The next day, the group of friends found themselves sitting on the round couch as a hologram of Earth floated above them. "I think we all need to do something fun for once. There must be something enjoyable to do around here."
Jason perked up, recalling a nugget of nostalgia from his mom's stories. "My mom used to go roller skating every week at a rink not too far from here. I guess I'll be driving this thing."
Determined to infuse some fun into their time-traveling misadventure, they embarked on a quest to locate the roller skating rink. After a few blocks, they arrived at a whimsical sight: a pink brick building adorned with flashing lights that could only be the roller rink. Its inviting aura was a stark contrast to their earlier frustrations.
As the group ventured inside the roller rink, the savory aroma of fast food wafted through the air, mingling with laughter and chatter from patrons seated at crimson round tables. Skaters zipped around the rink with grace and speed, a symphony of joyful motion.
Thalia and Aaliyah sat at an empty table. Jason, meanwhile, engaged with the counter worker, likely discussing roller skate rental.
"How are you feeling?" Thalia asks.
"This is fun and all but my mom must be worried sick. We talk on the phone every day and we don't know how much time has passed back home," Aaliyah replied with a worried tone. The thought of returning to find their family members old and grey sent shivers down Thalia's spine. It was selfish of her to put her friends through this.
"I can't believe I dragged you guys into this it was selfish of me," Aaliyah replies as her voice cracks.
"It's not your fault most people would do the same," Aaliyah reassures her.
"Most people?" Thalia asked.
"Yeah most people who are insane like you," Aaliyah said.
They shared a hearty laugh, a reminder of their enduring friendship built on their contrasting personalities.
The roller rink beckoned, and despite initial reservations, Thalia and Aaliyah decided to join the others in donning matching white skates. They entered the lively atmosphere, the kaleidoscopic disco ball spinning overhead, and the infectious beat of music filling the air.
Thalia's worries began to fade as the exhilaration of gliding on wheels took over. She and Aaliyah, initially wobbly, soon synchronized their movements, hand in hand. The catchy tune of "Funky Town" blared from the speakers, and they lost themselves in the joy of the moment. The wind tousled Thalia's curls as laughter escaped her lips, and Leo, their candy-fueled ball of energy, clutched her other hand, grinning with candy-stained teeth.
Jason, never one to back down from a challenge, dashed ahead and turned to Aaliyah with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I heard you're good; you want to race? Whoever loses has to pay for dinner."
Aaliyah's confidence shone as she accepted the challenge with a flip of her hair and a smug smile. The race was on, and the rink echoed with their joyful competition.
While Aaliyah and Jason dueled on wheels, Thalia and Leo opted for a different kind of fun. They twirled, spun, and laughed, their carefree antics drawing curious glances from fellow skaters. Aaliyah eventually triumphed in the race, her victory cries filling the rink.
"I win! Now you owe us pizza but you don't have money," she declared, her triumph punctuated by laughter.
"I do," Jason accepts defeat and pulls out a wallet full of cash.
"You had money this whole time and you made us walk?" Thalia put Jason in a headlock as he laughed.
Exhausted but content, they settled at a table to savor warm slices of pizza. Jason, ever the entertainer, elicited giggles with straws up his nose, impersonating a comical dinosaur. Aaliyah joined in the merriment, her snorting laughter contagious. Leo, in high spirits, took a slurpy sip but quickly paid the price with a brain freeze.
These simple, silly moments became cherished memories, reminding them of the bond that had sustained them through their time-traveling odyssey. As the night wore on and Leo succumbed to slumber on Aaliyah's lap, they knew it was time to return to the enigmatic RV.
Gently tucking Leo into his bed, Thalia kissed his forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, kid," before settling in for a well-deserved rest, the anticipation of what the next day might bring lingering in their dreams.