JAY'S POV
I woke up before my alarm.
That alone should've warned me something was different.
The city outside my window was still half-asleep, sky pale and undecided. I pulled on my sneakers and went for a run—letting my thoughts stretch out with my muscles, letting the leftover tension burn off with every step.
By the time I got back, sweat-damp and clear-headed, I felt… lighter.
I unlocked the condo.
And immediately froze.
Percy was in my kitchen.
Not standing in my kitchen.
Cooking.
Shirt sleeves rolled up. Hair still messy from sleep. A spatula in his hand like it had always belonged there.
The smell hit me next.
Pancakes.
Actual pancakes.
I stared at him like I'd walked into an alternate universe.
"You're staring," he said without turning around.
"Because you're committing a crime," I replied slowly. "Since when do you cook?"
He flipped a pancake perfectly, finally glancing over his shoulder with a smug grin. "Since I decided to surprise my beautiful sistah."
"That's illegal," I said. "You burn cereal."
"Growth," he corrected. "I've matured."
"I've known you for sixteen years," I said. "No, you haven't."
He laughed, plating the pancakes dramatically. "Go shower. Breakfast will be ready by the time you're done."
I squinted at him suspiciously. "You poison me and I haunt you."
"Worth it."
---
When I came back out—hair damp, uniform crisp, boots laced—Percy was leaning against the counter like he was posing for a magazine shoot.
Hands braced on the marble. Jaw sharp. Confidence cranked up to an unnecessary degree.
"Wow," he said, eyes sweeping over me. "My beautiful sistah goes to school looking like she could run the place."
I grabbed a fork. "Sit down before I stab you with this."
He sat, still grinning.
We ate in comfortable chaos—him stealing bites off my plate, me stealing his phone to delete terrible selfies.
Then, casually—too casually—he spoke.
"Oh, by the way," he said, sipping coffee, "Angelo and Tita Gema invited us for dinner tonight."
I paused mid-bite.
"…Tonight?"
"Mm-hm," he nodded. "Very polite. Very formal. Lots of 'we'd love to see you.'"
I exhaled slowly.
"I can't," I said. "I already have plans."
Percy raised a brow. "Plans?"
"Yes," I said, meeting his eyes. "A date. With Keifer."
There it was.
The pause.
The assessment.
Then—acceptance.
Percy shrugged. "Alright."
I blinked. "That's it?"
"What, you want a dramatic objection?" he asked. "I'll save that for when I actually meet him."
I smiled. "Thank you."
"But," he added, pointing his fork at me, "tomorrow we go. No excuses."
"Okay," I agreed. "I'll come tomorrow."
He nodded, already pulling out his phone. "I'll text Angelo."
I stood, grabbing my bag. "Try not to flirt your way into another family war."
"No promises."
At the door, I glanced back once.
Percy was already humming to himself, flipping another pancake like he'd always belonged here.
I smiled.
Then stepped out into the morning.
Toward school.
Toward my date.
Toward a day that—finally—felt like it might belong to me...
Section E was loud in that familiar, comforting way.
Eman was halfway turned around in his seat, arguing with David about whether Sir Alvin secretly enjoyed watching us suffer.
Felix had abandoned his notebook entirely and was sketching something that looked suspiciously like Sir Alvin as a dragon.
Calix kept leaning over to comment on it.
Denzel and Drew were sharing earbuds—one ear each—clearly not listening.
Blaster was asleep. Fully. Head back. Mouth open. Soul gone.
Eren sat quiet near the window, eyes sharp, actually paying attention.
Keifer was in a seat ahead of me, chair tilted back just enough to look relaxed. He wasn't. He never really was.
Sir Alvin was mid-sentence—something about final assessments—when the classroom door opened.
A student from Section B stood there, stiff and awkward.
"Sir," he said, "the guidance office asked for Jasper Jean Mariano."
The room froze.
Not chaos-freeze.
Shock-freeze.
Every head turned toward me.
Eman whispered, "Guidance?"
David frowned. "She didn't even do anything."
Felix blinked. "Did she accidentally commit a felony?"
Calix elbowed him.
Blaster woke up instantly. "Why is it always guidance?"
Keifer's chair hit the floor properly as he sat upright.
Sir Alvin adjusted his glasses. "Ms. Mariano?"
"Yes, sir," I said, standing.
I genuinely had no idea why I was being called.
No fights.
No warnings.
No skipped classes.
Nothing.
As I walked out, I could feel Keifer watching me—steady, concerned, controlled in that way that meant he was already running scenarios in his head.
---
The guidance office felt colder than usual.
Too quiet.
I stepped inside—
And stopped.
Kuya Angelo was already there.
Seated straight, hands clasped, expression serious.
He looked just as surprised to see me.
"Jay?" he said, standing immediately. "Why are you here?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing," I replied honestly.
The counselor smiled politely. "Jasper Jean, please have a seat."
I sat across from Angelo, confusion tightening in my chest.
"This meeting is regarding graduation clearance,some of Ms. Mariano documents are incomplete." the counselor said.
My stomach dropped.
Angelo stiffened.
"Her records are complete," he said immediately. "I personally coordinated with her previous school."
The counselor nodded. "Most of them are. However, we're missing final certification documents required for graduation eligibility."
I blinked. "Graduation?"
"Yes," she said gently. "Specifically, the official completion and academic endorsement from her previous institution. Without it, we can't finalize her graduation status."
Angelo's shock was immediate and unmistakable.
"That doesn't make sense," he said, voice controlled but tight. "Those were submitted."
The counselor slid a thin folder across the desk.
Inside were forms.
Incomplete.
Unsigned.
Waiting.
"Unfortunately," she continued, "her previous school delayed the final verification. It happens more often than you'd think, especially with transfers."
The words sat heavy.
Not explosive.
Not dramatic.
Just serious.
"This doesn't mean she can't graduate," the counselor added quickly. "But these documents must be signed and returned before the deadline."
I exhaled slowly.
Angelo rubbed his temple, clearly frustrated—not at me, not at the school.
At the situation.
"I'll contact them today," he said firmly.
"Thank you," the counselor replied. "Once we receive the completed forms, everything will proceed normally."
She looked at me and smiled. "You may return to class, Ms. Mariano."
I stood.
Angelo followed.
As we reached the door, he looked at me—expression steady but unsettled.
"I made sure," he said quietly. "I didn't miss this."
"It's alright kuya,just some signatures I'll get it done. " I replied.
But inside I was a wreck
Whyyy God of all places that school?
---
When I walked back into Section E, the reaction was immediate.
David mouthed, You good?
Felix whispered, "Not expelled?"
Calix sighed dramatically.
Cin slumped back onto his desk. "False alarm."
Denzel relaxed.
Drew nudged him.
Eren went back to his notes.
Keifer didn't ask.
He just watched me closely.
I met his eyes and shook my head once.
I'm okay.
The tension eased from his shoulders—just a little.
I sat down, heart still heavy but steady.
Graduation wasn't gone.
Just… waiting.
And somehow, that felt scarier than real trouble.
Because it reminded me how close endings were—
and how the people I'd left behind were starting to find their way back.