Jay's Pov
We made it back to the residence in one piece. Barely.
The walk from school felt longer in the afternoon heat. By the time we reached the creepy gate, I was pretty sure I'd lost at least five pounds in sweat.
"I'm melting," I announced to no one. "I'm literally melting. This is how I die. Sweat."
"Same," Dave agreed, fanning himself with his shirt. "I didn't know humans could produce this much liquid."
"TMI, Dave."
"Sorry."
We dragged ourselves inside. The AC hit us like a blessing from heaven.
"Ohhh," Sarah moaned. "I'm never leaving this spot. Ever. Build a shrine here. I'll become a statue."
"You'd be a very pretty statue," Ben said, already taking photos of the living room.
"Obviously."
Jare collapsed on the couch. Mia sat next to him—not too close, but close enough that I noticed. And so did she, apparently, because her face went a little pink.
I bit back a smile.
This was going to be FUN.
We'd been chilling for about an hour when my phone rang.
MAMA REYCEE.
I answered immediately. "Mama!"
"Jay-Jay! Finally! I've been waiting all day for you to call!"
"Sorry, sorry. First day was crazy."
"I know, I know. How was it? How's Mia? Is she okay? Is she pretty? Is she nice? Did you guys hug?"
"Mama. Calm down."
"I CAN'T calm down! My baby girl is in the Philippines with her best friend! This is huge!"
I laughed. "She's great, Mama. She's exactly like she is on the phone. Maybe louder."
"Good, good. Oh! Speaking of—Tita Serina called me. Mia's mom?"
"Yeah?"
"She wants to meet you and Jare. Like, desperately. She's been waiting for this day for years. Can you go to their house for dinner tonight?"
I looked at Mia, who was watching me with curious eyes.
"Uh, let me check." I covered the phone. "Mia. Your mom wants us for dinner tonight."
Mia's face LIT UP. "YES! Oh my God, yes! Please say yes!"
"She says yes," I told Mama.
"Perfect! I'll text you the address. Be good, be polite, and for the love of God, Jay-Jay, please don't break anything."
"I don't break things!"
"You broke a window last month."
"That was an accident!"
"Accidents follow you like a shadow. Love you, bye!"
She hung up before I could argue.
I stared at my phone. "She always does that."
Mia grinned. "We're going to my house! You're going to meet my mom! And my little brothers! And my stepdad! And—" She stopped. "And Keifer."
I groaned. "Of course Keifer."
"He lives there, Jay. He's my brother."
"Unfortunately."
Mia gasped dramatically. "You take that back! My brother is AMAZING."
"He's annoying."
"He's hot."
"He's ANNOYING."
"Hot AND annoying."
"Same thing."
"It's really not."
Jare looked between us. "Are you two always like this?"
"Yes," we said in unison.
"God help us."
An hour later, we were showered, changed, and standing in front of a house that was definitely NOT a house.
It was a MANSION.
Like, actual mansion. Big gates. Long driveway. Massive modern building with lights and windows and probably a swimming pool inside because why not.
I turned to Mia. "YOU LIVE HERE?!"
"Yeah?"
"THIS IS A MANSION!"
"It's just a house."
"JUST A HOUSE?! Mia, this is bigger than our entire residence! Times ten!"
She shrugged. "I guess? I've lived here forever so it's normal to me."
Jare let out a low whistle. "Your family is loaded."
Mia grabbed my arm. "Come on. Mom's waiting."
She dragged me through the gate, up the driveway, to the massive front door. Before she could even knock, the door swung open.
A woman stood there.
Beautiful. Elegant. With the same eyes as Mia and—unfortunately—the same intense stare as Keifer.
"JAY!" she screamed.
And then I was being hugged.
Like, FULL hugged. Squeezed. Lifted off the ground slightly.
"Oh my God, oh my God, you're FINALLY here!" Tita Serina pulled back to look at me, her eyes wet. "I've waited SO long to meet you! You're even prettier than your pictures! And you—" She turned to Jare. "You must be Jare! Twins! Both of you! So beautiful!"
Jare looked panicked. "Uh, thank you, Tita?"
"Come in, come in!" She pulled us inside. "Everyone's waiting!"
The inside of the house was even MORE insane.
Marble floors. High ceilings. A staircase that looked like it belonged in a movie. And art. So much art. Paintings and sculptures everywhere.
"This is a museum," I whispered to Mia.
"Our house is not a museum."
"It LITERALLY is."
We walked through the living room (which was the size of a basketball court) and into the dining room (which was also huge). And there, sitting at a massive table, were:
Keifer. Looking at his phone, not paying attention.
