PARANG NAKALUTANG sa ulap si Rayos nang makauwi siya sa bahay nila. She was still dazed. And now that she's standing in front of their house, unti-unti na nag sink in sa kanya na they've already crossed the line. His confession. How she agreed for him to court her.

Kinagat niya ang pang-ibaba na labi at mabilis na pumasok. Surprisingly, her heart was calmer than what she expected. Nagulat lang siya kanina, but eventually, nawala 'yon. Was I already expecting it?

Nadatnan niya ang kapatid nilang lalaki na nakaupo sa sala, his legs were crossed, bukas ang butones ng polo na suot nito at hindi matanggal ang tingin sa iPad nito. It's like his eyes were glued on his iPad screen.

Rayos sighed. Hinubad niya ang sapin niya sa paa at nagpalit sa pangbahay na tsinelas bago tuluyan na pumasok at lumapit sa kapatid.

"I'm home," aniya at humalik sa pisngi nito.

Her brother hummed and held her hand, pulling her gently so she can sit beside him. His arm dropped on her shoulders.

"How's the date?" He teasingly asked. 

Naglalambing na sinandal niya ang ulo sa dibdib nito at umingos. "It wasn't a date. Stop teasing—" she stopped.

"Why? Why did you stop?" Tumatawa na tanong nito sa kanya. Her brother pinched her cheek. "It was a date. Tama ako? Of course, I am." Jyrelle, her brother, chuckled manly. Nagyayabang.

Rayos glanced at her brother. Hinahanap siya sa sarili ang kaba na dapat niyang maramdaman. Ang kaba na para kay Leo. Since that guy wasn't afraid of her brother. Siya na ang matatakot para rito.

"Kuya?" Rayos cleared her throat when he shifted his gaze on her. "Leo is… courting me," aniya. Her voice trembled a bit.

Rayos was expecting a violent reaction from her brother even though he likes Leo, pero hindi 'yon nangyari. Her brother patted her shoulder and shake her a little, a satisfied smile crept up to his lips.

He kissed her forehead and answered, "Is that so? He'll be good."

"What?" Hindi makapaniwala na tanong niya sa kapatid.

He cocked his head. "He'll be good. Alam naman niya ang kalalagyan niya kung hindi niya aayusin. His grave is on me if he'll do something I don't like." Tumaas baba ang mga kilay nito.

"You… you're really going to kill him?" Nanlalaki ang mga mata na tanong nito sa kanya.

"No one, not even me, can hurt my sisters and gets away with it. I'll find and burn them. I'll made them feel what Hell feels like." Her brother dangerously said. His voice was promising.

"No wonder they call us monsters." Rayos flatly answered. "You and Kuya Laur are both pain in our ass!"

His brother chuckled. "Ang ganda ng lahi natin. Monster? We aren't look like one."

"Weirdo, whatever." Rayos rolled her eyes and stood up. Leaving her brother.

Rayos looked for their father and saw him cooking. Their mom was still nowhere to be found, probably still busy with her works.

"Dad? Leo is courting me," deretsahan na sabi niya. Kilala naman na nito si Leo.

"Is that so? He'll be good." Her father nonchalantly answered.

She scoffed. Hindi niya inaasahan na magiging kalmado ang sagot nito sa kanya. Pareho pa ang mga ito ng sagot! They're really the same.

"Dad, you should be angry." She flatly answered.

Lumingon ito sa kanya. "Do you want me to?"

"Why are you acting so cool about it? Dad, a guy, is courting me. Me! Your princess!" Itinuro niya ang sarili.

"It's not necessary to get mad. I am only calm because I trust him, he looks like a good guy." Her father shrugged. "However, if he'll do something to you."

Tumalim ang tingin ng Daddy niya.

"He should be ready to face Hell. As I am going to bury him alive, six feet under the ground." He warned.

Marahas na umiling si Rayos. Siya na talaga ang matatakot para kay Leo. She knows of all people how much their family loved to collect sins. If they already warned a person, that person should be very and extra careful not to commit a mistake.

***

VYRLLE, her twin was nowhere to be found. Halos hindi na niya ito nakikita pagkatapos nang huling switch nila. Until she found her in Light's house. Playing with Grex together with their Tito Xyrus.

Hinayaan niya na lang ang kambal sa gusto nito. As long as she prioritises her studies more than the game she's playing. As for her relationship with Leo. Rayos noticed that nothing much changed, he was still acting the same way he acted around her before.

