“Whoa there,” she laughs. “I didn’t say that I was gonna lose.”
I don’t say anything. Just keep my eyes on the lane, and wait to retrieve my ball.
“Do you think I can ask you a question?” She asks, not taking a seat next to me but standing near the gutter, watching.
“As long as it’s not about movies,” I mutter.
“It’s not,” she assures me. “I promise.”
Well, I’ll take whatever small win I can get. After grabbing my ball, I aim and wait for the right moment to throw it.
This is when Carly chooses to ask her question.
“Are you going to tell Ali about your crush on her soon?”
Dang it.
4
The Fun of It All
Carly
Crew nearly trips but manages to steady himself. Unfortunately, he loses his grasp and the bowling ball flies onto the alley, missing the two pins entirely.
Wow, I didn’t think that would elicit a reaction out of him.
“Could you be a little quieter?” He hisses at me.
I frown, pointing my thumb over my left shoulder. “They’re too loved up to hear. We’re also in a bowling alley.” One that is currently blastingCome on Eileenby Dexy’s Midnight Runners at nearly full volume. I feel like I’m in a club with how loud the music is, except this club is extremely spacious and has balls.
Bowling balls, to be exact.
“But what if they heard?”
I shake my head. “Hate to be a downer,Chicken Little, but they didn’t. The sky’s not falling.”
The confusion that twists his face could make me laugh right now, especially because I didn’t perceive him as particularly emotive. Yet, I never thought actors were great at hiding their emotions, current or former. It’s in their job descriptions to be expressive.
“How didyouknow?” He asks as we wait for the ball to be retrieved from the conveyor. Panic laces his dark eyes. “Ali didn’t figure it out, did she?”
I shake my head. “Last I checked, she was clueless. Though I’m a little surprised—you really suck at hiding it.”
He sputters, probably not expecting me to say that. “Do you just say what’s on your mind, all the time?”
“Who else will?” In reality, I’m not as unfiltered as he believes. “Truth hurts, Movie Star. You should know.”
He groans. “Could you not call me that?”
“Give me a better nickname to use and I’ll consider it,” I counter.
“No way. My actual name should suffice.” The ball rolls back on the rack, and Crew grabs it. A signal for me to leave him the heck alone.
“Aw.” I pout dramatically before turning around and heading straight to the couch. “Where’s the fun in that?”
I re-tie my shoelaces and watch Crew knock down three more pins. I don’t even care about winning—my goal for tonight is to earn five strikes in a row, and I’ve never been able to do that.
Not even during my time in a bowling league. Yes, high schoolers have leagues, too. Though mine was more of a club than a bowling league.