Two younger boys. One maybe 14, one maybe 7. Both staring at us with curious eyes.
A man. Tall, smiling, with kind eyes and a welcoming vibe. Mia's stepdad, probably.
"Everyone!" Tita Serina announced. "This is Jay and Jare! Mia's friends from London!"
The little one—7 years old, cute as a button—jumped up. "YOU'RE MIA'S BEST FRIEND?!"
"That's me," I said.
"I'M KEIREN!" He pointed at himself. "I'M SEVEN! I LIKE DINOSAURS! DO YOU LIKE DINOSAURS?!"
"I love dinosaurs."
"WE'RE BEST FRIENDS NOW."
The older one—14, trying to look cool but failing—stood up more slowly. "I'm Keigan." He nodded at me. Then at Jare. "You're twins?"
"Yeah," Jare said.
"Cool."
That was it. Just "cool." Teenagers.
The man stood up next, smiling warmly. "I'm Victor. Mia and Keifer's stepdad. Welcome to our home."
"Thank you, sir," Jare said.
"Please, just Victor. 'Sir' makes me feel old."
"And I'm old enough already with these four!" Tita Serina laughed, gesturing at her kids. "Sit, sit! Dinner's ready!"
We sat down.
Mia next to me. Jare next to Mia. Keifer across from me (great). Keigan next to Keifer. Keiren next to Keigan. Victor and Tita Serina at the ends.
The table was COVERED with food. Like, so much food. Things I couldn't name but smelled amazing.
"Wow," I said. "This is... a lot."
"I may have gone overboard," Tita Serina admitted. "I was just SO excited!"
"It's perfect, Tita. Thank you."
Keiren tugged my sleeve. "Jay! Jay! Do you like adobo? Mom makes the BEST adobo!"
"I've never tried it."
His eyes went WIDE. "NEVER?! You've NEVER tried adobo?!"
"I'm from London, remember?"
"But adobo is the BEST! You have to try it! HERE!" He literally grabbed my plate and started piling food on it. "This is adobo. This is sinigang. This is lumpia. This is—"
"Keiren," Keifer said flatly. "Let her breathe."
"But she NEEDS to try everything!"
"She will. Slowly. Without you attacking her."
Keiren pouted. "You're no fun."
"Correct."
I caught Keifer's eye across the table. He looked away immediately.
Interesting.
Dinner started chaotically.
Mia and I immediately fell into our usual rhythm—which is to say, we talked like ABSOLUTE MANIACS.
"No, but LISTEN," Mia was saying, waving her fork. "The chicken didn't just cross the road. It had a whole PLAN. It was carrying a bag. I SAW it."
"Mia, chickens don't carry bags."
"THIS ONE DID. It was a small bag. For chicken things."
"What would a chicken need a bag for?"
"KEYS. MONEY. A SNACK FOR THE JOURNEY."
"You're insane."
"I'm OBSERVANT. There's a difference."
From across the table, I heard a low voice.
"Are they always like this?"
It was Keifer. Talking to Jare.
Jare sighed. "Apparently."
"My sister is normal. Usually. What happened?"
"I think they amplify each other."
"Like... chaotic resonance?"
"Exactly. Chaotic resonance."
I pointed my fork at them. "WE CAN HEAR YOU."
"Good," Keifer said. "Maybe you'll lower your volume."
"We're NOT loud."
"You're literally yelling."
"This is our INSIDE VOICES."
"Then I'm concerned for your outside voices."
Mia snorted. "Keifer, shut up. You're just mad because Jay's funnier than you."
"I'm not mad. I'm observing."
"He's observing again," I told Mia. "That's his thing. He 'observes.'"
"It's very annoying."
"I KNOW."
Keifer's eye twitched. Just a little. But I saw it.
Victor, who'd been watching all of this with an amused smile, finally spoke up. "So, Jay. Jare. How was your first day at HVIS?"
"Chaotic," I said.
"Interesting," Jare said at the same time.
Victor laughed. "Which one is it?"
"Both," we said together.
Tita Serina leaned forward. "Tell me everything! Did you like your classes? Did you make friends? Did anyone bully you? Because if they did, I will—"
"Mom," Mia interrupted. "No one bullied them. Well, except Keifer."
"I did NOT bully anyone."
"You cornered Jay after class."
"I had a CONVERSATION with her."
"A very close conversation," Felix's voice echoed in my memory. I felt my face heat up.
Keifer noticed. Of course he noticed.
"Why are you blushing?" he asked.
"I'm NOT blushing."
"Your face is red."
"It's hot in here."
"The AC is on."
"Then I'm allergic to something."
"Allergic to what?"
