Gamers: My Identity Is A Mystery

14: Bad tastes

June 24, Monday.
4:03 PM

"Hey guys." I approached Sylvie, Prof, and Theo. The three were seated and having a chat, looking their finest. I took my seat too, then looked around the hotel, adoring every inch of it.

The hotel was very pretty. The school chose to rent the 4th floor, and from up here the tables were placed near windows where you could view the many tall buildings.

There were formal tables which had fancy table clothes and such. And there were tables which had soft sofas as seats and had wine glasses already prepared. And that's where we are currently seated. As of now, the sun is still up, and I'm already imagining how beautiful it will be while the sun sets.

"Lydia? Earth to Lydia! You already got here three minutes late and you're dozing off."

"O-oh sorry Professor. The view here just looks really incredible." I answer my prof while still facing the view from outside.

"Hehe, you can't blame her. The view here is really pretty." Sylvie giggles.

"And must I remind you all that we are here for other reasons?"

Feeling slightly irritated, I stop staring out the window and look at my prof. "We might as well talk about when the speech starts." I suggest. "I don't want to be going up there feeling unprepared and looking at people with a puzzled expression."

"Yes yes." Prof sighs.

"Ooh Lydia is being quite fiesty today." Theo snickers.

"Heh." I snicker back.

"So once the clock hits five, the principle will give us the opening remark. Then, we eat. After we eat, I'll be the speaker, and after that you three will have your turns. The order is Sylvie, Lydia, and Theo. Am I clear?"

"What? I'm first!?" Sylvie complains.

"Yes. Since among you three, you're the most social one."

"But Lydia is better than me at these kind of stuff! She should set the example!"

"No buts." Prof hushes her and she whimpers, furrowing her brows.

"So what do we do for the remaining hour?" Theo asks.

"You guys can practice your speeches, or go and get some drinks, anything really. Just as long as you guys aren't setting a fire and going rampant in the hotel." Prof says sarcastically.

"Mkay, I'll go get something to drink then." Theo gets up.

"I'll come too. How about you Sylvie?"

"Nah I'm good."

And so both me and Theo roam around the floor looking for a place to buy drinks, in an awkward silence. An awkward silence that I don't know how to break.

"S-so how are you right now?" Theo asks, breaking the silence. "We've had a lot to eat for lunch... Hahaha."

"Well I'm feeling fine as of now. But earlier not so much."

"Hmm, that's good. Oh hey, there's a vending machine over there." Theo points at a vending machine stuck to the wall which was placed in between the doors of two hotel rooms.

"Finally. I was thinking we'd have to go down a couple floors." I exhale in relief and head over to the vending machine. "Ooooh, look at all the carbonated drinks!" My finger lightly touches the glass, wanting to have all the carbonated drinks. This bad addiction of mine which I don't have any plan on getting rid of.

"Ew carbonated drinks. You like those?" Theo raises his brow at me as I put my money into the vending machine and take carbonated grape juice.

"Yes, I do. Is there anything wrong with liking them?" I raise my brow at him and he takes his turn to pick his drink.

"Unhealthy. I prefer sweeter drinks like lattes, smoothies, frappes."

"You're no better!" I exclaim. Well apparently the both of us don't have the healthiest diets. I bet Sylvie would though, I can imagine her drinking those fruit juices that is good for our health.

"Yeah yeah. But at least these won't make me badly acidic." Theo taps a few buttons, puts in his money, and out rolls a matcha tea latte.

"You like matcha?"

"You don't?"

And once again, we were raising brows at each other.

"Matcha tastes like dirt."

"It does not!"

"Pfft." I just couldn't get what made people like matcha. It just really tastes like weird dirt to me.

"Lydia the cold girl with weird tastes." Theo attempts to copy my facial expression and I roll my eyes, popping open the can of carbonated juice and I began taking small steps heading back to where the other two sat.

•••

Once I finally return to the two, with Theo following at my tail, We find Professor Adley and Sylvie chatting happily.

I quietly return to my seat,  and the two stopped what they were saying and faced me and Theo with smug looks. "Spill the tea sis." Sylvie tells me.

"Huh?" I tilt my head in confusion. "What are you talking about, We just bought drinks."

"And you two took an awful long time just to buy drinks." Prof joins in.

"That's because this hotel is awfully large and confusing." Theo answers him, putting his latte down on the table with a thud and I nod in agreement.

"Lies lies..." Sylvie's sharp nails tap the table viciously as she looks me in the eye. "Are you sure you two didn't have a little moment together?"

"N-no! Jeez Sylvie. First of all, I like someone already. Second, how could I like someone who finds matcha delicious!" I scoff.

"Hah! The feeling is mutual." Theo scoffs back.

"Oh my..." Sylvie backs up on her seat and looks at the two of us like we were objects. "I smell a love hate relationship."

"No!" We exclaim in unison.

Seriously though. I'd never like Theo! There are so many reasons why I can't and shouldn't.

And, I have dread. It doesn't matter to me if it's just an online crush, or if he likes someone else. It's just a crush anyway.

Would I ever consider liking a guy in reality though? Yes most likely, but it wouldn't be Theo.

"Hahahahha alright now. We should start preparing for the main event." Prof laughs, looking at his watch strapped around his wrist like so.

"Aww!!" Sylvie whines, then pouts like a sad puppy. And prof hands us our speeches which he kept with him for the past days so that we wouldn't forget it.
I reluctantly took my speech and began practicing it in my head. Being reminded that I still had a speech to do made me nervous but I have no other choice than to fight away the feeling of fear when facing the crowd.

•••

Heyo guys!

My apologies if this chapter got published twice. The first time happened by accident. My phone nearly fell on my face and I hit the publish button among protecting my face🤦😂

Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! ❤