Chapter 3: Creating New Memories

 I am now dreaming.

 I find myself on this beautiful island, back of me is the ocean and a sun setting.

Sitting at a rustic bar. In front of me is a wine glass, but I'm unsure what's inside. Is this a beer or a juice? I hold it and bring the wine glass to my lips, and just as I'm about to take a sip, someone calls my name.

 I look around, but I'm alone on this Island. The bar is empty, with no bartender, tourists, or visitors in sight.

 I am dumbfounded.

 I try to shake off the feeling of being called and decide to ignore the mysterious voice. I take a sip of the drink.

 My face contorts in surprise. It's incredibly sour, like too much sourness that I've ever tasted before.

 I made a face that even the famous artists may find it hard to draw.

 "What the heck is this!?" I yell and wonder, my eyes are watering from the intense flavor. Even my mouth, is flowing with unstoppable saliva.

 I hastily wake up, I found myself on my bed and find Orly standing beside me, holding a calamansi — Philippine lime, in his right hand.

 Ryan on the other hand, is capturing the moment on video.

 I jump up quickly and tried to kick them both but both of them take off, running fast. I followed them annoyed, rush down the stairs, bursting out into the open. That's when I see Richard standing near the car's door, looking puzzled.

 "What are you doing?" he asks.

 "As per command, we woke up Gilbert," Orly replies with a chuckle.

"But he became violent when he woke up" Ryan added.

 "The heck you talking about, you put calamansi juice on my mouth while I'm sleeping!" I rant.

 "We already tried to wake you up bro, but you're a sleeping beauty," Orly teases.

 "No, I disagree. He is more like a beast under a curse. He's not a beautiful man like me." Ryan jokes or rather, serious. Flexing his body and performing like a model. Well, he is a model after all.

 *Sigh*, "Annoying.." Richard whispers to himself. "Well, well stop now. Let's go Gilbert, Alex probably waiting for us." Richard Continued.

"Where?" I asked.

"Did you forgot about the outing?" Richard replied.

"Don't tell me you forgot."

"I thought we didn't agreed." I exclaimed.

"Is your brain still working? We agreed but Richard is in charge." Orly replied.

"Grrr" I only replied, clenching my hands.

 "Okay but wait a minute, I have not taken a bath yet!". I said.

 "It's fine, even us." It was Orly who looked proud and walked away.

 "Don't add me to your stinky situation. I took a bath". It was Ryan.

"How Ryan knew the plan is set? He isn't there" I asked.

"I message him last night" Richard casually replied.

 "It doesn't matter, let's go." Ryan pushed me into the van.

 "Wait, I haven't..." *Thugs* the sound of the slammed door. And then the driver, no other than Orly himself. Immediately run the van.

 "The heck you people?" I shout inside.

 As the van speeds away, I'm left stumbling around, trying to regain my balance — I was just woken up, my head is kinda spinning.

 Ryan bursts out laughing, holding his stomach in laughter. "Hahahaha! Dude, your face! Looks pathetic, hahahaha!"

 Richard chuckles, shaking his head. "Sorry, Gilbert, but we can't be late. Alex is waiting for us."

 I shoot these two a dirty look, still trying to process the chaos that's unfolding.

 "You guys are absolutely crazy! I'm going to smell like a dumpster all day! Why do you love doing this kind of prank to me."

 Orly, still grinning from ear to ear, glances at me through the rearview mirror. "Don't worry, buddy, you're not alone!" He honks the horn, and the van speeds up even more.

 The van speeds is similar to a racing car.

 I throw my hands up in exasperation. "This is insane! We're all going to die!"

 "This is only a normal speed"

"HAAAHH" I shouts.

We were on this crazy ride with a crazy driver, a rollercoaster of emotions, stomach and adrenaline.

I felt my stomach drop as we crested in every seconds. The isn't damage but still it made me jump in my sit.

'I'm gonna vomit' I warned, but it was too late. My lunch splattered all over Ryan's clothes.

'YUCK! Gilbert, you're a mess!' Ryan exclaimed, stepping back in disgust.

Orly, our self-proclaimed race car driver expert, just laughed maniacally.

'Keep it slow,' Richard begged, his voice shaking.

But Orly wasn't having it. 'No way, we're gonna ride this thing to the max!' she cackled, pushing the ride's limits.

The G-forces were intense, and I felt my stomach churn again. I wasn't the only one; Richard's face turned green, and ready to vomit as well.

Ryan handed me a bunch of napkins while he handed Richard a plastic bag.

'Clean yourself up, Gilbert. You're a biohazard' I took the napkins, feeling embarrassed.

Orly slowly decreasing the speed of the car.

He purposely made me like a fool this day.