I threw his own words back at him. "Loud boys who won't stop asking questions."
His lips twitched. That almost-smile again.
"You're using my lines against me."
"Learn from the best."
"Are you calling yourself the best?"
"I'm calling myself a fast learner."
He tilted his head. "Not bad."
"Not bad? That's it? I deserve more than 'not bad.'"
"You'll survive."
Mia kicked me under the table. I looked at her. She was grinning like an idiot, mouthing something that looked like "HE'S FLIRTING."
I kicked her back. "STOP."
"I didn't say anything!"
"Your face said everything."
Keiren, who'd been watching this exchange with intense focus, suddenly piped up.
"Kuya Keifer, do you like Jay?"
The table went SILENT.
Keifer's face didn't change, but his ears went red. Just like earlier.
"No," he said flatly.
"Your ears are red!"
"Because it's hot."
"The AC is on!"
Keigan, the 14-year-old, snorted. "Smooth, kuya. Really smooth."
"Shut up, Keigan."
"Your ears are getting redder."
"I will end you."
Keiren wasn't done. "I like Jay! She's funny! And pretty! Kuya, you should marry her!"
"MARRY HER?!" I choked on my food.
"She can be my new ate! I want a new ate!"
"You have a sister," Keifer pointed out.
"Mia doesn't count. She's annoying."
"I HEARD THAT," Mia yelled.
"GOOD!"
Victor was LAUGHING now. Like, full belly laughs. "Keiren, you can't just propose marriage for your brother."
"Why not? He's old. He needs a wife."
"I'm seventeen."
"That's old."
Keifer pinched the bridge of his nose. Exactly like he did in class. "I'm going to survive this dinner if it kills me."
"Hopefully not," I muttered. "That would be bad for my reputation."
He looked at me. "Your reputation?"
"Yeah. 'Girl who killed class president at dinner.' Not a good look."
"So you care about your reputation?"
"I care about not being arrested."
"Fair point."
Mia leaned into me. "They're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Being weirdly flirty while pretending to fight."
"We're NOT flirting!"
"Sure."
Jare, who'd been quiet this whole time, finally spoke. "Jay. Your face is the same color as Keifer's ears."
"TRAITOR."
"I'm just observing."
"Don't 'observe'! You're not an observer! You're my twin!"
"Twins can observe."
"NOT ABOUT THIS."
Keifer actually chuckled. A real chuckle. Low and quiet, but definitely a chuckle.
I stared at him. "Did you just LAUGH?"
"No."
"YES YOU DID."
"You're hearing things."
"I am NOT—"
"Jay." Mia grabbed my arm. "Let it go. He laughed. It happened. Frame it in your memory."
"I will. I'm framing it right now."
Keifer rolled his eyes. But he was still fighting a smile.
The rest of dinner was more of the same.
Chaotic conversations. Mia and me being absolutely unhinged. Jare and Keifer watching us like we were fascinating science experiments.
At one point, Mia started telling a story about a dream she had where she was a pirate but the ship was made of bread.
"And the BREAD was sinking," she explained, "because the ocean was butter. Hot butter. So the bread ship was getting soggy."
I nodded seriously. "That's tragic. Soggy bread is the worst."
"RIGHT?! So I had to jump off onto a floating cheese island."
"A cheese island?"
"It was processed cheese. Not the good kind."
"Even more tragic."
"EXACTLY."
Across the table, Jare and Keifer were staring at us with identical expressions of confusion and concern.
"Do they... do this often?" Keifer asked Jare.
"First time seeing it in person. But on the phone? Constantly."
"And you survived?"
"Barely."
Keifer nodded slowly. "I understand now."
"Understand what?"
"Why you look so tired all the time."
Jare laughed. Actually laughed. "You get it."
"I really do."
Mia noticed them talking. "What are you guys discussing?"
"Your mental stability," Keifer said flatly.
"We're perfectly stable!"
"Debatable."
I threw a piece of bread at him. He caught it. Without even looking.
"Nice reflexes," I admitted.
"I play basketball."
"Show-off."
"Always."
After dinner, we moved to the living room for "chill time."
Which meant: Mia and I sat on one couch, talking at lightspeed about everything and nothing. Jare and Keifer sat on the opposite couch, watching us like we were a nature documentary.
"She's talking about boys now," Keifer observed.
"Which one?"
"The one with the curly hair from Section C."
"Oh, Rakki. She's a girl."
"She's talking about a girl?"
"No, she's talking about how Ci-n—that guy from Section E—has a crush on Rakki."
"How do you know this?"
"Jay told me earlier. She's already planning to help him."
"Your sister is a matchmaker?"
