𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐁𝐘, 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐱 𝐭𝐯𝐝

- ²⁹ IN WHICH THE AUTHOR NEEDS TO SORT HER LIFE OUT AND SOON

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* chapter twenty nine ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

❛ the one in which the author needs to sort her life out and soon. ❜

HOPE LET OUT A GROAN OF EXAGGERATED ANNOYANCE AS STILES THREW THE BOWLING BALL AND IT SPUN STRAIGHT INTO THE GUTTER AGAIN. So far, he had made five shots and all of them had ended up with a straight zero. Only his first attempt had landed him one pin. She watched from where she was at the seating area, with a glass of coke and some nachos, as his hopeful, raised hands slowly slumped down and he frowned, turning to her and their dad, a begrudged look on his sour face.

As the sore-loser version of her brother walked past her, she snorted. Her mouth opened to speak, no, to taunt him on his terrible skill at bowling, but he pointed to her in a playful manner, "Don't you dare." Stiles murmured and took a defeated seat in the corner. Hope snorted again as she passed him the nachos, which he took to eating straight away, eyes trained on the floor as an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks.

Their dad, who had been watching the television to see the points not move with an excited, boastful bounce in his step, turned to his son and smirked, "I knew that inviting you, kid, would make this game all the more easier." He mocked as he took a swig of his beer and hopped out to the bowling section, grabbing a bright purple ball.

Hope scoffed, "Winning against Stiles shouldn't count as a win at all. He sucks."

"I do not!" Stiles interrupted incredulously.

"You have missed every single shot you've taken. Not even Scott on that double date he went on with Lydia, Jackson and Allison did as poorly as you." She pointed out.

Stiles opened his mouth, and closed it, and opened it again and closed it again, looking much like a fish out of water. Eventually, he was forced to relent, but his incoherent murmurs about how he was an athlete and he was just playing badly for their sake rang alongside the 90s disco music blaring through the speakers at the alley.

Noah Stilinski did a little dance, eliciting small but fond giggles from both of his children, as he approached the start of their alley, positioned himself into a lunge and threw the ball down the lane. It immediately knocked down all the pins, so quickly Hope almost missed it, but when the loud chime of a strike! flashed on their television, she crossed her arms and pouted. She had been in first place, but now her name bleeped and was moved down to second. Noah spun on his feet and sent finger-guns her way.

"And that is how it's done." Noah exclaimed as he sauntered dramatically to his seat, fist bumping his son who smirked happily.

Hope furrowed her brows as she glared lightly at her brother. "Why are you even fist bumping him? You're literally in last place, dude."

Stiles shrugged, "You losing brings me joy."

Hope tilted her head as she punched him, not hard, but enough to make him yelp. Then, her name was highlighted in white and she stood. There were many different coloured balls for her to choose, but she chose a green one. Positioning herself at the end of the lane, she let out a breath, readied herself and threw the bowling ball down to the pins. There was a lot of power, yet her excited smile fell into a frown when she only hit three of the pins. Hope could hear Stiles cheering behind her, glad to see her not winning, and she groaned. She ignored his gaze as she grabbed another bowling ball and launched it a bit to the right; the rest of the pins fell down. Spare! chorused from the speakers.