Kate and I were making out on my couch when I got a text message from Seth, frantically asking if he could meet at the bowling alley tonight.
What's the meaning behind this? I texted back.
I'm finally going on a date but I'm so flipping scared.
Scared of what?
Scared I'm going to do something stupid!!! I need a barrier of some sort!
And I'm the barrier?
YES! NOW COME ON!
I show Kate the series of messages and ask her, "Wanna go bowling?"
***
When Kate and I arrive, Max is sitting outside the alley, idly smoking a cigarette. Seeing us, he puts out the cigarette and waits for us to come closer. "Did he invite you too?" I ask as we approach.
Max nods and shoves his hands into his pockets. "Yep. And the fucker isn't even here yet." He also adds, "Jules is coming too. Her friend is dropping her off in like a half hour."
At the mention of Jules, Kate tenses and narrows her eyes at Max which he completely ignores. Instead, I pivot the conversation, "I thought you quit smoking."
He frowns and turns his body away from Kate. Only so I can hear, "My dad showed up at the house."
I turn to him quickly. "What?"
Max locks his jaw and seems like doesn't want to add more even though this is some serious business if his piece of shit father is back in town. Instead he asks, "Can I stay at your place for a bit?"
"Of course. Any time."
It's been a very long time since we've had a run-in with his father and it seemed like he finally gave up and left him and his mom alone. But by how distraught Max is right now, I can tell he just needs to remove himself from the situation before he does some reckless shit. We've certainly seen how disastrous he can get.
Before I have a chance to ask him more about it, another truck pulls into the parking lot and I catch sight of my longtime friend in the passenger seat. "Here we go," Max mutters as the truck parks and the two passengers exit.
Clearly, Seth didn't warn his date that this was going to be a group activity and Seth tries to ignore the side glances in his direction. "Jonathan," Seth says as he turns to his date. "This is Maxwell, Charles, and Katherine."
Jonathan, a guy that I vaguely recognize from school being a grade or two ahead of us, looks at our small group and smiles towards us. Putting out a hand towards Max, he says, "I've heard so much about you guys. You can call me Jon."
Max takes his hand. "Max."
When I'm next, I shake his hand and shrug, "Charlie."
Kate just waves to Jon, "And I'm Kate."
Though the introductions went smoothly, Seth only seems to be freaking out more. "Let's get inside," he announces as he rushes indoors. Max and I glance at one another and then to Jon. We give him an awkward smile and just decide to head inside following our friend.
Kate takes over getting acquainted with Jon as Max and I join Seth at the cashier. On either side of him, he whispers, "Don't fucking say anything."
Max snorts and takes out his wallet. "Say what? That you're a complete dumbass?"
Seth grimaces. "It's just... I really like Jon and he seems to like me too but-"
"You can't be emotionally vulnerable with anyone yet?" Max finishes for him.
"God, we're more alike than we think," Seth groans. As Seth buys two rounds of bowling for himself and Jon, I buy the same for myself and Kate, Max buys it for Jules as well despite me saying I could buy it for Jules. As I try not to dwell on that, Seth mumbles, "I hate how nervous I am."
I throw my arm around his shoulders. "You're new to the dating life. Last time your girlfriend became a lesbian."
Seth turns to me. "Tara was always a lesbian, Charlie; she didn't just wake up one day and say, 'oh I like girls now, I should break up with Seth'. And besides, we mutually liked each other as friends anyways."
"Yeah, Charlie," Max agrees. "Don't be such a conservative."
I roll my eyes. "You guys know what I mean. You're new-ish to dating."
"Says the guy who's currently in his first relationship," Max adds.
"No, no," Seth shakes his head. "Remember Anya?"
"I didn't date Anya," I say and it's the truth.
"You just really wanted to," Seth says as he takes the rental bowling shoes from the poor cashier who has been listening in on us. Now sighing, Seth says a bit quieter, "I like Jon is the entire point of all this. So just act natural and say nice things about me."
