My Type

Chapter 1 - Bowling and Books, a great alliteration

Madison.
My name appeared on the screen and my points so far flashed up.
17 points, bowling has never been my strong suit, just read this line and I would get up and play.
"Maddie, it's your turn," my best friend Amelia reminded me.
"Right away, just this one..." I wanted to contradict, but Amelia cut me off.
"Line, yes, yes, I know, I'll never be able to understand how you can read so much."
Ok, Gina and Niles from my book had just kissed, which motivated me to run ahead and grab the pink ball.
I shuffled uncertainly to the lane and gained momentum with my right arm, then I threw it.
Just like in the last round and the one before, I was unsuccessful, the ball wobbled a meter forward and ended up on the side, where it then calmly rolled past the ten pins and back down again.
"Another gutter, you'll soon set a record on Madd's!" Jackson called to me.

He and Amelia had been a couple for almost two months and I was always the third wheel, both at school and when we met.
Their relationship was like something out of a romance novel, as far as I was concerned, I was proudly single for fifteen years.

"Don't listen to him, Maddie, it's my turn!" Amelia announced, pressed her lips briefly to Jackson's, put her Coke on the table and started walking.
Suddenly the room went dark and only our track lit up, alternating between red and blue and in little heart patterns.
Romantic piano music played from the speakers.
My best friend almost dropped the ball from her hand.
Jackson got up from his chair, walked close behind her, pushed her hair aside and put a necklace around her neck, then whispered something in her ear.
Amelia came running towards me screaming.
"OH MY GOD, how sweet is that! It's our one month anniversary and he remembered!"
I smiled, that's what I mean by their relationship is like a romance novel.
Jackson's father was the owner of the bowling alley and as a son, Jackson was lucky enough to have all of his special wishes fulfilled.
The pendant was a silver heart engraved with the letters A+J.
After Jackson had thrown a strike and Amelia had cheered loudly, he sat back down in his seat.
"Ouuuu, here come the really cool ones," he whispered, Amelia nudged me and gave me a meaningful look, I looked up from my book and saw Ian and his gang occupying the lane right next to us.
"Come on, show him what you've got," my best friend whispered.
I closed the book resolutely and pushed myself off the bench.
Ian was just taking off his jacket and hanging it around the back of a chair, his brown hair falling over his forehead.
I'd known him since junior high school, but we'd never seen him that often until Amelia started dating Jackson.
When he saw me, he nodded in greeting, that was all, I did the same.
This time I hit four pins, for others that might not be much, but for me it was a new high score.
"The day after tomorrow is the last day of fall break," Amelia grumbled, stroking Jackson's hand.
"Yeah, that went by way too fast," he replied, leaning forward to bury his lips in her hair and gently sniff it.
Ian played well and I watched the movement of his shoulder blades, which showed through his t-shirt.
Strike.
Who could stay so cool during a strike? Without changing his expression, he turned to his friends and gave each of them a high-five.
Frank was next and he didn't hit a single pin.
"You're playing like Madd's!" commented Jackson.
"I haven't warmed up yet," countered Frank and called the waitress over.
"Well, I thought your throw was good earlier," Ian said to me and my heart started racing, his hazel eyes looked into mine.
He had watched me play, he had noticed me!!
A young waiter appeared and took Frank and the others' orders.
A little later he came back with the drinks.
"Who was that?" asked Theo, sipping from his straw.
Normally everyone knew everyone here, many waiters were schoolmates of ours or others from our circle of friends who did it as a part-time job, anyway only people we knew came here to bowl.
"Jack?" asked Ian.
"Elliot, he's new here, just moved here," Jackson replied succinctly.
Amelia shook my sleeve so hard that I gave in and asked her.
"What is?"
"Can you come to the bathroom with me for a minute?" she asked, but I could tell from her look that there was something that needed to be discussed between girls.
We excused ourselves and disappeared into the ladies' room.
"Come on, go ahead," I ordered her, almost bursting with curiosity.
"Did you see how he looked at you?" Amelia burst out.
"Yes, and I even managed to keep eye contact!" I replied dreamily.
"Are we talking about the same person?" she asked, bewildered.
"Well, I mean Ian, he complimented me," I mentioned.
"Oh no, not him," Amelia interjected, "Elliot."
"Elliot?"
"Don't tell me you didn't notice, Maddie."
"What Elliot?"
"For God's sake, Madison, THE WAITER."
"I don't even know him and besides," I paused, Amelia knew what was coming next, "and he's blond."
"I know blond isn't your type, but he was staring at you with his blue eyes," Amelia replied.
"Oh, nonsense, you must have just imagined it."
"Believe what you think, but he was looking at you."
I snorted, then we looked briefly in the mirror, fixed our hair and went back to the boys.

We played four or five more rounds, then Ian and his friends said goodbye.
Jackson accompanied me and Amelia to the exit.
"See you on Monday, Madd's!" Jackson said to me, Amelia hugged me and hissed: "He looked at you."
When I broke away from the hug, I only saw a quick shadow pass behind Jackson.
Even if he had looked at me, we wouldn't see each other again for a long time, because when school was in session, we almost never went to the bowling alley, only sometimes on closed days to study together.
I ran home and left Jackson and Amelia alone, because knowing them both, he would accompany her home or she would stay with him for a while or the whole night.