Today I'm going for all-you-can-eat sushi with my step-brother, Adri.

          The SeaBus pulls into the terminal and brings itself to a stop. Every once in a while, Adri and I do this, by meeting up across town and hanging out for the day. My car is in the shop for repair, so I took the Transit bus. Then, I crossed over the city on the SeaBus, and now he's picking me up at the waterfront. 

          The doors gradually open as I exit the SeaBus. Groups of people, eager to make their way to the downtown streets, merge through the waterfront terminal.

          On my way through the overpass, I see the same man I always do, sitting down and playing his guitar with an empty cup in front of him. I look out of the window and see the city skyscrapers emerging in the distance. I always enjoy going downtown.

          Once I make my way out of the terminal doors, I see Adri waiting for me across the street, near the same black building he always parks. He's the husband of my half sister. Ever since I was a kid, we've gotten along well. And now that I'm grown up, we're able to have mature, adult conversations.

          "What's up, bro?" he asks, bringing me in for a handshake. "The official player is in the building."

          I laugh. "You know it, G money." Adri and I always act out a little when we're together.

          "You didn't eat anything today yet, did you?" he asks.

          "Nope. Not even a piece of toast." I'm telling the truth. Whenever Adri and I go out for all-you-can-eat, I make sure to go on an empty stomach, as long as possible.

          "Good, man. We're gonna devour some of the freshest sushi in the entire city."

          Just the sound of that makes my mouth water.

          "You think we're gonna break the record today?" I joke, asking him half-heartedly at the time.

          "Shit, I don't know. How many did we have last time?"

          Adri and I are referring to the number of rolls we ordered in our previous meals.

          "I think you had thirty-six and I had forty-two."

          He laughs. "Damn. We are some fat fucks."

          With that, we take off for our destination. Driving through the city streets, engulfed by the towering buildings above. We listen to rap music, thinking we're all this and that. We even start bobbing our heads when "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea comes on, probably looking like the biggest fools, but we don't care. That is how we always act together. We like to be immature and live like kids again.

          We merge through traffic and swerve around a construction zone, that gradually leads us to the Granville Bridge. I look out the window and the view is very nice. Today we got the day off from Coach Meldrum. But for me, there are no real days off. Even though he told us to rest and focus our minds off basketball, I made sure to get a good workout in before meeting up with Adri. I ran up and down the stairs to the back deck of our house, also holding some plank poses and engaging in core exercises.

          When we eventually reach the sushi restaurant, Adri parks by the sidewalk and we get out. My stomach gurgles, as I've barely had anything to eat in the last twenty-four hours, intentionally just for this meal.

          "Ready to eat until we pass out?" he jokes, the two of us crossing the street.

          "Hell yeah, man," I reply with a smile.

          Upon entering, the restaurant is busy as usual. As Adri mentioned earlier, this is one of the most prosperous sushi bars in the entire city. The rice is some of the purest, most vibrant textures. I'm simply thrilled to be here.

          A Japanese woman approaches and asks, "For two?"

          Adri nods. "Yes, please."

          She guides us to a booth over by the window, for us to overlook the street and cars from above. After filling our cups with water and handing us our menus, Adri and I waste zero time, getting right down to business and checking off which rolls we want. This sushi place is a little different. Instead of telling the waiter what you like, they hand you a sheet of paper with all the orders and you check off what you want with a pencil. Gosh...there's so much to choose from. I don't know what to pick!

          "We definitely gotta get some California rolls," Adri suggests.

          "Of course," I reply, ticking off that I'd like a dynamite and spicy salmon roll. "And let's get some dumplings on the side to share."

          "Sounds great, man."

          "And what about a bowl of miso soup each?"

          He nods. "Definitely a great starter."

          After handing our orders to the woman, along with her bringing us two cups of tea, Adri and I start up another conversation as we desperately wait for the food to arrive.

          "So what's been new with you, bro?" he asks, taking a small sip of tea.

          "Oh, you know, same old. Playing ball and living the dream."

          Even though Adri never played basketball in his youth, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to sports. He'd been a high-level soccer player throughout his career, and even played on a handful of professional teams.

          "Still tearing it up on the court?" he jokes.

          "You know it." Though I pause, thinking about the game the other night. "But not gonna lie, I struggled in our opener against Notre Dame. Guess I just had an off night."

          "That's okay. Everyone has off nights in sports. It's just part of the game."

          "Yeah," I agree, taking a sip of tea myself. "I'm sure the team and I will bounce back. Anyway, what about you? How's life?"

          "Been working on the soccer festival as usual," he tells me. "It's pretty much a year-round project."

          Every year, around July, Adri hosts an international soccer festival, for different teams across the world to play and compete. It's not a massively-known tournament, but it's always a good time and positive vibes, other than one year a player spat on a referee. After that particular incident, Adri banned the male-only teams because of their toxic masculinity and disrespect, so the past couple of years it's only been female and coed teams.

