I didn't have any past reference for how a date should go, but in general, my date with Regina was going well. Following Bob's advice, I listeo everything Regina had to say, mostly gossip. In a way, it reminded me of my st versation with Teddy, listening to her talk about people at school and the things she knew about them, occasionally giving my opinion on some of her questions.

  Even though I didn't want to be disrespectful, my attention during the date drifted to the barista behind the ter more times than I would have liked. Something wasn't right, and her dition worsened as time passed. I could notice it more easily—excessive sweating on her forehead, ck of bance, and now difficulty keeping her eyes open with irritation from the light.

  Trying to ighe nagging i in the barista's dition, I iionally focused all my attention ina.

  "Then I told Gret that Martha Krabappel was to bme," she said after taking a sip from her gss of water with ice.

  Adjusting myself in my seat to rex my posture, I picked up my coffee from the table to drink while listening tina.

  And so the date tinued. Now I knew many things that had happened in school, from who was dating whom to theories about the teachers and their romantic lives. I even found out that An and Gret had a retionship but had e amicably after An didn't have much time fret after school.

  "So, what do you think, PJ?" Regina asked after finishing talking about a problem with the cheerleading captain, biting the straw of her gss.

  I repared to give my opinion on the issue and how I would solve the problem, but a scream behind Regina interrupted my train of thought. Following the scream, the people in the cafeteria collectively fell silent, some getting up from their seats and others simply t their bodies, searg the pce.

  Regina was also ied and obstructed my field of vision, so I chose to slowly get up from my seat to look for the source of the scream.

  From the front of the ter, a girl iwenties was standing ooes, taking small jumps, looking behind the ter with . I couldn't see Sarah the barista anywhere, imagining the worst, I quickly approached.

  "She suddenly colpsed," the irl was expining to the people who had gathered around her, suddenly being the ter of attention for many questions that she was trying to answer, pletely nervous.

  Pushing people that stood in my way, I stretched my o also look behind the ter. The barista was on the floor, still sweaty and struggling to keep her eyes open, seemingly in pain, particurly tilting her head tht side.

  As I watched the barista from the other side of the ter, a guy, also in his twenties, had entered behind the ter, and before anyone could say anything, he started applying pressions to her chest.

  The pressions were poorly done, with aic frequend more force than necessary.

  Surprised by the guy's as, I reacted a few seds te. "You're doing it wrong," I said, annoyed, as I jumped over the ter, pushing a few people who were obstrug my legs.

  Pushing the guy, I checked the barista's pulse. "pressions aren't needed," I said before quickly turning to reach the ndline phone on the ter to call for emergency services.

  "Sarah, you hear me?" I asked, pushing the phoo the hands of the incredulous guy in front of me. When I had my hands free, I opened one of Sarah's eyelids, an a that I could only perform for a fra of a sed before Sarah quickly moved her face, avoiding my hand.

  Clearly irritated by the light. I tinued, snapping my fingers near her right ear, which was closer to me. Moving my hand, keeping the a until her left ear, I finally got a rea from the pained barista.

  Cheg behind her hair for aions ns of ret trauma, I tirying to talk to the barista, now fog on her left profile. "Sarah, you hear me? Try nodding your head," I instructed, taking her hand to calm her down a bit and with the other hauring to the people to be silent.

  Erratically, Sarah nodded, still maintaining her expression of pain and tightly closed eyes.

  "Do you have pain in yht ear?" I asked calmly, receiving more nods. "It's okay, calm down, you'll be fine," I told the girl, pressing her hand.

  Quietly asking the guy who was on the phone a few seds ago with my gaze, I received several nervous nods, equally silent.

  A few mier, we heard the ambunce siren arriving. "They're here, Sarah, yoing to be okay," I reassured the still unfortable barista.

  "Move, excuse me," I heard from the entrance of the café as people made way for the paramedics carrying a stretcher."What do we have here?" the paramedic quickly asked as he leaned in to check Sarah.

  "The patient, Sarah, is scious but disoriented, seems to be experieng symptoms of byrinthitis. Pulse is regur, and there are no signs of ret trauma. She had dizziness, nausea, difficulty maintaining bance, light and sound irritation, hearing loss in the right ear, areme pain. She seems stable, but a more detailed evaluation at the hospital is necessary," I quickly stated out of habit, stepping back a bit to allow the paramedic to do his job.

