Closets Aren't Just For Clothes...

Chapter Sixteen.

Chapter Sixteen.

Right as Noah and I step through the door of Rob's Bowling Alley, I stop myself from choking on cigarette smoke. This is definitely a bad idea. I don't even know what I'm doing here. It's obvious that I don't belong here. Just looking around at the few people that are here, I can tell that I don't fit in.

I look around and see only a couple of people bowling, along with the clashing noises of bowling balls ramming into the pins.

"Noah, dude!" a man's voice roars with laughter. "What the hell are you doing here, man?"

I look over and see a tall man behind a long bar, next to a cash register. On the shelves beside him are bowling shoes, arranged in order by size. He's handsome in an older way; he's maybe in his early twenties. He has shaggy blonde hair that flops right above his dark brown eyes. I wonder if he's friends with Noah.

"Hey, Miles," Noah responds walking closer to the guy, me tagging along behind him.

Miles glances at me and then at Noah. "Who's this?"

"Miles, Emi. Emi, this is Miles," Noah says.

"Nice to meet you, Miles," I smile politely.

He eyes me up and down before replying. "You too. Say, haven't I seen you someplace before?" he grins.

Is that supposed to be some sort of a 'come on'? You're a little old for me aren't you, buddy? I respond in my head. I look at Noah, who is very aware of what Miles is doing, yet, he's waiting for me to respond.

"Yeah," I say. "That's why I don't go there anymore."

Noah laughs at Miles, who by my definition; failed.

"How old are you, Youngblood?" Miles asks me.

I feel Noah's around my waist. "Too young for you," he answers for me, chuckling. "We just need a lane and two pairs of shoes, eleven and..." Noah trails off, looking at me.

"Seven," I fill in the blank.

"You got it, man," Miles says, scanning through the shoes on the shelf. When he finds the right size shoes he comes back and hands them to Noah. "Lane two. Have fun," he tells us.

I follow Noah to the right lane and sit in one of the seats while he sits in the seat in front of the little computer.

"So, what's with Miles?" I ask Noah. "He's kind of a creep."

Noah shakes his head while laughing a little. "Miles is harmless, he's Tom's grandson," he replies. "Miles' dad owns this place," he adds.

How does Noah know all of these people? I can't imagine that Mr. an Mrs. Fletcher hang around people that are so...normal.

"Noah, can I ask you a question, without you slapping my ass?" I question.

He thinks for a minute. "I have a better idea," he starts. "We play and if you win, I'll answer any question that your little heart desires, but when I win; you let me take you out, on a real date," he finishes, looking me straight in the eyes.

A date? Hello, does he not get the concept that I'm already dating Matt. Well, I don't know if it qualifies as dating because we've never actually gone out on a date. It's strictly...business?

"Why would you want to take me out on a date?" I ask him.

Noah shakes his head. "No questions yet, you haven't won," he grins.