Jayjay's POV:
The four of us were walking. Walking through the corridors.
Checking out who was there, nothing suspicious was found.
"Let's switch," April said, her voice cutting through the silence, "I'm bored talking with Yuri for too long."
Yuri gave her a bombastic side eye. WE GOT YURI SIDE EYEING APRIL BEFORE GTA VI.
"What?" April stuck her tongue out. "We talked about everything: Dogs, Keifer, Section E, my mom, childhood terror, love, first kiss, damnit even the night out."
She's really a child in a teen's body. Wait. What did she just say?
"Night out?" I burst out, shit. My words flowed out like glitter before I could realise.
"Yeah.." Yuri said, grinning sheepishly.
"They snuck out. Well, April was living with her parents. They drove Angelo's car. Guess the time when?"
"10 PM?" I said, what time would kids under 15 (considering they're 17.5 years old now, and one year ago, April disappeared) sneak at?
"Wrong. 3 AM."
WHAT. I stared into their souls, they're some legendary mischief managers or what? 3 AM?!
"Yep.. ass'o clock, I know.." April let out a nervous laugh.
The revelation of 3 AM antics had just dropped like a bomb.
"What? You thought we were sensible?" Yuri asked me.
Of course! I did not expect them to be like this, 3 AM alone at 15? Wow.
They really are brave. Keifer's like a mom when something like this happens to ME, he ignores me for ages, and-
"We used to hang out a lot like this. Don't break your head at this new information."
Oh.
"LET'S SWITCH!"
That's it. Yuri was with me, and April was with Keifer. Boring.
If I said this out loud, April would have been like: Excuse me? Get out.
I'm damn sure. She loves him so much! Head over heels for him.
We walked off, and they went too.
Yuri was quiet, typical of him. Silence was awkward, and I decided to become typical me.
"Choose one. Keifer or April."
..silence.
"Can I choose both?" he asked. Oh, both?
"No."
"Her, then."
Done. He's obsessed.
We were walking. And at 12 AM, we decided to go to the place where we decided to meet again.
Yuri quickly excused himself and went to the restroom.
I walked to the place, and the sight I had in front of me?
April and Keifer, arms wrapped around each other. Foreheads touched. Almost.. as if..
They were kissing?
Why is Keifer kissing April? I'm f jealous.
Is April a playgirl?
..no words to say. Yuri needs to see this. Wait, Jayjay..
It's just Keifer. It's April. They are best friends, and they know more than you.
Why are you involved in this? I don't care. I don't care about Keifer.
He's nothing for me, diba? Just an annoying King Ulupong.
Right?
He's no one for me.
I went to them. Keifer's gaze met mine first, "Jay."
Their intimate hug transformed into a side hug. April turned her head to the back and did something with her eyes. She wiped something off. I don't know.
"Jay.." Keifer murmured.
"We're talking about this soon." He said to April, and he came to me.
Why do I care about him? He isn't mine. Nor someone I care about.
Do I love him?
Just then, Yuri came back and took April's hand.
"IT'S WET, EW!" April was grossed out.
"Chill, I washed it." He wiped his hand on April's hoodie.
April gave him a long, dangerous glare.
"You're dead," she muttered sweetly.
Yuri blinked once. "Worth it."
Keifer smiled softly beside me.
Why is he laughing? Why is he comfortable? Why am I noticing the way his hand was still slightly curved, like it just left her waist?
Stop it, Jayjay.
April suddenly clapped her hands once.
"Okay! Since we're all alive and no one got kidnapped, let's go. I'm hungry."
"It's 12 AM," Keifer said.
"And?" She tilted her head. "You afraid of the dark, Mr President?"
His jaw tightened. Not annoyed. Challenged.
"You said you were tired five minutes ago."
"I lied."
"You always lie."
"I don't. I just edit the truth."
Yuri let out a small laugh.
I crossed my arms. Why does their banter feel like something only they understand?
Keifer stepped closer to April unconsciously. Or maybe consciously.
Oh.
Oh.
The air changed.
April looked away first.
She hates being seen.
"Can we not do this here?" she muttered.
Keifer's expression softened in that way he only does with her. Not leader-soft. Not polite-soft. But careful-soft.
"Fine."
The word held history.
Yuri looked between them, then at me.
He noticed.
Of course, he noticed.
I suddenly felt like I was standing outside a glass wall.
They lived in something deeper.
And I was just... visiting.
April forced a grin.
"ANYWAY! Jayjay. Why are you so quiet? You look like you swallowed a mosquito."
"I didn't," I snapped too quickly.
Keifer's eyes flicked to me again.
Concern.
Why concern?
"You okay?" he asked.
There it is.
That tone.
The one that makes you want to say yes and no at the same time.
"I'm fine," I said.
April watched me carefully.
Not joking now.
Not teasing.
Watching.
She knows.
She always knows.
"You sure?" she asked, softer this time.
Why does it feel like she's not asking about now?
"I'm fine," I repeated.
Silence again.
Yuri suddenly clapped once. "Okay. Midnight food run. Decision made. If we get caught, I'm blaming April."
"WHAT?!" April gasped.
Keifer smirked. "Fair."
She pointed at him. "You were literally hugging me two minutes ago, and now you betray me?"
The words slipped out.
The air shifted again.
Keifer didn't look embarrassed.
Yuri understood. I don't know what. Tell me. April and Yuri basically had an eye contact, and... they somehow communicated.
Softly.
And I felt something twist inside my chest.
Do I love Keifer?
Or do I just hate not being the one he looks at like that?
Yuri bumped my shoulder gently.
"You're thinking too much again."
I stared ahead.
"I'm not."
He hummed like he didn't believe me.
Keifer stepped forward, naturally falling beside me this time instead of April.
And for a second.
Just a second.
I felt chosen.
But when I glanced back,
April was murmuring to Yuri. I gotta catch what she said, and all I got?
"Keifer.. Mom.. came.. Liana.. Ella.. Cried..Keifer, my brother"
Keifer, my brother? Oh, really?