  Once again, I spoke without thinking, the sudden silence around reminded me of my position and the age that I now have. The paramedic was surprised for a few brief seds, quickly snapping out of his trance, definitely a professional.

  Like I did a few minutes ago, the paramedic began dug swift examinations, cheg for possible traumas aually snapping his fingers near Sarah's ears.

  "Alright, thanks, buddy, that's very helpful, we'll take it from here," he said with a friendly smile, nodding to his parto prepare the stretcher.

  "Oh, I almost fot, it might also be necessary to check the fifth or sixth," I quickly added, pointing at Sarah's torso, recalling the daring boy's a who had at some point emerged from behind the ter with the girl who had screamed, evading my and the paramedic's gaze, who seemed to have uood the situation as he chuckled, shaking his head.

  Once again, making their way through the people in the cafeteria, the paramedics lifted Sarah onto the stretcher. "If the attending ER dhe possible byrinthitis, you ask them to call Dr. Chase or Cameron ahem that PJ Dun made the diagnosis," I said after firming with the paramedic at the hospital where they would take her.

  The paramedic seemed surprised again for a very brief moment, nodding gravely, he got into the ambuh his partner.

  The paramedics quickly departed for the hospital, leaving the people in the cafeteria in aed state due to everything that had happened. A small portion remaianding where they were when the paramedic had made them step aside, fasated by the not-so-on situation, while many others, especially the elderly, sought a pce to sit down again to calm their excited hearts.

  Before I could return to the cafeteria to find Regina, she found me first, ing out surprised and pushing people out of her way.

  "That was amazing," she said whe close enough to me, "you were like a pletely calm doctor, so cool," she tinued, boung a little on her feet.

  "That's true, dude," said a voice behind Regina, "that was awesome," tihe nnized boy who had been the one perf the pressions, hugging the girl who had alerted the whole cafeteria.

  "I'm Brandon, by the way," the boy, now known as Brandon, said, his hand for a shake.

  "PJ," I replied, also shaking his hand iing.

  "I'm Mindy, and you were really cool there," said the girl with a kind smile.

  "Thank you," I said a little embarrassed by receiving so many pliments. Regina, surely notig my embarrassment, hugged my arm tightly, smiling at the couple in front of us.

  "I see we interrupted your date," Mindy said with a strange smile. "We were also in the middle of something," Brandon said suddenly, embrag his girlfriend, "nice meeting you, PJ, see you ter," Brandon tinued, suddenly coughing loudly.

  Mindy shook her head amusedly at her boyfriend, repeatedly patting his back as she pulled him away. "See you ter," she also said goodbye along with her boyfriend.

  "Hmm, how rude, they didn't ask for my name," Regina said indignantly.

  Watg Brandon hug Mindy by the waist as they walked away from the cafeteria, it occurred to me to do the same, embarrassed by the a, I quickly freed my arm frina's grasp that had loosened due to her indignation.

  About to take her by the waist, I thought better of it and pced my hand on her shoulder.

  "Do you want some ice cream?" I asked Regina as I quickly guided her to the opposite side of the street, trying to hide my embarrassment, taking advantage of her surprise at my obviously ued move.

  "Ice cream?" Regina asked incredulously.

  "Yes, you only had water in the cafeteria," I said as if the idea of having ice cream was obvious now.

  "Do you know how many calories are in ice cream?" Regina asked with a hint of offense.

  "Many?" I asked sarcastically to the overly ed teenager.

  "Yes, I'm on a diet, and that amount of calories doesn't fit into my diet," Regina quickly said, shaking her head.

  Uo help myself, I chuckled at her unfounded , "Alright, then no ice cream," I said defeated as I approached a publich.

  Sitting down on the bench, we fell silent for a few seds until Regina began talking about one of her cheerleader cssmates.

  "Regina," I interrupted the teenager, "we've been talking about a lot of people from school, how about we talk about something else now," I said, somewhat hopeful to ge the topic.

  "Something else?" Regina asked incredulously, as if the mere idea of talking about anything other than school gossip was a barbarity. "Like what?" she asked again, intrigued.