And Leo's way of courting her was spoiling her with Café dates, giving her pointers to review which he usually does. Rayos loves being praised but not when she knows that half of the effort was from Leo.

"Oh, you're here?" Sarkastiko na tanong niya sa kambal nang makita niya ito sa bahay nila.

Ngumisi ito sa kanya at naglalambing na yumakap sa kanya. Vyrlle even rubbed her cheek on her face, para itong si Lorev, ang aso nito, kapag naglalambing at gusto ng treats.

"I was busy playing. Nakalimutan ko tuloy sabihin sayo na nakilala ko ang boyfriend mo." Vyrlle pouted her lips. "Bakit hindi mo agad sinabi sa akin? Hindi naman ako magsusumbong!"

Rayos did not bother to correct her twin. Well, she's not planning to let Leo slip on her hand.

She sighed heavily when her twin started to pester her. Asking kung paano nakalusot si Leo sa kapatid nila, lalo na sa Tatay nila na sobrang higpit pagdating sa mga lalaki na lumalapit sa kanila. Rayos doesn't have any idea on how Leo tamed her brother and father. But she has an idea already and ended up blurting it out to her twin.

"He's kind of observant, Cay. I was talking for a few minutes and he literally told me to stop pretending to be you," gulat na sabi nito. "Is it because I'm wearing a ribbon? Dapat pala hindi na 'no?"

Rayos laughed. "No, it's probably because you sucks at acting."

"If I am that bad, edi sana nahalata na niya na may gusto ako sa kanya?" Vyrlle shot back.

"No, Ion. Your acting is bad, and Kuya Light just…" Rayos sighed. Hindi na niya itinuloy ang balak niyang sabihin. Besides, her sister's love interest was none of her business. She'll let them figure it out on their own.

"Ano?" naiinip na tanong ni Vyrlle. Umiling lang si Rayos.

"I have an idea. Puntahan natin si Leo?" she asked.

Rayos wanted to see in her own eyes, kung makikilala ba siya nito. She asked her twin to remove her ribbon and dressed the same clothes. Maski ang bag na gamit nila ay parehas.

"Are you sure? Kapag sa akin siya lumapit 'wag mo akong sasabunutan ah? Loyal ako kay Luca." Agad na paalala ni Vyrlle sa kanya.

Rayos rolled her eyes when she heard that nickname. Their brother wasn't dumb, of course, malalaman agad nito na ang Kuya Light nila ang may-ari ng nickname na 'yon. Her twin sister was also obsessed with Sun, while the object of her affection likes Star. They really love to complicate things.

She just shrugged her shoulders and lazily picked up her phone to chat Leo.

Vraiose Cay: We're going to your café.

Leo Erese: Coming :)

Pinakita niya 'yon sa kambal niya.

Vyrlle sneered. "Hays, sana all."

"Why don't you ask him to come?" Rayos suggested.

"No way, after I told him how much I hated him?" Vyrlle rolled her eyes and shook her head after.

"We'll talk about it later," aniya at matalim na tumingin sa kambal. Not giving her a chance to keep secrets from her. Bottling her feelings for that person wasn't good for her twin.

Baka tuluyan na talaga itong mabaliw. Well, Vyrlle was already crazy. One more push and she'll be like their brother. Even her cold attitude sometimes scared her.

Nagpahatid sila sa driver nila. Rayos was actually feeling nervous, paano kung ang kambal nga niya ang lapitan ni Leo? She wondered how she'll react.

Halos mapugto ang hininga niya nang makarating sila sa mismong café at excited na pumasok ang kambal niya sa loob. Leo was there, helping their staff. He was smiling brightly when she saw him, but his smile faded when he saw her and her twin, Vyrlle.

"Hi!" Vyrlle greeted him.

"You're here too… Ah, do you want a cake?" Kumunot ang noo niya nang si Vyrlle lang ang pinansin nito. Does he think that Vyrlle was her?

Vyrlle chuckled. "Yeah, sure!"

Her gaze caught his and Leo immediately smiled brightly. Inabot lang nito ang cake sa kambal niya at itinuro ang bakante na lamesa bago ito lumapit sa kanya.

"Stop playing, Rayos. Even if you two dressed the same… Please, know that this zodiac of yours will always come to you. Sayo lang, Rayos."

☕