My brothers best friend

Chapter 16: A Night of Laughter and Revelations

(Edited)

Chapter 16

Jake's Point of View

Bowling wasn't exactly my idea of a wild night out, but the moment we walked into the brightly lit alley, the energy in the air told me this was going to be fun. The neon lights flashed above us, casting bright colors across the floor as music blared from the speakers, adding a layer of rhythm to the chaotic clatter of pins falling in the background. I was already starting to feel the excitement. Mason was already at the counter, cracking jokes with the attendant as he sorted out our lanes. His laughter echoed across the polished floors, loud and unfiltered, pulling smiles from everyone within earshot.

Beside him, Paige leaned against the counter, arms crossed but clearly amused. She nudged him with her elbow, her smile growing wider as he turned to her, flashing that charming grin of his. It was almost ridiculous how natural they seemed together, like they'd known each other forever. Paige's laughter rang out, and for a moment, I thought about how easy it was for Mason to be this way—totally at ease in his own skin.

I glanced around the group. Viktoria and Connor were tucked close to each other, her head tilted as she whispered something that made him laugh. He gave her a look like she had just told him the funniest secret in the world, and for a second, it almost seemed like the rest of us didn't exist. Amelia stood a little apart with Jonathan, her boyfriend. He had that same distant, calculating look I'd noticed before—polite but somehow detached. He offered a faint smile as Amelia gestured toward the rows of bowling shoes, but it didn't reach his eyes. I didn't know what it was about Jonathan, but I could tell he was holding something back. He was always polite, always smiling, but there was a cool distance there. Maybe I was overthinking it.

And then there was Valerie, standing near me, her gaze sweeping over the others. She caught my eye and smiled, the kind that always seemed to settle something in me. Her presence had a way of doing that. "What do you think, Jake? You ready to show them how it's done?" Her voice was warm, playful.

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're assuming I know how it's done."

She rolled her eyes, nudging me with her shoulder. "Come on. You've got to be at least better than Mason."

As if on cue, Mason turned toward us. "I heard that, Val. Don't think I won't crush you on the scoreboard tonight." He puffed out his chest and tried to look serious, but the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips made him look more like a kid playing dress-up.

"Crush me?" Valerie scoffed. "You're the guy who still uses the bumpers, Mason."

"Hey," he said, holding up a hand. "That was one time. And I was seven." He looked to Paige for backup. "Tell her I've got skills."

Paige grinned, her voice teasing. "Oh, I've seen your skills, alright. But I'm pretty sure it's mostly just your ability to fall into the gutter."

"Alright," Mason said, rolling his eyes, "this is clearly rigged." He turned to Connor. "Tell her I'm a world-class bowler."

Connor just laughed and shook his head. "You're asking the wrong person for advice, man. I'm not even sure I know how to play this game properly."

"Great," Mason grumbled, dragging a hand through his hair. "Just great."

We finally got our shoes and shuffled to the assigned lanes. Mason immediately claimed the scoreboard, fiddling with the screen as he added our names. Of course, he made a show of it, narrating each entry like a sports announcer.

"And up first, we have the one and only Paige, the queen of the lanes!" he declared, pointing toward her like she was a champion already. Paige laughed, giving a little bow as she grabbed a ball.