"Is it really worth it all?" he shouted over the bass, echoing the song’s second verse.

He caught up to her, their hands locking as they found a shared stride. As the song’s bridge drifted into those airy ad-libs, they weren't just at a local rink anymore. They were "dancing through the skies," high above the weight of their messy emotions.

The neon lights of the rink blurred into long, electric streaks as Leo glided across the polished wood. In his ears, the hazy, lo-fi beat of Xar0's "Roller Skates" (produced by wetgropes) set the rhythm for the night. The lyrics echoed his own daze: "You’re the light of my life, we’re roller skating through the night."

As the track faded out, Leo realized he didn't need to have his life figured out. For now, just "treating her right" and keeping the wheels spinning under the disco ball was enough of a dream world for him.

Maya just laughed, pulling him faster into the curve. "Maybe we should all be braindead for love sometimes!"

For months, Leo had been stuck in a loop—what he called his "braindead" phase—feeling like he was crashing his own dreams. But tonight was different. He saw Maya near the center of the rink, moving with a "delicate smile" that made the rest of the world fade into a lo-fi fuzz.