Freewheeling
At the end of the previous installment, I was about to go on a first date with a girl named Gabby. Before we get into the actual date, however, I need to talk about Gabby a bit. Gabby is currently in her last semester of college studying to be a music teacher. She gives private trumpet lessons and about a week before our first date, she played with her classmates at Carnegie Hall!
Originally Gabby and I planned to go ice skating. However, she finished a lesson right when the open skate started on Saturday so she asked if we could do it on Sunday. The problem was that this took place two weeks before Shane proposed to Jessica with help from me, their families, and a musician named Bill. Bill was coming on Sunday to rehearse, so I could not compromise on the day. So Gabby and I decided to go rollerblading on Saturday night instead.
I picked her up at her house and we drove to the roller rink. As soon as we pulled in, we realized our mistake. There was a line of middle/high school kids out the door. “Ugh Teeny-Boppers,” I said. Gabby laughed at my description, and we decided to still go in despite the crowd. We waited in the line for about 15 minutes before we actually got in. We spent that time “small talking” and I tried to flirt, but I think I failed pathetically.
When we finally got in we got our roller blades on, and we started skating. Now I haven’t been rollerblading since I was maybe 10 or 11. From the moment Gabby and I got on the rink something was off about the way I was skating. I just chalked it up to me being rusty.
We made it around the rink three or four times. Gabby was skating closer to the walls and I was closer to the middle of the rink. In the middle of a turn, I suddenly lost control and was barreling towards Gabby. In my mind's eye, I saw myself crash into Gabby, and hit her so hard against the wall that I broke her ribs (or something of that nature). Luckily she saw me coming and moved out of the way so that I barely touched her before I hit the wall.
“What happened!?” Gabby exclaimed.
“I have no idea!” I said.
“Maybe your straps aren’t tight enough.” She suggested. I took her advice, but even after I tightened them something still felt off; in fact, it was worse.
We skated for another 20 minutes and then decided to take a break to get a snack. As we approached the line to order, a man came up behind us. “Sir, sir,” he said to me, “you’re missing a wheel!”
I looked at my rollerblades and sure enough, the wheel on the very back of my right blade was gone. Gabby and I looked at each other and simultaneously realized that the wheel must have been loose when we started, And then it popped out when we made the turn. Without talking to her at all I walked back to get new rollerblades. I didn’t even realize what I was doing till I got back to her. I’m just so used to sitcom level shenanigans happening to me, that it’s normal for me now. And this was not the weirdest thing that happened to me that week so, I just didn't react to the situation… When I got back I saw it on Gabby's face: she realized exactly what she's in for.
Have a Greattastic day and be safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
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