The Flyer

CHAPTER 18

Cc: Hangout.

VALYRA.

It was a good thing that Oliver invited me to the boys' hangout because it turns out that some snacks meant a whole bunch of snacks.

I probably wouldn't have to eat dinner at this rate.

I sat on the carpeted floor in front of the couch with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos all to myself and a Tostitos salsa jar on the table in front of me. The boys were busy playing some video game I didn't want to learn because I preferred to eat.

"No!" Oliver cried out. "Dude, no! You shoot with the left button. Stop jumping, you're distracting me!"

Maze did some maneuvers on his controller and threw it on the couch in rage. Funnily enough, or not, this didn't really surprise any of us who were seated near the couch. He has been acting relatively more passionately since they started playing. "This game is messed up."

Is it, though?

I think he just didn't know how to play this game.

It was fun watching them play but my favorite part was whenever Maze would get ambushed by the AI bot players. He would make random noises and ruffle his hair and complain about how the game had issues when it was he who, for some reason, after several days of playing the game, has not picked up on the proper controls.

"Should we switch to another game?" Walter asked worriedly. I realized, that out of all the boys, it was Walter who was most fearful of conflict, and it was funny because looking at him on the court, no one would suspect that he would avoid conflict so adamantly.

Tayrowe smirked. "Nah, don't mind him."

A moment of silence came as their current round finished and the results loaded on screen.

Crunch.

Kol's gaze snapped towards me. Well, more like my chips, actually. But all I could think of was uh-oh.

The boys abandoned their game and crouched and sat around me, getting chips from my bag and scooping tons of salsa from my jar. Well, I mean, it's Oliver's, but, please, they weren't even interested until their game kinda stopped.

I handed them my bag of chips easily.

Maze looked at me in awe. "Wow! Thanks, dude!"

Don't thank me.

As they busied themselves with the Doritos, I reached out to take the newly-opened cheesy jalapeño Cheetos Oliver was handing me.

Thank you, I mouthed.

Oliver grinned at me in reply, eating smugly from his own bag of Lay's.

The boys didn't notice anything until almost an hour later of gaming when Tayrowe pointed out that Oliver and I must not be hungry.

Lol.

At that point, we were almost done with our respective chips. The boys got "upset" and used the opportunity to get something they wanted, which was why, by about seven in the evening and a lot of gaming-- this time including myself, we found ourselves at Oliver's dinner table, waiting for his sister to finish placing the dishes onto the center.

There were tacos and a lot of beef, lettuce, and salsa. There were also churros and melted cheese. Besides that, there was a basket of peppered fried chicken, a huge bowl of carbonara, and a bowl of vegetables consisting of ground pork, string beans, and pumpkin.

His sister was an amazing cook-- I could already tell just from the smell.

"Thank you," I said and smiled politely.

She laughed a little and waved it off, but I could tell she was flattered. "It's nothing, niña. Just enjoy it."

Oliver looked proudly at his sister, maybe even unconsciously. "My sister is the best cook in the world." His sister pinched his cheek on impulse and excused herself, making sure to wish us a safe trip back home prior.

I exchanged glances with the other boys and grinned. Their sibling dynamic is so adorable.

"Is she not gonna eat with us?" I asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Nah, she always eats at the office."

Tayrowe nodded solemnly in approval, while scooping some vegetables onto his plate. "That's the life I want."

"You want to live in your office?" Walter asked in puzzlement.

"No, dude. I want an office job where I have a high enough position that I could comfortably love my daily routine in any way I want." He smirked. "I mean, at least when I get home all I have to worry about left is getting some rest."

Huh. I never talked about these stuff with my friends before.

"I'm gonna be a pro," Maze declared. "After I graduate from nursing at least. That way, I can help fellow pros, especially during emergencies."

"I'm gonna be the boss of my sister."

We all turned to Oliver, but I turned my glance away quickly. Now that I thought about it, it's not very surprising to hear him say that. The surprise is warranted though, because looking at their interactions, you'd think that Oliver is kind of dependent on his sister, and that image kind of sticks. In reality, though, he's not really going to stay the same forever.

"I'm gonna be a pro, too," Kol eagerly shared. "I'm not gonna go to college anymore if everything works out the way I hope."

Walter sneered at him. "Dude. Don't get youe hopes up too high. At least plan an alternative. It wouldn't hurt to."

Kol pouted, but didn't argue anymore. "What about you?"

"Well," Walter began. "My dad's a banker, so I'll be a banker."

That's right, Walter's dad is one of my dad's close business associates because his first bank is where Dad placed his very first savings and where Dad keeps supposedly really important jewelry and documents. Dad trusts Walter's dad and vice versa so much that I used to think they were brothers. For some reason though, as I grew older, I realized that it seemed like they were only always together because they needed each other.

A utensil clattered loudly on someone's plate. It was Maze. Of course.

"Don't you have a passion?" he asked in a scolding tone. Walter looked unfazed, yet slightly contemplative, like Maze's question was something he always got, but maybe he would consider thinking about an answer more seriously this time.

"You love gaming," Kol offered. These boys have been together through thick and thin on the court and eventually even off of it. Kol would know him better than any of us, but it seemed like Kol never truly thought of considering that Walter may be hiding his passion before tonight.

Just what was Walter told that made him seem to feel selfish or hopeless at the thought of doing something other than what his family is accustomed to?