vagabond ; mc

nine ;

After Michael and Dahlia had finished eating, she had stuck to her word. She grabbed the check, paying the appropriate amount without a second thought. She didn't want Michael to feel bad and end up paying even though he had won the bet. Rebecca returned to accept the payment, telling Dahlia that they needed to catch up soon.

"Alright," Michael said, as they strode out of the restaurant. The night had cooled down significantly, a cold breeze blowing the hair back from Dahlia's shoulders. "What else is there to do in this town?" Michael asked, waiting for Dahlia to catch up.

She thought for a moment. In a town as small as this one, there wasn't much to do. Fudge shops took up most of the main street. She could take him to her favorite, but they had just eaten a full meal. But there was one thing she considered.

"We have a bowling alley," she said, glancing towards him. "It's quite small, though. Only five lanes, but it has an arcade and snack bar."

Michael nodded. "Let's do it."

Dahlia led Michael to the bowling alley. It was near the edge of town, but even then it was still close. Just as they were arriving, the streetlights started to flicker on one by one. Dahlia never usually stayed out late enough to see the streetlights come on unless she was out with Ashton on the boardwalk or at the diner.

She tried to push Ashton out of her mind. She was still a bit angry with him. But right now, she wanted to have a good time with Michael. She grabbed the door, pulling it open for Michael. They both stepped through and approached the counter.

"Hi, Dahlia," the worker behind the counter greeted.

"Hi, Jacob," Dahlia returned. She dug around in her purse for a moment before pulling out her wallet and showing Jacob a card. Jacob then nodded, asking for their shoes sizes.

"Don't we have to pay?" Michael asked with a raised brow, taking his shoes from Jacob and following Dahlia to a table.

But she shook her head. "Jacob is Kendall's brother. They gave me this card that gives me three free games each time I come. All of us have one," she explained as she tied one of her shoes on. "But the arcade and snack bar aren't included in it." Michael nodded as her understood what she was telling him.

"Do you want to get the balls or should I?" Michael asked once they both had their shoes tied on.

"I can," Dahlia said. "You can enter in the stuff for the monitor while I'm gone," she said, pointing to the small keypad at the front of the table. Michael nodded, reaching for it as Dahlia went to find the bowling balls after him telling her what weight he needed.

She walked past the other lanes before she came to the rack of bowling balls next to the arcade. She spun a few around, looking for the numbers printed on the surface. She found hers, but when she went to find Michael's, she heard her name being called.

She looked to the source, only to find Ashton walking towards her. "What are you doing here?" She asked, letting her hand fall to her side. He was the last person she wanted to see here, at least tonight anyways.

"Bowling?" Ashton asked, even though it was rhetorical. He threw his thumb over his shoulder, Dahlia's gaze going right to Kendall, Reese... and Luke?

"You brought Luke?" Dahlia hushed, though she really wanted to yell at Ashton. She changed her mind; Luke was the last person she wanted to see here tonight. "What on earth did you think that was a good idea for?"

But Ashton threw his hands up, palms outwards in surrender. "I didn't!" He exclaimed, but still somehow managing to keep his voice low. "It was Reese's idea. Her and Luke have been talking a lot more recently, or so she tells me."

Dahlia's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She didn't know that. "Oh, really?" She asked.

Ashton nodded. "I know he's your ex and all, but he's going to date other girls, Dahlia," Ashton said, running a hand through his golden curls.

"Yeah," Dahlia said, turning back to the bowling balls, hoping to find Michael's quickly. "But it doesn't have to be one of my best friends."

"It's a small town," Ashton half-argued, though he was right. "Who is going to date?" He asked, not really looking for an answer.

But he got one. "Not one of my best friends," Dahlia countered. "Why didn't she tell me?" She found Michael's ball, slipping her fingers into the holes and picking it up before facing Ashton again.

"I think because of this exactly," Ashton chuckled nervously.

Dahlia sighed. "I gotta go, Ash," she said as she started past him, but she didn't get far.

Ashton caught her by the elbow. "But we gotta talk, Lia," Ashton said, his eyes even on hers. "I don't like this, us not getting along."

"I don't either, Ashton," Dahlia agreed. "But not tonight. Call me tomorrow?" She suggested. Ashton nodded and then let go, leaving her to return to Michael.

-

Though Dahlia proved to be good at pool, she was an awful bowler. Michael had convinced her to forgo the bumpers, and it was coming back to bite her in the ass. "I can't believe you're beating me again," Dahlia sighed, her chin finding her hand as she leaned forward.

Michael took his seat beside her. "I can," he laughed. "You barely hit a pin all night."

Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's besides the point," she laughed, despite feigning anger. She took a sip of the slushy she got from the snack bar, taking a small break between her and Michael's turns. They were in the middle of their second game, but they weren't sure if they were going to even start the third.

"So who's the blonde dude?" Michael asked, mirroring her and propping his chin up on his hand, the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smirk. Dahlia almost choked on her drink, trying hard not to spit it back out. "He's been looking at you all night?"

Michael reached forward, patting her on the back encouragingly, muttering a small sorry.

"Him?" Dahlia asked, glancing to Ashton's table two lanes down. Sure enough, Luke's blue eyes were on her, instead of Reese who sat right beside him. She quickly looked away, not wanting to spend any more time wasted on him. Michael nodded. "That's Luke. My asshole ex-boyfriend."

"Thought so," Michael surmised, leaning back in his seat.

"Not only is he an asshole, he's a passive aggressive asshole, so its best just to ignore him," Dahlia sighed, swirling the straw through her slushy. She hated that Luke could always put a damper on her mood, even if he hadn't said a word to her in a few months.

It was then that she felt an arm drape across her shoulders. Michael had scooted closer to her, his arm now settled nicely around her frame.

"Michael?" She asked. "What are you doing?"

He met her curious eyes, "Giving him something to look at."