hope the word Monster doesn't reach Kuya.
I took each step slowly. I still outsmarted the thief.
When I got to the stairs, I quickly walked to the kitchen. I'll see
if I can eat anything.
When I got to the kitchen. Boom! There's a Horoscope!
Today you'll be really hungry so eat. Lucky
color: mud. Lucky number: blue.
Thanks for the horoscope. Wasn't there any warning?
Aries also seemed to be looking for food. He kept peeking into the
containers inside the refrigerator but he wasn't satisfied. He walked straight ahead and
took a deep breath. He slowly turned to face me
before closing the refrigerator door.
It was as if he didn't notice my presence because he kept walking
closer.
"Aries."
"What the!.." He said in surprise. "...What are you?! Why are you so
surprised?"
I wanted to laugh at what he said. He was starting to get surprised too.
"I'm not surprising you. You're an idiot."
He looked at me annoyed. "I'm not an idiot! Look where
you are."
I looked at where I was. I was at the kitchen door.
It was dark and there was no light that could come from.
The lights in the other part of the kitchen were also off.
"Who wouldn't be surprised by that? A voice from the dark and
I still don't know who it is."
"I'm sorry." I said, rubbing my head.
He let out a deep sigh. He also scratched his
head and looked at me as if he was tired.
"What time is it? Why are you still up?"
"Midnight snack, I hope. Is there food?"
He looked at the fridge before answering me. "There is, but it's all dalam."
Oh... I don't want that. I just want to nibble or something sweet.
"Oh..." I said with my head in my hands. "...I'll just buy something outside."
I turned my back.
Before I could even get far, a hand pulled my collar around the nape of my
neck. I felt like a puppy being carried in the air.
"What about outside? Let me remind you that someone wants you dead.
Then you're going to come out?!" He said irritably.
"I'll disguise myself."
One of his eyebrows raised. He almost said '
You're so smart there' in a sarcastic way.
I tried to get out of his grip on my collar but
he only tightened it even more.
"Okay... I just really want to buy something." I said.
"It's already night."
"Owwwsss... Really?!" I said, sounding surprised.
He let go of my collar but gave
me a hard slap. I was in tears as he rubbed my head.
"It hurts!" I complained to him.
"That stubbornness of yours, is it because of the pain?"
"Oh, maybe I'm human too, right?!" I sarcastically replied.
I didn't wait for him to say anything. I quickly turned around and
walked back to my room. I continued my plan to buy outside.
I rummaged through my hoodie jacket. I also looked for something
to cover my face.
I found a bonnet. Even though it smelled like it was getting staleâ€"no kidding!
I need this. I also took the shades that belonged to Ci-N but
she left them here when she lived here once.
There! I looked like an idiot!
I grimaced when I saw myself in the mirror. I looked like an
American idiotâ€"all I needed was bling bling. It's dark outside so
shades? Okay! I look like an addict. Bonnet? Is the peg only in Baguio?
I took them off and threw them on the bed. More of a disguise. I
just adjusted the hood to cover my face.
This is okay, but it's better than being an American Bangag.
I put my wallet and cellphone in my pocket. When I opened the door, instead of
taking a step forward, I took a step back.
Horoscope's face was staring at me. The guy was also wearing a hood
and don't! We're the same color...Red!
"You look like Kokey." He said while crossing his arms.
"Who is that? Is that an artist?"
He smiled at me and nodded. "It's an actor."
Hey, I have a famous face! Nice! I'm proud!
I smiled sweetly and parted my hair behind
my ear. But what surprised me about him was his smile that seemed like
he was being silly.
I looked at him intently. "Why are you here?"
"I'll come with you... Instead of letting you walk alone."
He answered seriously.
I looked at what he was wearing. "Why are you dressed like that? Disguise too?"
"Stupid! It's foggy outside. I'm too lazy to ask for an umbrella." He said,
turning his back on me.
It's really fun talking to him.
Sometimes, I feel like banging his head on the wall. Or maybe I'll take him
with his fellow Horoscopes. Are they Taurus and Scorpion troops?
I rushed to follow him but I stopped when I remembered that
Kuya was asleep and might wake up. I walked on tiptoe until
I reached the stairs.
My stupid brother wasn't in the living room so I went straight outside.
He was holding my bike while looking somewhere.
"Let's go." He said without looking at me.
"Where are you going with my bike?"
"Walking." He didn't have any emotion in his answer.
Oh, good luck on your trip.
I winced at him and he glared at me.
"We'll probably use our service. Use your useless brain
sometimes."
I hit him hard but managed to elbow him. The
ending? I was the one who got hurt.
"Let's go!" I was annoyed and let her go first.