*****

 After the very short ride, probably around 20 minutes only. Since this stupid Orly drives the van directly to heaven.

 I and Richard threw our waste, immediately.

 "We are here now." He happily announced.

 ~We know~ we answered in a dreadful tone.

Despite the chaos, he burst out laughing.

'That was insane' Orly said, still grinning. 'Let's do it again.'

~No~ the three of us shared a same word.

*****

 We are at our destination.

" Labnasan Beach Resort. "

 The view is Astonishing.

 I walked to the beach floor.

 The seawater is crystal clear, allowing us to see the fish and other marine species swimming and crawling beneath the surface. Although it is not white sand however it is refined. The waves are smooth and gentle, and the ocean breeze is soothing.

 'Ahh! This is life' I inhale and exhale contentedly, facing the sea.

 As I am savoring the tranquility of the moment, Alex sneaks up behind me, scoops me up, and tosses me into the ocean.

 I plunge into the water, shocked and disoriented. As I resurface, I see Alex laughing hysterically on the shore. "You smell like garbage bro!" he exclaims, still chuckling.

 I sigh heavily.

 After I regain myself back. I quickly return back to shore, grinning despite myself.

"Alex, can you please not do that again? I almost drowned in shock. I may die you know" I threaten, shaking my head to remove the water from my ears.

 "Come on bro, it's not that deep".

 I only give him a smug face.

Why they chose me as a target so often.

 The others are enjoying the spectacle. Orly throws me a towel, saying, "Don't worry, buddy, we've got your back... and your dry clothes!" He throws all of them at the same time. Luckily I caught them all, to not let any sand on it.

 "Thanks" I said, then proceeded to the bathroom.

As I reached the bathroom, I checked wisely the towel and the clothes Orly gave me. To check if there's another prank set on me.

And, thankfully, it isn't.

*****

 We had a lot of fun. From morning to afternoon. Having picture taking, from drinking — not liquor, to singing in a karaoke, to dancing and volleyball.

 My head hurt a little bit so I decided to go to the room to rest. The time is 3 PM and the time we arrived here was 7 AM.

...

..

.

 After I had my rest, the time is nearly 8PM.

I went outside to look at them and there, I saw them having a karaoke.

 The place is even magically beautiful at night. To be honest, I was amazed.

 This Resort transformed into a vibrant scenery. The lights and the view are perfect for photography.

 Additionally, The music pulsed, the lights flashed, and the smell of delicious food wafted through the air.

 As I continued to walk, astonished by the scenery. Alex greeted me with a warm smile and a tray of drinks.

 "Are you good now, bro!?" Alex, waving at me an indication of invitation.

 I walked near to them, and I sat.

 Alex grabs a wine glass and carries it up high. Signaling for a cheer.

"Tonight, we put the past behind us and celebrate our friendship." he exclaimed.

 All of us have a wine cup but empty. Alex after exclaiming his speech. Pours us a wine.

 "Wait, I never tried liquor before. Is this strong?" I asked.

 "No, bro. It's a fruit wine. It's healthier than your regular malty beer". He casually replied.

 "O-okay". *Gulp*

 "Now. My friends, no. Not friends but BROTHERS. We are old now and be more serious about life. Let's be mature and face the reality. CHEERS!!"

 ~ CHEERS!! ~

 As the glasses clinked together, the room erupted in a chorus of cheers and laughter. The group of friends, now sitting at the table, shared a moment of nostalgic stories and newfound resolves.

 "May our bond remain unbroken, till our last breath!" Ryan exclaimed.

"To the new beginnings and old friendships!" Richard added, his voice filled with emotion.

 As they sipped their drinks, the atmosphere turned bittersweet. They all knew that life would soon take them down different paths, but for now, they savored the moment, grateful for the brotherhood they shared.

 "To growing up, but we will never growing apart!" Alex, the self-proclaimed leader of the group, said with a smile.

 The others echoed his sentiment, their voices filled with conviction. As they stood there, united and determined, they knew that no matter where life took them, their friendship would remain a constant source of strength and inspiration.

 I only nodded in return.

As they started to drink, I tried to drink the wine that I am holding and tasted it.

 My eyes got big out of surprise. "Mmmm, it's tasty but a little bit sour.".

 "I know men. Come, come finish it and have some more." It was Alex feeling happy.

 And so the party begins.

*****

 As we continued drinking and cheering, we began to laugh like fools, jokes, and even singing. But just as things were getting wild, Ryan, who was singing, suddenly stopped and turned to Alex with a sly grin.

 "You know, Alex, we've been thinking..." Ryan said, his voice dripping with mischief.

 Alex's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah? So, what you're thinking?" His tone was serious, but his slurred words betrayed his drunken state.

