Jay-Jay's POV
The next morning started like any other normal day.
Or at least… that's what I wanted to believe.
The soft sunlight slipped through the curtains and landed directly on my face, making me groan quietly as I pulled the blanket higher over my head. For a few more seconds, I stayed like that, pretending I was still asleep, pretending I didn't have to get up and deal with another day.
But then my eyes slowly opened.
And the first thing I saw was my phone.
Lying there on the bedside table.
Silent.
Still.
Dangerous.
I stared at it for a few seconds before finally reaching for it. My fingers unlocked the screen almost automatically, and there it was.
That same stupid chat.
That same weird number.
That same saved name.
Gagonbaliw.
I frowned at the screen, still half-asleep, still annoyed. No new message. No explanation. No clue who the hell he was.
Just those two texts from last night still sitting there like they owned my mind.
From: unknown
My life, how are you
And then—
From: unknown
Jasper Jean Mariano I love…
I stared at them again, biting my lip unconsciously. Even after sleeping, even after trying to forget about it, those words still felt weirdly heavy. Like they meant something I didn't understand yet.
"Who even talks like that…" I whispered to myself, rubbing my eyes.
I should've blocked the number.
I knew I should've.
But I didn't.
And honestly? That annoyed me more than the actual message.
I dropped my phone back onto the bed and dragged myself out from under the blanket, my feet touching the cold floor. I stretched a little before heading straight to the bathroom, still trying not to think too much about it.
The warm water from the shower usually helped. It usually cleared my head and made me feel human again. But today?
No chance.
Because even while shampooing my hair, my brain kept replaying the same stupid thing.
My life, how are you.
Like excuse me???
Who even starts a conversation like that?
And why did it somehow feel… familiar?
I hated that part.
I hated that tiny weird feeling in my chest every time I reread it.
After my shower, I changed into my uniform and stood in front of the mirror, fixing my collar and smoothing down my skirt. My hair was still a little damp, but it looked decent enough after brushing it.
I stared at my reflection for a moment.
"You're being dramatic," I told myself quietly.
Then I picked up my phone again.
Still no new message.
Good.
And for some reason…
That irritated me.
I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
The smell of breakfast greeted me instantly. Toast, eggs, and coffee. Normal. Warm. Familiar. It made the whole house feel safe. Like nothing weird was happening at all.
Tita Gema was already in the kitchen, arranging plates like always. She looked up when she heard me coming down.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning," I mumbled, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
She placed my plate in front of me and looked at me properly. "You look tired."
"I'm not."
She gave me that exact look adults always give when they know you're lying but don't feel like arguing before breakfast. "Eat first."
I just nodded and started eating.
But of course, my stupid eyes kept drifting back to my phone sitting beside my plate.
Dark screen.
No vibration.
No message.
And somehow, that silence felt louder than if he had texted again.
Why message me like that and then disappear?
What was even the point?
A few minutes later, I heard footsteps and then Aries walked in, already dressed, already holding his car keys, already looking way too put together for this early in the morning.
"You're still eating?" he asked, looking at my plate like I had personally offended him.
I looked up at him. "Wow. Good morning to you too."
He ignored that. "We're leaving in five minutes."
"We?" I repeated.
He raised a brow. "Yes, we. Me, you, and Ella. Unless you plan on teleporting to school."
"Oh." I blinked. "Right."
I had forgotten he was picking her up too.
Not that I'd ever say that out loud. Ella would act offended for the next three business days.
Aries sat down for exactly two seconds just to steal a piece of toast from my plate.
"Excuse me?" I said immediately.
"You weren't eating it."
"I literally was!"
He shrugged like he hadn't just committed a crime. "Too slow."
"You're actually annoying."
"And yet you still love me."
I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Debatable."
He smirked like he had already won the conversation and stood up again. "Hurry up."
I quickly finished eating, grabbed my bag and phone, and followed him outside.
The morning air was cool and fresh, carrying that soft quiet feeling the world has before everything becomes loud. Aries unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat while I slid into the passenger side, placing my bag on my lap.
The engine started, and we pulled away from the house.
For the first few minutes, the ride was quiet.
Not awkward quiet.
Just normal quiet.
The kind siblings have when neither of you feels like talking yet.
Aries kept one hand on the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road, while I looked out the window and watched the streets slowly wake up. People walking. Small shops opening. Morning traffic building little by little.
Everything looked normal.
Everything felt normal.
Except me.
Because my phone was in my hand before I even realized it.
Unlocked.
Open.
Back on that same chat.
Gagonbaliw.
I stared at the name and sighed quietly.
Aries noticed instantly. Of course he did.
"Why do you look like someone just ruined your entire life?" he asked casually without even looking at me.
I turned to him. "That's dramatic."
"So is your face."
I frowned and locked my phone. "Mind your own business."
That only made him more suspicious. "Who is it?"
"No one."
"Mhm."
That stupid mhm from him felt way too judgmental.
I crossed my arms and looked back out the window. "It's literally nothing."
He didn't answer for a second. Then, very casually, "If it's a guy, I'll run him over."
I turned to him so fast I almost gave myself neck damage. "What?!"
He kept driving like he hadn't just said something completely unhinged. "I said what I said."
"You're crazy."
"I'm your brother."
I stared at him for a second.
Then looked away before he saw the tiny smile trying to escape.
A few minutes later, Aries slowed down and turned into another street.
Then I saw her.
Ella.
She was standing outside near the gate, looking pretty as usual, with her bag hanging over one shoulder and her hair moving slightly in the breeze. The moment she saw the car, she smiled and opened the back door.
"Good morning," she said brightly as she got in.
"Morning," I replied.
Aries glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "You're late."
Ella scoffed immediately. "Excuse me? I've literally been standing here."
"Sure."
"You're annoying."
"And yet you still got in the car."
I snorted quietly and looked away so they wouldn't see me smiling.
Typical.
The car got less quiet after that. Ella started talking about some random thing that happened yesterday, Aries kept pretending not to care while secretly listening, and I just sat there letting their usual back-and-forth fill the space.
It felt… normal.
Comfortable.
Like maybe today really would be okay.
Then my phone vibrated inside my hand.
My whole body went still.
I slowly looked down.
One new message.
From him.
From Gagonbaliw.
My heart did something stupid.
"Why do you look like that?" Ella asked from the backseat.
I quickly locked my phone and looked up. "Like what?"
"Like you just saw a ghost."
"I didn't."
Aries looked at me for one second before looking back at the road. "Who is it?"
"No one."
"Mhm," both of them said at the exact same time.
I frowned. "Why are you both so nosy?"
"Because you're suspicious," Ella said immediately.
"I'm not suspicious."
"You're literally holding your phone like it insulted your entire bloodline," Aries muttered.
I glared at him. "Drive."
Ella laughed softly. "It's a guy, isn't it?"
"No."
Too fast.
Too defensive.
Too obvious.
"Oh my God," Ella gasped dramatically. "It is a guy."
"It's not!"
Aries' jaw tightened just a little, though his voice stayed calm. "Who?"
"No one!" I repeated, now fully annoyed.
The car went quiet for two seconds.
Then Aries said, very casually, "If some idiot is bothering you, tell me."
Ella nodded from the back. "Or me."
I looked down at my phone again.
At the unopened message.
At the stupid saved name.
Gagonbaliw.
And for some reason…
I still didn't open it.
"I said it's nothing," I murmured.
But even I didn't believe that anymore.
Because if it was really nothing…
Why was my heart beating this fast?