Jay POV
I woke up feeling something warm, heavy, and very much not a pillow.
An arm was wrapped tightly around my waist.
A very familiar arm.
My eyes flew open.
Keifer.
On my bed.
HUGGING ME.
My soul left my body.
"AAAAAAAA-KEIFER!" I screamed, trying to roll away.
He groaned, tightening his grip instead. "Relax... I'm just here to say goodbye."
"THIS IS NOT HOW PEOPLE SAY GOODBYE!" I shrieked, elbowing him in the ribs.
The door slammed open.
"JAY!"
Aries.
Standing there, eyes wide, brain clearly buffering.
His gaze slowly dropped.
To Keifer.
On my bed.
Hugging me.
Silence.
Then-
"WHY," Aries said dangerously, "IS THERE A BOY IN MY SISTER'S BED?"
Keifer blinked. "Good morning."
Before Aries could lunge, another head popped in.
Percy.
He stared
.
Then smiled.
"Ohhh," he said, amused. "This is better than Netflix."
"PERCY!" I yelled. "HELP ME!"
Aries was already rolling up his sleeves. "I'm going to kill him."
"NO!" I jumped off the bed and physically blocked him.
"PLEASE-JUST-WAIT!"
Keifer sat up, hair messy, completely unashamed. "If it helps, I didn't do anything."
"That does NOT help!" Aries roared.
Footsteps.
Heavy ones.
From the hallway.
My blood ran cold.
Kuya Angelo.
"HIDE HIM," I whispered urgently.
"WHERE?" Percy whispered back.
"ANYWHERE THAT IS NOT VISIBLE!" I hissed.
Keifer stood up. "I can explain-"
"NO YOU CAN'T!" Aries grabbed him by the collar. "STAIRS. NOW."
They dragged Keifer out of my room, pushing him toward the staircase corner, the blind spot where Angelo couldn't see from the hall.
Just as they shoved him behind the railing-
"Why are you all shouting?"
Angelo's voice echoed.
We froze
.
Percy instantly blocked the view, stretching his arms. "Morning stretch, Kuya!"
Aries nodded stiffly. "Stress relief."
Angelo narrowed his eyes. "Why is Jay awake so early?"
I forced a smile. "Nightmare."
Behind Percy, Keifer crouched on the stairs, knees to chest, whispering, "This is humiliating."
"SHUT UP," Aries mouthed.
Angelo stared a second longer, then turned away, muttering something about kids these days.
The moment his door closed-
"TITA!" Percy hissed.
Footsteps again.
This time lighter.
Tita came from the kitchen, carrying a tray.
"Why are you all standing like statues?" she asked.
Panic.
Keifer couldn't stay on the stairs now-Tita had a direct line of sight.
"MOVE!" I whispered.
Aries yanked Keifer by the arm and shoved him into the corridor bend, right behind the tall bookshelf where the hallway turned.
Keifer flattened himself against the wall.
Tita stepped forward.
I blocked her path. "Tita! Can you help me find my charger?"
She squinted. "Why are you sweating?"
"Morning yoga," Percy added immediately.
Keifer shifted.
The bookshelf creaked.
Tita turned her head.
Aries coughed loudly. "Dust allergy!
"
Percy fake-sneezed. "ACHOO!"
Tita frowned but sighed. "You children are strange."
She walked past the corridor.
The second she disappeared-
"GO!" I whispered.
They tiptoed Keifer down the secondary staircase, the one near the storeroom.
Keifer whispered, "I swear if I die today-"
"You won't," Percy muttered. "Angelo would kill you slower."
They reached the back corridor.
Almost free.
Then-
"Jay?" Angelo's voice again.
I nearly cried.
Keifer ducked into the laundry alcove, pulling a curtain over himself.
Angelo appeared at the end of the hallway, arms crossed. "Why is everyone running around?"
I smiled weakly. "Family cardio?"
He stared at me. "You're hiding something."
My heart pounded.
Then Percy clapped his hands. "Breakfast race! Winner gets extra omelet!"
Angelo rolled his eyes. "Idiots."
He turned back.
We moved fast.
Back door.
Unlocked.
Keifer slipped out, exhaling like he'd escaped prison.
Before leaving, he looked at me and whispered, "Worth it."
I shoved him. "NEVER AGAIN."
He smirked and vanished.
We closed the door.
Silence.
Aries leaned against the wall, exhausted. "I need therapy."
Percy laughed. "Best morning ever."
I slid down to the floor, heart still racing.
Survived.
Barely.