Daydream Believer

cxi. bowling and explaining to michelle

cxi. bowling and explaining to michelle

Michelle and I hadn’t exactly been all that close lately. I had to quit midseason last year because of Brooklyn, so Michelle lost the tournament, which she was still mad about. I was going to make it up to her this year though. We were going to win.

 

“McKenna, I wanna bowl with you,” Brooklyn told me when I was packing up for school and our first bowling practice the day after my seventeenth birthday. It had been nearly a year since the accident.

 

“But you can’t,” I said. “Even if you just wanted to watch, you’d have to ask your mom for a ride. We only have one car.”

 

Brooklyn did so, and Shonali happily obliged. She would do anything, as long as it was for Brooklyn. In that way, Brooklyn had become the most spoiled child in the family. I could sort of understand why Noah felt neglected, but Brooklyn needed the attention. Noah’s legs still worked, unlike Brooklyn’s.

 

So after school, Brooklyn and I met at the bowling alley. Michelle was there too. She was playing a bunch of obscure, moody indie rock songs. “Hi McKenna,” she said. She glanced at Brooklyn. “Who’s this?” she asked.

 

“This is Brooklyn,” I explained. “She’s just coming to watch.” I went to the concessions stand to buy Brooklyn some snacks and then I found my lucky ball.

 

“You didn’t show up to practice much last year,” Michelle said.

 

“I know, I’m sorry,” I said. “I had so much going on at home.”

 

“Yeah, but you could have made time to come to practice.”

 

“I really couldn’t have,” I said.

 

Michelle rolled her eyes. “I can make time for five different sports. You can make time for one.”

 

“Your sister isn’t disabled!” I shouted.

 

“That doesn’t matter,” Michelle said. “I bet I could still do it.”

 

“Now you’re just being a jerk,” I mumbled.

 

We started bowling. This time I wanted to beat Michelle. That was all that mattered. She was acting like everything that happened to Brooklyn didn’t even matter, and I needed to get her back for that. She would pay for what she had said.

 

Brooklyn cheered for me the entire time. I like to think that I won because of that, but I didn’t. It was pure luck. I just barely beat Michelle.

 

“Good game,” she told me.

 

“Thanks,” I replied.

 

“It was nice to meet you Michelle,” Brooklyn said.

 

“Nice to meet you too,” Michelle grumbled. She put away her ball, and I put away mine. “How’s Aaron doing?” she asked me.

 

“Good, I think,” I said.   

 

“That’s nice,” Michelle said. “I kind of miss him.”

 

“He’d probably take you back,” I said.

 

“No,” Michelle said. “I think he likes someone else.”

 

“Who?” I asked.

 

“I promised not to tell.”

 

“Oh okay,” I said. I shrugged and started walking away. “Bye Michelle. See you next week.”

 

“Bye,” Michelle said.

 

“That was fun,” Brooklyn said.

I shrugged. “It wasn’t too bad,” I said. Things had certainly gotten closer to normal, but nothing was perfect yet.