Status: New
A Loaded God Complex
Professional Bowling's a sport?
Nicole had gotten sick and Pete didn't want to come anymore, seeing as how he didn't really know Raya and was kind of moody lately. So, I sat alone at a lane designated for us. She still hadn't shown and I was getting nervous, people were starting to stare. The older, larger men were probably the most intimidating right next to if Raya were here herself. Trying to burn time I entered our names into the computer, then sitting forward I rested my head on my hand. A wind came from behind me and I looked up to see her setting down her bag on the chair next to me.
"Sorry I'm late." She seemed rushed and a little messy in appearance for once. Sitting down across from me she shoved on her shoes and then I watched her grab a ball. Taking a breath, she slapped her knees, "How's it going anyways?"
"Good." I answered covering the shakiness in my voice and the feeling of previous fears fade, "I thought you weren't going to show." I added, quickly feeling dumb for it as her face fell.
"Oh, no… I was running late after piano lessons." Raya's voice was full of remorse, a guilt I put there. "Hey, let's bowl."
"You go first." The corner of my mouth twitched contagiously as Raya's mouth returned to a small grin.
"Ok." Raya approached the lane and rolled the ball with some force. She waited in anticipation until the ball hit all ten pins. Turning, complete surprise and glee covered her face. "How did that happen?" She cheered.
"I dunno!" I shrugged hoping I didn't sound corny. Raya moved her backpack from the seat next to me and sat down, I shifted a little waiting for the pins to be set up.
Raya patted my back and leisurely moved it to my arm where it lingered a moment more, "Come on Mas!" She rooted.
Standing, I bowled my turn, which was no where as graceful as hers. It hit the ground with a thud and rolled straight into the gutter. When I turned around to get my ball to bowl for my second round Raya was giving me a thumbs up for luck. Inhaling deeply, I swung my arm and naturally released the ball from my fingers. That time it hit at least a few of the pins. The game went quickly and more and more overweight, old men started coming into the bowling alley. We didn't play another game since leagues were starting, so we decided to get some ice cream.
"You've never heard of Beatles?" Raya asked after gulping down a bite of strawberry ice cream. I shook my head, I didn't listen to older music, in fact I really didn't listen to music in general. It made it a little hard to talk about it.
"I don't know I might…" I lied to keep the conversation going.
"I know this woman who plays them all the time in the nursing home." She squinted her eyes and pointed at me, "Hey, do you want to hang out again next weekend?"
"Um- yeah sure. We could play badminton in the cemetery." I suggested ,my stomach full of sugar and butterflies fueled by excitement.
"Well, I was thinking you could help out down at the nursing home. Nicole could come too... And Pete if he's into that."
"No, not Pete."
Last time I was at the nursing home was in fifth grade for Christmas caroling. Some grumpy man started chasing after me with his wheelchair and threw his Jell-O at me. I'm pretty sure the rest of the old- well old-old people were too blind or senile to see the growths on my head. Yet, I couldn't help but want to, even if I had such a major phobia.
"I can check," I scratched the back of my neck and fiddled with the spoon in my melting ice cream.
"Cool. So what is Pete's deal?" Raya inquired lightly.
"He's just-- I really don't know. I guess he has always been moody, even before he tried to commit suicide." Instantly my muscles clenched stiff and I wanted to take back what I just told Raya. It just came out, I don't know why I felt comfortable enough to tell her that, "Don't tell him you know."
"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't tell him anyways." A sigh of relief came out and Raya must have noticed, "We should just move on." She kindly recommended.
"Homecoming is coming up." I mentioned, feeling awkward for starting random conversation.
"Nice, is there a dance?"
"Yeah, every year someone spikes the punch." Raya chuckled, caught off guard I for a moment thought she was laughing at me.
"I'll watch out," I felt my diaphragm move uncontrollably at her contagious laughter. As it died down she groaned, "Well, I'll start looking for a date."
My insides felt funny and I no longer wanted to look at the girl next to me, "Why? Is it a bad thing?"
"No," She said simply, "I know they'll expected of me to show up with one."
"You don't have to."
"I know, I know." Raya muttered calmly and quietly. Subconsciously my gaze went to the clock.
"It is 11:00?" Rushing, I zipped up my sweater and started running out the door. I was an hour past my curfew.
"See you later?!" She called after me.
"Yeah!"
