Sam and Deena B.S.F (Before Sarah Fier)

Deena Johnson Part 3

I picked Sam up the same afternoon, she was wearing the sweater I just gave her. Even though she just put it on, I want to rip it off seeing her in it. We meet up with Simon and Kate at the bowling alley, and see them getting their bowling shoes.

"Hey, you two!" Simon shouts out.

"Cute sweater, Sam." Kate says, looking her up and down. "Where'd you get it from?"

"Oh..." Sam looks to me swiftly but back at Kate. "My mom. My mom got it for me. A little Thanksgiving gift I guess."

"You get gifts on Thanksgiving?" Simon says all high pitched and curious.

"Yeah. It's an odd family tradition." Sam says, laughing it off. "What size are you?" Sam asks me.

"8 ½." I say. Sam gets us pairs of shoes while Simon and Kate head to the lane.

"Family tradition? Nice one." I tell Sam, elbowing her playfully.

"Shut up, what was I supposed to say?" She says, lowering her voice.

"I dunno. I'm just saying..."

"What?" She asks.

"Maybe we should just-- tell them." I say, waiting for her response as the dude behind the counter hands us the shoes.

"It's too soon, don't you think?" Sam finally lets out. "I mean, it just-- this all seems a little rushed, Deena."

We head to the lane but stop before we get too close to Simon and Kate so they won't hear us.

"I don't have an issue with them knowing. But I know you do. So yeah, it's fine. We don't have to tell them right now. Only if YOU want that." I say. She nods.

"I think it's for the best for now. I'm sorry, okay? I know I'm making this more difficult with how I feel, but--"

I grab her hand but remember we're in public and quickly let it go.

"It's fine, Sam. I just want you to be happy." I say, with a smile.

"I am. I'm happy with you." She says, looking at my lips. I could kiss her right now if I could.

"HEY! Who wants to bowl first?" Simon calls out to us. "Also, how do you spell 'Deena'?"

"Move over." Kate says, pushing him from the keyboard. "Two ee's, you idiot." She says with a smirk.

"Oh... I see." Simon says back. "Are you guys gonna hurry up with your secret talk and play with us or what?" We look at Simon and he giggles like a moron.

...

Kate has to be perfect at everything. It's her thing. She doesn't expect anything less than the best with herself. So naturally, she takes hours to line up her bowl. I'm surprised she hasn't brought out a protractor or some shit already to get the perfect angle. It's her turn and she stares down the lane with the ball held up to her face preparing her shot.

"The trick is within the oil patterns." Kate says like a college professor. "At every alley, they apply a certain oil pattern to make it more difficult to land a strike. So the trick is, avoid the oil as best you can so you always win." She bends down and looks eye-level with the lane for the oil.

"Dude, can you hurry up? I'm like, in the ZONE and you're not helping by taking forever to just bowl." Simon says, making Kate turn around and flick him off.

"Hey! Rude." Simon says, slumping down on the couch.

"So how was your Thanksgiving, Simon?" Sam asks.