Page 31 of From Drummer to Gamer

“And?”

“I’m thinking whether to tell you.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“You can’t just tell anyone about your allergies. They would have the power to kill you.”

Did Chan’s siblings’ brains function on a different brain wave? “But you asked me,” I stated the obvious.

“I’m not going to kill you.”

I shook my head and went back to my pasta. It was probably best for me to keep my mouth shut and eat.

“Unless…”

Her voice drew me back to her. She threw her empty Cheeto packet to the side, which went tumbling on the floor as she straightened. Finally, she sat up like a normal person, with a smile dancing on her face as she regarded me. “We get to trade.”

“Trade?”

“Yeah, a secret for a secret.” Her hazel eyes glowed. “You get to know the one thing that could kill me, and I get to know something about you that no one does.”

Was I that desperate to know what she was allergic to? The answer was a clear no.

“No, thank you,” I replied.

“What?” She pouted, doe-eyed. “But trades are fun.”

Something snapped in my heart, and I relented like a fucking coward. “Fine.”

“Yay!” She clapped, bouncing. “You first.”

“Green apples,” I admitted. “I like them. I like anything green apples, and I don’t think anyone knows that.”

“Really? That’s the most boring fruit ever.” Her lips twisted. “But I don’t like fruits in general. I also don’t like vegetables.”

“I think I can see that,” I deadpanned. My eyes went straight to her mess of snacks. “Who would if you eatthat?”

“Hey, don’t talk about my Cheetos in such a condescending way.”

“They’re not good for you.”

“Says who?”

“About a thousand published papers.”

“But it brings joy. And no paper can bring that.”

“A joy that reduces your life sentence.”

“I’ll happily do so if I get to eat Cheetos.”

“I bet it doesn’t even taste good.”

“Wait.” Her eyes widened as she clutched her heart. “You haven’t tried Cheetos?”

“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, nor do I want to.”

“That’s it. We can’t be friends.” She narrowed her eyes, attempting a glare and failing terribly.