"She tries. It rarely works."
"Same with Mia. She tried to set me up once."
"What happened?"
"I hid in my room for three days."
"Smart."
"Survival."
On our couch, Mia was mid-story. "—and then he said 'I love you' and she said 'I love lamp' and walked away. ICONIC."
"ICONIC," I agreed. "Goals. Absolutely goals."
"We need to do that to someone."
"Who?"
"I don't know yet. But we WILL."
"Yes. It's destiny."
Keifer looked at Jare. "I'm concerned."
Jare nodded. "Same."
"But also... impressed?"
"A little. Yeah."
Mia suddenly turned to them. "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing," they said in unison.
"Uh-huh." Mia narrowed her eyes. "You're bonding."
"We're NOT bonding."
"You're literally sitting together, talking quietly. That's bonding."
"We're surviving. Together. It's different."
Jare nodded. "Solidarity in chaos."
Keifer actually held up his hand for a fist bump. Jare returned it.
Mia GASPED. "JAY! THEY FIST BUMPED!"
"I SAW!"
"THIS IS HUGE!"
"PHENOMENAL!"
Keifer and Jare looked at each other.
"Are they always this loud?" Keifer asked.
"Yes."
"Do they ever stop?"
"No."
"Good to know."
Keiren appeared with a board game. "LET'S PLAY!"
"What is it?" I asked.
"UNO!"
"I love UNO!"
"ME TOO!" He shoved the cards at me. "You're on my team! Kuya Keifer, you're on Mia's team!"
"Why?"
"Because you need to get along! That's how teams work!"
Keifer looked at me across the room. "This is a terrible idea."
"Completely terrible," I agreed.
"We're playing anyway!" Keiren yelled.
UNO, with Keiren as the referee, was CHAOS.
Mia and I immediately started cheating. Not really cheating, but... creative interpretation of the rules.
"Draw four," Mia said, slapping down a card.
"That's not a draw four," I argued. "That's a green two."
"It's a draw four in my heart."
"That's not how UNO works!"
"UNO is about feelings, Jay. Feelings."
Keifer, across from us, just stared at his cards like they'd personally offended him.
"Just play," Jare muttered.
"I'm thinking."
"You've been thinking for three minutes."
"Strategy takes time."
"You're losing. Badly."
"I'm NOT losing. I'm... repositioning."
Keiren bounced excitedly. "This is the best UNO game EVER!"
Victor wandered in with popcorn. "How's it going?"
"Chaotic," Tita Serina said, appearing beside him. "Wonderful."
"Should we help?"
"And miss the show? Never."
Eventually, the game ended. Mia and I won, obviously. (Through questionable means, but still.)
Keifer put his cards down with a sigh. "I'm never playing UNO again."
"You say that now," I said. "But you'll be back."
"Why would I be back?"
"Because you like losing to me."
His eyes met mine. That look again. The one I couldn't read.
"Who says I lost?" he asked quietly.
"Uh, the score?"
"The game isn't over yet."
"It literally is. We won."
"Maybe." He stood up. "Maybe not."
And he walked away.
I stared after him.
Mia appeared at my side. "What did he mean by that?"
"I have no idea."
"He's so weird."
"The weirdest."
"You like it."
"I do NOT."
"Your face says otherwise."
"MY FACE IS NEUTRAL."
"There's nothing neutral about that blush."
"I'M NOT BLUSHING."
Keiren tugged my sleeve. "Jay! Jay! You're staying for movie night, right?"
"Movie night?"
"We watch movies every Friday! You have to stay!"
I looked at Mia. She shrugged. "Up to you."
I looked at Jare. He nodded slightly. (Translation: Mia's staying so I'm staying.)
"Okay," I said. "Movie night it is."
Keiren cheered. Keigan pretended not to care but smiled a little. Victor and Tita Serina exchanged happy glances.
And Keifer, from the doorway, glanced back at me.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
Movie Night
We watched something called "Hello, Love, Goodbye." Which, apparently, was a Filipino movie about... love. And goodbyes. Very emotional.
Mia cried. I cried. Jare pretended not to cry but definitely wiped his eyes once. Keifer sat perfectly still, expression unchanged.
"You're not crying?" I whispered.
"I'm a rock."
"Rocks have feelings."
"Not this rock."
"Liar."
He didn't respond. But his hand moved slightly. Like he wanted to do something but stopped himself.
I pretended not to notice.
After the movie, it was late. Really late.
"We should go," I said reluctantly. "It's almost midnight."
"Stay over!" Mia grabbed my arm. "Please? We have guest rooms! You can stay!"
I looked at Jare. He shrugged.
