Chapter: Horoscope and Water Fights
(AUTHOR'S POV)
The morning after Ion's visit.
Angelo's house was peaceful.
For about five minutes.
Jay and Keifer had stayed over.
Aries and Percy were still here.
Tita Gemma was making breakfast.
Tito Rachel was reading his newspaper.
Angelo was at the dining table, drinking coffee and pretending the ear-twisting incident never happened.
Ion had gone home late last night.
But her presence lingered.
Mostly in Angelo's soft smiles.
Which were creepy.
Very creepy.
Jay sat on the couch.
Keifer beside her.
She was staring at the ceiling.
Thinking.
Dangerous.
Keifer noticed.
Immediately concerned.
"What?"
Jay didn't look at him.
"Thinking."
"About what?"
"Things."
"Things?"
"Deep things."
Keifer's eye twitched.
Every time she said "deep things"—
Disaster followed.
He braced himself.
"What kind of deep things?"
Jay turned to him.
Serious face.
Too serious.
"Keifer."
"Yes?"
"If I swallowed a seed—"
"Would a tree grow in my stomach?"
The room went silent.
Aries froze mid-scroll on his phone.
Percy stopped checking his reflection in a spoon.
Tita Gemma paused in the kitchen.
Tito Rachel lowered his newspaper.
Angelo's coffee cup stopped halfway to his mouth.
Keifer stared at her.
Long stare.
Very long stare.
"What?"
Jay repeated.
"If I swallow a seed—"
"Like a watermelon seed—"
"Would it grow in my stomach?"
"And become a tree?"
"And would branches come out of my ears?"
She touched her ear.
Demonstrated.
"Like this?"
Keifer opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Nothing.
Because—
What do you say?
When your wife asks about trees growing in her stomach?
Aries broke the silence.
First.
"JAY."
She looked at him.
"Yes?"
"What the actual hell?"
She blinked.
"What?"
"That's the dumbest question I've ever heard!"
Percy nodded.
"Top five for sure!"
Jay crossed her arms.
"It's not dumb!"
"It's SCIENCE!"
Aries stood.
Pointed at her.
"You trouble maker sister of mine!"
"Why don't you have a BRAIN?!"
Jay's eyes narrowed.
She stood too.
Faced him.
Hands on hips.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
She pointed at him.
"YOU HOROSCOPE!"
Aries froze.
"What did you call me?"
"Horoscope!"
"Because you read those curse chain messages on WhatsApp!"
"And actually believe them!"
"'Forward to ten people or bad luck!'"
"And you FORWARD THEM!"
Aries' jaw dropped.
Percy burst out laughing.
"That's— that's ACCURATE!"
Keifer covered his mouth.
Trying not to laugh.
Failing.
Aries pointed at Jay.
"I do NOT—"
"YES YOU DO!"
"Last week!"
"You sent me one!"
"'This moon cycle will affect your love life!'"
"With thirty-seven emojis!"
Aries opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Nothing.
Percy was on the floor now.
Wheezing.
"MOON CYCLE!"
"LOVE LIFE!"
"THIRTY-SEVEN EMOJIS!"
Tita Gemma appeared in the kitchen doorway.
Laughing.
Tito Rachel had actually put down his paper.
Watching.
Enjoying.
Angelo was smiling.
That rare smile.
The one that meant he was entertained.
Aries finally found his voice.
"Those messages are REAL!"
"Science can't explain everything!"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Like trees growing in stomachs?"
"THAT'S DIFFERENT!"
"IS IT?!"
"YES!"
"PROVE IT!"
"I— YOU—"
Aries grabbed his hair.
Screamed.
Percy was dying.
Literally dying.
On the floor.
Crying.
Laughing.
Both.
---
The Water Incident
Percy finally got up.
Still laughing.
Wiping tears.
He walked to the table.
Grabbed a glass of water.
Took a sip.
Trying to recover.
Aries was still fuming.
Pointing at Jay.
"You— you— HOROSCOPE CALLER!"
Jay smiled.
Sweet.
Innocent.
"Horoscope."
"Horoscope brother."
"My WhatsApp fortune teller."
Aries screamed.
Grabbed a pillow.
Threw it.
Jay dodged.
The pillow hit Keifer.
Who was just sitting there.
Minding his own business.
Keifer looked at the pillow.
Looked at Aries.
Aries froze.
"Oh no."
Keifer stood.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Aries backed away.
