5. "will be here"

PRESENT DAY: THE INCIDENT

"You alright?" I asked Nova the moment I saw her, slinging my bag over my seat before focusing my total attention on her. She didn't look away from Jayvee or Ryan, though I could tell by a slight jerk to her body she did acknowledge me being there. She didn't look sad, angry, or upset with them -- but she refused to focus on anything else. I guess whatever she felt was valid. Now that nearly everyone knew about their relationship, they didn't even try to hide it.

Jared and Jewee were the last to hear, and yet I only saw surprise on their seconds for three seconds at most. That made sense though -- the relationship didn't concern them, and they knew that.

"He's gotta be gay," she finally said aloud, turning to look at me. She drummed her fingers individually on the desk in front of her, the sound of her acrylic nails speaking more for her than she did.

"Pfft, why? Because he doesn't like you, he's gotta be gay?" I rolled my eyes, but jokingly. There wasn't really any bad mood in the air that I felt I had to lighten. Overall, she appeared to be taking it pretty well, but in case there was something locked up inside of her that would only end up making her burst later, I thought it could't hurt to make the atmosphere a bit laid back.

But not entirely. Since I was the oldest one here, I had some right to boss people around to an extent. It was usually a job for Jayvee, so I didn't do it very much. Just every so often, and now was one of those occasional times.

"Seriously though, you shouldn't say stuff like that," I started out. "If he's gay, but he doesn't come out, it's not your business, you know? I always looked at it this way: if they're out, that means they're ready for all the criticism that they're going to receive for doing it. You're a terrible person if you do that, but they're accepting that they'll take that on, because they know the perks of loving who they love is worth it. If they're not, then regardless, you have no right to decide if they're gay or not until they say so themselves. Not. Your. Business."

"Jeez, deep," she laughed, but through her nose, what I said going in one ear and out the other, or so it seemed, but she ended up grasping my opinion a lot more than I assumed she did. "I don't mean it like that, though. Maybe he's not gay, but something is going on. Can you actually look at them and think they're genuine? Do you really think their love is real? I know, my feelings are out there and this is going to sound biased because it's coming out of my mouth, but something about them really seems off. They look so forced to me, and I'm not saying that to be a buzzkill. I'm not saying that because I'm jealous or because I wish I were her. Come on, look at them. How could you possibly think different?"

"I think they look happy. I don't know how you've seen love before, but it looks like love to me, and even if it didn't as long as it's not a toxic relationship, everyone loves differently and I'm supporting that closeness," I shrugged. With all the information I had, they looked happy together as far as happiness could exist in this dark and chaotic world. As far as happiness could be within them, they glowed as bright as can be.

"Fine, fine. I'm overthinking it. I get it," she slouched in her seat, facing her body entirely forward until she waited for the session to start.

"Good. I'm glad your big brain understands," I told her, satisfied that over the years she's gotten used to admitting she was wrong. She had a very terrible temper in the past so much that even if she realized she was wrong mid-way she wouldn't back down, but it was a good sight to be able to watch her mature. I was worried when we first met, that she'd never grow up. Now, I was glad that when we talked we didn't have to end up in an argument.

Time ticking down on the front screen, the others, seeing us already sitting, came over to join us for the remainder of the time we had before we'd have to be quiet and pay attention to what we came here for. I felt Jared and Jewee's presence behind me, and Jayvee and Ryan split up to opposite desks for the first time since I've been here. It was deja vu -- five years ago was coming right back into our heads, and this adrenaline spiked our bloodstream when it did.

"Why did you guys even come back here? Last time, they promised us they'd give us the job of our dreams and we went back to our hometowns to continue flipping hamburgers, mopping floors, scrubbing toilets, and getting sore cheeks for eight hours of customer service, yet here we are, section scarlet, six out of six, back at it again," Jared said what all of us were thinking, and for a little while we basked in the enjoyment of our memory of "firsts".

"We can ask you the same question," Jayvee giggled. She propped her feet up onto the desk, exactly what we would be scolded for back in the days between elementary and high school for doing, tipping back a tiny bit in her chair.

"The money. It's definitely the money," I mumbled. I felt wrong to say it, because it showed that deep within me I was kind of selfish, but I preferred to call myself desperate. Working a minimum wage job was never easy, and if there was the slightest hope that I could get anything more than that, especially with a degree, I want to say that's normal. With that logic, I let myself speak. "Having the chance of making it and being successful is a big deal. If it does work out, and I stayed home, then I'll be watching all of you living the life and I'll still be covered in grease. It's worth the risk. It's not like anything bad happened to us last time. We came home safely. I don't see why it's wrong not to trust them one more time -- we can give them another opportunity to fix how they wronged us."