I looked at Tita Serina. She was already nodding enthusiastically.
"Okay," I said. "One night."
Keiren screamed with joy. Keigan did a tiny fist pump. Victor smiled.
And Keifer?
Keifer just watched me. That same unreadable expression.
"I'll get the guest rooms ready," he said quietly. And walked away.
Mia leaned into me. "He's being nice."
"That wasn't nice. That was... neutral."
"That's nice for him."
"Wow. Low bar."
"You have NO idea."
Later, in the guest room (which was bigger than my entire bedroom in London), I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
My phone buzzed.
SAME BRAIN CELLS GROUP CHAT
MIA: JAY ARE YOU AWAKE
ME: YES
MIA: COME TO MY ROOM
ME: OKAY
I crept down the hall to Mia's room. She pulled me inside and we collapsed on her bed.
"This day was WILD," she whispered.
"WILD," I agreed.
"So. Keifer."
"KEIFER."
"He totally likes you."
"He does NOT."
"Jay. He looked at you like you were the last glass of water in a desert."
"THAT'S SO DRAMATIC."
"It's ACCURATE."
I buried my face in her pillow. "I don't know what to do."
"About what?"
"About him. About... this." I waved vaguely. "Whatever this is."
Mia was quiet for a moment. Then: "Do you like him?"
"I don't KNOW. He's annoying. And arrogant. And too serious. And—"
"And?"
"And..." I thought about the way he looked at me. The way his ears went red. The way he almost smiled. "And interesting. In a way I can't explain."
Mia grinned. "That's a yes."
"It's NOT a yes."
"It's a maybe-yes."
"A maybe-yes isn't a yes."
"In Jay language, maybe-yes is basically yes."
"You don't know my language."
"I've known you for fifteen years. I KNOW your language."
I threw a pillow at her. She threw it back.
We laughed until we couldn't breathe.
Meanwhile, in Keifer's room...
(Not that I was there. But Mia told me later.)
Jare had somehow ended up in Keifer's room. (Boys are weird.)
"They're loud," Keifer said, staring at the ceiling.
"Always."
"Do they ever stop?"
"No."
"Is it always about random things?"
"Always."
Keifer was quiet for a moment. Then: "It's not terrible."
Jare looked at him. "What's not terrible?"
"The noise. It's... not terrible."
Jare smiled. "Yeah. I know what you mean."
They sat in comfortable silence.
Then Keifer spoke again. "Your sister."
"Yeah?"
"She's... something."
Jare raised an eyebrow. "Something good or something bad?"
Keifer didn't answer for a long time.
"I don't know yet," he finally said. "But I want to find out."
Jare nodded slowly. "Same about Mia."
Keifer looked at him. Really looked.
"Then I guess we're in the same boat."
"Guess so."
Another silence.
Then: "This is weird, right?"
"Very weird."
"But not bad weird?"
"Not bad weird at all."
Back in Mia's room...
We were still talking. About everything. About nothing.
"Boys are confusing," Mia declared.
"SO confusing."
"But also... kind of cute?"
"Sometimes."
"Keifer's cute."
"He's okay."
"You said 'okay' but your face said 'yes.'"
"MY FACE IS A LIAR."
"Your face is an open book."
"I need a new face."
Mia laughed. Then she got serious. "Jay? Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah?"
"If Jare... if he actually likes me... what do I do?"
I looked at my best friend. Really looked at her.
"Do you like him back?"
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "I don't know yet. But I want to find out."
I smiled. "Then that's your answer. Find out."
She smiled back. "We're both in the same boat, huh?"
"Apparently."
"We're pathetic."
"Very pathetic."
"But at least we're pathetic together."
"Always."
We hugged. Then we talked for another two hours about absolutely nothing.
The Next Morning
I woke up to Keiren jumping on my bed.
"JAY! JAY! BREAKFAST! MOM MADE PANCAKES!"
I groaned. "What time is it?"
"SEVEN!"
"Too early."
"It's NOT too early! Pancakes are waiting!"
I dragged myself up. Mia was already awake, looking way too energetic for someone who slept at 3 AM.
"Morning, sleepyhead!"
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
"I hate you a little."
"Still love you."
We stumbled downstairs to the dining room. Everyone was there. Victor, Tita Serina, Keigan, Keiren, Jare, and—
Keifer.
Sitting at the table, coffee in hand, looking at me with that same unreadable expression.
"Morning," he said.
"Morning," I mumbled.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks. You look like you actually slept."
"I did."
"Show-off."
"Always."
Mia and Jare exchanged looks across the table.
The same look.
The "they're doing it again" look.
And honestly?
They weren't wrong.