[Recommended Song]: Overthinking by Zoe Wees
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"His son? Don't be a clown, Dominic. Mr. Nie doesn't have a son." Said Elijah huffing at his best friend. "Are you taking drugs or just consuming too much coffee?"

Dominic made a clown face: "Maybe I am a clown. Though, I have proof that Mr. Nie has a son."

"Elijah is the only one who doesn't know Mr. Nie has a son. No need for proofs, Dom." Tris smiled at his confused brother.

"When did you study at San Vedra, Tris? You can't possibly study there if the school itself wasn't built yet." Elijah reasoned, choking on his water.

"Easy there, lion. I am the second of our siblings to study there. Zack was the first, weren't you, ge?" Tris hoped for a good answer from his brother. He earned a nod.

"Nah, even though we knew the whole thing of Mr. Nie's son... It'd be a big help if we knew San Vedra's secrets and history too." Kiara insisted, though, her lips curved into a slight pout. "Yet, we do not have someone who enrolled back then when the university was established."

The eyes darted towards Zack. He sighed and glared a no.

"Ge, come on. You know Mr. Nie's a beloved principal." Callista pleaded.

Zack took his phone out and showed the picture of him and his classmates: "San Vedra was established way back then before Tris and you were born, Elijah. I happen to be enrolled there for daycare. And well, you wouldn't like the rest." He cuts with small shivers. "No one ever knew the real story of San Vedra University anyway, not even witnessed it."

"Continue, this is the first mystery of San Vedra that we encountered." Kai insisted, his hands motioned a shoo shoo with his hands.

Zack rolled his eyes at Kai's stubborn attitude. "Fine. But, Just to clarify, San Vedra, before becoming a university, was once a daycare owned by an old businessman." He started. "The old latter himself wanted a school because of his love for children. Throughout the years of San Vedra being at peace as a daycare school, someone bought it in exchange for a high amount of cash, the daycare was renovated into a university." His voice lowered when he began to tell the middle part.

"Is there something wrong?" Kai sat beside the older.

"The thing is... San Vedra wasn't legally bought. It was rather stolen by the second owner." Zack continued looking up to the squad. "Since the second was too powerful than the first, he had many connections, illegal or not."

Jace said out loud: "If the second owner bought the school... Then, what happened to the original?"

"He died pleading to get the school back. The second owner, on the other hand, died because of old age. His son took over the school, but... no one had seen their faces." Zack rested the story there. It was the original ending.

"That's weird... Not even the names?" Callista asked, to which Zack replied a "no."

"Where did you get all this information, Zack?" Asked Kiara instantly, she wanted to read about the complete history feeling questions in her head build up.

"Library, I'm sure the history section has been restricted, though." Zack facepalmed himself.

"Maybe, maybe not." Dominic scoffs: "If you all want to find out, we need someone to at least have time to take a look at the library."

Jace looked up: "My break is early, I can do it."

"I can too."

Everyone's eyes landed on Tris. Elijah tilted his head. "The Science project will be assigned tomorrow, Tris. Are you sure? You said you can't miss that, didn't you?"

"I'm... not joining? The project is only for those who volunteered at the fair, since, it's for the entertainment." Tris reasoned, Dominic blinked at his statement but said nothing.

"Your form? Have signed it?"

"I haven't."

Kai took a deep breath: "Okay, okay, uhm... Jah, you can come if you don't have anything to do."

"I already volunteered for the fair, besides, I have something else to do with Kai and Dominic." Elijah smiled. "You can go on without me."

Jace crossed his arms: "Are you sure, lion? I can take you off the fair."

The shorter male giggled: "Rafael Jace Jimenez Xiao when I say something important, I mean it."

"Join us or don't bother me for a week? If you can." Jace challenged, the younger crossed his arms.

"I'd rather regret it, I'm sure you're going to submit to your own words." Elijah left, Kai and Dominic following him.

Jace stood there, stunned. "Tell me it wasn't Elijah I'm talking to."

Zack placed a hand on the younger's shoulder: "The one you spoke to was Nathaniel Elijah Harisson Wang, not your typical lion."