"Keifer— buddy— best friend—"
Keifer grabbed a pillow.
Aries ran.
Behind Percy.
Using him as a shield.
Percy still had the water glass.
Half full.
Aries grabbed his shoulder.
"Protect me!"
Percy tried to move.
Aries held tight.
Keifer threw the pillow.
Aries ducked.
The pillow hit Percy.
In the face.
Percy stumbled.
The water glass slipped.
Flew through the air.
In slow motion.
Everyone watched.
Frozen.
The water splashed.
Directly onto Aries' face.
Full impact.
Soaking him.
Aries stood there.
Dripping.
Eyes wide.
Mouth open.
Water dripping from his nose.
His hair.
His chin.
Percy stared at the empty glass.
Then at Aries.
Then back at the glass.
Then—
He burst out laughing.
Again.
Harder than before.
Jay screamed with laughter.
Fell onto the couch.
Keifer was laughing too.
Tita Gemma was holding the doorframe.
Tito Rachel had tears.
Even Angelo chuckled.
Aries wiped his face.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Looked at Percy.
"You."
Percy pointed.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
"You threw water on me!"
"KEIFER THREW THE PILLOW!"
"YOU USED ME AS A SHIELD!"
"SELF DEFENSE!"
"NOW I'M WET!"
Percy pointed at Jay.
"BLAME HER!"
"SHE STARTED IT!"
Jay waved.
"HOROSCOPE STARTED IT!"
Aries pointed at her.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"NEVER!"
"JAY!"
"HOROSCOPE!"
"HOROSCOPE!"
"HOROSCOPE!"
Aries grabbed another pillow.
Soaked and all.
Threw it.
Jay caught it.
Laughed.
"WEAK THROW!"
"YOUR HOROSCOPE SAID TODAY WAS BAD FOR ACCURACY!"
Aries screamed again.
Percy was on the floor.
Unable to breathe.
Tita Gemma had given up.
Just laughing.
Tito Rachel patted her back.
Angelo raised his coffee.
Toast.
To the chaos.
---
The Aftermath
Aries finally stopped.
Dripping.
Defeated.
He looked at Jay.
She smiled.
Sweet.
Too sweet.
"I hate you," he said.
"No you don't."
"I do right now."
"No you don't."
He sighed.
Grabbed a towel from somewhere.
Wiped his face.
His hair.
His clothes.
Percy finally got up.
Still giggling.
"Sorry, bro."
Aries glared.
"No you're not."
"I'm a little sorry."
"Not enough."
"Fair."
Jay walked to Aries.
Stood on tiptoes.
Patted his wet head.
"There, there, horoscope."
He glared.
No power.
She grinned.
"I love you."
He softened.
Slightly.
"Love you too."
"Even though you're annoying."
She nodded.
"Your annoying."
He sighed.
Pulled her into a hug.
Wet and all.
She squealed.
"COLD!"
He held tighter.
"Revenge."
She struggled.
Laughed.
"KEIFER!"
Keifer watched.
Smiling.
"She's fine."
Aries grinned.
"Best hug ever."
Jay finally escaped.
Damp.
Laughing.
"Mean brothers."
Aries nodded.
"Meanest."
---
Breakfast – Finally
Everyone sat at the table.
Food everywhere.
Laughter still lingering.
Aries was still damp.
But eating.
Percy was still giggling.
Jay was still smug.
Keifer was still amused.
Tita Gemma served more food.
Tito Rachel read his paper.
Angelo drank his coffee.
Normal.
For them.
Jay looked at Aries.
"Hey, horoscope."
He glared.
"What?"
"What did your stars say about today?"
He pointed his fork at her.
"Don't start."
She smiled.
"Just asking."
"It said I'd be attacked by a tiny demon."
"And she'd call me names."
"And I'd get wet."
Jay nodded.
"Accurate."
"Very accurate."
Percy snorted.
Aries threw a napkin at Jay.
She caught it.
Laughed.
"WEAK!"
Keifer pulled her closer.
Kissed her head.
"My wifey."
She smiled.
"My hubby."
Aries fake gagged.
Percy fake vomited.
Tita Gemma smiled.
Tito Rachel hid a smile behind his paper.
Angelo just watched.
Shaking his head.
But smiling.
Because this—
This chaos.
This family.
This love.
Was absolutely insane.
And absolutely perfect.
---
The End?
(For now.)