“You’re falling all over yourself,” Max rolled his eyes. Next to her, he skated seamlessly, somehow finding a way to be as graceful in rentable roller skates as an ice dancer. To be fair, her brother did ice skate a lot in the winter.
“This wasn’t my idea,” Riley hissed back at him. “You’re the one who said-”
“You did need to get out of the house!” Max cut her off, not allowing for him to finish.
“And the best place to take me was a roller rink with all of your friends from your bowling team?” Riley huffed.
“Oh my god, you are literally the only person who could be mad while listening to ABBA!” Max snarked back, he was getting fed up with Riley’s attitude today.
“You’re the only person who thinks that roller rinks and bowling are cool!” She countered.
“It’s vintage!” Max huffed back. He crossed his arms and turned his body away from her. Even though the last place Riley wanted to spend a Friday afternoon was in a warehouse on 10th Street – only used by LBGTQ+ kids and Mormon couples, Max did have a point. Ever since she and Joey broke up, she wasn’t exactly leaving the house much, except for WinCo runs for some Ben and Jerry’s. Why would she leave home when engorging ice cream and binging reruns of “House” was so much better? At some point, as Max pointed out through his poor choice of venue, she would have to join the world of the living. Hiding at home wouldn’t change what Joey did or what happened. The warehouse though, was a place time hadn’t altered either.
The wood under Riley’s skates was surprisingly well polished, and the disco ball’s reflection made the place light up like a star. The music playing was a weird combination of obnoxious 70s pop and rock hits. It was something for everyone, but Riley didn’t hear Max sing enough Elton John at home. Max loved places “off the beaten path,” he said, but really he was just a nerd trying to pretend that he was a hipster. Even if it wasn’t exactly her thing, Riley didn’t blame him. The kids at school left him and his friends at places like this, places they wouldn’t even think to go.
“Max!” his friend Belle called and skated over. “It’s our song!”
“Yes, because ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie is totally your song,” Riley thought and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Yessssssss.” Max emphasized his ‘s’, his body vibrating in his skates. He turned to look at his sister with the energy of a golden retriever, begging to be let off the leash.
“You don’t have to ask me for permission,” she told him. Max’s friends didn’t exactly know what to make of her. She was in college, and utterly uninterested in everything about this place, but Max had barely left her side all night.
“I know, but-” Max started.
“Go. I’ll be fine on my own for a few minutes.” Riley waved him away with her hands.
He gave her a grateful smile before skating off with Belle to a bigger group of their friends towards the center of the floor. And Riley would be fine, but she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with herself without Max. With the grace of a baby deer, she made it off of the floor towards the bar where some poor sucker was unenthusiastically making milkshakes, various drinks, and snacks. This place really needed to figure out what decade it was in. After ordering her strawberry milkshake, Riley was about to take her phone out of her pocket when she heard a laugh she hadn’t heard in weeks.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she couldn’t help but say out loud. Heading towards her, with a smile on his face, waving goodbye to some girl, was Joey. He paused when she saw her, which was a considerably difficult thing to do in skates.
“This is absolutely the last place that I expected to see you,” he said, his eyes studying her.
“Likewise,” she managed to say, feelings catching in the back of her throat. She hadn’t left her house for long periods of time for weeks. She timed herself when going to the grocery store. Now, right in front of her, at her little brother’s favorite hangout spot, was her ex-boyfriend.
“Max,” she choked out.
“Oh, that makes sense,” he grinned, having all of the context he needed apparently.
“What about you? What are you doing here?” Riley asked, managing to get a sentence to come out of her mouth.
“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing,” he scratched the back of his head, looking at her almost bashfully. She was kicking herself for still finding it cute. “A girl?”
“No! No- I- I’m actually really glad I ran into you, Riley. I’ve been meaning to text, but-” Joey would’ve continued if it hadn’t been for the graceful skater coming from behind them.
“But what?” Max rolled up, a gang of anime club members behind him. “You lost your decency a long time ago?”
“Ohhh burn,” one of the kids behind him whispered, fist-bumping their friend like they were in some sort of quirky high school movie.
“Okay, but that wasn’t actually good,” Riley scowled.
“Doesn’t matter, we’re leaving,” Max dragged her off of the stool, almost falling over as Riley kept losing her balance. “What do you think you’re doing talking to him?”
