Jay-Jay's POV
The sun was blindingly bright, almost as if it were mocking the absolute terror in my heart.
Today was Result Day.
The main hall of the school was a sea of students because, for the first time, they posted the results of all sections collectively on the giant bulletin boards.
Section E arrived like a loud, chaotic storm. We had our usual crew, plus Aries, Freya, Mica, and Grace, who was carefully carrying baby Grazel.
Percy: "Stay behind me, baby sistah! And you too, Felix! Your Kuya Percy is here to absorb the shock if you failed. Just keep your eyes on my handsome face for emotional support."
Felix: "Kuya, if I see your face while looking at a failing grade, I might actually lose my will to live."
Despite the jokes, the air was thick with tension.
Keifer, Yuri, Percy, and Aries were walking together, but the silence between them was like a brick wall.
They were ignoring each other so intensely it made my head spin.
We finally pushed through the crowd.
The "Snakes" took the front row, and a sudden, heavy silence fell over us as we scanned the names.
Behind us, the rest of Section E erupted into a symphony of shouts and laughter.
Felix and Mayo were standing in front of the board, holding hands and praying like they were at a shrine.
Felix: "Mayo, I passed! I'm donating my brain to science because it clearly worked a miracle today."
Mayo: "If I pass, I'm donating mine too, but they'll probably return it saying 'Condition: Unused'."
Kit: "You guys have to HAVE brains first for science to want them. Right now, yours are just decorative."
Rank Name Score
1 Ci-N 100
2 Yuri 99.9
3 Mark Keifer Watson 99.8
4 Aries 98.0
5 Freya 97.7
6 David 97.5
7 Rakki 96.9
8 Jaspher Jean Mariano 96.3
9. Elara 95.0
And so on...
My jaw literally hit the floor. 96.3?! I rubbed my eyes until they hurt, thinking I was hallucinating.
Jay-Jay: "Wait... is this a prank?
Did someone hack the board?
How did I get this much marks and also..... " I slid my finger to Elara's result...95.0??
"Elara, you were the one who
helped me study every single night, and I beat you by a point?! How?!"
Elara just leaned against the wall, her eyes cool and mysterious as always.
Elara: "Maybe the student finally surpassed the teacher, Jay. Or maybe I just didn't want to overwork my brain."
My eyes widened.
Behind us, the rest of Section E erupted into a symphony of shouts and laughter.
Mayo: "Oi! Look! Kit and Drew actually passed! The apocalypse must be coming!"
Kit: "Shut up, Mayo! My brain finally decided to wake up!"
Drew: "I'm just happy I'm higher than Calix. My life is complete."
Calix: "It's only by 0.1 percent, Drew! Don't act like a scholar!"
Then, the boys turned their attention to Danzel, who was staring at his score with a huge sigh of relief.
Felix: "Look at that! Danzel passed with flying colors! Just imagine how proud little Grazel will be when she finds out her daddy isn't a dummy!"
Rakki: "Yeah! 'Look, Grazel! Daddy is a scholar!' You're a father before graduation, Danzel, so you better keep those grades up for your daughter's milk money!"
Danzel turned a deep shade of red while Grace giggled, adjusting the baby in her arms.
Danzel: "Stop it! I'm trying to be a serious student here!"
I looked at Grazel, who was looking at the board with wide, confused eyes.
I took her from Grace, and she immediately grabbed my nose.
Jay-Jay: "See, Grazel? Your tita Jay is actually smart! I'm a genius!"
Keifer walked over, standing beside me. He didn't look at Aries or Yuri, but his eyes were fixed on my score.
Keifer: "A 96. I guess those tears over your math notebook actually paid off."
He then looked at the baby in my arms and smirked.
"You look like a pro holding her. Scarily natural, actually."
Jay-Jay: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Keifer: "Nothing. Just that the 'future Mrs. Watson' looks good in 'Mom mode'."
I blushed a furious red. To hide it, I turned to the whole group.
"Since we all passed... let's celebrate!"
Keifer: "Party at my place. Tonight. All of you."
The invitation was cold, but it was there. Even though the "Big Four" were still ignoring each other, for one moment, the joy of the results brought us all together.
I looked at Aries and Percy.
Then I looked at Keifer and Yuri.
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
A party at Keifer's place? In that giant, quiet mansion where they'd probably just stand in different corners of the room shooting death glares at each other all night?
Jay-Jay: "Huhhhhh... forget it."
With this group and their current "silent treatment" mood, a house party would be as fun as a funeral.
I glanced at Ci-N, who was also looking less than satisfied. He was a party animal, but even he knew this vibe was rotten.
I crossed my arms and stood my ground. "Nooo."
Keifer blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "What do you mean, 'nooo'?"
"I mean no mansion. No fancy snacks. No awkward silence in a big living room,"
I declared, my eyes lighting up with a much better idea.
"How about the amusement park instead?"
The silence lasted for exactly two seconds before Ci-N started jumping up and down like he'd just won the lottery.
Ci-N: "YES! Amusement park! I want to scream until my lungs give out! I want to eat cotton candy until I'm sick! Let's go!"
But, of course, the "cool" guys had to complain.
Mayo: (Groaning) "But Jay, there's no drinks at an amusement park. How am I supposed to celebrate my passing marks with soda and popcorn?"
Kit: "Yeah, and the lines are long. We're 'Section E,' we don't do lines."
Ci-N and I shared a look. We both turned our puppy-dog eyes toward the group, pouting with everything we had.
Jay-Jay & Ci-N: "Plzzzzz!"
I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders.
Keifer had stepped up behind me, casually draping his arm around my neck and pulling me closer.
He looked at the complaining group with a "boss" expression that silenced them instantly.
Keifer: "If my queen wants an amusement park, then we're going to the amusement park."
The group erupted. Felix, Rakki, and Ci-N started jumping in joy, already debating which rollercoaster was the scariest.
On the other side, Mayo and a few others just let out a long "Huhhh," looking like their dreams of a fancy buffet had just been crushed by a Ferris wheel.
I looked at Aries and Percy.
They didn't cheer, but they didn't say no either.
In a place that loud and crazy, maybe—just maybe—they'd forget to be angry for five minutes.