Chapter-358 Ares

Jay-Jay's POV

I stared at Mama while eating. She was looking at me too, as if puzzled by what I was doing.

She placed some bacon on my plate. "Are you out of it? Why are you staring at me like that?"

I shook my head. "I'm not."

"Eat already. Stop doing whatever it is you're doing."

I did as she said but kept my eyes on her. She chose to ignore me. She was about to put food on Aries' plate but stopped when my brother pulled his plate away.

Almost everyone looked at him. I could feel Kuya Angelo's stare on him. Mama didn't care and just put the food meant for Aries on my plate instead.

Nice. More food.

"Aries," Kuya Angelo said, his voice carrying a hint of warning.

My brother stood up. "I'm done eating," he said and walked away.

I just watched him while continuing to chew my food.

"Eat faster, Jay. Go with Aries to school," Kuya ordered, so I looked at him with bacon still in my mouth.

I swallowed my food carefully before answering. "You're not dropping me off anymore?"

He raised an eyebrow, as if reminding me about what happened yesterday at Yuri's house. I just scratched my head and pouted.

I told you, he might get into another fight.

I finished my food quickly so I could catch up with my brother. He'd probably yell at me again for being slow. To this day, it's still a mystery to me how fast he takes a shower in the morning. At night, he's a bit slower.

Maybe he really just does a quick splash-and-go. If I ever confirm that, he's done for. I'll tease him for a long time as payback.

I finished eating and excused myself to take a shower. I had to hurry because I could feel the presence of fate outside my bedroom door. I ended up hitting my gums with the toothbrush several times in my rush. I also got shampoo in my eyes a few times.

When I finished dressing, my socks didn't match again, but I ignored it. I just grabbed my bag and put on my shoes. When I stepped out of my room, Horoscope was leaning against the wall, holding his phone and staring at a message. I was about to peek, but he seemed to sense my presence.

Dang, I didn't see it.

"Let's go… You're so slow," he said, turning away from me.

I pouted before following him. We said a quick goodbye to Mama and Tita Gema before heading out. My eyes nearly popped out when I saw his shiny new car.

He was already inside, so I didn't get to complain. I felt like I got slapped by an expensive fragrance when I entered. I suddenly became afraid to breathe, worried I might ruin the car with my lung air. My butt got cold instantly when I sat down, and the air conditioning wasn't even on yet. I couldn't bring myself to pull the seatbelt, afraid I'd break it. I'm pretty rough when I tug on seatbelts.

"What's wrong with you?" my brother asked.

He must've noticed how stiff I was acting.

"I'm embarrassed to move in your fancy new car," I answered sarcastically, earning an eye-roll from him.

"Sit properly. or you'll faceplant into the dashboard when I brake."

"It might get scratched," I insisted.

"It's just a car, Jay."

" A brand-new one."

"That'll get old eventually."

"That probably costs more than my life."

"Not really. Your life is more important to us than this car," he said, making me smile.

Aww, I'm important.

"So it's okay if I do this?" I asked, leaning back and putting my feet up on the dashboard.

He immediately pinched my leg. I yelped in pain and quickly put my feet down, rubbing the spot where he pinched me.

"I said sit properly!" he said, annoyed.

Grumpily, I adjusted my seat and finally buckled my seatbelt before he started the car.

I wasn't sure if the weather was really nice or if everything just looked better from the window of my brother's new car. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I didn't want to get complacent just because Papa was rich and I might get everything I wanted once we met. That's not even why I wanted to see him.

I miss having a father. I want to be with him. It's been so hard growing up without both my parents around. It would've been different if they were just working abroad for my future—I could've understood that. But no. Instead, it was all just a game of hide-and-seek.

I don't even know why they're keeping me away from my father.

Hide-and-seek… who's "it"?

I noticed the route we were taking — it looked like we were heading straight to school.

"Aren't we picking up Ella?" I asked, though I was secretly thrilled about it.

"No, she's already at school," he replied, and I gave a subtle smile.

That's how I like it — good news right off the bat.

We were nearing school when his phone rang. He tried to take it out of his pocket to check, but it slipped and fell by his feet. I reached down to help since I didn't want him to take his eyes off the road.

"Someone's calling, but it's just a number," I said and pressed the green button to answer — just as he yelled, "Don't!"

I ignored him because my attention was already on the voice from the other end of the line. I stared out the window, trying to remember where I'd heard that voice before. It was so familiar, but I couldn't place it. My heart raced and I felt a chill. Deep down, I knew the owner of this voice played a significant role in my life, one that left a mark on me. It was like I knew them, and they left a wound and a scar. On me…on us.

"Jay! Hang up the phone!" Aries shouted.

But I didn't listen. The next words from the caller were all I heard.

["You're not Aries."] The voice paused. ["Are you Jay-Jay?"]

The phone slipped from my hand. Tears blurred my vision and fell down my cheeks. My head started to throb, and I bowed my head, feeling cold and sick to my stomach. I didn't even notice the car had stopped. 