  "I don't know, how about you? Your family, your hobbies, your dreams," I said, thinking of all the things I didn't know about the girl.

  Regina seemed taken aback by the topics for a moment until with a pout and a shrug, she lifted her head as if thinking that way would make it easier. "Well, let's see," she said with a small smile, biting her lower lip.

  "There's mom and dad, also Kylie," she said, raising her fingers, "my little sister," she added when she dised the doubt on my face, "my mom has a dog," she said with much more effort than it had takeo talk about other people.

  "You met my mother," I joked, recalling the embarrassing moment. "But there's also dad, and I have two younger brabe and Teddy," I tinued, smiling happily at my rge family, "oh, and I'm going to have another brother or sister, mom is pregnant," I tinued, also remembering my uping family member.

  Regina seemed enthralled by the versation, so I decided to tinue.

  "As you could see in the cafeteria, my goal is to bee a doctor, I've been studying hard for it," I said, recalling one of the topics I had asked her about. "How about you?" I asked the teenager.

  After my st questiina seemed taken aback, possibly it was my mistake. I didn't know if teenagers at this age were already thinking about what they wao do in their future. Blinded by my own experiences, I asked without thinking."I don't know, I've hought about it," she said, tilting her head meditatively. "Dad has a lot of es, so maybe modeling for major fashion magazines, or perhaps being an actress," she tinued after p for a moment, with a slight smile and a proud tilt of her torso.

  "I defihink you'd be a great model or actress," I said, trying to be as kind as possible.

  "Do you really think so?" she asked strangely hopeful.

  "You're obviously beautiful, so any magazine would be foolish not to want you for their covers, and I'd definitely waty movie where you're the lead," I said, and it wasn't a lie. I didn't know maiful women, but Regina was undoubtedly one.

  Regina smiled weakly again, biting her lower lip.

  Talking about magazines and actresses made Regina start talking again about topics I had no clue about. Having had that signifit chat, I succumbed to her chosen topic, listening to her talk about a certain clothing and handbag brand.

  A few moments ter, an expensive-looking car stopped a few steps away from where we were sitting.

  "They've e for me," Regina said with a forced smile as she stood up.

  Getting up behind her, "Let me walk you over," I said, walking by her side.

  As we were a few steps away from the car, the passenger door opened, revealing a petite, oddly youthful-looking blonde woman who seemed to want to get closer.

  Before I could greet the woman, Regina stepped in, "Mom, don't get out of the car," she said, raising her voice a bit, which I could dis as embarrassment.

  "Alright, honey," the woman quickly said as she got bato the car.

  Letting out a weak ugh, I apanied Regina to the back door of the car, opening it for her. "Well, see you on Monday," I said to the teenager who had not yet gotten into the car.

  "Thanks for today, PJ. I had a lot of fun," Regina said, relut to get into the car.

  The passenger window began to roll down, and before I could crouch to greet Regina's mother and probably her father, Regina tugged at the end of my shirt and quickly kissed me, once again catg me off guard. I couldn't reatil a few seds ter when Regina abruptly pulled away and quickly got into the car.

  Still a bit stunned, I stood in pce for a few seds, "Aww, how sweet," I heard Regina's mother from the open window.

  Remembering where I was, I leaned down to the passenger window with a slightly awkward smile, "o meet you, I'm PJ Dun," I greeted the woman who returhe greeting with a big smile. "Hello, PJ, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the woman said, extending her hand out of the window in a strange position as if expeg me to kiss the back of her hand.

  Awkwardly shaking her hand, I smiled at the woman.

  "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gee," I said to the man sitting in the passenger seat, who had a stoic look on his face.

  "Ah, ignore him," the strange woman said, ughing.

  Receiving no response from the man, I simply nodded, embarrassed and not wanting to ent ouation.

  "Mom!" I heard Regina shout from the back seat of the car.

  "Yes, Honey, I'm sorry. See you ter, PJ. It was nice meeting you," Regina's mother said as she rolled up the car window.

  A sed ter, the car swiftly drove off down the main road.

  After a moment of watg the car drive away, I returo the bench to wait for Bob. I needed a ride.

  Several minutes after Regi, Bob had arrived for me. "Hey, champ," Bob greeted cheerfully as I got into the shabby truck, "how was your date?" he asked immediately after.

