After the awkwardness subsided, we finally ordered decent food.
We had only ordered appetizers earlier on, because Micheal claimed it would be unfair to eat without everyone, and Camila supported that claim.
But contrary to her expectations she wasn't allowed to use her computer.
During dinner, multiple topics came up and I finally got to know what everyone was up to.
Jackson was going back to the military, if his results were not to his parents' satisfaction.
Derrick's dad was finally returning back into the country.
Micheal doesn't think he can keep working in the restaurant.
Camila was dropping three club activities this year.
And we all raised a glass to her success in dropping those weights.
Ronald was moving out of the dormitory because of a relative he had to chaperone. But I was the only one bothered by that.
And Eunice, who is two years older than me, is looking for an internship as a design major.
…
"So Sil what changed your mind and made you available today?"
Jackson asked, his gaze fleeting and his voice unnecessarily deep.
He had drank two mugs of beer and was barely drunk, just curious and since he didn't want to sound like Derrick, he just waited till they were all comfortable with each other.
Sil, having drank two as well, could barely understand what Jackson was saying, but once he processed his words, he simply replied with a soft smile that stunned his friends, and words that put them in an even larger state of unbelief.
"I missed you guys, so I decided to take some time off."
His eyes closed slowly, turning his blurry vision to darkness, and slipped into the grasps of slumber.
But just before he was taken away, on a journey of-
"Woah, I can't believe that!" C
"You really did?" M
"Then why were you being so stubborn, remember, I invited you out to play but you refused." D
"Hey, Sil, am I part of those guys?" E
"Dammit you nerdy bastard, which book taught you those words!" J
"Oh? Were you lonely without me?", Ronald asked with a sky smile on his face.
Unlike the rest of the gang who had drunk at least a few sips of beer, Ronald claimed he was abstaining, and didn't even take a sip of alcohol at his last vacation.
Sil who was dozing off already was woken up by Jackson's annoying loud voice.
"A toast!", He yelled.
"A toast to our favorite nerd!", and continued his cheer.
"Yeah! To our youngest!", Eunice supported him. Raising a glass to toast but not participating in the drinking aspect.
"Huh?", the dazed Sil did not understand what was going on.
Why were they toasting to him?
"No no, he can't drink anymore than he's had, he's not drinking."
Derrick suddenly intervened, refusing to let Sil drink anymore and giving him an explanation in the process.
"What why??"
Jackson asked with hurt written all over his face.
"He can't drink, that's it."
Derrick was not as drunk as Sil, or Jackson, but he wasn't completely sober either.
The only reason he was so against it, was the sense of reasoning he held on to.
"Come on, it's a reunion, what reunion happens with sober people.", Camila, who was a lightweight and had barely drank one mug but was already drunk, argued alongside Jackson.
"Why should he?! No is no!", Micheal fought for Sil, who was silent and had no idea of what was happening, but just then…
"Then why shouldn't he? Is he allergic or something?"
The ambiguous Ronald suddenly spoke up. His light blue eyes shimmered with mischief, as he watched the interactions between his friends.
"Uh… no, but it's something like that.", Derrick hemmed and hawed and didn't seem to know what to say.
Sil turned to Derrick, and finally said something, "What is it? Am I really allergic? If so, why don't I know about it?"
His speech was slow, but he asked the question on everyone's minds.
"It's just, when he gets drunk he's like a different person."
He finally spat it out, and everyone but Micheal burst into laughter.
"Is that it? Is that why you're being so protective of him?!"
"Hey, why don't I know about this?", Micheal asked, seemingly worried.
"Are you his diary or something, why should you know about it?", Eunice asked back.
"Alright, since the matter has been settled let's drink till we drop!"
"Yeah!", Camila and Eunice shouted, while Ronald went along with them.
Now sobered up, Sil heard their intentions and immediately objected.
"Hey, guys I can't drink that much, I still have some errands to run."
"Aww come on, you said you missed us!"
"Yeah!"
"Hey, Sil, if you couldn't drink much in the first place, why didn't you support Derrick?", Ronald asked, stifling a giggle.
"I-"
"Come on, it's been a while since we all met and who knows when next we'll meet."
Eunice said gently, turning a half filled mug of beer while looking at Sil.
"Hey Sil, what errands do you have to run?"
Derrick asked from beside him.
"What?"
"I just want to know that's all.", he said quietly.
"…"
Sil stared at Derrick who seemed to know more about himself than he did.
"I need to pick up my aunt's gift, from an antique gift shop, and chat up an author."
"Okay.", Derrick said simply and turned away from him, downing the mug of beer in his hand in one gulp..
"Hey are you-"
"Yeah, that's the spirit! Go Derrick! And a toast to you!"
Jackson interrupted Sil, then toasted him.
And the rest followed, including Ronald and Eunice who were previously not drinking.
…
Although Sil stumbled over himself in the beginning, they managed to have a decent dinner.
And everyone but Ronald, Eunice, Camila, who picked up a call midway their toasting and Micheal, who seemed to be a good drinker, was drunk.
Halfway to the end of dinner, Camila whipped out her laptop once more, and began to work on it while occasionally glancing at the time.
And because of that, Jackson began an argument with her which sobered him up, since he was also a good drinker.
Sil watched their pointless arguments with disinterested eyes, it was annoying seeing them fight over such little things.
So he made an awful attempt to stop their annoying arguments.
"Y'know, you two fight so much it'll be weird if you don't feel something for each other."
He said casually, almost as if he had just made a passing comment.
"Hey why are you suddenly saying that?!"
Jackson was riled up, almost ready to fight. But he wasn't scared of him, he was never scared of him.
Especially in this unusual state of his, teasing Jackson was strangely satisfying.
"Because it's true, I found this out in a book I'm reading."
He said casually, his voice flat and lacking even the slightest fluctuations, something you wouldn't expect from a drunk.
But no one noticed, they were all too busy in Jackson and Camila's matter.
Paying him no heed, he picked up a bottle of water and drank it to try and sober up.
"Ugh, as if boring books weren't enough, who gave you weird ones?"
Jackson rolled his eyes at Sil's words, while the silent Camila stared blankly at her computer.
"They might be a bit weird but Ronald recommended them."
I said whilst screwing the cap of the bottle on.
"Eh!? I might've but I didn't think he'd read them!" Ronald hurriedly defended himself, surprised that Sil would say such a thing.
"Come on, what he said is true. I'm an expert in psychology and I can tell, but I didn't want to say anything before, but now I figured it'll be interesting to do so."
"Hey! Why are you suddenly siding with them?! And when did you suddenly become an expert in psychology?!" Jackson flushed red as he stood up with one finger in front of Eunice's nose.
Eunice took no offense with him though and instead, propped herself up and wore an amused smile as she said.
"What? You still don't want to admit after your obvious outburst to cover the truth. Cammy tell me, what do you think of this gangster wannabe?"
She asked cheerfully, and looked so cool saying that.
Sil stared at her for a while, seemingly dazed.
Then he moved his gaze away the moment she turned to him, and stared at the space right above her.
His eyebrows crinkled slightly in displeasure, but before he could act on it, Eunice attracted his attention with a wave.
He turned to her, and she smiled warmly at him. Despite his displeasure, he waved at her then she turned back to Camila.
Micheal watched the both of them with a suspicious gaze.
'He had just won his friend back and was yet to strengthen their relationship when this girl came in.' were his thoughts.
He suddenly saw Eunice as an eyesore, just as he did for Derrick, whom Sil previously couldn't refuse but eventually began to.