Re-lee, reminiscent of a pink-skinned Wonder Woman, added another layer of surrealism. “Different dimension—actually.”
Polly’s head spun. “So, a wormhole brought us here?”
“In layman’s terms, yes,” Re-lee confirmed.
“So, how do we go back home?” Tori asked.
Re-lee flashed them a confident smile. “Trust me, once you meet your mates, Earth will be the last thing on your minds. They’re quite the catch, these alien hunks.”
Polly exchanged a knowing glance with Tori. “So, thinking of staying in this galactic dating pool?”
Tori chuckled, a playful glint in her eye. “Well, unless he’s sporting a tail or something.”
Jana chimed in, her tone light but intrigued. “Or maybe a pair of wings?”
Polly joined in the fanciful speculation. “Hey, what if he’s got horns?” She turned to Re-lee, half-joking, half-curious.
Re-lee nodded, completely serious. “Some of them do. Is that a deal-breaker?”
Polly shrugged, her imagination already conjuring images of these exotic beings. “I mean, if he’s cute, why not?”
“He sounds like a character out of a fantasy novel,” Tori mused with a laugh. “A guy with wings, a tail, and horns? That’s straight out of a fairy tale.”
“Don’t worry, none of your matches are quite that... elaborate,” Re-lee assured them.
Polly’s humor faded a bit as she considered the implications. “But seriously, what if we decide we want to head back to Earth? I mean, I’ve got family back home.”
Jana’s voice, resolute, cut through the chatter. “I want to go back.”
Tori nodded in agreement, her expression turning serious. “Exactly. We’ve got our own lives. What if we choose Earth over this intergalactic adventure?”
Jana repeated, more insistently this time, “I really want to go back.”
Polly turned to Jana, her voice soft with reassurance. “Hey, we can figure this out, Jana. We’ll?—”
But Jana was already shaking her head, her decision written clear in her eyes. “I can’t stay. I need to go home.”
Without another word, she pivoted on her heel and strode out the door, brushing past a stunned Re-lee.
“Miss Jana, wait!” Re-lee’s voice echoed down the hallway. “You should really stick with your friends!”
Tori peered after Jana, confusion and worry etching her features. “Where does she think she’s heading off to?”
Polly sighed, watching Jana’s retreating figure. “Back to Earth, if she has her way.”
Tori shook her head. “You know, maybe going back isn’t even on the table for us anymore.”
“Yeah, well, I guess even if she’s not ready for interstellar romance, she’d better get used to it,” Polly quipped, but her heart wasn’t in the joke.
As they watched Jana’s figure disappear down the corridor, a heavy silence fell over them. Polly exchanged a look with Tori, their faces etched with a dawning realization of just how far from home they really were.
“Well, this is definitely not Kansas anymore,” Tori murmured, but her voice wavered with uncertainty.
Polly nodded, her eyes wide as she took in their surroundings. “Talk about out of the frying pan and into the intergalactic fire. What are we supposed to do now?”
They stood there, the absurdity of their situation hanging in the air. They were light-years away from everything they knew, caught in the most bizarre matchmaking scheme the universe could offer.
“Guess we’ll have to figure it out together,” Polly finally said, a hint of resolve creeping into her voice. “One small step for man, one giant leap for our love lives?”
