Freefall ✓

28 | double

"I'd knit y'all a bridge so you could get over it already." He killed the engine and the four of us sprung out. The rumpus of bowling noises from the inside was appreciable the moment we did. "I've got an idea. Last one inside pays the restaurant bill!"

His call broke a real upheaval loose. 

We skedaddled towards the entrance like savages, desperately fighting for the lead. I only looked back when I finally flew through the glass door, my heart jackhammering my chest.  The bartenders in front were eyeing us —apparently, an archetypal bunch of rowdy teenagers— disagreeably. I was beginning to wonder how the heck I didn't end up last when I looked at the floor, where Dominic had just tripped over Syd. Or Syd had tripped over Dominic. Or both had tripped over each other.

In any case, Dominic was the one who ended up last. 

Aghhh. The irony! It burned!

Standing up, he flipped his mane of the dark long curls melodramatically, with a brisk head jerk. "Aghh, it's okay," he waved a dismissive hand, coasting over the fact that he'd just lost his own challenge. "I was feeling like inviting you all to lunch today anyway."

"Oh wow— if it isn't the walking incarnation of magnanimity himself," I mocked, in a friendly way. "It's alright, Dommo. You don't have to pay for us."

Syd ruffled his hair. "You're such an idiot," she beamed up at him.

He enfolded an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to kiss her curly hair. "Thanks, muffin."

What tugged my lips to a smile was partially amusement, partially cuteness. We meandered our way through beverage bars, snack stands and arcade machines until we reached the main attraction of the center: the bowling alley. The cacophony of brutal strikes and people's outcries jabbed at my ears. 

"Let's take the far right one," Cam suggested, pointing at it.

Before today, I've never really thought of bowling as anything more than a lighthearted, laid-back little game for a friendly get-together, that doesn't require any particular prior practice nor skill. 

Nevertheless, during today, it turned out that— all along— I've thought wrong.

I'd found out that bowling was not as easy, and you could suck at it the way you could suck at any kind of sport game. Or the way I did.

It also looked as if the three of my companions had all secretly agreed to take bowling classes before coming and not tell me, since they seemed to be handling it pretty ably. 

I released yet another heavy ball down the lane, crossing my fingers for it to be successful at least this time. And — gracious me — it rolled past all of the pins, without so much as brushing the surface of a single one. 

"Does that count for anything?" I asked, trying to materialize the desired. "That's gotta count for something— I mean, not touching a single pin is as hard as knocking them all down! There's gotta be a rule that appreciates that!"

Dominic glanced at me with a wry grimace. "I would say yes, but momma said don't lie to people."

They all broke into a chortle at that. "Oh, screw you all. It's who laughs last that laughs best. You just wait."