Page 70 of The Leaves In Autumn
“Is that necessary, Teddy? She’s your aunt!”
“Mom! Let the peckerhead talk. Just makes me wanna smack the shit out of him more.”
“You can try.”
Aurora leans to Gaston. “I give up.”
“Start already!”
Teddy tilts his head knowing he is about to impress. He presses Play. Brahms’s Lullaby is perfectly wrong for the occasion. And just right for his TikTok.
“Good choice, Teddy!”
“Lord.”
The first tortilla gladiators grab a water bottle, a tortilla, and get in position. They are laughing before the water fills their mouths. As soon as it does, things get worse. Some sort of gobblygoop comes out of Teddy’s mouth while holding up three fingers and doing a dry run, fist to hand. Scarlett nods an agreement, and they lock eyes.
One, two, three.His rock crushes her scissors.
“Rrrunsuj!” she protests.
Smack! The sharp sting takes her and us by surprise. She holds on to the nearest chair, as the sleepy time tune accompanies wide awake players. It makes it ten times funnier. Scarlett touches her cheek and tries holding the water in, while the rest of us laugh uncontrollably. A few streams trickle out. Teddy is having his own problems. He tries not looking at her.
“I don’t like this. That was too hard!” Aurora protests.
“That’s what she said,” Van adds.
Water squirts from Teddy’s mouth to his opponent’s face. He doubles over laughing. “Shit!”
As soon as he straightens, Scarlett comes back with a right tortilla hook to his face. Hard. She makes herself lose the game, by spitting water to the ground.
“Ow! Foul!” Teddy cries.
“There are no fouls in Tortilla Challenge. That’s what makes it awesome.”
“There should be.”
“You picked the game, dude. Deal with it.”
Aargon looks at Van. “This is the best game ever.”
Teddy continues.
“Okay, okay. You got me. Who’s next?”
“I’ll draw a name,” Gaston volunteers.
He stands and reaches in the bag.
“Aurora.”
“Draw again.”
The bag gets shook and he tries again.
“Miss Jillian!”
“Yay!”
