THE SECOND MISFORTUNE: NEXUS

As the final school bell rang, Janed sprang up from his seat, his mind already racing ahead to his after-school mission. He had made a promise to his younger twin brothers, Mateo and Diego, that he would buy them new dinosaur toys. That morning, the two had come to him in tears, each clutching the shattered remains of the other’s toy. Determined to keep his word, Janed swiftly packed his belongings into his bag, the urgency of his task driving his every move.

Just as he was about to rush out of the classroom, he felt a sudden weight on his back. Rosch had skipped up behind him and jumped onto his back, his arms draped over Janed’s shoulders for support. Instinctively, Janed grabbed Rosch’s legs to keep him from falling, letting his bag dangle precariously from his right shoulder.

“Rosch, dude, come on. I really need to go early today,” Janed said, his voice tinged with both urgency and the faintest hint of amusement.

By this time, Stella, Lara, and Jui had joined them, forming a small cluster in the now-empty classroom. The teacher had already left, and the rest of their classmates had filtered out, leaving the friends alone in the quiet room.

“Why, dude?” Rosch asked, leaning forward on Janed’s shoulder, his curiosity piqued.

Janed glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he explained, “Mateo and Diego broke their toys.”

“Oh, so you’re going to buy some new ones?” Rosch inquired, his interest now fully engaged.

“Mhm. So do me a favor and get off my back, please,” Janed replied, a half-smile tugging at his lips.

Reluctantly, Rosch slid down from Janed’s back, landing lightly on his feet. But before letting the conversation drop, he added, “By the way, dude, how’s Camila?”

“My sister? She’s fine. Why?” Janed asked as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder, curious about Rosch’s sudden concern.

Rosch skipped in front of Janed, his expression thoughtful as he replied, “Well, I saw her with her boyfriend yesterday. It didn’t seem like they were all that pleased to be together.”

Janed shrugged as he spoke, “Maybe they fought, Rosch. She always gets in fights with him.”

“If you say so. Just worried for our sister,” Rosch said, his tone light but laced with genuine concern.

“Sure. I’ll be off then,” Janed said, ready to dash out the door.

But as expected, his friends weren’t about to let him leave alone. Rosch quickly wrapped his arm around Janed’s shoulders, and the two boys began running toward the school gate, their laughter echoing down the hallway. Stella, Lara, and Jui followed close behind, the group a blur of motion as they raced toward the exit.

As they reached the store, Rosch bent down, hands on his knees as he panted heavily. “I won,” he declared between gasps for air.

Janed, hands on his waist, stared up at the sky, eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. “No way. I won,” he countered, still breathing hard.

Stella walked up to Janed, a concerned look on her face as she handed him a handkerchief. “You shouldn’t have run all the way here from school,” she admonished gently. Afterall, the girls had let them go off while they paced together at their own speed towards the store.

Lara nodded in agreement, offering Rosch a handkerchief as well. The boys wiped the sweat from their faces and pocketed the handkerchiefs before heading into the store.

As Janed walked in, he accidentally knocked his elbow against one of the shelves. A sharp pain shot through his arm, making him blink several times in surprise. “Haha, wow. That felt like an electric shock,” he said, rubbing his elbow.

Rosch was immediately at his side, grabbing Janed’s arm and rubbing the sore spot for him. “Dude, you good?” he asked, his voice a mix of concern and humor.

Janed shrugged off the discomfort with a smile, but Rosch couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. “Wow, not funny, dude,” Janed said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

Rosch wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still chuckling. “But come on, man. You acted like you were dying,” he teased.

“That hurts like shit, you moron,” Janed shot back, his tone playful.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m aware,” Rosch replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender, the last remnants of his laughter fading as they continued their playful banter.

Janed and his friends browsed through the store, their laughter and chatter filling the aisles as they searched for what they needed. Janed’s eyes lit up when he finally spotted the dinosaur toys that Mateo and Diego had been pining for. He picked up two identical boxes, each containing a fierce-looking T-Rex with snapping jaws and moveable limbs. The toys were exactly what the twins had been obsessing over, and Janed could already imagine their faces lighting up with joy.

After getting the toys neatly packed, Janed made his way to the checkout counter. He paid for the toys, thanked the cashier, and turned to his friends with a satisfied smile. The group began to disperse, each heading toward their respective homes. They waved goodbye to each other with cheerful grins, their laughter echoing down the street as they jogged in different directions. Stella and Janed, who lived on the same street, lingered a little longer, walking side by side down the familiar road.

As they reached the midpoint of the street, Stella and Janed paused, exchanging a final wave and a shared smile. “See you tomorrow,” Stella called out, her voice warm.

“See you,” Janed replied, his heart lifting as he watched her walk away. They parted ways, Stella heading to her house while Janed crossed the street to his. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment as he approached his front door. It was comforting to know that Stella was just across the road, close enough that they could wave to each other from their windows.

He smiled to himself as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. “I’m home,” he called out, his voice echoing in the quiet hallway. Janed kicked off his shoes and tossed them into the shoe rack, where they landed neatly in place. Before he could take another step, he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his waist from behind. Mateo and Diego had rushed to greet him, their voices overlapping as they bickered over who Janed liked more.

“Janed! Who do you like better, me or Mateo?” Diego asked, his tone insistent.

“No, he likes me more!” Mateo retorted, his grip on Janed tightening.

Janed chuckled, gently prying their arms from around his waist. “I like you both the same,” he said, handing each of them their new toys. Their eyes widened in delight, the argument forgotten as they eagerly tore into the packaging.

“Thanks, Janed!” they chorused, their earlier squabble replaced by excited chatter about their new dinosaurs.

Leaving the twins to their play, Janed made his way to the kitchen, where the comforting aroma of home-cooked food filled the air. His mother, Valeria, was busy preparing dinner, her hands moving deftly as she arranged dishes on the table.

“Oh, hey, my responsible boy,” Valeria greeted him with a warm smile, pausing in her work to give him a quick hug.

“Hey, Mom,” Janed replied, his voice filled with affection.

Just then, a loud wail pierced the air, interrupting their quiet moment. It was Louise, the youngest member of the family, and by the sound of it, he was not happy. The crying grew louder, and Janed could hear his father, Alexander, attempting to soothe the baby.

Valeria sighed, her smile turning into a slight frown as she banged a plate onto the table. “What did you do now, Alexander?” she called out, her voice carrying a hint of exasperation as she made her way toward the nursery.

Janed could hear his father’s response from down the hall, his tone a mix of frustration and helplessness. “The baby just won’t stop crying!” Alexander’s voice had a slightly desperate edge, as if he was on the verge of giving up.

Shaking his head with a small smile, Janed retreated to his room. The sounds of his family’s chaos—Mateo and Diego’s excited chatter, Louise’s cries, and his parents’ back-and-forth—were all too familiar to him. He lay down on his bed, closing his eyes as he let the noise wash over him like a comforting blanket.

This was home, with all its imperfections and noise, and to Janed, it was serene. The chaos was what he had grown up with, and in its own way, it brought him a sense of peace. As the sounds of his family drifted through the walls, Janed felt himself relax, a contented smile playing on his lips as he slowly drifted off into a peaceful nap.