 Ryan's grin widened. "We've been thinking it's time for a little payback..."

 Orly raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden turn of events. "You expect us to join you after what you did to us?" He asked Alex, his tone is similar to a drunken master.

 Ryan chimed in, his grin mischievous. "Yeah, and we're going to make sure you pay for what you did to us."

'Why this two are too affected. Isn't I'm the one that often targeted, right? I'm more than a victim' I thought to myself, staring and drinking the wine I am holding.

'Are they already drunk? How fast. This is my first time yet look at them. They are now crazily drunk than I am' continued talking to myself.

 Alex stood up, his eyes is flashing with defiance. "So, what you gonna do?" he challenged Ryan.

 Ryan also stood up. His eyes locked on Alex, and grinned.

 The air was charged with tension as the two friends faced off.

It's like a Mexican cowboy scene. I could feel the pressure building, and I decided to ready myself to intervene if things escalated.

Although, my head is spinning, probably because of this liquor, I started to feel crazy but I can still have myself intact, even in my actions. I can feel my movements is like, I'm about to fall, however I still able to move my own body.

 Just as it seemed like the situation was becoming silent, although the karaoke is still playing, someone hugged Alex from behind.

 "Argh!" Alex exclaimed, trying to fight back.

 He looked at his back and he saw Richard.

 'Hmmm?' I was surprised. How does Richard act like this?

 Richard is much bigger than Alex.

 He lifted him off the ground. Alex kicked his legs wildly, but Orly quickly came to Richard's aid, holding down Alex's legs.

 "What! *Argh* what the hell are you doing, fools?" Alex shouted, struggling to break free. But it's useless.

 Richard holds the back of Alex's arm so it won't hold on and take Richard with him.

 For Orly, he grabs the foot of Alex so it won't struggle more and restrains its movements.

 They are both strong. They even overpowered Alex who has a daily gym.

 Richard and Orly, carrying Alex have a clear plan of tossing him to the sea.

 They walked near the waves and Orly started to count. "1, 2, 3... Go!"

 As Orly shouted "Go!" they both tossed Alex into the air, and he felt his stomach drop as he soared towards the waves. He flailed his arms and legs wildly, trying to right himself, but it was too late. Alex hit the water with a resounding splash, the impact sounds like it's painful.

 For me and Ryan. We just watched them.

 Alex struggled to resurface.

 Well, he was already drunk, I guess that's the reason.

 No one from us thought if he got blackout from the impact.

 They just laugh at him so hard. While for me, I just smiled.

 Ryan grabbed his phone and quickly took a video.

 Just when Alex thought he was going to drown, he stood, gasping for air. He looked around, disoriented, and spotted us four standing on the shore. Me, Richard, Orly and Ryan, laughing. Additionally, both, Richard and Orly are high-fiving at each other.

 Alex's anger and humiliation fueled his determination to back to shore and confront his tormentors.

 "I was near to die, you fools!" Alex exclaimed, rushing to catch his breath.

 Rather than be concerned, both of them just only laugh hard.

 "Ahh! You got me there. I even swallowed some water." He said while spitting some sea water, *Bwaah* he added.

 Richard and Orly laughed even harder, holding their stomachs in pain.

 It's my first time to witness Richard laugh so hard.

 "Dude, your face was priceless!" Orly choked out between laughs.

 Richard nodded in agreement, wiping tears from his eyes. "It's not planned but it's so much ridiculous. You're so gullible, Alex."

 Ryan also says "I had a video of your struggle. Men, that was only shallow yet you almost die. *Laugh*."

 "It's not shallow bro, it's actually deep you tossed me far." He complains.

 Alex shook his head, a mix of relief and annoyance on his face. "You guys are something else. I'm just glad I didn't actually drown."

 "It was insane Alex. Although we had revenge it is still not enough." I declared, walking near them.

 "Huh!? I almost die you know".

 "*Laughs* Prepare Alex, we are now four against one." It was Orly.

 "The hell. It's not fair fool."

 "Sleep with an open eyes." Threat by Orly.

*****

We are now sitting and cheering, the topic is still about Alex's ridiculousness.

Their conversations is slowly heating up.

I am only singing while them, they are debating.

So, I interrupt.

 "You guys, *hick* well that's a good one. *walks* let's continue *hick* drinking *laughs*" after I said it, I drank more.

 To be honest I am now drunk that I am unaware of what I am doing. My head is spinning and I became a new person. I think to myself that I can still drink more.

 The three are still laughing hard, watching over and over the clip that was recorded by Ryan.

They probably ignored my new attitude and thought I'm vibing with them.

 "Yeah, yeah!. Just do what you want. I want to make more memories with you". Despite what happened to him that day, Alex said that line in a happy and fulfilling tone.

