Revolution: Genesis (Published)

Chapter 7: Unexpected

AZURA

Your troubled past should never rule your present. It shouldn't be the reason you opt for safe passage than taking risks. Those risks could help your hand reach farther than ever before. Even when there are judgments, the determination should always over power self-doubt. It's the only way to overcome the emotion called 'fear', the only time when you could stop running and start conquering it.

*'*'*

Ethan stood there, shocked, paint on all of his body. I clutched my stomach laughing hard as I looked at his stunned and painted appearance.

I had pranked him on the day of his flight for the internship program. It was quite normal for us to ruin each other's life for fun. It never escalated beyond limit but we often went close to the line.

Now that he was going for the whole summer, it was only natural of me and Maxwell to prank him as a hurrah before the time he'd spend away from all of us. My whole family had piled with me at Ethan's house so that we could see him off and now that he stood dripping baby pink oil paint, I could feel the humiliation radiating from him.

I would've felt bad if I hadn't been gone through something similar right before him. My hair still reeked of eggs because someone slipped and accidentally poured not one, but three, beaten eggs on my head. And to his absolute fortune I was shorter in height so it was a complete delight to see his 'accident' work.

"Serves you right, mister lousy chef!" I yelled loud enough for everyone to hear over his frustrated screeches. It made everyone laugh again as he angrily stomped towards me.

"If my flight takes off without me, you're dead!" He threatened as he went upstairs to take a shower, again. I tried not laugh at his face when he was intimidating me but horribly failed and burst out still clutching my stomach.

He fumed at me when he saw his words weren't taking affect and started splattering the dripping paint on me and everywhere in his range. Since he was standing on stairs, the splashes exceeded his aim (that being me) and landed on others as well. They expressed their disdain in unison but soon stopped when Ethan did.

There was a time when our parents tried to permit us but after years of it falling on deaf ears, they finally gave up and just kept reminding us of cleaning the mess afterwards. Oh, and it was never to escalate than the ones involved. Of course it often meant that we purposely involved one of our parents so we could cower behind them if things went out of control. It made for excellent memories.

"Just wait, once I come back, you'll regret it." Ethan pointed a finger at me. I knew I was in trouble but I hoped that maybe he'd forget about it when he's back. "And I vow to remember it." He smirked as I suddenly stopped laughing at how he was able to read my thoughts.

Sometimes, being known by a person you had prank wars with wasn't as ideal as it would be in any other situation.

-

Stage fright was something I could never shake off from myself. Once when I was a candidate for a debating competition, I kept looking at people who had their eyes fixed on me—some whispered to each other—and ran away due to being extremely nervous. I had successfully ruined the show because after watching me, every kid had been doing the same thing.

Now here I was, under everyone's gazes again as Ethan stood there smirking at me. He knew how under pressure I would get and either throw up or run away. I could barely talk in front of all those stares and performing under their judgmental eyes? I would rather run away than be a subject of next week's newsletter.