  "Uh, fine, I think," I said, mentally weighing the pros and s of the date in my head. "I think her dad hates me," I said, proceeding to expin to Bob the reasoning behind my statement.

  Laughing loudly after I expihe situation, Bob, still trating on the road, shook his head. "Yeah, definitely not a great first impression," he said, still chug at each word. "Girls are bolder these days," he affirmed, raising his eyebrows, undoubtedly imagining things. "I have to talk seriously with Teddy," he tinued, now serious after thinking about something.

  "What I do?" I asked, ed, to the man.

  "Well, right now, nothing," he said calmly. "In fact, first, you have to establish your retionship with her, and you, being the man iionship, have to be the oo defi," Bob tinued seriously. "Then you talk to the father, let him know your iions, and that you're a well-mannered boy from a good family," he decisively affirmed. "At least that's what I hope in about twenty years with any caveman who es near your sister," he finished with a furrowed brow at the idea of Teddy having a boyfriend.

  Laughing at his ge in demeanor, I shook my head as I looked out the passenger window, listening to Bob's music.

  "Oh, by the way, take a thousand dolrs," Bob said at some point during the trip, awkwardly stretg a yellow envelope obviously filled with money.

  Opening the envelope, I found perfectly straightened one-hundred-dolr bills, freshly withdrawn from the bank, no doubt.

  "Thanks, Dad, I promise I'll pay you back," I said to the man, truly grateful. With this, I had a little over three thousa hundred dolrs that, if the fight went as it did in my previous life, would multiply many times over.

  "No need, son, just use it wisely," Bob said with a someained smile, still driving his car.

  When we arrived home, we found the Cooper family and the rest of my family sitting at our folding table in the yard that ected our houses.

  "What's up?" I asked Bob, who arking his car in front of the house.

  "Oh, I didn't tell you. We're having a barbecue for the game," Bob expiurning off the truck's engine.

  "There he is, my star quarterback," Mr. Cooper said cheerfully beside the grill, along with a man I didn't know.

  "Hello, Coach Cooper," I greeted the man who was handing Bob a beer.

  While Bob was greeting the man I didn't know, I approached the table where Gabe, Missy, and Chi Boy were sitting.

  Messing up Gabe's hair, who was sitting reading one of his ic books, I took a seat o him.

  "Hey, Missy, how are you?" I greeted the little girl who ying with a doll.

  Missy didn't respond to my greeting, got up from the table, and walked away huffing, bumping into Chi Boy, who was sittio her.

  Surprised by the girl's attitude, I silently asked my brother what had happened, receiving a shrug in response.

  "Hello," Chi Boy said with a big smile, ign Missy st off and bumping into him, greeting him back despite his straitude.

  "PJ, you finally join us. I thought this would be a dull evening," Sheldon said, arriving with his grandma, both being greeted by Chi Boy in the same manner.

  "Evening," Gabe mocked softly, ign my brother's weak jest. I greeted the little boy while getting up, nodding at Meemaw.

  "Aces," the elderly dy also nodded, silently asking a question that I obviously uood.

  "Be right back," I said to anyone who might hear me as I walked toward our house.

  Ihe house, I found Mom, Mrs. Cooper, and another woman who I imagined was Chi Boy's mother, all w i, especially Mrs. Cooper and the blonde woman.

  "PJ, you're back!" Mom said excitedly as she came out of the kit. "How was your date with Regina?" she asked suggestively, raising her eyebrows, causing Mrs. Cooper to e her neck while she tio chop vegetables in a poor attempt to appear nont, trying to eavesdrop.

  Mom's nont attitude, as always, mao get a weak ugh out of me. "It was good, Mom, thanks," I told the excited woman. "Hello, Mrs. Cooper," I greeted the other woman who exaggerated my fake amusement, pretending to be surprised by my presence. "Oh, hi, PJ. Good of you to join us. Dinner is almost ready," the woman said sweetly.

  "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," I also greeted the woman, who simply smiled kindly, sipping from a gss.

  "Thanks, Mrs. Cooper," I replied to the kind woman. "I'll be right back, Mom. I o put some things away. Excuse me," I said, separating myself from the women, hastening my pay room, where I had all my moored in my desk. Using the envelope that Bob had given me, I ted the money before stashing it along with the money Bob had handed me.