Max had managed to get them back onto the floor, in the middle of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” as the lights dimmed.
“The better question is what is he doing here? This place is…” she trailed off, making eye contact with one of Max’s friends behind him. “Look, I’m not interested in talking to him either, so clearly this place is a bust. I appreciate you trying Max, but the universe is out to spite me.”
“Ignore him! Just…hey! You’re my ride!” Max glared at her.
“Fair point,” Riley sighed, crossing her arms. “I guess I love you enough to put up with whatever cosmic karma I’ve apparently earned.”
“You know, you could talk to him,” Max’s friend from earlier who made the burn comment piped up. Riley was embarrassed to admit that she didn’t know their name. “Get some kind of resolution. And if it doesn’t go well, we can help you.”
“I don’t know how much help five teenagers who cast themselves as “Steven Universe” characters could provide, but I appreciate the support,” Riley stated and they all just kind of stared at her. “Okay, I’m sorry. That was meaner than I intended. I’m panicking here.”
“Oh my god.” Max groaned.
“What, Max?” Riley sighed. “If this your song again, I swear-”
“No!” He interrupted, “Joey’s coming.”
Riley sighed. “Okay, okay, I really can’t do this right now.”
“So don’t,” said the one who fist-bumped earlier.
“What do you-” Riley started to say, but all of the friends shared a look before Max and Belle looped their arms through Riley’s and pulled her into the circle of people skating to what was arguably kind of a sad song. “What are you- I can’t.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t let you fall,” Belle told her.
“Do you see Joey anymore?” Max asked.
“I mean no, but- oh my god, the people, the lights,” Riley realized, tripping on her skates causing Belle to catch herself with the railing on the side. “This is really smart actually.”
“This way we can get you out of here,” Max squeezed her arm.
“This is your place, you don’t have to do that,” Riley told him.
He shrugged. “I come here every week and I have all these songs saved onto my phone. You only get one chance to save your sister from her ex.”
“I love you, Max. I don’t think I say that enough.” Riley smiled at her brother.
“You’re just grateful, you don’t mean it,” Max said.
“You can’t seriously-”
“Uh, guys?” Belle interrupted.
“What?” We said in unison. “Oh.”
The lights were back to their original brightness before the David Bowie song started. It had been replaced with a still spinning mirrorball and “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac. “Bad news is your plan failed, but on the bright side, I really do like Fleetwood Mac,” Riley mused.
“Riley!”
Leaning on the railing by the exit of the rink floor was Joey, he was waving her down. Riley knew him well enough now to recognize that he looked nervous.
“Well, this has been fun kids, but if you could fling me in that direction, that would be great.”
“But-”
“Look, Max. Wasn’t your whole point of pushing me out tonight that I can’t hide behind my fears and Hugh Laurie’s incredible American accent forever? I have to face the world and that means hearing Joey out, whatever he has to say.”
“Oddly mature of you,” Max nodded his head. “My message was also that I’m not lame, and that you should listen to more David Bowie.”
“Debatable. Both of those,” Riley said, which seemed to give Max the boost he needed to fling her towards Joey. “Oh sh-” she could feel herself flailing and reaching for something to hold on to before Joey caught her. “Okay, that was impressive.”
“Thanks, Max!” Joey yelled.
Max kept skating but directed a thumbs up towards them.
“I made a mistake, Riley,” Joey said.
“You made a what now? You’re just gonna come out of the gate and say that? No suspense?”
“What do you want me to say? These past few weeks have been horrible, and I know I was an ass. Enough of one that you felt the need to skate to David Bowie when I know you think he’s overrated.”
“Honestly, the skating was more of an issue than David Bowie, but I see your point, and you’re right.”
“So?” Joey ran his hands through his hair.
“So what? What’s changed?” Riley prodded for a deeper answer.
“I’m sorry, alright,” Joey muttered.
“This is not much of an apology.” Riley rolled her eyes and looked down at her skates.
“And what would be much of an apology?” Joey pressed, wanting to know what Riley was looking for.
“Have you seen Max dance to Aerosmith?” Riley’s face lit up with a wicked grin, and Joey’s paled. He only had half an idea of what he was in for.