When I Truly Felt Alive

"I'll be fine, everything's great." I told myself as I stared at my dolled-up face in the side mirror of my white Honda Civic. It was our annual alumni get-together—a reunion. Years have passed when we graduated from here, but it felt like yesterday was just our first day of school. Nothing much has changed, all of us bonded like we never went our separate ways. "Hey, Jelly Jace with a pretty face!" Syza greeted me with a hug and a wide smile plastered on her face. Ryza — her sister — was following her holding two red plastic cups. They were my closest friends when we were still in high school. I am so glad to see them again, it's been a long time. Syza and Ryza Gomez, also known as the 'sazzy' twins in our class. They have quite the reputation. "You have to try this. I mixed it myself," Ryza said as she handed me one of the cups. "If this is the B.O.M.B. mix again, I swear I'll make you suffer." I said as I chugged down the whole cup. Thank goodness it was not the B.O.M.B. mix. The last time I drank it, I passed out and missed work for 3 whole days. "Whoa, this is new, it actually tastes good, what's in this?" This new mix is different, it's sweet and mild, and it just slides easily through my throat. That was what I thought at first, until the alcohol hit just a few seconds later. A straight punch in the stomach. "Ooohh, I take that back! This is not good at all." "That's what I call the Surprise! mix, this one is Panic!" She smiled proudly. She's a top-notch bartender and a top notch prankster to her sister and her friends. "Speaking of surprise and panic, look who's here, Jelly Jace," Syza said as I followed her stare. "You want to greet him or—" "I need to go to the bathroom. Surprise! is way worse than the B.O.M.B." I said as I slipped out of the crowd. "Yeah, figured that one out. Hey Vale! Long time no see. You look great, by the way." Syza said as she was making her way to Vale with our other friends. Gottlieb Vale Bueno. Weird name, but he's my...I don't really remember what he was in my life, but there he was, smiling and laughing with his friends, with my friends, without a care in the world and I couldn't even bring myself to talk to him. He looks so carefree from afar. But when you look closer, when you look into his eyes, it's clear that there's not a hint of happiness in them. He was like a walking shell; nobody really knew him. More like he doesn't let anybody see him for who he truly is. He's a friend to almost everyone in the room, but he's a mystery to me. I envy him a little as I watched him socialize easily with everyone. I'm not going to lie about that. Well, at least that was before I thoughtlessly wished in an old bathroom mirror in our old school on the night of our reunion. I knew about the legend, it was famous in our school, but I didn't believe it to be true. It was just too childish and too random. The legend — more like my classmates — said that if you wished anywhere in our school at exactly 2 am, the school's spirit guardian will grant anything that you wished for if she liked you. But if she doesn't like you enough? They said that you'd be taken away by another evil guardian that roams our school. It's childish, you see. I mean who would believe that? I didn't. That was my mistake. I went to our old bathroom in our old classroom. It was quieter here than the common girls' room. Good thing it was left open. I felt dizzy for a bit while staring at my own reflection, I figured it must be the alcohol. I was about to go out of the bathroom as a sudden flash of what felt like 10,000 lumens beamed in my eyes that made me scream in surprise. I felt my body hit the floor before I went unconscious. I wanted to ask for help, but I couldn't, I was too weak. Outside the bathroom door, I can hear my classmates' voices. I slowly pulled myself together. I can feel my head throbbing, I felt dizzy, I couldn't even stand. I steadied myself in a sitting position as the bathroom door swung open. "Jacey! Are you okay?! Help! I need help here! Let's get you to the clinic. Did you have another attack?" I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light. I tried to look around and there, I saw them...and I realized that I was not in my high school reunion anymore.