"Like what?" Max jests.
***
Things are going well.
Jon is a nice guy and does genuinely seem interested in Seth that it's a little annoying. After I bowl my third strike in a row and having groans from Max and Seth echo around me, a figure comes running down towards us.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Jules says as she jumps down our area. Just as she puts down her stuff, she looks to the unfamiliar figure and lights up, "Jonathan?"
Seth's date also lights up. "Juliet?" The two of them meet up and embrace. "What are you doing here?" he asks.
They separate and Jules explains as she points to Kate, Seth, Max, and I, "I so happen to be friends with these idiots." She looks Jon up and down and asks, "What are you doing here?"
A small blush crosses his cheeks. "Oh, I happen to be seeing one of these idiots."
Jules' eyes widen in shock. She immediately turns to Seth and goes to slap his shoulder. As he whines, she scolds him, "Why didn't you tell me?!" Then she turns to Max, "And why didn't you warn me?"
Max shrugs and ignores the question as he goes to bowl. Seth on the other hand, throws up his hands, "I was going to tell you." He looks between Jules and his date and asks, "So how do you guys know each other?"
"We're in the same grade dumbass," Jules says as she goes back to Jon. "It felt like you were in every class of mine," she says to him.
Jon smiles. "I pretty much was. Our schedules were eerily similar."
Max returns and I turn around to see he got a strike. He joins my side and tells Jules, "So you do have more friends."
She immediately flips him off and tells him things I shouldn't repeat. Instead, she pulls Jon off to the side and they start catching up. Seth comes to my other side and frowns. "Did Jules just steal my date?" he asks us.
"Yes. Yes she did," I laugh.
As Seth pouts all the way to bowl, I go to Kate's side and throw my arm around her. I think boyfriends do this, don't they? She looks up and smiles, "Is this the double date you were talking about? Or should I say triple date?"
I pout and look around at my friend group. "I'm sorry this wasn't exactly what I planned for the evening."
Kate smiles sweetly and leans her head on my shoulder. "I'll take this over one of Max's parties any day."
Overhearing, Max says, "Hey. Those parties are enlightening."
Not quite used to this kind of banter, Kate stutters, "Sorry. But it's the truth."
He narrows his eyes at her and then proceeds to ignore her. I guess tensions between them are thawing but not quite warmed up yet.
***
After I completely crush everyone in the first game, we start a second game but after the fourth frame Max says to us, "I'm going to get drinks for us. If my name comes up, just use it as practice."
After he's gone to the bar, Seth and I glance at one another, knowing full well why he's doing this. Seeing this, Jules asks us, "What's with the look? Is something wrong?"
As Kate goes up to bowl, I tell her, "His knee is acting up."
Her eyes widen. "Really?"
"Bastard is a good actor," Seth chimes in. "But yeah. You could tell he was in pain." I should have noticed sooner. Especially since he fucked up his left knee and right shoulder, those two things are vital in bowling and it must have been getting worse and worse throughout the day.
Jules frowns. "Is he going to be alright?"
We nod. "Probably just needs to rest for a bit," I say. I've had my own injuries before - though not as serious as his - but rest does help significantly.
My turn rolls around and this time I don't try as hard. My father used to bring me to the bowling alleys all the time as a kid as he was a part of a league every Tuesday nights. Ever since he bowled two 300 games in a row when I was six, I've always wanted to replicate that feat. I'm nowhere near as good as he is, but I am proud to say I'm leagues better in baseball than he could ever imagine.
When I'm done, Kate uses Max's frame to practice and I help her out. Doing the most boyfriend thing ever, I go up behind her and help with her walk and swing. We watch as the ball lazily goes down the lane and gently tips all the pins down. Squealing with joy, Kate jumps up into my arms and kisses my lips.
Laughing, we head back to the group to find Jules missing. After Seth congratulates Kate on her strike, I ask, "Where did Jules go?"