Fragments of memory surfaced—a dark room, a small window, scattered belongings and boxes. A shattered mirror. Blood on the floor. The shadowy outline of a person— blurry but familiar.

Aries?

I could see him now. This was part of my past with Aries. 

I had to remember what happened. I knew there were things between us that I'd forgotten, just like with my stepfathers. I couldn't keep running from it and waiting for things to come back in bits and pieces.

I needed those lost memories with Aries. Even though we'd reconciled, I had to know—why had he avoided me back then? Why had he been so angry? The answers might lie in those forgotten moments.

I had to face this now, or I'd spend my whole life running from fear.

Remember! Even if you have no brain, just remember!

Despite the throbbing headache and the nausea twisting my stomach, I pushed myself to recall. My breathing grew tight, and my vision blurred even more. I forced my mind back to that room—the clutter, the dim glow of a single lightbulb, every detail I could grasp.

"Jay! Please tell me what's wrong!" Aries pleaded, but I ignored him.

I felt his hands gripping my arms, trying to turn my face toward him.

"Breathe! Please breathe!" he begged as my tears fell harder. "I'm calling an ambulance now!"

He reached for the phone on the floor, but I stepped on it to stop him. I shut my eyes and pushed myself to remember more. There was something missing — the events weren't complete. It was like a puzzle with a missing piece.

Think harder, even if your brain is useless!

What's missing? In that room, we were locked up. Aries' real father locked us there. We tried to escape but got caught. There were handcuffs and so much blood. We fought back even though we got hurt. A mirror shattered, and then I—I stabbed someone.

I stabbed...

I was stunned. My head snapped up as I covered my mouth in shock. The tears I had earlier from dizziness and pain were now replaced by tears of raw, overwhelming emotion. I stumbled back, my wide eyes locked on Aries.

"Jay, w-what's wrong?" he asked.

I fumbled for the car door handle, desperate to get out. His calls faded behind me as I staggered away, my feet moving without direction. I kept wiping my tears, but they wouldn't stop falling.

"Jay-Jay!" Aries called, and I quickened my pace, but he still managed to catch up with me.

He grabbed my arm, but I immediately pulled it back. I couldn't look him in the eye.

"I-I'll go to school first," I muttered, but he blocked my path.

"I think we should go to the hospital," he insisted, pulling me back toward the car, but I pulled my arm back again.

"I'm okay," I insisted.

"Jay—"

"I said I'm okay!" I snapped angrily.

I quickly walked away and glanced up briefly when I saw a man standing not far from us. David looked confused and worried as he watched me pass by.

"I'll take care of it," I heard him say, probably to Aries.

My steps were long as I entered the school. I didn't care if people stared at me because of how I looked. Even though I was out of breath, I kept walking just as fast, even up the stairs. I kept my head down, even when I entered the classroom. 

"Good morning, Jay! Good morning, Grandpa Dabid!" Ci greeted cheerfully.

I ignored him and went straight to my seat.

I sat there, staring blankly, my fists clenched tightly and resting on my thighs. I could hear what the Ulupong were saying, but not a single word registered in my brain.

"Jay? Are you hungry? Do you want some food?"

"Maybe you want some bread? I have some here."

"I want some!"

"Screw you!"

"Maybe she's not feeling well. Eman, give her some medicine."

"I'm a cook, not a nurse."

"Maybe she had a bad dream again."

"Maybe you were in her dream."

"Maybe she's thinking about the money I owe her."

"Idiot, pay her back already."

"Let her think about it a little longer."

"Maybe she needs some affection."

I heard their soft laughter, but it disappeared when my tears started falling on their own. I remained motionless, unable to accept the memories that had come back to me.

I stabbed someone.

I know I have a bad attitude. I never back down from a fight, and if I need to get into a brawl, I do it. But stabbing someone — that's a different story.

"Keifer," I heard them call their King.

I felt them slightly back away as Keifer approached me. He pulled up a chair to sit next to me. He held my hand, but I didn't unclench my fist or move it from my thigh. 

"Hey... I'm ready to listen."

My tears fell faster. My breathing became heavier. I kept my head down and my gaze blank. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, afraid he wouldn't accept what I was about to say. But I wanted to tell him because I didn't know what to do anymore. My conscience was eating me alive.

"I-I remembered… something," I began.

"From your past? Another bad memory?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded. "About Aries and me."

I tried to hold back my sobs, but my resolve crumbled over and over.

"Jay?" Ci called softly.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't rush. Take it slow," Keifer said and gently held my face to make me look at him, but the moment our eyes met, I couldn't hold back anymore and broke into loud cries.

He immediately hugged me and rested my head on his chest.

"I remember now... w-what I did to him," I said as if I were confessing to him. "T-That's why he was so angry at me." I sobbed.

Now, everything made sense.

He had every right to hate me, and I had no right to complain. I shouldn't have gotten mad at him back then. I should've just accepted the harsh word he threw at me. If anything, what he did to me wasn't enough, compared to what I did to him. He could've even hurt me physically, and I might've accepted it willingly. He had every right to do so.

