Our Drinking Team Has a Bowling Problem

The bell chimed, signaling the entrance of a customer to the small candy shop. My green orbs shifted from the counter to the door. I cringed, noticing who it was. The customer looked around, his eyes landing on me. A cocky smile formed on his face and he strutted over.

Yes, strutted. The freaking idiot.

His tall frame leaned over the counter, "Hey, Phoebe."

"Barakat," I replied curtly.

"So I was wondering—"

I cut him off, "Yes, your hair does look like a skunk."

He touched his hair, crinkling his more than prominent nose. "That wasn't what I was going to ask, but okay."

"What did you need?" I asked, returning my gaze to my napkin doodle.

"I need you to be my girlfriend," he stated.

My head shot up, eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Silence took over for a few seconds. My brain slowly comprehended his sentence.

"Why the hell would—," I paused. "You know what? Sure."

His smile grew.

"On one condition."

The smile dropped completely from his face.

"You beat my brother's team at a match of bowling."

Jack snorted, rolling his eyes. "Your brother is like ten. Seriously, Phoebe, you're losing your touch."

"My brother is twenty-five and his bowling team is nationally ranked."

"Oh please. It can't be that hard to beat them. You just don't want anyone to think you gave in easily," Jack's smile returned.

Someone thinks he's smart.

I pushed the thick-framed glasses up the bridge of my nose with my index finger. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. I get off at seven. Be at the bowling alley for eight," I instructed.

"Will do, sexy," Jack walked to the door.

"Jack," I called out as he opened it.

He turned around.

"Don't call me that ever again," I said, turning to the shelf of candy behind me.

His chuckle met my ears, sending a shiver down my spine. The door clicked shut.

Now to deal with the gum dispenser.

I turned to it. Eyes glared at the rainbow ball-filled machine. It sat innocently, taunting me.

"You're worse than Jack," I sneered at it.

8:30pm.

No sign of Jack.

"He's late," my brother yawned.

"You've said that thirty times, Adam," I said.

Maybe he's not going to show.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

Maybe I wanted him to show.

He shrugged. "Who wants nachos?" he asked the three other males sitting around in matching shirts.

All hands rose. Adam stood and started walking away. A loud crash resonated through the air. Jack, followed by three other guys, stumbled through the door of the bowling alley. They're noisy, obnoxious laughs filled the building. The group walked clumsily to the counter. One of them fell onto it; the woman behind it stepping back. Their mouths moved in conversation. The woman pointed towards us. Jack looked over, a grin covering his face. He waved wildly, taking a step. His body tumbled to the ground, causing his friends to laugh hysterically.

"Is that Jack?" asked Adam, forgetting his nachos.

I nodded. He shot me a disapproving look.

Jack got to his feet and led his group to us. Adam's team stood when they reached the lane. Jack slung his arm over my shoulder and leaned his weight against me. The sent of cologne and alcohol wafted to my nose.

He can't be.

"Hey, sexy," Jack slurred.

He is.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, pushing his arm off of me.

He giggled, "Maybe."

My index finger and thumb clenched the bridge of my nose. Throat took a deep breath in an attempt to calm the rest of me.

"I want a pink ball," one yelled, drunkenly running to the ball rack.

"The blue ones fit you better, Alex," another teased, following him.

"Fuck you," Alex slurred.

"Zack, he said the f-word," Rian yelled.

Zack laughed and tumbled to the ground.

They're all drunk.

I turned to Jack, "What the hell? What could possibly compel you to come to the bowling alley drunk? We’re going to get kicked out if you don't behave."

I was yelling by the time I had finished.

Jack hung his head, put his hands behind his back, and dug the ball of his shoe into the throw up green carpet. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" I asked.

"I said: I was really nervous about seeing you so the guys and I got drunk. I don't want to fuck the game up," his eyes gazed up at me from under his fringe.

Oh.

My face flushed.

"Sorry," Jack said, guilt evident in his voice.

"It's okay. Go get your bowling ball so we can get this over with."

"Okay," he rushed to the ball rack where his friends were laughing uncontrollably.

"Nervous about seeing you?" mused Adam.

I shrugged, pushing my brown hair out of my face.

"Well this should be fun," he said as the boys walked back over.

The group lined up in front of him.

"Here’s the deal: Thanks to your lack of time management, we only have time for one-frame. Even though this is short, the normal rules of bowling still apply. Don't throw up on the lane. Got it?" Adam asked the four drunken males.

They nodded.

They probably didn't catch any of that.

"This is your lane," Adam pointed to the lane on his left. "Do you guys need a few warm-up rolls?"

"Let's start this shit," yelled Alex.

"...okay," Adam pressed the red button on the control panel.

Jack's name appeared first on the screen above the lane. He grinned, ran toward the lane, and threw the ball in the air. The bright pink bowling ball flew over three lanes, knocking over all the pins where a woman and a young girl were playing.

"Strike," Jack pumped his fist in the air.

Adam looked over, mouth agape and eyes wide.

"I think this is your's," the woman said, holding out the pink ball.

I took it from her, mumbling a "thanks." She rushed away. Jack stood in front of me.

"You need to hit the pins in this lane," I said.

A blank stare was my response.

"Just throw the damn thing at the pins."

"Okay," he yelled, catapulting the ball at the proper lane.

It hit the wall above it and fell, knocking all the pins over. The group yelled excitedly.

You have got to be kidding.

Jack grabbed me in a tight hug. My body tingled, butterflies running rampant in my stomach. He kissed my cheek.

"Did you see that?" he yelled.

"Yeah. It was... wow," my thought process jumbled at his touch.

"I know, right?" he let me go, instead clutching my hand with his, fingers laced.

My eyes stared at our hands. Heat rushed to my face. I tore my eyes from our hands, facing the bowling lane. Alex was sprawled on the lane, clearly past the fowl line. His ball rolling down the gutter. Rian lay on the ground in front of the lane, ball poised in front of him. He shoved the bowling ball, ignoring the fact that Alex had yet to move from his spot. It hit Alex's foot and cascaded into the gutter.

Wow.

"You guys don't even have to finish," Adam said.

The group gave him a questioning look.

"My team's done. We got the full forty points," Adam explained.

Jack frowned, realizing the situation. He dropped my hand, the butterflies disappearing.

"I guess that means you won't be my girlfriend," Jack mumbled.

He started to walk away. My hand grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Jack, hold on."

His eyes gazed into mine.

"We forgot to mention: team with the lowest score wins."