I slowly opened the gate and peeked outside. It was quiet and
all I could hear were dogs barking in the distance. I didn't
notice anyone or a car parked nearby.
I turned behind me and Horoscope was right next to me.
His face was serious as he looked at me.
"I'll go out first." He said so I slightly moved out of his way.
When he came out, he looked around first. The same as I did earlier.
When he was sure that there was nothing suspicious, he just got out his bike and
motioned for me to follow.
He got on the bike and looked at me. I expected him to let me ride
but he suddenly sped away.
"Okay. Start walking now." He said lifelessly.
Oh my god...
"That's embarrassing. That's my bike." I said irritated.
He stopped and looked at me. "Yes. Get on."
My smile widened and I quickly approached him. I was about to sit on the
bike but I was about to take my seat when I bumped into
his chin.
"Ouch..." I whispered and looked at him.
He was looking at me evilly while holding his mouth and chin.
I winced.
"I told you... I'm riding in the back." I was forced to take my seat in
the back. I
didn't want to do it because I was just standing there with
both feet on the metal on the side of the wheel. I was also hesitant because
if he braked, we might both fall over.
I hesitantly held both my hands on his shoulders.
It only took a second and he started the bike.
It felt weird. It was so happy and sad.
I was happy because we were like this before. I was riding on his bike while
he took me for a ride. I didn't know that this would happen again.
But at the same time, I felt sad. I knew that after
this night was over, this might not happen again.
To be honest, I had been thinking about how he treated me. I wanted
to ask him but I was afraid that what happened in his room would happen again when
he suddenly got angry with me.
I wanted to know if we were okay. I wanted to know if
he had forgiven me. I wanted to know if he had accepted me
as a brother. I wanted to know if...we could just be like this.
I looked at my hand and felt a few drops of water.
What he was saying was true. It was misting.
"I hope it doesn't continue." I whispered.
He turned slightly to me. "Huh?"
"The rain... I hope it doesn't continue."
He stopped causing me to almost fall into him.
He looked up and felt the sky. I did the same and that's when I
noticed that the moon was bright.
"That's not it... The moon is bright, oh, there are still stars."
*Flashback....*
"Let's go home... It looks like it's going to rain." I said while looking at the sky.
There were stars and I could see the moon but I could already feel the
rain falling.
He looked up too. "That's not it... The moon is bright, oh, there are still stars."
*EndOfFlashback...*
I couldn't take my eyes off Aries even though I could only see his back.
He went back to playing and my gaze was still on him.
For some reason I couldn't understand, tears spontaneously fell from
my right eye. That memory tells me how
happy I was even though my past wasn't that complete in
my mind.
Now I'm grateful that my happy memories with
him haven't disappeared. Even though it's not complete, that's okay. As long as I know
we were happy.
And if I could just make a wish....
I hope we're like that again. I hope we're the same as before. There's no
problem in my mind. When we're together, it feels like we're
the only people and the whole world is our playground.
The one teardrop earlier, now it's more. It's starting to
all. I'm annoyed because I didn't ask to cry but here it is
again.
I can't help it. The only difference is not because I'm hurt.
But because I'm asking for something that I know is impossible to fulfill.
Please.... I want to be with Aries again like before. I want us to be happy again
. I want that again. I miss that time.
I miss what we were doing. I miss my older brother.
I tried not to make any noise. I didn't want him to hear me sobbing
. When I saw the Mini Mart, I tried to take a deep breath and
wipe my tears. I also adjusted my hood so he couldn't see
my face.
When he stopped in front of the Mini Mart, I got out of the car first.
"It's really stolen." He whispered.
When I went inside, the clerk motioned for me to lower my hood. He
said it was forbidden.
Do I look like a holdup?
I had no choice but to lower my hood and rush over to the
ood. I just wiped my eyes again and hoped
the redness wouldn't be noticeable.
It's annoying! Why did I cry about that Horoscope?
I got some chutchirya first before getting to the drinks.
I got 1.5 liters of soft drinks. This is all mine!
"Put it back!" Aries said annoyed as he approached me.
I bowed slightly and averted my eyes from him. "Here, I want it!
Besides, I'll pay for it!"
He grabbed the soft drinks from me and put them back in the large
refrigerator.
"That's why your brain is empty, you only eat unhealthy food."
He gave a sermon and turned to the chutchirya I was holding.
My brain is emptyâ€"food!
"Here, I want it!" I said annoyed as I tried to grab the
chutchirya.
He mercilessly slapped my hand so I let go.
He quickly put them back on the shelves. I followed
him, frowning.
He moved to the other shelves. "You should eat food like this." He then
grabbed a loaf of bread.
"Do we have anything like that at home?"