  In total, with the bets I had made at the hospital, the money I was saving from the allowance Bob had givehese weeks, the mohat PJ had hidden in his dirty clothes, and the thousand dolrs Bob had given me, I had three thousa hundred and fifty dolrs. I wrote the amount on a piece of paper along with the o whom the bet was directed and stored it with all the bills, securely closing the envelope, which was now much bulkier than before, hiding it in my pants and c it with my shirt.

  Leaving my room, I found the house empty. Everyone robably in the backyard. Fist-bumping Geie, I sat back dowo my brother. In front of me, Meemaw was expining something to Sheldon. When the elderly woman and I made eye tact, I nodded, stretg the envelope with money uhe table. Uanding, Meemaw took the envelope from uhe table, nodding in plicity.

  The st people to arrive were Teddy, Missy, and a little girl. They seemed to be talking about something i, occasionally gng at me with annoyance, especially Missy, while Teddy ughed.

  "Alright, who's ready for some burgers?" Bob asked from the grill, which he shared with Mr. Cooper and the other man.

  "I am," a little voice said before anyone else, surprising us all. I quickly turned and found the little boy I had to apany the st time Gabe brought friends.

  Surprised by the sudden appearance of a little boy, everyone fell silent. "Who's he?" Sheldon finally broke the silence, asking bluntly.

  "Dewey," I finally remembered the he shirtless man had mentioned.

  "Yes?" the boy asked, with a small i smile.

  "What are you doing here, little buddy?" I asked the boy as I stood up.

  "Your parents will be really worried, little one," Mrs. Cooper also got up.

  "No," the boy, no older than five, said calmly as he approached the table.

  "PJ," Mom said worriedly from her spot, "do you know where his house is, right?" Mom also got up.

  "Yes," I said, amused, as the boy took the opportunity to sit down calmly, waiting for a burger, smiling quietly at Sheldon, who gave him a less friendly look, surprised by his presence.

  "What if we invite his family?" Mom asked, specifically fog on the parents who were at the grill, supported by the other two women.

  Bob, cheg the row where all the burger and sausage meat was, nodded. "Yes, there's enough for more people," he said sincerely.

  "Alright, PJ, go and ihem, and don't take no for an answer," Mom said sternly. "And someone give this little kid a burger," she tinued, .

  Not wanting tue with the pregnant woman, I nodded and quickly left for what I remembered was the boy's house.

  A few mier, I arrived at the house and knocked on the door, waiting for someoo answer.

  From outside the door, I heard a woman yelling reprimands.

  As soon as the woman stopped yelling, the door opened, revealing the same woman who was surely shouting a few seds ago, her brow furrowed. "What?" she asked irritably, obviously very annoyed.

  "Hello," I said nervously, the woman was intimidating. "Dewey is at my house," I tinued quickly as the woman maintained an intimidating aura, raising an eyebrow.

  "What?" she asked incredulously, furrowing her brow even more if that ossible.

  "Who is it Honey?" the same man who had opehe door for me st time asked, fortunately wearing a shirt this time.

  "Hello, sir. Last week, I brought Dewey," I quickly expined as the woman's brow furrowed more and more.

  "Ah, yes, I remember. How are you?" the maed before turning baside his house.

  "What is Dewey doing in your house?" the woman asked, now much more upset.

  "I don't know, he just showed up there, and my mom wao invite you to the barbecue. We're basically new in town, and Mom wao meet more people. Dewey is with my family and some family friends," I quickly expio the woman.

  Taking a deep breath, the woman seemed to be taining a lot of anger. After taking o deep breath, the woman nodded with a smile. "Alright, we'd be happy to e. Thank you," she said with a kindly smile that, for some reaso shivers down my spine.

  After givihe address of our house, I bid her goodbye aurned home.

  ---Glossary

  Labyrinthitis = infe o infma viral o bacteriana del oído interno que puede causar mareos, pérdida del equilibrio y pérdida temporal de audi.

  ---Author Thoughts:

  As always, I'm not Ameri, let alone a doctor.

  I'm cured, long live modern medie!.

  I think that's all, as always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I will correct them immediately.

  Thanks for reading :D

  PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.