"Where are you taking me this time, Lara?"
Adam was no stranger to his girlfriend's date night antics. He stomached that one time when Lara accidentally ordered two dozen pizzas while using an app or when he fell into a fish pond during a fishing date gone horribly wrong. But being blindfolded while sitting in the passenger seat of his girlfriend's car is another level of craziness that Adam was not sure he could handle.
"It's a surprise!" Lara replied. Even without seeing her face, Adam could sense the giant grin on her lips.
"Haha, very funny," Adam said in a dry tone. "We could have just stayed home and watched Netflix, you know?"
"But where's the fun in that!? Trust me, honey, you will absolutely love this place."
The car came to a gradual halt in a parking space. Lara was the first to hop out of the vehicle before assisting Adam. With her in front, she guided her blind and clumsy boyfriend through the parking lot until they were in front of a new and unfamiliar establishment.
"You can take off the blindfold now," Lara cheerfully announced.
Adam peeled the handkerchief off his face and was greeted with neon pink, blue, and green lights. A bright LED sign was plastered above the building's entrance, reading "TOMS ROWDY ROLLER RINK" in bold, neon colors. Teenagers and young adults waltzed in and out of the glass front door.
Adam and Lara took a peek inside. Both their mouths gaped at the retro interior. There were rows of ambient lights hanging from the high ceiling, colorful carpeted floors, and walls with vibrant zig-zag prints. Smack dab in the middle was the rink, with people in roller skates and blades zooming around the wooden dance floor. A DJ booth was at the back, playing throwback tunes from the late 80s and early 90s.
"Isn't this exciting?" Lara bounced up and down while holding onto Adam's arm. "I always wanted to try a roller rink!"
Adam's face was as white as the concrete they were stepping on. "Y-yeah! I heard you loud and clear. But, uhm, I think I will sit in the bleachers and watch you skate. What do you think?"
"And miss out on all the fun? I don't think so! Come on, you will do fantastic."
Lara tugged Adam into the building and paid for an hour-long session at the reception desk. As they put on their roller skates, Adam could not help but stall and watch his partner giddily get ready.
It was his first time skating, and he had zero clues about where to begin. He knew Lara was an expert since she had experience as a kid. But Adam was sheltered by his parents and was never allowed to learn any "potentially injuring" toys while growing up. So here he was, wanting to say no but can't because the bill was already paid for, and Lara could never take no for an answer.
Adam wobbled onto the rink while Lara gracefully flew along with other dancers and roller skaters. Adam's legs crisscrossed as he desperately tried to regain balance. His grip on the support bar was so intense he was sure he could bend it.
He looked up and tried to look for Lara. His anxiety about skating evaporated when he saw her gliding on the hardwood floor with newfound grace. Everyone stared at her in awe as she spun and danced to the rhythm of the disco music. Adam immediately fished his phone out to capture the moment.
When Lara got closer to Adam, she waved her hand and beckoned him towards her.
"Adam!" Lara called out. "Come on! You can do it. Just take baby steps."
"Baby steps, right," Adam repeated while wiping the sweat off his brow.
Slowly, he inched away from the bar and pushed himself into the middle of the rink. His feet did little rolling and more hobbling as he made his way from one end of the rink to another. A few annoyed customers glared at him for being too slow, but Adam couldn't care less. He could feel a bit of his confidence building. But suddenly-
"Watch it, nerd!"
Adam was pushed to the ground by three teenagers who were taller and stockier than him. The music came to a screeching halt, and other skaters paused and stared at the center of the rink.
"Get off the rink, will you, old man?"
"Hey, everyone! We found the newbie right here!"
"What's wrong, old man? Are you going to cry?"
People stared and watched Adam struggle to get up. No one laughed like how the three teenage boys did. But nobody tried to approach the embarrassed Adam except-
"Will you three get away from him!" Lara shouted.
She rolled up to Adam's side and immediately helped pick him up. She continued, "So what if he is a newbie? He isn't hurting anyone in this rink. Why don't you mind your own business and go back to your parents so they can teach you some manners? Come on, Adam, let's go."
The three boys ranted and shouted at the couple. But Lara rolled away with Adam to the bleacher to gather their stuff.
"I'm not coming back to this place," Lara mumbled angrily. "They let any jackass in here anyway. Right, Adam?"
Adam's head hung low as he pulled his roller skates off. "I'm sorry, Lara. I know you wanted to have this date for a very long time. But the truth is: I don't know how to skate. I never learned how to. And I guess those boys are right: I am just a newbie."
Suddenly, Lara wrapped her arms around Adam. A warm, comforting sensation surged through both of them. Lara replied, "So what if you are a newbie? I will teach you to skate so you will be the best skater in the entire galaxy. Everyone starts somewhere anyway. And you can show those brats who the boss is!"
Adam lifted his head and smiled. "Thanks, Lara. Hey, the night is still young. Maybe we should grab a fro-yo or pizza before we go home."
"Hell yeah! But you're paying this time. This place is stupid expensive."
Lara excitedly returned the skates to the reception desk before skipping through the exit. Adam followed behind, watching the clip he captured on his phone. It was only 30 seconds long, but it always made his heart flutter to see the giant grin on his girlfriend's lips as she twirled weightlessly.
And so what if the evening went south, he thought. At least Lara got away with her antics yet again.
Originally submitted for Visual Communication
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