Chapter 15: The Incident
[Singing until I'm good at it]
[1 view]
[Singing until I'm good at it: Day 2]
[1 view]
…
[Singing until I'm good at it: Day 4]
[2 views]
…
[Singing until I'm good at it: Day 10]
[35 views]
[comments]
xXIceMasterXx: You suck! You should stop singing
lolexpert: You sing like a dying bird… keep going!
poptropicalover: I don't think you're getting any better.. you should stop <3
…
[Singing until I'm good at it: Day of 12]
[10 views]
poptropicalover: please stop torturing my ears
lolexpert: then stop watching these videos?
…
Adrian skims his feed with a sigh. He is getting some traction but not as much as he'd like and most of them are hate comments, not that he minds. He needs another way to gain more viewers.
Tapping his fingers against the desk with his hands propping up his head, Adrian scans his room until it lands on a game console. An idea pops up in his head.
He puts on his mask, readies the camera and controller and finally clicks screen record.
"Hey guys, Rian here! Today I will be recording something different, don't worry my daily singing progress will still be uploaded. Anyways as my title suggest I will be—"
*knock knock*
Adrian suppresses a groan. Quickly he shoves the mask under his bed and turns off the pc.
"What's up?" He opens the door.
"Come with me, we go take back your brother's honour." Gloria announces.
Confused Adrian follows her to the living room where Manny sits hunched over. Manny looks up at Adrian, eyes sad.
Adrian chokes down a laugh. "Manny! Woah- puberty reached you early."
"Ha. Ha. Very funny Adrian." Manny deadpans.
"So what happened?" Adrian asks, slipping into the couch, next to Manny.
"The boys at his sleepover drew on his face." Gloria answers
"Let me guess, you fell asleep first?" Adrian laughs.
Manny nods dejectedly.
Adrian ruffles Manny's hair, "is this why we're taking back Manny's honour?" He asks Gloria.
"Yes" she nods.
"And what do you plan on doing?"
"We're going to steal the boy's bicycle's wheels… and bell"
"That's oddly specific and also a little overboard for a prank between friends." Adrian raises his brows.
"Are you in or not?" Gloria asks.
"What about Jay?"
"He's busy."
On cue, Jay walks pass the family with bathers, shades and a news paper in his arms.
"Yeah I'll come along." Adrian smiles, enjoying the chaos of it all.
…
A lonesome bicycle sits innocently in front of someone's yard. It's red sheen glisten in the sunlight. A woman approaches quietly, tool kit in hand and sunglasses covering her eyes, although the dress does looks quite familiar. Behind her two boys, the taller one with a simple white graphic t-shirt and the short with a nice collared shirt.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Manny asks, holding on a large liquid bottle.
"Yes, I've don't this before, we're fine." Gloria waves her hands dismissively, the tool box clanking.
"I mean, getting payback like this…" Manny frowns.
"Jay said it's normal between friends to get them back when they prank you." Gloria begins picking out the tools. "What are you holding in your hands?"
"Oil" he waves the bottle of oil.
"Why do you have oil?" Adrian cuts in.
"I thought it'll be easier to take the wheels out…"
"??? Are you trying to grease the wheels or something? We don't need oil." Adrian sighs.
"Oh… I'll just put it back in the car then.." Manny turns back towards the car.
"Manny wait" Gloria shouts.
"Yes mum?" Manny turns back again, not noticing the rock lodged in the ground next to his feet. His shoe gets caught onto said rock and Manny begins to fall.
Adrian with his fast reaction time pulls Gloria back and Manny trips, tipping the bottle of oil onto the ground and drenching the bicycle in oil.
"Ay are you okay papi?"
Manny quickly gets up, "oh no! What do I do?"
"Don't worry we can wipe it. Rian do you have anything we can use to wipe it?"
Adrian pulls out a scruched up tissue from his pocket. "Does this work."
Gloria sighs, looking around, "Adrian take your shirt off."
Adrian clutches his body with a shriek, "what? Why me?"
"Manny's shirt won't wipe the oil well and are you asking your mother to take off her dress?"
Adrian pouts, finally taking his shirt off and handing it to Gloria.
Gloria begins wiping the oil, muttering curses in Spanish.
"What are you doing here?" A voice pipes up from behind.
The trio turns around to see a middle aged man with a cigarette in his hands.
"Mr. Thompson!" Manny exclaims.
"Manny, good to see you kid. Looks like my son, got you good" Mr Thompson gestures at his face.
Manny nods.
"So what are you doing in my front yard? Why are you shirtless and why are you wiping my son's bicycle?" He takes a puff from his cigarette, patting the ashes onto the ground.
"We err…" Manny stutters.
[Gloria, Adrian and Manny's interview]
"We only intended for it to be a small prank…" Gloria begins.
The boys nod.
"We didn't attend to take it that far.." Manny whispers.
"I mean… it was pretty cool." Adrian grins. Noticing the glare by his mum and brother he shrugs. "What?"
[interview end]
The ashes from the cigarette happened to land on a trail of oil and it happened to contain a bit of fire still. Which happened to activate the oil and slowly unbeknownst to all, the fire quietly travels towards the bicycle and finally-
"Fire!" Manny shrieked.
The rest turn towards the bike that is now covered in flames.
Mr Thompson turns to Gloria with an exasperated look.
Gloria smiles sheepishly, "we can pay you back?"
…
Luckily with a fat cheque and a sincere apology, Mr. Thompson didn't press any further and the trio returned home.
"You're home." Jay approaches. "Why are you shirtless?" He turns to Adrian.
"Long story." Adrian glares and rushes up stairs.
Once in his room, he can hear Jay's booming laugh.