Ang Mutya ng Section E – Book 3: The Unwritten Destinies
Chapter 10: Justice for the Short People
(Jay's POV)
The house was suspiciously quiet.
Which was never a good sign.
I sat on the couch with my arms crossed, staring at Aries and Percy like they were criminals.
Because they were.
"Why are you staring at us like that?" Percy asked, pretending to read his book.
"Because you two are the worst brothers in the history of mankind."
Aries didn't even look up from his phone.
"Wow. Dramatic."
"You called me short."
Percy sighed.
"Jay…"
"You measured my height like I was some laboratory experiment!"
Aries burst out laughing again.
"It was for scientific purposes!"
"I WILL SCIENTIFICALLY THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW!"
Before the fight could escalate further, the front door opened.
Dad walked in first, loosening his tie.
Behind him came my stepmom.
Her name was Maria, but to me she was simply Mom.
She worked at the same company as Dad, so they always came home together.
The moment Mom stepped inside, she paused.
"Why does the house feel like someone is about to start a war?"
That was my moment.
I jumped off the couch and ran straight to her like a five-year-old reporting a crime.
"MOM!"
Aries groaned loudly.
"Oh no…"
Percy closed his eyes.
"Here we go."
Mom blinked in confusion.
"What happened?"
I pointed dramatically at the two idiots behind me.
"THEY BULLIED ME."
Dad slowly turned toward them.
Aries raised his hands immediately.
"False accusation."
Percy nodded.
"We are innocent."
I gasped.
"YOU CALLED ME SHORT!"
Mom froze.
Dad blinked.
Then Mom suddenly started laughing.
Like full-on laughing.
I stared at her in betrayal.
"MOM!"
"I'm sorry," she said between laughs. "But this is the complaint?"
"Yes!"
Dad tried to stay serious but failed after two seconds.
Aries clapped proudly.
"See? Even Mom agrees."
I turned to Dad desperately.
"DAD! SAY SOMETHING!"
Dad cleared his throat and tried to sound wise.
"Aries. Percy."
Both of them straightened.
"Yes, Dad?"
"Stop teasing your sister."
Aries nodded.
"Okay."
Then he whispered loudly to Percy.
"Tiny sister."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and launched it at his face.
"DIE!"
Percy started laughing so hard he had to sit down.
Mom wiped tears from her eyes.
"Oh my God… you three are ridiculous."
I crossed my arms like an offended queen.
"Mom, they literally measured my height on the wall."
Dad turned slowly toward the wall.
And there it was.
A measuring tape.
And a mark labeled:
"Jay – Certified Short Person."
Dad stared at it.
Then looked at Aries.
"Explain."
Aries pointed proudly.
"Scientific research."
Mom started laughing again.
Percy tried to defend himself.
"It was his idea!"
"TRAITOR!" Aries shouted.
I pointed at the wall dramatically.
"LOOK AT THIS HUMILIATION!"
Mom walked over to the wall and examined it.
"Hm."
She grabbed a marker from the table.
"What are you doing?" I asked suspiciously.
She added another mark above mine.
Then wrote:
"Aries – Overgrown Giraffe."
Aries froze.
Percy exploded with laughter.
"OH MY GOD."
Mom wasn't done.
She measured Percy next and wrote:
"Percy – Sleepy Panda."
Dad clapped slowly.
"Excellent work."
I started laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
Aries stared at the wall in horror.
"Mom… you betrayed me."
Mom crossed her arms.
"You started it."
Percy pointed at Aries.
"Overgrown giraffe!"
"SHUT UP PANDA!"
I wiped tears from my eyes.
"Justice has been served."
Mom walked over and hugged me.
"And for the record," she said warmly, "you're not short."
Finally.
Validation.
"You're just cute-sized."
Aries collapsed on the couch laughing again.
"CUTE-SIZED!"
"ARIES!"
Dad shook his head with a smile.
"This family is impossible."
Mom grinned.
"Chaotic. But fun."
I looked at the wall again.
At the ridiculous height chart.
At Aries sulking.
At Percy laughing.
And I realized something.
Even though life had been messy lately…
Even though my heart still carried scars…
Moments like this made everything feel lighter.
Even if my brothers were idiots.
And even if they would never stop reminding me…
That I was cute-sized.