We decided to kick off our day with a meal and found ourselves drawn to a five-star restaurant nearby. The place was a bit fancy, but with nine of us, it seemed like a good choice to start things off with a nice breakfast.
The waiter greeted us at the entrance with a polite smile.
Waiter: Hello there! How many are in your party?
Dakota: There's nine of us.
Waiter: Nine—got it. If you don't mind waiting for just a few minutes, we'll get a table ready for you.
Dakota: Sure thing, we don't mind waiting.
We didn't expect the wait to be too long, and after about ten minutes, the waiter returned to escort us to a large table. We all settled in, looking around at the stylish décor as he handed out the menus.
Waiter: Here's the menu. Take your time.
Dakota: Thanks.
We all flipped open our menus, our eyes scanning over the variety of dishes. The choices were a bit upscale for some of us, but there was something for everyone.
Dakota: (grinning) I'll go with the pepperoni pizza.
Henry: Same here. Two pepperoni pizzas, then.
Waiter: (nodding) Got it, two pepperoni pizzas.
Ava: I'll take the steak, well-done, please.
Amelia: Make that two.
Waiter: (writing down the orders) Two steaks, well-done.
The rest of the group ordered burgers and fries. While we waited for our meals, Dakota decided to bring up the mission we had lined up.
Dakota: Okay, while we wait, we should talk about the mission. We're supposed to protect an auction, right?
Henry: Yep. If I'm not wrong, the auction's happening at the museum in two days.
Dakota: (smiling) Oh, of course, there's an auction—I wrote it.
Ava: So, the mission is related to this auction?
Henry: Exactly. Our job is to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Liam: Protect it from who, exactly?
Henry: Mostly Djinns. And there'll probably be a few humans trying to steal something, too.
Jack: What's the payout?
Henry: If we pull it off without a hitch, it's 100K each.
Mia: (eyes widening) 100K each? That's a great deal; we should definitely take this one.
Dakota: (smirking) Agreed. I might as well protect it before I… borrow something from it.
Henry: (rolling his eyes) Alright, but let's try to keep it professional. We've got two days to prep, so let's enjoy Rome until then.
Everyone responded with a chorus of enthusiastic "Of course!" and "Sounds good!"
When the food finally arrived, we dug in, our table buzzing with laughter and conversation. After we finished eating, we decided to make the most of the day by visiting the zoo, with plans to hit the water park tomorrow.
Dakota: I'm excited about the zoo. Are you guys looking forward to it?
Henry: Oh, absolutely.
Lucas: Super excited! Haven't been to a zoo in ages.
Liam: I can't wait.
Jack: Honestly, I'm not all that excited.
Dakota: (raising an eyebrow) Oh? And why's that?
Jack: (shrugging) I just don't really care for animals.
Dakota: (smirking) Sure you don't. I know you've got a soft spot for them, Jack.
Jack just rolled his eyes as we left the restaurant. A short cab ride later, we arrived at the zoo and paid for our tickets. Walking through the entrance, we were immediately captivated by the sights and sounds.
Dakota: (pointing) Look at that chimpanzee! So cool.
Henry: Yeah, it is cool. Oh, look! The chimps are fighting.
Mia: (giggling) Haha, they're really going at it.
Mia laughed, watching the chimps playfully squabble. We moved on to see the lions, Dakota's eyes lighting up when he saw the big cats lounging in their enclosure.
Dakota: Yes! Finally, I get to see a lion up close.
Lucas: Do you really love lions, Dakota?
Dakota: Honestly, I love pretty much all animals.
Amelia: (surprised) Really? You don't seem like the type to be into animals.
Dakota: Well, surprise! I am.
Henry: Alright, everyone, let's check out the next exhibit.
We strolled over to the tiger section and were immediately drawn to a rare white tiger prowling gracefully.
Dakota: Whoa, it's a white one. I wasn't expecting that!
Liam: A white tiger? That's incredible.
Luna: They look so cute.
Dakota: Yeah, I guess they do.
As we watched, the two tigers started getting… a bit too close.
Dakota: (grinning) Uh, well… they're getting friendly. I should get a video of this.
Ava: (laughing) Why would you want to record that?
Dakota: Hey, it's not every day you see tigers... you know, at a zoo.
Henry: (grinning) True. Oh, look—Jack's smiling!
Jack: (quickly turning away) Huh? No, I'm not.
Henry: No, I definitely saw you smiling.
Jack: I told you, I wasn't.
Dakota: (nudging him) Come on, we all saw it.
Luna: (chuckling) Hmm... adorable.
Jack: Huh? What did you just say?
Luna: (smiling) Oh, I was talking about the tigers.
Jack: (blushing slightly) Oh, right...
We continued exploring the zoo for another two hours, making sure to visit every section. The day passed quickly, filled with jokes, laughter, and a ton of photos. Finally, we decided it was time to go.
Dakota: That was amazing.
Lucas: Yeah, it really was.
Henry: So, we're going to the water park tomorrow, right?
Dakota: Absolutely. Why?
Henry: Just making sure no one forgets.
Dakota: As if we'd forget.
Ava: So, what's next?
Dakota: I don't know; you think of something.
Ava: Alright, give me a minute.
After some debate, Ava suggested we hit up a shopping mall. I wasn't thrilled about it, but the group seemed into it, so I tagged along.
Dakota: (grumbling) I really don't want to be here.
Henry: Yeah, same, but we're kind of stuck now.
Lucas: All we can do is wait it out.
About an hour later, Ava called me over to one of the stores.
Dakota: (sighing) What is it, Ava?
Ava was wearing a white dress that looked a lot like a wedding gown.
Dakota: Uh, Ava, why are you wearing a wedding dress?
Ava: (smiling sheepishly) Oh, is it? I didn't even realize!
Dakota: (raising an eyebrow) Sure you didn't.
For a moment, as I watched her, she reminded me of my girlfriend from my past life. Not just Ava—all of them did, each in their own way. It was strange and unsettling.
Dakota: (thinking) Is this really just a coincidence? Or is it...?
Ava: (waving her hand) Hey, Dakota, would you mind not staring? It's a little creepy.
Dakota: (snapping out of it) Oh, sorry, I didn't even realize.
Ava: (smiling) Don't worry, it's okay.
Dakota: Really? Thanks.
Ava: No problem.
The girls continued shopping for another two hours, dragging us from one store to another. When they finally finished, we were all exhausted.
Dakota: Alright, I'm wiped. I'm heading home.
Ava: Okay then. Goodbye, Dakota!
Dakota: (waving) See you back at the apartment.
When I finally made it back to the apartment, I collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep almost instantly. It had been a long day, but a good one.