Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Aries's POV

*Continuation of Flashback*

"Are you pregnant yet?" Percy asked, making me wince.

I heard the loud laughter of Yuri and Keifer.

"What the hell?!" That was the only response I got from him.

"Seriously, Percy? What were you thinking?" Yuri asked, still laughing.

"I'm older than you. I should be taller," Percy replied, comparing his height to mine.

He was the shortest among us, while Keifer was the tallest. It was a bit tricky because, despite being the youngest, Keifer was the biggest in size.

They were two years apart in age—Percy by one year, and Yuri by just a month. But Percy still looked the youngest.

"You must be sleep-deprived," Yuri teased.

"Maybe it's the lack of sleep stunting your growth," Keifer added fuel to the fire.

"Come on... let's cut off a piece of you to make you taller," I joked.

Percy quickly covered himself as we all burst into laughter. I didn't understand why he was making such a big deal out of it—we were still in grade school, after all.

"Alright, fine. I'm the shortest among you," Percy admitted. "But at least I have the biggest—"

Before he could finish, Keifer suddenly pulled down his shorts and briefs. Percy scratched his neck awkwardly and looked away. For the second time, Keifer had defeated him. We all laughed loudly.

I wanted to introduce Jay-Jay to them. But they didn't know I was adopted or that I had a sister from my biological mother. I could just say she was my cousin, but they'd probably question why I was so close to her.

Keifer, especially, was highly suspicious—he always thought people were hiding something from him. I also didn't want to introduce Jay-Jay to Percy, as he would definitely have something to say or teach. But I had no problem with Yuri.

"It looks like I need to go home. It's getting late, and Hahaoya might get mad," Yuri said.

"What does that mean?" Percy asked.

"It means 'Mother' in Nihongo," Yuri explained.

Percy nodded, then suddenly leaned toward me.

"I bet Yuri is a mama's boy," he whispered.

"I heard that," Yuri said, giving him a sharp look.

I just shook my head, laughing. After saying our goodbyes, we all went home separately.

Keifer lived the farthest away. His house—or rather, his palace—was hidden away in a secluded place. It was so massive that calling it a "house" wouldn't do it justice.

Yuri's home was next in distance. His family lived in the business district, right on top of their own hotel.

Percy lived in a private subdivision. His father, a retired U.S. Army officer, had chosen to settle here after remarrying.

Our house was in a common subdivision. The first time I arrived there, I was amazed by how big the houses were. I didn't even know places like that existed.

When I got home, all the lights were on. That meant everyone was still awake—and that Kuya was mad at me again.

I quietly entered through the door and saw Mama talking on the phone.

"Alright. We'll go home right away," she said, sounding worried.

I froze, watching her. For some reason, Jay-Jay was the first thing that came to my mind.

"Where have you been?" Kuya asked sternly. "...Go to your room and pack some things. We're leaving for Grandma's house now."

"Did something happen?" I asked.

Mama turned to me with a serious expression.

"Your sister is missing."

I don't understand. There are many people gathered in front of my grandmother's house, talking to the police.

"That girl has been suffering for a long time. Every man Jeana brings home, she lays her hands on them," an old man told the officer in front.

"They started making noise after the child screamed loudly," a woman said to another policeman.

"The girl suddenly ran out, her body covered in blood. Her clothes were torn, and her feet were bare," a man added.

Jay-jay is missing. Mama is in prison, and the last person she was with is dead—this is the cause of all the trouble.

I feel useless as her brother. I didn't even realize what she was going through. I should have asked her about the wounds and bruises on her body.

"Hey! Monkey!" someone called out to me.

I didn't look at her. I wasn't in the mood to talk. I was about to walk away when she grabbed me by the collar from behind.

"Come with me," she said, not even looking at me.

We passed through the crowd of people and police outside. Her strides were so big that I almost tripped trying to keep up.

"What?! Let me go!" I protested.

"Wait! Let's rent a tricycle!" She said, waving down an oncoming tricycle. "Get in!" She ordered, pushing me inside.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned to the driver.

"Pre... take us to my sister's house."

I was sure she was referring to Jay-jay's house. I stayed silent the entire ride until we stopped in front of the house, now sealed off with yellow police tape. She got out, and I followed.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"We're going to find Jay-jay," she said, grinning.

I frowned. If the police couldn't find her, how could we? Sometimes, she really doesn't think things through. She scanned the area before turning to the tricycle driver.

"Pre... which way did the girl run?"

The driver pointed back in the direction we had just come from.

"Maybe she was trying to go to Mom," she said, referring to Grandma.

I scratched my head. She really thinks she's a genius. Annoyed, she grabbed me by the collar and forced me back into the tricycle.

We visited every nearby barangay and town, searching for Jay-jay. We almost got into a fight because of my aunt's nonstop talking.

By the time we realized we should eat, the sky had already darkened. Fortunately, I had some money. It was embarrassing how my aunt had the audacity to rent a tricycle without even thinking about paying for it.