I looked foolish, running and trotting past corners, but I knew the later I was the more trouble I was in. On the way I couldn't help it, the scene of Raya holding her hand on my shoulder and her smile kept playing over and over in my head. Then it went back even further to her dabbing my antler and removing the kite from my head, they wouldn't leave me alone. It was all I could think about the rest of the night.
"Sorry I'm late." She seemed rushed and a little messy in appearance for once. Sitting down across from me she shoved on her shoes and then I watched her grab a ball. Taking a breath, she slapped her knees, "How's it going anyways?"
"Good." I answered covering the shakiness in my voice and the feeling of previous fears fade, "I thought you weren't going to show." I added, quickly feeling dumb for it as her face fell.
"Oh, no… I was running late after piano lessons." Raya's voice was full of remorse, a guilt I put there. "Hey, let's bowl."
"You go first." The corner of my mouth twitched contagiously as Raya's mouth returned to a small grin.
"Ok." Raya approached the lane and rolled the ball with some force. She waited in anticipation until the ball hit all ten pins. Turning, complete surprise and glee covered her face. "How did that happen?" She cheered.
"I dunno!" I shrugged hoping I didn't sound corny. Raya moved her backpack from the seat next to me and sat down, I shifted a little waiting for the pins to be set up.
Raya patted my back and leisurely moved it to my arm where it lingered a moment more, "Come on Mas!" She rooted.
Standing, I bowled my turn, which was no where as graceful as hers. It hit the ground with a thud and rolled straight into the gutter. When I turned around to get my ball to bowl for my second round Raya was giving me a thumbs up for luck. Inhaling deeply, I swung my arm and naturally released the ball from my fingers. That time it hit at least a few of the pins. The game went quickly and more and more overweight, old men started coming into the bowling alley. We didn't play another game since leagues were starting, so we decided to get some ice cream.
"You've never heard of Beatles?" Raya asked after gulping down a bite of strawberry ice cream. I shook my head, I didn't listen to older music, in fact I really didn't listen to music in general. It made it a little hard to talk about it.
"I don't know I might…" I lied to keep the conversation going.
"I know this woman who plays them all the time in the nursing home." She squinted her eyes and pointed at me, "Hey, do you want to hang out again next weekend?"
"Um- yeah sure. We could play badminton in the cemetery." I suggested ,my stomach full of sugar and butterflies fueled by excitement.
"Well, I was thinking you could help out down at the nursing home. Nicole could come too... And Pete if he's into that."
"No, not Pete."
Last time I was at the nursing home was in fifth grade for Christmas caroling. Some grumpy man started chasing after me with his wheelchair and threw his Jell-O at me. I'm pretty sure the rest of the old- well old-old people were too blind or senile to see the growths on my head. Yet, I couldn't help but want to, even if I had such a major phobia.
"I can check," I scratched the back of my neck and fiddled with the spoon in my melting ice cream.
"Cool. So what is Pete's deal?" Raya inquired lightly.
"He's just-- I really don't know. I guess he has always been moody, even before he tried to commit suicide." Instantly my muscles clenched stiff and I wanted to take back what I just told Raya. It just came out, I don't know why I felt comfortable enough to tell her that, "Don't tell him you know."
"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't tell him anyways." A sigh of relief came out and Raya must have noticed, "We should just move on." She kindly recommended.
"Homecoming is coming up." I mentioned, feeling awkward for starting random conversation.
"Nice, is there a dance?"
"Yeah, every year someone spikes the punch." Raya chuckled, caught off guard I for a moment thought she was laughing at me.
"I'll watch out," I felt my diaphragm move uncontrollably at her contagious laughter. As it died down she groaned, "Well, I'll start looking for a date."
My insides felt funny and I no longer wanted to look at the girl next to me, "Why? Is it a bad thing?"
"No," She said simply, "I know they'll expected of me to show up with one."
"You don't have to."
"I know, I know." Raya muttered calmly and quietly. Subconsciously my gaze went to the clock.
"It is 11:00?" Rushing, I zipped up my sweater and started running out the door. I was an hour past my curfew.
"See you later?!" She called after me.
"Yeah!"
I looked foolish, running and trotting past corners, but I knew the later I was the more trouble I was in. On the way I couldn't help it, the scene of Raya holding her hand on my shoulder and her smile kept playing over and over in my head. Then it went back even further to her dabbing my antler and removing the kite from my head, they wouldn't leave me alone. It was all I could think about the rest of the night.