          "You're gonna come again this year, aren't you?" Adri asks, referring to the festival.

          "Of course," I reply.

          "I'm gonna need some extra help with setting up as usual, but for the most part we have guys hired."

          Continuing the conversation, cracking jokes and telling stories, our soups arrive rather quickly. Miso soup is such a great appetizer before you eat sushi. There's something about it that just makes you feel healthy and hygienic about yourself. I slurp it up with great delight, using the deep, rounded spoon provided.

          Our first round of rolls arrive. On the left side of my plate, are the California rolls, looking fresh as could possibly be. The dynamite rolls, which are large and great quality, are stacked across at an angle. Topped off by spicy salmon rolls, and a couple of extra yam rolls on the right. I break my chopsticks in half and begin to devour my meal. As a kid, I would always use my hands to eat sushi. I'd get frustrated I couldn't handle the chopsticks, but thankfully I've grown out of that phase.

          "How's it taste, man?" Adri asks, taking a bite of yam tempura.

          "Fucking incredible," I reply, tasting the luscious avocado and mayonnaise together. I make sure to dab each roll with a good portion of spicy mayo and soy sauce, giving it a lovely combination. Ugh...this is good, good food. I'm glad I was able to resist eating anything for a  decent amount of time, so now I can just stuff my bloody face. The dynamite rolls have a rather sea-food sensation to them. And on top of that, the dumplings we're sharing have a unique flavour, especially when I dip them into the provided sauce.

          Right as we finish our plates, Adri and I grab our pencils and begin filling out the provided sheet for round two. I select similar orders to the first round, but make sure to also switch it up and try new stuff. Like I said earlier, there's just so much to pick from that I'm almost overwhelmed. I order another miso soup and a set of dragon rolls. The fact that I know I can keep ordering and ordering is like a drug in itself. This is absolutely incredible.

          If we're going to break our previous records, then we have to get the job done by stuffing our faces like a bunch of pigs. But at the same time, we're grateful and appreciative of the food. We acknowledge the fact that we're very lucky and fortunate to be able to eat a meal like this. We're aware that many people across the world don't have the same luxury as we do, let alone a gourmet meal like this.

          Eating...eating...eating.

          And then we end it, tapping out and saying we can't fit another damn roll into our stomachs even if we were held at gunpoint. Oh my lord am I full right now. Even with my incredible appetite and lust for great food, just the thought of eating more makes me feel sick. After Adri and I tally up the number of roles we individually selected, I feel a chilling yet humoured sense of disbelief swarm over me. No way...I must have counted wrong. This is almost impossible.

          "How many for you, bro?" Adri asks, looking as if he's about to pass out.

          I shake my head as I recount, my stomach feeling like it's about to explode, and reply, "Sixty-three." Yes, you heard that right—63. What the actual fuck.

          Adri breaks into laughter despite his coma-induced suffering from the food. "Jesus, bro. You're a machine both on and off the court."

          I smile, even though it'll be the death of me. "Yeah, well, what about you? How many?"

          "Forty-seven, and I never plan on going that high ever again. I'm so full I don't think I'll need to eat for at least two days."

          Finally, after sending her back for more and more orders, Adri and I signal over the waitress and let her know that we want the bill.

          "Talk about getting your money's worth, hey?" I joke.

          Adri chuckles. "Yeah...I don't think anyone will be breaking your record soon, buddy."

          After paying and getting our receipt, somehow, someway, I manage to pick myself up and make my way back down the stairs. Sixty-three roles? Coach would whoop my ass if he knew I was eating like this. I feel drunk as we exit the restaurant, almost floundering with my steps. As we reenter the car, Adri and I agree that we should go back to his place and put on a movie. He suggests that we watch "The Revenant," as he didn't see it while playing in theatres. We start heading home, my stomach feeling like it's pregnant and ready to give birth.

          The ride is silent for the most part, before Adri asks if I have any room left for some ice cream during the movie. Usually, I would adore such an offer, but no way in hell right now.

          "Are you freakin' kidding me, man?" I mumble under my breath, my eyes beginning to droop with drowsiness. "If I even think about that shit I'm going to be sick."

          He laughs. "Alright, alright. I was just asking."

          When we get back home, I'm on the verge of passing out. The muscles in my body feel so tired and relaxed, that I simply can't resist the temptation to surrender and close my eyes at times. I instantly fall down on the couch, laying back and getting comfortable. I haven't felt so relaxed in my entire life. The amount of rice sitting inside my stomach right now is rather disturbing, but I feel it's going to be worth it. We'll look back at this and have a laugh. But right now, oh am I regretting my actions.

          Adri turns the TV on and opens his Netflix account. I'm so exhausted that I'm beginning to nod off. It's an irresistible feeling, especially with all the great shots in the movie and incredible acting. On top of that, I can hear Adri's spoon diving into his bowl and eating ice cream. How he does it is beyond me.

          I then pass out on the couch, having the soundest sleep of my entire life.