Now, we're at the plaza, sitting on a planter box filled with trash instead of plants. I don't feel like eating, especially after everything we've been through.

"Eat this! Eat it!" She said, trying to shove a fishball on a stick into my mouth.

I cringed at her roughness. She really has no mercy. Sometimes, I wonder if even the darkness would reject her.

"Where could that girl be?" She muttered. "She's probably scared and crying somewhere."

If Jay-jay had really planned to go to Grandma's house, then why hadn't she arrived? No… no way. I hope not.

We watched a group of children chasing each other, getting dirtier by the second.

"What if Jay-jay became a fat kid?" my aunt mused, making me look at her.

Earlier, she was listing all the worst possible things that could have happened to Jay-jay. Now, she's talking about her gaining weight?

I scowled in frustration.

I heard her cellphone ringing. She looked at it and pressed a button.

"Come on... Your Big Brother Tukmol is looking for you."

Sick?

She stood up, and so did I. We were walking down the sidewalk when I glanced the other way. A child was sitting next to a garbage can, dumbfounded and motionless.

I stared at her, and to my surprise and joy, I recognized her.

"JAY-JAY!" I shouted, pointing in her direction.

Without waiting for aunt, I ran across the street. Car horns blared one after another because of my sudden movement. When I reached her, I hugged her tightly.

"Jay! What happened to you? We've been looking for you everywhere!" I exclaimed, but she didn't move.

She remained still, staring blankly into the distance.

"ARIES! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Aunt shouted angrily as she approached me. "DO YOU WANT TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?"

She stopped in front of us and looked at the person beside me.

"Jay-Jay! I found her!" I said excitedly.

Tita pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and called someone at home.

"It's a clear sign of traumatic disorder. Dissociative amnesia is sometimes experienced by victims," the doctor explained to grandma.

We were all shocked when Jay-Jay said she didn't remember what had happened. Even when grandma mentioned her name, she didn't recognize her. But the doctor assured us that it was normal.

"How long will she be like this?"

"It depends on the patient, but I suggest taking her to a child psychologist for trauma treatment."

They discussed what could be done while I chose to stay with Jay-Jay inside the room. She was sitting down, reaching for something behind her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What did they put on my back?"

She had a large wound on her back. She told me it was her father's doing—burned by a hot iron.

"You have a wound," I said softly.

She tried to reach for her back. "Where did I get hurt? Why don't I remember?"

I moved closer and took her hand. Even her hands were covered in scratches and bruises. She was truly lucky that her frail body had survived everything.

"Just rest for now. You need to recover quickly so you can leave the hospital."

She frowned and lay on her side.

"Where's Mom?" She suddenly asked, making me freeze.

The truth was, I didn't know where she was. I hadn't seen her since we came home. The last I heard was that she was at the police station.

"I don't know. She might be on her way here. I'll tell Mama to call her."

"Alright. Thanks," she murmured, then closed her eyes.

Wherever she was, she should've been here by now to check on Jay-Jay. Because of what happened, Jay-Jay went to live with grandma. She would take care of her to ensure she recovered properly. I just hoped she would be okay. I was still worried about her—especially with our aunt, who always seemed angry at the world.

"You're quiet. Are you pooping?" Percy asked, making me wince.

Here we go again.

"No," I replied flatly.

"You're still embarrassed. Just admit it. We're all friends here."

"I'm not," I insisted.

"That's okay. I'll find you a place to sit," he said with a grin while looking around.

I just slapped my forehead. Whenever he talked, my head hurt.

"What is he looking for?" Yuri asked while riding his bike.

"His brain," I replied lifelessly.

"I thought you were out of town," Keifer said as he arrived.

"We just got back."

"How's your cousin? What's her name—Jason? Jay-Ar?" Yuri asked.

"Jay-Jay."

"Boy or girl?" Keifer seemed genuinely interested.

I raised an eyebrow. He gets interested quickly when it's a girl. I have no plans to introduce him to her.

"It just is—" I couldn't finish what I was going to say because Percy suddenly appeared in front of us.

"I found you. You'll cover it later," he said.

"Huh?" The three of us responded at the same time.

"Didn't you poop?" he asked me.

I just shook my head and turned away. The three of them followed me. We talked a lot, mostly about Keifer and his family.

His mother had also found the courage to leave his father. They had suffered a lot, but Jay-Jay's situation was even worse.

"I won't be with you next week," I said.

"Why, Pre?!" Percy asked in shock. "No way! We have something important to talk about that day!"

That's true.

I still planned to visit Grandma. I wanted to see her more often and make sure she was okay. Maybe next time, I could visit at least once a month. Then I'd go home during vacations.

"What?! You can't just disappear!" Percy insisted.

"Yes. I'm going."

But my plan didn't work out. I didn't visit Jay-Jay, and two vacations passed without me going home to Grandma.

When I'm with these three, I forget about everything else—my responsibilities, my assignments, and even my projects at school. Yuri is different, though. It doesn't really affect him if he forgets to do something. He easily makes up for it in quizzes and exams.

