Relieved when I found Peter Pan and Zorro in the driveway, I made a beeline for them.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded when I reached them and caught sight of the slobber dribbling down Peter Pan’s chin. “What the fuck is in your mouth, Gibs?”
“…elly…akes…” Gibs tried to slur around a mouthful of what I could only describe as goo.
“He’s trying to break the world record,” Zorro snickered.
“Forwhat?” I demanded, gaping at Feely. “Being an eejit?”
“…elly…akes…” Gibs repeated, using his fingers to push the goo back into his mouth.
“Gibsie thinks he can break the world record of putting the most jelly snakes in his mouth,” Feely explained through fits of laughter.
“What’s the record?” I asked.
“He doesn’t know.”
“Then how can he break it?”
“…uther…un…” Gibsie instructed, holding his palm out. “…uther…un…eely…”
“No clue, lad,” Feely laughed, handing over another jelly snake to an expectant Gibs. “But it’s keeping him quiet.”
“He might choke,” I warned, eyeing him warily.
“He might,” Feely agreed.
“How many has he got so far?”
“Nine.”
“Nine?” My eyes widened in wonder. “No fucking way.” I gaped at Gibsie. “You’re eating them, aren’t you?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “You can’t fit nine jelly snakes in your mouth, you little liar.”
“…ope…” Gibs shook his head and gagged, causing more dribble to leak from his mouth. “…oh…uck!”
The moment he clutched his stomach and started to heave, Feely and I dove out of the way. It wasn’t our first time dealing with his upchuck reflux.
“Oh my God.” Howling with laughter, Feely clutched his side and pointed at our dopey friend who was purging his gob of jelly. “He looks like Mouth fromThe Goonies.”
Groaning in dismay, I clutched my stomach and took in the sight of Gibsie’s latest misadventure sprayed all over my driveway. “You aresick, Gerard Gibson.”
“See? I told you I didn’t eat them,” Gibs declared proudly when he was finished expelling his snakes. “See, Hugh?” He pointed to each slobbery jelly on the concrete and counted. “Nine full-sized bad boys without a toothmark on them.”
“Congratulations,” I replied with a shudder. “You have the biggest mouth in Ballylaggin.”
The sound of a car horn honking caused all three of us to turn toward my mother’s car as it pulled up on the footpath outside our house.
“Well, it’s about time!” Gibsie declared with a dramatic sigh before proceeding to use Feely’s black cape to clean the dribble off his chin.
“Dammit, Gibs!” Feely shoved him away before quickly peeling off his cape and throwing it at him. “Youaresick.”
“Peter Pan!” My sister’s high-pitched scream of excitement pierced the air moments before she came barreling past both me and Feely.
Looking every inch the fairy in her Tinker Bell costume, Claire launched herself at the snake-stuffer himself. “I missed you so much!”
When Gibsie straightened up to his full height, he took my sister with him, causing her feet to lift off the ground. “I missed you more, Claire-Bear.”
“He was only gone to his dad’s house for the weekend,” I reminded her, feeling more uncomfortable with my sister’s interactions with my best friend by the day.
