It was one of those rare off days where the entire team had the chance to unwind and relax, no training sessions or meetings scheduled. Naturally, I took full advantage of it, indulging in all the snacks and treats I could find... there was a lot of pizza involved. Vicky, my roommate and best friend, had gone out for a bit, so I figured it was the perfect time to dive into the stash of sweets we'd been saving for our film nights.
By the time she returned, the damage had already been done. I'd consumed enough sugar to power a small country, and it was starting to kick in. The living room table was littered with wrappers from chocolate bars, gummy bears, and half-eaten cookies, and I was buzzing with energy, practically bouncing off the walls... maybe a little bit more literally.
"Hey, I'm back!" Vicky called as she walked through the door, carrying a few bags of groceries. "Did you—oh my god, (Y/n), what did you do?"
I turned to her with a wide grin, practically vibrating with excitement. "Vicky! You're back! I found the snacks, and I may have gone a little overboard, but it's fine, it's fine! How was your day? What did you buy? Can I help put it away? Or maybe we should go outside! Or—wait, have you seen that new show on Netflix? We should watch it like now!"
Vicky's eyes widened as she took in the scene: the wrappers, the empty juice cartons, the sugar-rush chaos. "Oh no," she muttered, dropping the bags on the kitchen counter. "You didn't."
"Oh, but I did!" I declared, giggling like a maniac as I spun around in a circle. "And I'm feeling like superman... like I could do anything in the world like beat Mike Tyson in a fight! You have no idea how much energy I have right now. I could run a marathon! Or two! Maybe three! Scratch that four!"
Vicky groaned, rubbing her forehead like she was getting a headache just from looking at me. "(Y/n), this is bad. You know what happens when you have too much sugar. You get hyper, then you crash, and in between... you break things."
"I do not!" I protested, though I was practically hopping from foot to foot as I spoke. "I'm totally fine. See?" I attempted to demonstrate my supposed calmness by standing still, but my leg started jiggling uncontrollably, and before I knew it, I was pacing back and forth, babbling about everything and nothing all at once.
"Okay, okay, let's just... take it down a notch, yeah?" Vicky said, trying to catch my attention as I darted around the room. She was clearly in damage-control mode now, moving some of the more delicate items out of my reach. "Why don't we sit down for a bit? Maybe watch a film?"
"A film!" I exclaimed, seizing on the idea. "That's brilliant! But wait, we should make popcorn! And then maybe we can do a workout! I've got so much energy, Vicky, I don't even know what to do with it all!"
Vicky grabbed my arm gently but firmly, guiding me toward the couch. "How about we skip the workout and just focus on relaxing, hmm? You've already had enough excitement for one day."
Reluctantly, I allowed her to push me onto the couch, though I could barely sit still. My legs bounced up and down, my fingers tapping on the armrest as if trying to expel some of the excess energy.
Vicky sat down beside me, clearly trying to figure out how to calm me down without letting the situation spiral out of control. "Okay, how about this: we'll do some deep breathing exercises. You know, like Coach taught us to help with nerves before a big game."
I gave her a look along the lines of 'are you stupid or just stupid.' "Breathing? Vicky, I'm way past breathing exercises! I feel like I could fly right now!"
"Trust me," Vicky insisted, placing a hand on my shoulder to keep me from springing off the couch again. "It'll help, I promise. Just humor me, okay?"
I sighed dramatically but nodded, figuring I'd give it a shot. "Fine, fine. Deep breaths, let's do it."
Vicky smiled, relieved that I was at least willing to try. "Okay, in through your nose, nice and slow." She demonstrated, taking a long, deep breath and holding it for a moment before exhaling slowly through her mouth. I copied her, inhaling deeply, though I could feel the giggles bubbling up in my chest.
"Good, now again," she encouraged, and we repeated the process a few more times. With each breath, I felt the edges of my hyperactivity start to dull slightly, though it was far from gone.
"See? That's better, right?" Vicky said, squeezing my shoulder.
I nodded, feeling a bit more centered, but still jittery. "Yeah, a little. But I've still got all this energy! I don't know what to do with it!"
Vicky chuckled, shaking her head. "You're like a kid who ate too much candy on Halloween. Maybe we should go for a walk, burn off some of that sugar."
"A walk?" I perked up, immediately jumping to my feet. "Let's go! I bet I could run laps around the whole block! Or maybe we should go to the park! Or—"
"Or," Vicky interrupted, grabbing my arm again, "we could just walk around the neighborhood. Nice and easy, nothing too crazy."
I pouted, but she was right—I was already bouncing off the walls, and the last thing we needed was for me to do something reckless. "Fine, but you have to keep up!" I warned, already heading for the door.
Vicky laughed as she grabbed her jacket. "Deal. Just promise me you won't sprint off and leave me behind."
"No promises!" I called over my shoulder as I skipped outside, practically vibrating with energy. Vicky followed close behind, keeping a watchful eye on me like she was afraid I might bolt at any second.
We started down the street at a brisk pace, and to my surprise, the cool evening air actually helped take the edge off my sugar high. I chatted nonstop, bouncing from one topic to another, while Vicky listened patiently, occasionally nodding or offering a comment. By the time we rounded the block, I was starting to feel a little more grounded, my energy settling into something more manageable.
"Feeling better?" Vicky asked, glancing at me with a smile.
"A bit," I admitted, still a bit fidgety but far less frantic than before. "Thanks for putting up with me. I know I can be a bit much when I'm like this."
Vicky rolled her eyes playfully. "You're always a bit much, (Y/n). But that's why you're my best friend. Someone's got to keep you out of trouble, right?"
I grinned, feeling a surge of affection for her. "Yeah, I guess so. What would I do without you?"
"Probably break something," she teased, bumping me with her shoulder.
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" I protested, but I couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, maybe I am. But seriously, Vicky, thanks for always looking out for me. I know I can be a handful."
"That's what friends are for," she said, looping her arm through mine as we headed back toward our apartment. "Just promise me one thing?"
"Anything," I replied.
"Next time you decide to raid the snack stash, save some for me," she said with a wink.
I laughed, feeling the last of the sugar fuelled chaos finally leave. "Deal. But only if you promise not to let me eat it all at once cause this sugar crash is insane."
"Deal," she agreed.