That's why he didn't want to live with me. That's why he always looked at me with anger. That's why it seemed like he wanted me erased from his life. That's why he kept our sibling relationship a secret. That's why...

"I-I stabbed him... I almost killed him," I cried, as the image of him lying on the floor, surrounded by his own blood, flashed in my mind. "I tried to kill my own brother!"

Keifer's embrace tightened around me, and I felt the Ulupong gather closer.

"You didn't mean to do that. I know you — you wouldn't go that far," he tried to ease my feelings, but his words didn't help.

"But I still did it."

"And there was a reason."

Even if I wanted to remember the reason, it wouldn't change the fact that I tried to kill him. I still stabbed him — not just once. I could still hear his voice begging me. I didn't understand why I didn't listen to him.

Why did I do it?

My tears kept falling. Earlier, I wanted those memories to come back — but now, I wanted them gone again. I wanted them erased from my mind. I didn't know if I could face Aries anymore.

This must be so hard for him. He had to live with the person who tried to take his life. He had to hold back his anger every day that he saw me. And in the end, he forgave me even though he didn't have to.

He should've just stayed mad at me — I would've accepted that more than knowing the pain he endured while we lived together and the burden of what I did to him.

Meanwhile, I was still holding a grudge against him back then, completely unaware that I had almost killed him. If only I had known, if only I had an idea, if only someone had told me.

"I-I can't face Aries anymore."

"Sshh... It would be better if you talk to him—"

I quickly shook my head. "No. I can't."

"Okay, I won't insist, but please don't make decisions when you're overwhelmed with emotions," he said, running his fingers through my hair before kissing my head. "You're still confused because of the memories that came back. You need to breathe first."

I tried to calm myself down like he said, but I still couldn't stop crying. He just let me be, even keeping our position. I could feel the Ulupong watching us, but they stayed quiet out of respect until I finally calmed down.

Yuri handed me a tissue, and David gave me a bottled water—it looked like he even went out just to buy it.

I was such a bother.

"Your brother wants to know if you're okay now," David said, making me look at him. "I just told him you look better."

I nodded and thanked him. I didn't know what to say to Aries when we saw each other. Honestly, I'd rather not see him later.

I didn't want to go home.

"I'm confused. What were you saying earlier?" Ci asked, but Eren quickly hit him on the head.

"Be sensitive. It just happened—don't make her relive it right away," he said, shaking his head.

"I-It's okay."

"I think you should tell them," Keifer suggested, but I quickly shook my head again.

"They'll understand, trust me."

I didn't know if I really should tell them. I looked around at everyone gathered around us.

They were the same Ulupong who had once kept secrets from me, but they were also the same ones who made up for it and proved they deserved forgiveness.

They were the same Ulupong who were with me through mischief, battles, and happiness. They trusted me, and I should trust them too.

I looked at Keifer, and he smiled at me, as if to say it was okay. I gave a small nod in response.

"I-I mentioned before that there were things in my past that I couldn't remember," I started, then told them about what happened earlier in Aries' car.

But I didn't stop there—I told them about my current situation and what happens to me when I see blood. The changes, the feelings I recall.

I tried my best to explain everything clearly. I was scared of what they might think and the judgment they might pass on me, but if I didn't try, I'd never know.

I just hoped they would understand.

Their reactions were mixed after my story. They all fell silent, which scared me, so I quickly turned to Keifer and looked up at Yuri behind him. He was clearly worried too, but like me, he just waited for their response.

"Jay..." Ci-N called, making my heart race. "I'm not even surprised—you're already crazy in the way you think—ouch!" He didn't get to finish because David hit him on the head.

"Be careful with your words," David warned, his voice threatening.

But I couldn't help but smile a bit at what Ci said. I knew he was only joking to lighten the mood.

"Just kidding, geez!" Ci replied, pouting.

"It's okay. I know Ci. I know he's just joking," I replied, smiling at him.

"But seriously, that explains why you acted like that when we fought Mykel's group. You didn't even seem to hear me—turns out, you were really having a problem," he added, and I lowered my head a bit.

He had seen me lose control back then. I thought he had forgotten about it because he never brought it up again.

"That's why you reacted like that when I got stabbed—because you're afraid of blood," Rory added.

"If you're scared of blood, how do you handle your monthly period?" Drew asked—and got a light slap from Denzel.

"Could you be more appropriate?" Denzel said, irritated.

"Gross. You're so dumb."

"Does Jay-Jay even get periods?"

"Of course."

I bowed my head in embarrassment, trying hard not to laugh. They really were Ulupong.

I just finished crying—please!

"Enough!" Keifer shouted, and they finally fell silent.

"How did we even end up talking about periods?" David asked, shaking his head.

Drew was about to say something, but I cut him off before he could keep going.

"I only look at it for a second," I said, and they all nodded—though Drew still got an earful of curses from the others.

"Kit, when's your period?" Mayo asked—and we all burst out laughing. They really were Ulupong through and through.