"Have you seen Percy?" Keifer asked as I stepped out of the room.

"No. Why?"

"That idiot won't introduce me to Freya."

I raised an eyebrow. Freya Hidalgo? I think I know where he is.

"Let's go to the court," I said, and Keifer followed.

The court wasn't far from our classroom. We were getting close when I spotted Percy messing around with some guys. He seemed to be looking at something—just like everyone else.

"Percy!" I called out, and he turned in our direction.

He looked confused, as if he didn't know what to do.

"What are you doing, hey?!" Keifer shouted as he pushed his way through.

"Let's go grab some snacks outside. It's on me! Where's Yuri?" Percy said, trying to forcefully lead us away from the court.

Why does it seem like he doesn't want us to see what he's looking at? I know it's Freya. Too bad, I didn't get to see her. I wanted to meet her too.

"Where did you go to high school?" Yuri asked me.

"The one Kuya went to."

"Which one? Your older brother has been to so many," he said, laughing.

I laughed too. Kuya kept transferring from school to school. Mama was always trying to fix his life, constantly arguing and putting in effort—but it was all wasted.

Grandma and I had to go home. We found out that Kuya had come back without us knowing. Apparently, he was the one Grandma had sent to school to deal with the trouble Jay-Jay had gotten into.

I was shocked when he told us what Jay-Jay had been doing. I had seen her get into fights before, but I never knew things had escalated this much.

Jay-Jay sat on the sofa, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head down, as if no one was speaking to her.

"Are you listening?!" Kuya asked angrily.

She didn't respond. She looked at me for a brief moment before lowering her head again.

"You idiot! You keep fighting! Do you even think?!" Kuya snapped.

After all, Jay-Jay and I were in almost the same situation. I used to get involved in different fights too, but unlike her, I had three companions in my mischief.

"Perhaps let the child rest first," Mom said.

Kuya hadn't finished speaking when Jay-jay suddenly stood up and walked straight outside.

"I'm not done yet! Get back here!" Kuya shouted angrily.

He tried to follow Jay, but Mama stopped him.

"Let it go!"

"I'll just follow her," I said, and they let me.

At first, I thought she went down the road, but then I saw her heading toward the large tree behind the house.

"Jay!" I called out, but she ignored me. "...Jay!"

She turned around with raised eyebrows but immediately looked away.

"Miracle, you actually came home?" She asked sarcastically.

A lot had changed about her, but one thing remained the same—she still acted like a man, even though she looked like a woman.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. Do I have a reason to be angry with you?"

I had asked the wrong question. It was obvious she was angry with me—probably because of our last conversation and the fact that I hadn't visited her recently.

I glanced at the basketball in the corner, picked it up, and dribbled it.

"Come on... Let's play," I offered.

She quickly turned to me and scoffed. "We're not kids anymore. You told me that before, and now you suddenly want to play? Is this a joke?"

Then, I remembered.

That was the last conversation we had. She had invited me to play outside, but I wasn't in the mood, so I had brushed her off. I hadn't meant it that way, though.

"Ahh, so that's what—"

"Maybe you should just leave me alone," she interrupted.

I looked up at her. She was staring off into the distance, but I understood what she meant. I dropped the ball and reached into my pocket for some money.

"Tara..."

To make up for Jay-jay, I decided to celebrate my birthday here. I couldn't help but smile—she thought it was my 13th birthday. She didn't know that today, I had actually turned 14.

Maybe I'll tell her later.

"I have a question for you," she said while eating. "...They say I have a brother. Is that true?"

I froze and slowly looked at her. Even now, she still didn't fully understand who I was. A wave of sadness washed over me.

I am your brother.

"Is it true?" She asked again.

"O-Oh... Yeah. He's older than you."

"I thought we were twins. You still look like me," she said, then continued eating.

But that's really me.

["Hey, bro! Why don't you celebrate here?!"] Percy shouted from the other end of the line.

"Don't yell."

["But why?! The celebration is all set! It's planned! Let's drink!"]

"We're still minors."

["Ugh, you're such a buzzkill! Also, don't you know how to drive?"]

I held my breath. I had a feeling I knew what they were planning. We had stolen Kuya's car once, but it was just me and Yuri. It seemed like someone had told Percy about it.

"I don't have a license yet."

["That's fine. Call me as soon as you get home."]

He didn't wait for my response and hung up. Idiot. After the call, I looked out the window. Jay-jay was standing by the gate, talking to a man.

I hurried outside and approached her, my eyebrows furrowing as I recognized the man. I wasn't mistaken—he was the one who had been following me in the car.

"Jay-jay!" I called out, but before she could turn around, the man grabbed her and covered her mouth.

"Let her go!" I shouted.

I tried to fight back and help Jay, but another man grabbed me as if I weighed nothing. They forced us into a van.

"Who are you?!" Jay-jay yelled as we were shoved inside.

"What do you want?!" I demanded.

The car sped off without an answer. I didn't understand. Who was this man? And why had he been following me?