Jace's mouth formed a slight 'o' but nodded to it. "I'm just going to cook lunch. Goodbye." He left and went to the kitchen.

Kiara, Zack, and Callista were left dumbfounded.

At The Guestroom:

"Jah..." Dominic called out with a shaky sigh.

Elijah turned to him, even Kai who was eating chips.

"Dom, what is it?" The other asks worriedly keeping an eye out for his best friend.

Kai on the other hand confused, mixed with concern, looked at the two friends talking and just listened.

"I've got a hunch, you can call it a theory maybe... I can't keep it any longer." Dominic scratched the back of his nape uneasy.

Elijah sat beside his best friend. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Dominic thought for a moment, he questioned himself if he should state it. Besides, Elijah was his best friend. On the other hand, his brain wanted to keep it because it was something about his best friend's brother.

"Dom, you can tell it if you want. Kai's silent and confused over there, you know." Elijah follows nodding in Kai's direction.

Dominic snapped out: "Uhm...sure. But, it's about your brother, Tris."

Elijah hummed: "Okay, Tris? Interesting... What about him? Did you guys fight or something?"

The younger saw his best friend being taken aback by his statement.

After a short pause, Dominic shook his head. "Well, we can talk about that some other time-"

Elijah laughs. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Jokes aside, tell me what is it?"

"I had this hunch that... Tris, could possibly like Jace?"

At this point, both Kai and Elijah felt their bodies freeze. They felt as if they were hit by a bolt of lightning and were forced into a tub full of ice and water afterward.

Kai spoke suddenly: "How are you certain? It was already said by Tris and Jace before and after they'd met; They only like women. Women, and only women."

"That's why I said theory and hunch, Kai" Dominic gave the younger a deadly stare. "And, you know that there is a possibility for both, or even just one of them to fall in love with the same gender, just like Callista and Kiara, don't you?"

Kai zipped his lips. It was true. There is still a possibility for his brother to fall for the same gender.

But, he still doubted it. Because, even if Jace and Tris 'loved' each other more than brothers or friends, they'll not confess or just keep it. Especially, they say: Loving the same gender as yours is a sin. And, It's just a phase. Those terms were commonly used, most people tend to let out these words when one individual or two more comes out as part of LGBTQ.

Many people will tend to use the Bible. The phrases in them, some will even just use it, not read. They'll use it regardless of that one person's beliefs and religion.

Well, some people will defend and accept, they'll call themselves defenders. But some will also hate you, be disgusted, and sometimes (no, maybe always) discriminate against you. Not only that- those so-called defenders can also betray and backstab. They might be doing it for fame.

Kai snapped out of his thoughts when Elijah spoke. "I mean, it's possible but... how'd you develop that hunch or theory?"

Dominic intertwined his hand with his friend: "Jah, I'm an overthinker, and you know that. The last Monday, Tris had been asking me about Jace. And now, this that he's going with Jace cutting himself out of the voluntary fair. Aren't you suspecting him, Jah? You know to yourself that you love Jace." His voice dropped from the last part, preventing Kai to hear.

Elijah turned pale: "Maybe... It's part of their friendship. You know Tris is concerned for everyone, Jace is no exception, from the way I act towards Jace... My brother may know that I'm..."

Dominic chuckles: "Jah, don't be afraid to say it. It's not a curse."

"You know that." Elijah refused. "My brother surely won't betray me, and, I'm not even sure if Tris likes the type of flirty boss." He clarified.

"Did you just call my brother flirty boss?" Kai arched a brow.

"I did." Elijah huffs.

"Still, but ahh, maybe it's my mind." Dominic thanked the two with a smile.

Someone opened the door, shooking the three talking boys.

"Jace... We- What are you doing here?" Elijah asked in a soft tone.

"To come and tell you, lunch is ready. Or else, you guys want me to bring it here?"
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Oh, well, there goes my JaceJah heart. But, you aren't sure, no? No brother can betray a sibling... They say.

-xoxo: Ms. Khi 🦊🖤