"True," Jewee popped in, agreeing, right when I least expected him to, and even more than that with a semi-joke. "I think we needed break also. Going here is pausing work."

"I felt that in my soul," Nova perked up again, slithering out of whatever mood she was in and finding the energy to lift her head up. "Honestly, I wish we physically saw someone so I can fight them. I'm fulling capable of entering my field. I'm pretty confident that what I don't know, I can learn. They sent us home with nothing, then I want to send them home with nothing, those brats."

"I wouldn't dare do such a thing, but I understand the pain," Ryan joined in. "To end it on a corny note, I found my girlfriend here so eventually I'd end up back here in the Philippines anyway."

We applauded for them, hearing the verbal announcement. It was odd to feel the words on our ears though, especially because we knew and were now more than ever remembering how we began. None of us would've ever expected it'd come to that, but that didn't mean that we couldn't support them. I was glad to see love blossom before us. Seeing that would be a blessing for anyone.

"Thank you for returning to us, Section Scarlet. I'm glad that over the recent years the six of you have become better acquainted despite there being a failure on our part to reach to our promised standards and your expectations. However, because of that, over the last five we've dedicated ourselves to improving and perfecting the fall-shorts for each of you, and have honed it in a way that will fit to all of your abilities," the robotic voice, exactly like the first time made it's appearance in a simple yet formal introduction. Unlike the first time however, we could fully focus on what it had to say without the drama we once had.

"What we're presenting to you today, you can find in a rectangular bin on the table at the left corner of the room. Inside is what we call the JPXX021 vaccine, -- one for each of you -- that we would like to hand over to you and your knowledge in your aspiring fields."

"Okay," Nova spoke, louder than I think she meant to. "But why though?"

"Good question," the computer answered, and as it did half a decade ago, we were caught off guard upon realizing that somehow it could hear us. Even for Nova, who was familiar with technology as someone who studied to be a web developer, seemed surprised, which made me feel better for being so shook up. She should know it better than any of us, and if she was taken aback then all of us had the right to be.

Then again, it's possible too she's just trying to make us feel better.

"Allow me to first explain that the JPXX021 vaccine is the world's future. Once injected into the upper muscle of the arm, it will gradually turn the blood in your body from red to white. This stands for innocence. From then on, if a person holds guilt within their body or if they break the law, the blood will turn black. The darker it is, the worse the crime, which is proof in itself who and who should not be in jail or somehow punished, putting people where they belong as they deserve."

"How this gets out in the world is where each of you come in. According to the file, there are two film majors in this group. Film majors for example, can pitch the product to be included in a story-line or in a movie. Data has proven that people have become less shocked and thus experience less hesitation to try products that have already been mentioned online or on the screens. If it becomes normalized before it's normal, we will not have any problems getting this out, and in a way with all of you -- in some form, you can prove with your professions why this product will work for people like you. You're responsible for developing a personal connection or reason to this vaccine."

"We are promoters?" Jewee pouted, disappointed. "I come until here to become influencer? I want to be teacher. Not influencer."

"It might not seem like much, but you will definitely find that it is for your personal gain and benefit. We have several programs set up that will get you exactly what you've been searching for and it is promising that you'll end up doing what you have the potential to do, following this assignment. If in agreement or want to go over the terms more deeply, please find and sign your name on the last page of the contract set up beside the vaccines."

"Works for me," Jayvee stated. She appeared as if she were truly impressed with what she was hearing, and after the rest of us overcame the doubt in Jewee's voice, each of us agreed with her. I think deep within us, we didn't know what to think, or how to process it, and we went along with whatever we heard others to think. Especially her, because of how impactful her role has been.

The woman leaped up from her seat toward the corner of the room we were instructed to, peering in at the pages she was instructed to sign. "Is there anything else I need to know?" She asked loudly, near-to being considered screaming it. A pen was already in her hand, the ink already painting the paper, and from my view, it looked like she paused mid-way until she got an answer.

"Any additional information that you need to know about the vaccine is on paper for you to refer to. It's held up by a magnet on the whiteboard."

Nova hopped up to go retrieve it. Patiently in silence, we waited as she skimmed through the pages, and when she looked up at us with nothing to complain about, we followed after her and Jayvee to fill out our part of the paperwork, as if that was what granted us permission. In the air, it felt like the robotic voice was really a person. We could feel its presence behind us, checking our signatures over fondly. Like a child making his mother proud, we were happy with what we've done.

"Once completed, please form a pile on the front desk. From there, we inform you that it is safe to inject the vaccine on your own. There are alcohol wipes available for use as you need. Kindly take note that there are minor side effects that you may experience. Welcome on board to our program sponsored by Bohol University, and cheers to your future!"