"Yes!!" Franchesca, Potato, Bhoszxc Vhinzxc, and Steffani shouted in unison. I caught Eugene and Jazz exchanging a glance. Eugene nodded eagerly, hoping Jazz would accept the plan—a night out, on me.
"Okay!" Eugene finally said, giving a thumbs-up on Jazz's behalf, though Jazz's smile was tight and reluctant.
Pizzas, fries, sodas, and burgers arrived and we quickly ate. I rented a Grandia and drove straight to Jane's hospital for a quick stop.
At the hospital, we found Styx dozing off in a chair next to Jane's bed, his phone lying on the blanket. The soft but repetitive sound of a game emanated from it, drawing our attention. Potato with a mischievous grin, grabbed Styx's phone and we looked at it, he left his phone open while playing Dress to Impress on Roblox.
We all crowded around Potato, intrigued. "Naka VIP! Taray," Potato exclaimed, and they began arguing about the game. I glanced over closer and noticed the theme was "Cafe," with five minutes left on the clock.
"No! Layer it with brown #30023, then design an apron!" Franchesca suggested.
Potato gave the character black bobcut hair, making Steffani scratch her head. "Kulay brown ang buhok, tas may highlights ng blonde!" she insisted.
"Hinde! Yung model dapat kagaya ni Heart!" The bickering continued, but they all ended up turning to me. Potato copied my outfit, and soon their character strutted down the runway. They hit Pose 28, and we were all excited—our outfit looked leagues better than the others. But when the results came in, we only got third place.
"Putangina niyo! Cafe ang theme, tas mukhang sirena nanalo?!" Potato ranted, swearing at the kids on Roblox, furiously typing on Styx's phone.
Styx jolted awake, "Huh?" He groaned, confused. Potato quickly put the phone down, and we all pretended like nothing happened. "Good afternoon, Styx!" I greeted warmly.
He ignored us, immediately checking his phone, his eyes widening. "Bakit suspended ang account ko?" he asked, looking around suspiciously. Eugene pointed at Potato, who subtly punched him, but Styx noticed, confirming his suspicions.
Styx slapped Potato across the face. Eugene laughed, and before things could escalate into a full-blown fight, I jumped between them. Eugene, still amused, grabbed popcorn and an airhorn. "Fight!" he yelled, enjoying the chaos.
Styx stood behind me, while Bhoszxc Vhinzxc held Potato back. "What is wrong with you?!" Potato snapped at Styx.
"Heart gifted me that VIP account! Do you know how sentimental that is, and you just got it suspended?!" Styx cried dramatically.
"That isn't a reason to resort to violence!" Potato shot back.
"Invalidating bitch." Styx laughed controllably and the tension simmered, and we all took a breather. Bhoszxc Vhinzxc broke the silence, "Sino yan? Nananampal ng babae?"
"His name is Styx. He's a detective," I answered, prompting Styx to introduce himself.
He stood up with a smirk. "The name's Styx. Dress to Impress connoisseur and full-time detective. I'm 24, Pisces, and I love The 1975, Clairo, Beabadoobee, and Brent Faiyaz."
Styx's gaze lingered on Jazz more than Eugene. I noticed the way he switched his glances to me, sensing that Styx found Jazz more intriguing.
After a short conversation, the mood grew dull. I decided to change it. "Okay! We've visited Jane. Let's go have a night out," I suggested.
"Sorry, Styx! I'm treating all my employees," I added, hoping Styx wouldn't feel left out. "Bantay ka lang jan." His face fell slightly, and I instantly felt bad. I knew he had other things to do, but I was pushing my luck.
