1961 // louis dimucci

Chapter 26

It's the second Wednesday of October and, as usual, we're bowling. And the T-Birds are winning, like always.

"It's not fair!" Sharon shouts, scribbling down the strike I scored onto her little sheet of paper, "Chloe's late, and she's one of the best on the team."

"So? You still have four girls. Four girls to four guys, it's even," Johnny argues.

"Delores doesn't even count!" Paulette exclaims, "She's only thirteen!"

"Hey! I'm fourteen and a half!" Delores shouts at her.

"Shush!" Paulette throws a spare pencil at her.

"Look, it's been an hour, she's not coming," Goose determines. I glance at the door. I hope she comes.

Rhonda crosses her arms, "You never know! I mean, she's always late, anyways, so-"

"There she is!" Steph points towards the doors.

We all look over to see Chloe walking in... with Michael. Ugh.

She grins and waves at Rhonda.

"Hey, guys," She smiles at us, pulling Michael along by his hand, "I wasn't gonna come but I thought since you guys needed a fifth player, I could bring Michael."

"Woah, woah, woah!" I shout, "You can't do that! He's not a Bird!"

"So?"

"So, he can't be on the T-Bird team!" I tell her, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it should be. We can't go mixing Shakespeares and Birds! That'd be crazy!

"Can, too!"

"Cannot! He's not fit to be a T-Bird."

"I think he's pretty fit," Paulette mumbles, and I see Rhonda snicker out of the corner of my eye.

"He's perfectly capable of bowling. You're just scared!" Chloe pokes me in the chest.

"Of what?"

"Of him being better than you!"

"I am not scared. I am so better than him."

"Really? Then why can't he play?"

"Because I don't want him on the team."

"Who cares what you want?! You're not even the leader!"

"Well... I-I," My words stumble and I can't seem to find anything to say, "Um..."

"Um, nothing, Louis. Michael's playing," She glares at the boys, "Do you guys have any objections?"

The boys shake their heads furiously.

"Nope!"

"No objections."

"No problems here!"

"Guys," I groan.

"You're just in time, Chloe, there's one more round left," Sharon speaks up.

She leans over and whispers something in Michael's ear. He grins his stupid smile, and kisses her on the cheek.

I look away and sit down.

Whatever. He's probably terrible at bowling anyways.

We all bowl our turns, and then Chloe and Michael go last.

I watch Chloe, who's watching Michael intently, as if he was the king pin of the bowling alley (which he is not!)

I don't know why she's so into him. I mean, look at him! All he does is smile, and he's too nice! No one wants a pushover. Well, I guess Chloe does. I bet he's not even that good in bed. Have they done anything since that night? They must have! I saw how heated they were getting at the drive-in!