Seth replies as he gets his bowling ball, "I think she went to the ladies room."
I glance down the bowling alley to just catch her walking back towards the front doors - in the opposite direction of the bathrooms - and towards the bar.
***
Trying to act cool, I join Max's side and calmly order a lemonade for myself. Even though I pull out my own money, Max tells the bartender to add it to his own bill. As I sit beside him in awkward silence, I make myself say, "We haven't really talked since the party." I turn to him to see if I can read his face, but he keeps all his features neutral. With his eyes on anything but me, this feels like a breakup even though we're not dating. "If I did something to make you uncomfortable-" I start.
Max quickly shakes his head. "It has nothing to do with you, Jules."
"Oh, the classic, It's not you, it's me schtick."
Turning to me now, he raises a brow. "I don't want to end our thing unless you want to."
Staring at one another for a bit and ignoring the pitter patter of my heart, I say, "Oh."
Snorting, he takes a sip of his drink. "Is that all you wanted?"
"Well I just wanted you to know that you missed out on some breathtaking sex." He raises a brow but still keeps very neutral in this conversation. That fucker, I think. "I was very horny this week."
A low hmm hums deep in his throat. "I must've missed your texts," Max mulls.
I narrow my eyes, "Is everything alright? You know you can talk to me."
As the bartender gives me my lemonade, Max waits until she leaves to say, "I've been dealing with some home trouble."
"With your mom?" By his silence, I tilt my head, "Your dad?"
Immediately, "I don't want to talk about the rat bastard." Max turns to me and give me his playful smirk. "Wanna let out our frustrations in the bathroom?"
Though I know he's only suggesting this to avoid talking about his personal life, I lay a hand on his bad knee. "Would the activity hurt your knee?"
He leans in. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Oh, you are a menace," I laugh. My heart keeps beating rapidly and I start panicking that this thing between us is definitely more than what I originally planned. I look into those golden eyes, eyes I've seen become vulnerable only to me, and I want only to swim in that color for the rest of my life. Max leans forward now and just as I silently beg him to kiss me, he teases me by rubbing his thumb across my bottom lip.
Smiling weakly, he continues to lean just as we hear, "Oh, I didn't know you guys were dating." Max and I separate to see Jon coming straight for us. He looks between us with happiness in his features. "You should have said something."
While Max seems ticked that someone knows about us or the simple fact that someone is interrupting, I turn to Jon and act as if my heart isn't beating out of my chest right now. "No, we're not dating."
Jon glances between us and immediately apologizes, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright," I smile. "We're just having fun. But the others don't know." Well I think Seth is the only one that doesn't know.
Jon nods. "I promise I won't say anything."
I give him another forced smile. "We'd appreciate it, thanks." Max turns back to the bar, ignoring Jon altogether, so I'm forced to ask, "Were you thirsty too?"
Jon chuckles. "You could say that. I thought you guys needed help carrying everything back." Jon looks behind us to see my single lemonade and Max's single drink and no other orders for the group like Max had said earlier. "I think you've got it covered," he muses which only seems to piss off Max even more.
After Jon leaves, I put my hand on Max's thigh. "Well that was a close one," I laugh.
Sighing, he shakes his head. "Might as well tell everyone at this point."
I blink. Though I'm not ashamed of what we've been doing, I'm still not ready to explicitly say to everyone that we've been fucking in secret. And then if we admit to that, I'll have to face those surfacing feelings I've been having. Instead of saying this to him, I rise from the chair and say, "Not yet. I'm having too much fun and I don't want anything to change that." Max doesn't respond to this, so I quickly change the subject. Kissing his cheek, I whisper, "Thanks for buying the rounds of bowling for me. I'll make it up to you."
I step to walk back to our group, but his hand juts out and wraps around my waist. Pulling me back to him, Max leans in and kisses me so gently that I'm just utterly shocked by the touch. I melt into him and smile against his lips. He pulls away and lets go of me completely. "There," he says. "We're even."