Tragically Yours

| 29 |

"Oh, there's also that one time during our school's Christmas party, Vy ate an entire chili pepper." Can't believe I'm still sitting here, letting these two exchange embarrassing stuff about me. It's nice that they're hanging out with each other and having fun, but it would be really nice if they can talk about something else instead of me. What's even worse is that, every time they mentioned something in my past, my mind immediately flashes me a PowerPoint presentation of what happened. In this case, I mentally watched a slideshow about that chili pepper incident in high school. "There was this game in our Christmas party where the loser will eat whatever they pull out in the mystery box. Unfortunately for Vydor, he'd pulled out a chili pepper in the mystery box." Gail hadn't even finished the story, and yet, Ethan is trying his best to stifle his laugh with a fist. "At that moment I saw the raw defeat in Vydor's eyes as he guided the chili pepper to his mouth."

The important thing is, I didn't become a sore loser during those game events. Okay, thinking about it now, I may or may not have ranted and expressed my defeat while my mouth is burning from the chili pepper. I'm just glad that the chili pepper is the worst thing anyone could pull out of that mystery box. If it was something worse—like a ghost pepper—I would have bailed the entire Christmas party and live with shame for being a sore loser.

"Holy shit," The cackling Ethan beside me had finally voiced his thoughts instead of just laughing like a madman. Several heads in the diner had occasionally turned to glance at our table every time these two laughed at any of my past events. Mainly because Ethan's laugh is loud as a goddamn siren. Well, at least he isn't shy to show how happy he is—even if his happiness came from hearing embarrassing stories about me. "Please tell me you have a video of the entire thing. I really can't imagine Vydor's reaction after eating that chili pepper."

"God, I missed that opportunity to record it. I was so busy laughing on the floor while watching his raw reaction." Oh, thank God, there's no video evidence about my sudden burst of emotions during that time. "Still, every time that flashes in my mind, I can't help but to smile at how hilarious that was."

Both of them laugh in unison while I'm here catering to the glass of water we've ordered to the waitress earlier. The ice in my water had melted, but the glass is still cold to the touch like before. I slowly pick up the glass of water and guide it to my parched lips. Swallowing down the cold water, I give a sideways glance to the two people sitting beside me. They're still laughing away—occasionally stopping for a breather before laughing again. I look around for a clock on the wall to see what time it was. When I found the clock, I learned that we've been sitting here for 15 minutes. Why the hell does time pass slowly? Does the universe really want me to suffer from these two? And also, where the hell is the person we're meeting? Can he make it here a bit faster before I lose my sanity from these two?

When I placed the glass of water back on the table, I accidentally met a gaze with Gail. A mischievous smile forms on her face while a shiver travels down my spine, trying to think what she's about to share with Ethan. "There was that one time Vy tripped and fell straight to the floor."

A groan escapes my lips as I plead her with a mercy shimmering in my eyes. "Okay, that's just mean."

She places a hand on my shoulder, hoping that she had understood my mercy. But no, I'm still seeing an amused shine in her blue eyes, "Vy, I glanced back to where we were walking, I couldn't see any evidence on what you could have tripped on."

"Was he drunk during that time?" Fuck Ethan with his question that brings power to this operation: walk down memory lane; embarrassing Vydor.

Gail shakes her head, "No, he wasn't drunk nor exhausted. He just tripped for some unknown reason." She lightly chuckles as she rubs the hand she'd placed on my shoulder gently. "I asked him how he tripped, but I failed to deliver the question properly because I was just laughing at how impossible for him to trip over and yet, he still did."