53 Minutes That Changed My Life

I got out of the car and started walking toward the door when I saw a group of guys smoking outside the door, right in my way.

“Ugh, nasty.” I said under my breath.

“What?” Jeff asked.

“Oh, I just think it’s nasty that they are smoking like RIGHT in front of the door. Some people DON’T want to second-hand smoke,” I said, “So hold your breath, ‘cause we don’t want you dying from lung-cancer, now do we?” When we got to the door, Jeff and Madeline made a big show of holding their breaths on the way in.

“Haha, so funny!” I said.

“Can I help you?” The person said over the counter. His nametag says Brant.

“Yeah, Brant, we need one lane,” Jeff turned to face us, “Bumpers or no bumpers?”

“Have you seen Sierra bowl? She needs bumpers.” Madeline said laughing.

“Gee, thanks. Way to be a supportive best friend.”

“Ok, so one lane with bumpers and three pairs of shoes.”

When we turned to walk toward lane number 12, my lucky number, Madeline calls back to Brant, “Hey, thanks Brunt!” and Jeff and I start laughing.

“What?” She asked.

“His name is Brant!” Jeff and I say at the same time.

“Oops!”

So, I am a terrible bowler and was incredibly nervous about making a fool of myself and tripped walking over to the lane. Madeline laughs but Jeff does not notice.

“Ok, we will go, Madeline, Sierra, then me.” Jeff says as he types the name into the computer thing.

“Such a gentlemen.” Madeline says picking up her ball and walking toward the lane.

“Hey, I have four sisters so the ladies ALWAYS go first.”

“And that’s the way the world should be.” I said with a nod. Madeline took her first shot and knocked six pins down. On her second, she knocked down three.

“Good job, Mad.” I said giving her a high-five.

“Thanks, that’s more pins than you’ll knock down all night.”

“I’m offended and I take back my ‘Good job’.” I said picking up a purple ball.

“Of course she picks up the purple one, everything she does revolves around the color purple.” Madeline said.

“Does not, and hush, hush I am trying to concentrate.” I swing and knock down all the pins. “Yeah, who can’t bowl now?”

“Still you.” Madeline says smirking. Jeff stands up to take his shot.

Madeline leans over and whispers, “Why don’t you just ask him out already?”

“NO!” I say a little too loudly.

“It wasn’t that bad a shot, I only missed one.” Jeff said.

“Oh, right, sorry. I- never mind.” I said. Madeline stands up and Jeff takes her seat next to me, and puts his arm around my chair.

*** Jeff’s POV

After I dropped the girls off I still can’t decide if I should ask either one of them out. When I got home, Justin and Brandon were sitting on the couch watching some old Batman movie on TV.

“So how was bowling?” Justin called when I walked in.

“You took them bowling?” Brandon said turning around to face me, “That’s so cliché. Did you do the whole help them throw, arm thing?”

“The what? You know what. Never mind. I don’t want to know.” I said sitting down on the couch.

“You mean you don’t know the whole arm thing? Never mind. Maybe it was before your dating time.”

“First off, it wasn’t a date. And second, you’re only like 4 years older than me.”

“Jeff’s to scared to take one of them on a date.” Justin said smirking. I chucked a pillow at his face.

“Shut up man, look who had NO plans on a Saturday night.”