second second second chances [ot9 one direction x 5sos a.u.]

chapter 4: chocolate milk

au note: i didn't edit this lol have fun

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They've learned to brace themselves when traveling so they managed to remain on their two feet when they reappeared in their hotel room. The sun was higher than when they last been here, after all, that have spent quite a bit of time at home preparing. Back home it would be 10:00 but the clock on Alex's phone told them it was 09:00 on October 30, 2015, in Australia. Their past selves should be sleeping in another room at this moment and will be until a couple of hours before the concert. Lucky for them, they're a pretty well-rested, excited pair of uni students up for an adventure.

They stuffed their pockets with Canadian cash and their cellphones and stashed the backpack in the hotel safe. Valerie made sure to put a do not disturb sign on the door and Alex led the way out.

It was a fact that their past selves were asleep in another room. When Alex and Valerie realized they'd lived this trip before, they tried to keep in mind everything they did. Where they went, when they went where they went, and what they saw when they went out. Excluding the actual concert, the most exciting thing that happened not hire trip was Valarie losing her temper at the hotel staff. They both remember the struggle to get a new room and finally succeeding when Valarie threatened to give them a bad rating on Trivago. All things time and universe considered, they tried to stay as careful as possible.

The hotel was lively at 9 am. Families were starting to wake up and head out to see the city, and some rooms were already being cleaned by the staff. They reached the main floor of the hotel and its beauty brought waves of deja vu and awe. Parts of the floor that weren't covered with luxury seating areas and lively fauna were shiny and white. The ceiling was higher than your average hotel and was decorated with mini chandeliers and black and orange balloons. Right--Halloween, thought Valerie.

The hot breezy air hit them in the face as soon as they were released from the revolving doors of the hotel. The sidewalk opened up to a crowded boardwalk and a beautiful view of the ocean. Valerie snuck a tourist brochure from the service desk and they rolled over it on a bench nearby. A lot of the activities listed were either cheap or free for tourists meaning they would have to worry about being short on cash unless they splurge on a ton of souvenirs.

They figured they decide what to do when the time comes and instead exchange the cash they brought. Between the both of them, they had a couple hundred dollars. They could have exchanged their money at the hotel, but that's what their past selves did, and they wouldn't want to accidentally wreck the timeline by doing the same things themselves. They were hungry anyway so they went to check their luck at a convenience store Alex found within walking distance on google maps.

It would have taken them less time to get there if they hadn't been so keen on observing everything and everyone occupying the street. It's one thing to be in another country, but being in another lifetime takes the cake.

Their hotel must be in a popular part of the city because pop-up shops and kiosks filled the bare books of the streets of Melbourne, the majority of them selling Halloween related goods. The cool air of the convenience store greeted them pleasurably and they set out to complete their task, not before separating and taking a quick browse through.

Not that Valerie was old enough, being only 17, but she seriously considered buying a lottery ticket from the kiosk. I would be rich, she thought for herself first, then she remembered Alex after a moment, ...we would be rich...

She abandoned her dreams of being a multimillionaire and pursued the rest of the store. The shelves were filled with snacks, souvenirs, and Halloween merchandise of every kind. The thought of food and the fact that the pizza they have at home is probably still warm made her laugh. If they were to go back, she can just take some front here and avoid spending her money. Alex, on the other hand, was on the other end of the store grabbing a few things for the day. In one hand she had a bag of skittles and the other was holding the fridge door open. What to choose...