Soft Drinks and Loud Tunes

Frank and Josh had already begun bowling before any of the others arrived. Akira, their pilot friend, walked in and started plunking quarters into the jukebox. Even though the retro theme of The Radio Nation Bowling Alley meant that the owner had replaced all of the contemporary music with more 'vintage' stock, there were still some music from the rock and roll hair bands. Akira picked some power ballads they could all laugh to, and sing along. They would each deny knowing the words but all of them did. Melody, their friend that was a political up and comer, couldn't make it tonight. She was campaigning for a seat in the local legislature, not Mayor, but none of the group could remember exactly what the title was. It was just a stepping stone to end up a congressperson, so none of them felt it important to remember. Braegan laughed as he sang along with a song, terribly offkey and began to relate the story of what memories that song gave him. "Frank," He began," Do you remember you and me singing this for the talent show? I can't help but think of it every time I hear this old song." Frank smiled widely and looked at Akira, they both blushed slightly but neither kept eye contact long enough to notice. Frank looked to Braegan and laughed loudly as Braegan had dropped to his knees with his arms up high in the air. Frank shouted over the song, as the music in the Bowling Alley was quite loud and so was Braegan's singing," It wasn't that bad! We picked one of those rock and roll love song power ballads so I sang it to Akira! She was there in the band room when we auditioned!" Akira walked away, pretending not to remember any of it. "Well, even as heartfelt as the audition was, we didn't make it," Braegan said as he slid into the vinyl and chrome bench beside Frank. "You know you still feel the same about her," He continued. Frank just stared at the floor and ignored him. Braegan elbowed him in the side," You know it and so does everyone except her." Frank looked up at Braegan and pointed to the scoreboard, letting Braegan know it was his turn to bowl. Akira returned to her seat and looked at the three men across from her. Penny would be there soon, but for now it was just the four of them. "You boys done reveling in the 'good ol' days yet? Tell me about this steam powered glider you've got in that shop," She said to Frank. Frank, always excited about his projects and inventions went on to tell how the glider worked the same way as the engines on her dirigible and superheated the atmospheric air as it passed over an incredibly small nuclear reactor. The air expanded and became a jet of air, just the same as if you were igniting some sort of fuel to create thrust. Frank grinned sheepishly, " I haven't quite got the balance right, yet. It will pull and roar and make mountains of power, but it always pushes the test weight forward and down. That would be bad if it was a person being shoved into the ground by a jet engine," He joked. The two of them laughed. Josh walked over to them and patted Akira's arm and pointed to the board. She was up. Frank just hoped he could strike out bowling as much as he did when he tried to talk to Akira.