Chapter 41 - Team Bonding(2)

After buying the tickets, popcorn, and drinks, we finally settled into our seats at the theatre.

The seating arrangement was... interesting I guess. River and Maria were in the middle, with me on River's side and Lucas on Maria's.

The movie started off fine—lots of explosions, high speed chases, and the usual action movie tropes.

But then, out of nowhere the tone shifted. The main character who was supposed to be some badass soldier, suddenly started confessing his feelings to the female lead, who was now inexplicably dying in his arms.

The dialogue was so cheesy it made me want to crawl out of my skin.

Haaah. I groaned inwardly, slumping in my seat. 'Why did I agree to this again?' I thought to myself as I shoved a handful of popcorn down my throat.

Honestly the only thing saving this disaster of a movie was the popcorn which at this point was the MVP of this outing.

I looked at the projection screen and sighed again. This was peak cringe, and I'd seen enough movies back in my Earth to know this wasn't going to get any better.

But apparently, I was the only one who felt that way it seems.

Why do I say so?

Because to my left, River and Maria were sobbing. Like full-on crying with what I assume is snot running down their faces.

River was clutching her popcorn like it was a lifeline, while Maria was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, sniffling loudly.

I glanced over at Lucas, who was sitting at the other side of Maria. He looked as bored as hell, his arms crossed and his expression completely deadpan.

When our eyes met, I chuckled. At least someone here shares my sentiment.

The rest of the movie dragged on, with more melodramatic confessions and tearful goodbyes.

By the time the credits rolled, I was just glad it was over. River and Maria, on the other hand were still wiping away tears as we filed out of the theater.

"That was... so beautiful," River said, her voice still shaky.

"I know, right?" Maria agreed, sniffling. "I didn't expect it to be that emotional."

Huuh? Emotional? That's emotional? That was cringiest emotional movie I had ever seen. In both lifetimes.

I looked toward Lucas, but he just shrugged. I looked around, noticing a lot of the people who watched the movie, mainly girls wiping their eyes.

Huuuh? Did this world lose their sense of quality romance and emotional movies because of the war?

In what world is that a peak romance-action movie. And why are they crying.

Haaa. Oh well not like I can say how I really feel about this movie.

As we stepped outside, Maria suddenly clapped her hands, her mood shifting instantly. "Hey since we're already out, why don't we go to the amusement park? It's in the same district and it's still early!"

River's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's a great idea!"

I opened my mouth to protest, but River cut me off, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.

"Come on, Nathan! It'll be fun!"

Lucas looked like he wanted to object too, but Maria gave him a look and he just sighed, muttering something under his breath.

And just like that, we were off to the amusement park.

*************

The park was... different from what I remembered from Earth. Well my Earth.

I mean sure, there were the usual rides—roller coasters, ferris wheels, and bumper cars—but there were also some futuristic attractions that looked like they belonged in a sci-fi movie.

One such ride was a zero gravity simulator, where you floated around in a giant glass sphere.

Another was a virtual reality rollercoaster that made you feel like you were flying through space.

It was all pretty cool. Something I would never admit out loud.

We started with the classic rides first. River and Maria dragged us onto a spinning teacup ride, which was as nauseating as I remembered.

Lucas looked like he was going to murder someone the entire time, while River and Maria just laughed hysterically.

As for me. Well I just held on for dear life, wondering how I got roped into this.

Next, we hit the bumper cars. Lucas and I ended up on one team, while River and Maria ended up on another.

It quickly turned into an all-out war, with Lucas and I ruthlessly ramming into them at every opportunity.

River retaliated by spinning us out, and Maria somehow managed to get stuck in a corner, laughing so hard she couldn't drive.

"You're so dead Nathan!" River shouted, pointing at me dramatically.

"Bring it on", I yelled back, grinning despite myself.

After that, we tried the zero-gravity simulator. And I have to say, it was quite... an experience.

Floating around in a giant glass sphere was both terrifying and exhilarating, for others anyway, not me as I could literally fly.

River and Maria loved it of course, while Lucas and I did our best not to crash into each other.(P.S floating in zero gravity is much different from just flying)

As the day went on, I surprisingly found myself actually... enjoying it. River and I discovered we basically had a lot in common.

Example, we had the same taste in music surprisingly, we both loved spicy food, and we also had a preference for black clothing(even though she insisted pink was a "power color").

We joked about how we'd probably be best friends if we weren't at a military academy and I didn't already have a best friend.

Maria, meanwhile, kept trying to get Lucas to loosen up, which led to some hilarious moments, like when she convinced him to try cotton candy and he looked like he'd just bitten into a lemon.

River and I couldn't stop laughing at him.

Later, River and Maria got into a heated debate about which ride was the best.

Lucas and I just stood there, silently agreeing that we'd had enough of both of them.

By the time we decided to head back, we were lala exhausted but in a good way. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the city as we took a cab back to the academy.

When we reached the complex, we all got down from the cab.

Maria and Lucas bid us goodbye as they headed to their own buildings.

River turned to me, smiling. "Thanks for coming today, Nathan. It was fun."

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, it wasn't... terrible."

She laughed, punching me lightly on the arm. "You're such a dork. Good night, Nathan."

"Goodnight." I replied as I watched her head toward Building 2 where Maria and Lucas entered.

As I walked to Building 1 where I stayed, I couldn't help but feel a little... lighter.

I can't remember the last time I had a day like this. A normal day, just hanging out and being normal.

And despite being against it originally, I'm glad I came.

And after today, maybe. Just maybe, this unit thing is doable after all.