Max: By the way, Tiff?

Tiffany: Tiffany!

Max: Right, Tiffany. Why did Timo call you Tiny Thunder?

Tiffany flinched.

Luke chuckled.

Rose blushed and closed her mouth.

Ken: Let's just say, it's a very long, very hot story.

He signalled Max to look at the top of the room.

There lay photos of some people who apparently won eating contests.

Amongst them was a very full looking Tiffany, and under her photo, the title, most chilli peppers downed in one meal.

Nickname: Tiny Thunder.

Max burst out into laughter. Ken and Luke immediately joined him, and Rose hesitated before deciding to simply pat Tiffany's back.

The laughter lasted several seconds.

Max: Oh man, that's rich. You, of all people...

Tiffany: Hey...

Max: Tiny Thunder...

Tiffany: Hey!

Luke: C'mon Tiff, lighten up.

Tiffany: No! It was your idea, remember?

Luke: Hey, I saw a dear friend in need of a break, and I delivered.

Ken: And delivered you did. This will serve as a joke for us for years.

Max burst into laughter again.

Ken: Case in point.

Tiffany: Ugh.

Tiffany turned from them, red-faced.

Rose: Are you ok, Tiff?

Tiffany: (sighs) Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine.

Luke: Anyway, ....

And in such a sense, their time in the pizzeria went over the course of the meal.

They spoke freely about themselves and their lives.

Rose talked about how she thought squid kinda tasted like chicken, which everybody else doubted.

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Rose: I'm not lying. The texture is....

Ken: M'lady, please. Stop the cap.

Ken explained as to why he thinks the principal is secretly booby trapping the school.

Ken: I swear, there is no other way to explain as to why the stairs to the basement were fixed so quickly! Theres gotta be a switch somewhere to turn them on and off.

Luke: Oh, brother.

Ken: No! I swear, you've got to believe me.

Luke talked about his favourite game in sports.

Luke: ... and then, I....

Tiffany: Please stop. You tell everyone you meet this story.

Luke: What... it's a good story.

Tiffany remained silent and didn't say much, and Max explained that he was an incredible skateboarder.

Max: ... I bet I'm the best in the world.

Ken: Oh, please.

Luke looked at him with scepticism.

Max: What?

Ken: Best in the world? I'll have to see that myself.

Tiffany: Hold on!

Everyone looked at Tiffany.

Tiffany: I've been wondering about this for a while. Just how exactly did you save Rose's life anyway?

Max froze. The one thing he was terrified of at the moment and it came out of nowhere.

Ken: He saved Rose's life?

Tiffany: Yeah. Just this morning.

Ken: Hmmm. Fascinating.

Max: Uhhhmmm, I uh.... I used... my skateboard.. ehehehe...

Rose: Uh huh. And he was super cool while doing it too.

Max nervously scratched his head.

Tiffany: Ok. But how?

Ken: You know, I'm also quite curious.

Luke: Yeah, me too.

Max: Well.... uh... I....

He did not expect himself to struggle so much for his good deeds.

Max: I just skated over before... uhhhh....

Like a bell, Timo came back with the check.

Timo: Hello friends!

He brought the check, and Max checked for his wallet, all the while trying to think of a way out of that question until it hit him.

Once he paid, he sat down calmly.

Max: I don't remember.

They all looked at him, shocked.

Tiffany: What!

Ken: But it just happened this morning.

Max: Really? I kinda forgot.

Rose: But Max...

Max: Well, I remember trying to save you, but the rest of it is kind of a blur. Maybe it was the adrenaline.

Tiffany: You lost your memory.... in an adrenaline rush?

Max: Maybe...

Tiffany: Ken?

Ken: Well... it is possible for short-term memory loss to occur during an adrenaline rush.

Tiffany: You've gotta be kidding me. Alright, I'll drop it.

Max internally sighed. His secret was secure, and seeing the sweat stain on Timo's apron which gave him the idea that turned out to have saved him. Pretending to have lost his memory in the heat of the moment.

Later that day, all five of them left the restaurant.

Luke: Hey, it's getting pretty late.

Tiffany: Yeah, we should get going.

Rose: Mmm, hmm.

Ken: Yep. Hey Max, I guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow.

Max: Huh. Well, I guess so. My house ain't too far from here, so I can just skate there.

Max smiled to himself as he got on his skateboard.

Max: See you guys later.

He rode off into the sunset.

Rose: Goodbye, Max.

Ken: See ya later compadre.

Luke: Later, dude!

Tiffany did not say anything, but he wasn't bothered. He finally had friends. So why feel bad. 3 out of 4 was better than nothing.

As he skated back home, he wondered about what he would tell his mom. The good news in and of itself would have been an insane to her.

Max: (thinking: Maybe I should buy her a present or something.)

He checked his back for his backpack to get some more money before making a realisation that made him stop his skateboard immediately.

He forgot his backpack with them.

Max had left it inside the van. He did not want it to take it with him to the restaurant.

And so, he had to go back and get it.

Max: Oh man, oh man.

Maybe he could just go back home on his own. But his mom would be upset, and besides, if he could make it back to the pizzeria in a few minutes, all would be well.

And so he turned back and made it to the pizzeria.