Chapter Four – Bowling with My Boys
“I need a pair of women’s size nine, a men’s size sixteen, and a men’s size fifteen,” I heard Iain say as I entered the hole in the wall bowling alley—20th Century Bowling. Iain, Ben, and I always went bowling here together—it was out thing. 20th Century was pretty much what its name implied. The exterior of the building had enormous blue and red neon advertising its presence, and the inside was fixed up with ugly orange carpet and wood-paneling walls. It was a 20th century style bowling experience. And I loved this place.
“Hey, Kitten,” Iain smiled, “Ben should be here any minute. Here are your shoes.” He handed me the pair of bowling shoes and we walked over to lane twenty one.
“I will go get your ball if you order the pizza,” Iain said, handing me a twenty dollar bill.
I went up to the bar and put in an order for a large bacon and mushroom pizza, forking over the twenty dollar bill. I walked back to our lane at the same time Iain came back, lugging my hot pink ball along with his heavy green one.
“Hey Kit Kat!” Ben greeted me, setting a pitcher of beer on the table along with three cups.
“Hey Benny,” I smiled. We hadn’t gotten to hang out since he’d started dating Olivia.
“How’s the family?” Ben asked.
“Mom and Dad are fighting like cats and dogs as per usual,” I shrugged.
“Sorry, kid. Just last the year and then you can go wherever you want,” Ben said, pouring be a plastic cup of beer. I sipped it, and Iain ruffled up my hair.
“Iain!” I whined.
“Are we done with the family reunion? Can we bowl now?” he asked.
“Iain, you’re part of the family too,” Ben rolled his eyes.
“Gee, I’m flattered,” Iain replied, “I’ve always wanted to be a Harrington.”
I laughed and got up and bowled. I knocked over all but three of the pins. I was pretty mediocre at bowling. We went all the time, but I never got any better. It was nothing compared to the way Iain and Ben bowled. Over the years, they’d turned it into a sort of art form, the way they bowled.
Iain got up to bowl next, and the pizza arrived. I grabbed a huge slice and started eating. I was starving. We never had food in the house any more since mom’s job was so demanding and dad had been laid off—making money tight. We could afford food, but no one ever really went to go get groceries.
“Where’s Olivia today?” I asked when Ben came back from bowling.
“She had to work, besides, I wanted to hang out with my baby sister,” Ben said, “I feel like I never get to see you any more.”
“Back atcha, big bro,” I laughed.
“I want to thank you for going along with my craziness. I know it’s not easy for you to pretend to date Iain, and I promise I’m going to tell her the truth, I just don’t want to scare her away just yet,” Ben sighed.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I shrugged, “Iain’s a good kisser,” I added, teasing Ben.
“Hell yeah I am,” Iain winked and high fived me, having come back at the opportune time to hear that comment.
“Oh God,” Ben glared at us, “I never should have done this. I really don’t need you two conspiring against me.”
“We’re a great team,” Iain said, laughing.
“Whatever, you guys, I really appreciate it, even though I don’t really show it. I just get caught up in it sometimes, I mean I feel bad because here I’ve asked my best friend to basically maul my sister, and you guys are so great and you’re doing so well at faking it, but at the same time, it’s like, you’re my baby sister, and you’re my best friend, and I really don’t want you corrupting her,” Ben rambled incoherently.
“Trust me, Ben’s not corrupting me. I’m in high school. Iain is tame compared to some of those teenage boys,” I laughed.
I went and bowled and ended up bowling a perfect strike, earning me hugs from my two favorite boys. We bowled and ate pizza until the bowling alley closed that night at midnight.
“Will you give Kit a ride home, Iain? Olivia just texted me and wants me to come over,” Ben said, trailing off. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it meant he was being booty called.
“Yeah, of course,” Iain said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. I followed Iain to his car—the very same car where he’d kissed me in and made me late to homeroom. Iain lit a cigarette and I admired the white smoke as it drifted from his lips.
“Your parents won’t mind that you drank tonight?” he asked me.
“I doubt they’ll even notice. They don’t pay me much attention anymore,” I shrugged.
“I’m sorry, Kitten,” Iain sighed, “That’s really rough.”
“It’s fine,” I said, “Gives me lots of privacy to do whatever I want with my brother and his idiot best friend.”
“Whatever you want?” he winked.
“Iain, we’re only pretending to date,” I laughed.
“Doesn’t mean I like kissing you any less,” he shrugged.
“Stop it!” I laughed.
“I can’t. I’m supposed to be nice to you now. I’ve got to use flattery to infuriate you and make your face red now. I can’t tease you or call you names anymore.”
“You can too,” I rolled my eyes.
“Nope, you’re my girlfriend now. I’ve got to be nice to you so you don’t go running to another man.”
“If we were really dating and you stopped being you because we were dating, I’d find another man,” I laughed.
“Oh really?”
“Really,” I said. It wasn’t long before he pulled up to my house and I leaned over, pecking him on the cheek.
“Thanks for the ride home, jerk,” I laughed.
“Whatever you need, Kitten,” he winked.
A/N: There are over ten chapters of this story uploaded, to see them you must add it to your library because they are rated M. Sorry for the inconvienience!
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Best of Friends
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