He looked at the bread he was holding. "It's gone. I ate it this morning."
Wow! It looks like he's hiding greed.
"Will I be full from that?" I asked irritated.
"Probably! All food is filling!"
How annoying! I didn't want to. I was forced to look at
biscuits. I even tried pre-heated food. I also tried yogurt, which
I didn't like the taste ofâ€"I also got hot.
I approached her with my arms almost full of things.
I was already lying down while hugging the food.
"You pay for this." I told her.
She made it difficult for me. "Yes, I do." She quickly took the things she wanted to buy
before facing me again. "...it's embarrassing how much you took, maybe
it's not enough."
We approached the cashier one after the other. While the barcode reader scanned the items we bought one by
one
, I simply stepped back and went back
to the shelves. I took out a chutchirya.
I hid it behind me and when the cashier was almost done, I put it
all down in front of her. Almost at the same time, they were Aries who jumped in shock.
"This is a partner!"
The horoscope looked at me sharply. "You're really stubborn."
I gave him tantalizing eyes to make him look cute, which
annoyed him even more. I just laughed.
You won't win against my stubbornness.
We brought three plastic bags with us when we left the Mini Mart.
Horoscope frowned and felt like the sky had fallen on us. We
paid 1000+ for everything we boughtâ€"but it all seemed like it was just me.
"You're having fun, right?" he said sarcastically.
My smile wouldn't go away as I sipped the probiotic
milk I was holding from the straw.
"Food is life."
He approached the bike and raised the stand. He slowly pushed
it with one hand. He had one plastic bag in one hand.
I had the two others, both of which were mine.
"Shall we just walk?" I asked.
He raised the plastic bag he was holding. "Can I drive with what
we brought?"
"I told you... I'll walk." I quickened my pace to keep up
with him.
We were silent at first while looking at the road. I chose not
to speak even though I was scared by his silence.
I kept talking about the contents of the plastic. I opened
the cheese bread and started eating it.
"Are you pregnant?" He broke the silence that made me choke.
I almost spat out what I had eaten. "Tado! Where did you get
that?!" I looked at him annoyed.
"Since you came to Section E, you've been gluttonous.
And now it's like double. Have you weighed yourself yet?"
I looked at myself. I'm not fat.
My clothes are a little tight but that's not a problem.
"Percy eats a lot. I feel like I'm going to hang myself with so much."
I explained that it was true.
When I said I wanted this kind of food, he immediately bought it. I
guess I was becoming spoiled by him.
His expression suddenly changed and it seemed like he didn't like what I said.
He looked back at the front and continued walking.
It was as if they still weren't talking.
"Y-you know..." I started but he still wasn't looking at me.
"...Percy is really mad at Yuri."
He sighed deeply. "And I'm really mad at
them too."
I stopped walking and kept looking at him.
"And you're really mad at me too."
He stopped and the words I let out were like arrows hitting
his back. He didn't look back at me and I saw him slowly bow his
head.
"Why Aries? Why? What did I do to you to make you mad
at me and hide your brother from me?"
Seconds, minutes must have reached 10. He didn't answer
until he slowly stepped away.
"Let's go home. It's dangerous for you to stay outside."
I bit my lower lip. I was annoyed with myself. I shouldn't have
spoken. What should I have expected.
No one spoke to us for a while. We were almost in front of the gate of the
house when he stopped. I also stopped a few feet away from him.
"Jay..." He called to me and slowly turned to face me. "...give me
time."
Oh, I don't have a watch.
I looked at him in surprise. I couldn't understand the time he was saying.
"...give me time to think about what happened..." He smiled
at me. "...Brother will get back to you."
My lips moved spontaneously and I smiled too. I was about to run
towards him when we heard the sound of a speeding car.
It was from behind me that's why I turned around and that's how scared I was
when I saw it approaching me. My legs stiffened along with
my heart beating fast.
JAY-JAY! MOVE!
It was too late for me to dodge. I just closed my eyes and waited
or the car to hit me but that's not what I felt.
Two arms hugged me and at the same time we were thrown to the
side of the road. The hug was tight and I could barely move.
When I opened my eyes, all I saw was the back of the running car, followed
by Kuya Angelo running.
I was deaf, I couldn't hear anything because of the strength of my heartbeat.
Only the buzz of a sharp sound dominated my ears.
Why is this?
Aries was in front of me, he was shouting something right in my face but
I couldn't hear what he was saying. Until what was happening gradually became clear to me
.
"Damn it! Answer me!" Aries said. "...Jay! What hurts you!"
I shook my head slowly. "W-nothing... I'm o-okay."
Suddenly he pulled me into his chest. He was breathing deeply
and I could hear his strong heartbeat.
"Damn it! You're almost there."