 Orly speaks. "Hoh. Is that your final wish? No worries we won't kill you"*laughs*

Not only Orly who laughed but we were also laughing pretty loud.

 Alex only smirked.

 Then we proceed to continue our fun until late.

Again, I am already drunk.

*****

 The time set's midnight.

 I am at the corner, summoning a bunch of crows. *Uwaaaa, Uwaaaa* I sounds as I vomit.

 "Ahhh" my head spins and I'm about to fall. Thankfully Richard is assisting me.

 "Gil, I guess it's your limit. Try to rest." Richard said as he comforts me.

 "What are you talking about Richard *hick* I am fine. I can still drink *hick* ehehehe. Okay, okay let's go now. I am good now Richard. *Hick* look at me, I'm good. Wahahaha".

 "Yeah, yeah. Come on let's get you to bed."

 "No, Richard. *hick* I am *vomits*. Yeah, let's drink *hick* again. Ahahaha" I swept my lips and then continued to laugh like a fool.

 Those were my famous last words before I collapsed into a heap. Luckily, I didn't fall on my waste. Or else, it would be a horrible situation.

 "You got your limit. We only drank 2 gallons of the wine yet you down."

Then, Richard shouts. "Guy's I'll put Gil in his room. His down"

 "Oh!. Yeah, yeah. We don't want Grandma Lily to worry about him. Let's just make him rest." Alex replied, waving his right hand.

 "Hmmm? One man down? Pathetic *laughs*" It was Orly.

 Alex smacked Orly's head. "Ouch! what?"

 "Did he vomit?" Ryan asked, leaving from the toilet.

 Richard replied, Yes. While assisting me to walk.

 "Why you didn't call me, so I could take a video."

 "No, no. Ryan. We don't want Grandma Lily to know about this. She told us before we departed that Gilbert should not drink any liquor but Alex forced him." Richard said.

"Of course, I am aware. But I can take a vedio and not share to Grandma Lily, right?" Ryan insisted.

"Can you please help me instead."

 "*sigh* You really unpredictable" casually said.

"Help me or not?" Richard exclaimed.

Okay, okay. I'll help you then."

*****

 They both carried the unconscious body of Gilbert to his room.

 And for Orly and Alex, they just focused on drinking.

 While walking...

 Richard suddenly asked Ryan. "Did you washed your hands?"

 Ryan glares at Richard, "Hmmm. Of course I am. Do you think my perfect self is not clean and fragrant?"

 Richard deadpanned, "Yes, your hands smell like a rotten egg. Try to smell it"

 Ryan hesitated for a moment before holding out his hand for Gilbert to sniff.

 Richard wasn't joking, Ryan's hands smell like a rotten egg.

 Ryan's reaction is immediate, "Yuck, *vomits* what's this. This is not from my waste! I washed my hands!" after he exclaimed, he looked at Gilbert.

And he noticed his mouth. The saliva is dropping. He again vomits.

 "Why you didn't wash him!?" He exclaimed with a horrified face.

 Richard shrugged, "I forgot"

 Ryan gives Richard a disappointed face.

 They both froze a moment watching Ryan's reaction to the grossness.

 "Do you wanna help me or not?"

 Ryan is still horrified and replies Richard with a "Nah". Sign that he surrendered the grossed happening.

 "Okay. I will carry him alone then"

 Ryan only nodded.

 He then ran so fast to the bathroom to clean, swirling his hands to remove the saliva that was sticking to him.

 "The smell of the mixtures of what we are drinking and eating is horrible and gross. I better off, too." he talked to himself as he walks to the bathroom.

 He then added, "But before, I must clean myself and forgot that. Yes, forget that. Forget it... forget... *vomits*, it's impossible."

*****

 "Where are they?" Alex asked.

 Orly is singing, and suddenly he stops, "I don't know" he said.

 Alex stood up and looked everywhere, "I guess they are already in their rooms."

 Orly added, "Maybe." Then he stands. "I better off, too. Let's continue this tomorrow."

 "Ah yeah, sure. I'll clean here first before I go to my room."

 "You're not that drunk?"

 "Ahhh, no. I'm just feeling started. But those three already passed out. Ahahaha, weaks."

 "Then, what's that struggling a while ago?" He asked, puzzled by the sudden confession.

 "I did it on purpose"

 Orly smiled, "Crafty, well... I will be heading now. Tomorrow again"

 Alex nodded, and so Orly left. Leaving Alex alone.

 *Sigh* Alex sighed as he looked at his glass. Twirling the wine and drinks. Looking nowhere, muttering.

 His voice is inaudible.

 Just what is Alex muttering about...