𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 | the boys

𝟬𝟬𝟯 ㅤㅤFlight or Fight

CHAPTER THREE
[  𝗦𝟬𝟭 𝗘𝟬𝟰 : 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 ]

Juliet couldn't fathom where the sudden confidence came from, but she found herself texting Hughie less than a day after giving him her number. She relaxed when he responded just as quickly, and even suggested the idea of hanging out together. Juliet allowed him to pick the place, her knowledge of recreation areas in the city being limited unlike his, and that was where she found herself in the very moment. A bowling alley she had never set foot in, surrounded by many people distracted in their own games to focus on her, sat in one of its many black leather couches, and with the smell of greasy onion rings and french fries filling her nostrils.

Hughie stepped back from the bowling lane after scoring yet another strike. "All right, let's see what you got."

Juliet got up from her seat with a smile to match Hughie's, picking up one of the heavier bowling balls in the bunch without a single grunt and walked over to the bowling lane. She made sure to have a firm grip on the ball before throwing it down the lane, hoping luck might be on her side and be able to score a strike too, but the ball simply rolled down the side. She winced in embarrassment of the way the ball did not touch a single pin, and stepped back to allow Hughie to step back in.

"You said you, uh, you bowled before?" Hughie scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, but it was a long time ago," Juliet answered back, and she hoped that was enough of a response to not prompt more questions. "You?"

"Uh, yeah. Here, actually." Hughie crossed his arms and his smile grew wider the longer he talked. "My whole life. I had my first kiss with Amy Seeler in the men's bathroom when I was 14. It was really romantic."

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that. "Nothing's more romantic than having your first kiss at the men's restroom."

"Excuse me, where was your first kiss?"

"Um. . ."

Juliet was caught completely off guard by that question. But, then again, why wouldn't he ask that? She hid her initial surprise expertly and decided to buy herself time to think by taking a swig from her diet soda. She pretended to struggle in remembering that memory, like every other person would, when in reality she was racking her brain for every single time she was forced to tell those kinds of stories in interviews.