Behind The Uniform

Secrets We Hold

Once I had a gotten a couple of drinks, the cashiers gave me a tray to carry them across to the bowling alley, I walked back. Annabelle was waiting for me with a pair of shoes in tow.

"Did you have to pay for them?" I asked.

"No I just said that I'm with you. Your mum had already paid for me. At the restaurant, I'll pay for my own meal. She really didn't have to do that.

"How did you know it was my mum that paid?"

"I'm pretty sure that Kimberly Rowland might be your mum. I didn't think that Rowland would be your surname. That doesn't work as a nickname."

"You're still after a nickname for me?

Annabelle shrugged. "Maybe but as of right now, I just can't think of anything."

"The same problem that you had last time." I referred to when we met at the fair.

"I'm pretty sure I can compare it to writer's block. I'll get past it at some point. Come on let's get to your party."

We headed back to where everyone was. Ross was beaming from ear to ear as he caught sight of Annabelle.

"Annabelle you're here!" He clapped like a small child.

Annabelle nodded at him and I introduced him to everyone. When she caught sight of Mum, she froze but composed herself and walked over. I stayed back feeling like I would be interrupting something important.

She gave my mum a hug and the two of them shared a smile. A full fledged smile, it had been a long time since my mum had smiled like that.

"So who's on what team?" She asked coming back over to me.

I told her about the teams that we were on. She said she would go on Ross's team to make numbers equal and then the second game began.

This game felt a lot more intense than the first one with Annabelle's inclusion. She was as competitive as Teal and the two of them were quick to get on. In fact the only person who didn't seem to like her was Susie but then again Susie didn't like many people. Sometimes I wasn't sure if she liked me.

When it got to the second round, I realised that I was taking my go straight after Annabelle. So far she had knocked over a few pins but this time she stood up and eyed them. She let the ball go. It started to travel down the lane, rolling and rolling until it hit the pins. They all toppled over. It was a strike.

"Yes!" Annabelle cheered and walked over back to her team. She even high fived Ross and Susie, who actually let her.

"So you can throw a ball." Ross said.

"Yes, that thing at the fair was fixed. I'm sure Jamie didn't win at all, he probably begged that guy." Annabelle teased.

"I did win." I mumbled and I started to get up. Now it was my go.

I took a similar stance to what Annabelle did and let the ball go. It didn't make a strike and only knocked a few pins over.

I went back and Annabelle stuck her tongue out at me. It took another half an hour until the second game was over. Ross's tea, again had come out victorious. Ross gloated about it all the way across to the restaurant and everybody was getting sick of listening to him.

"We won!" I think we know that by now." Annabelle said, patting him on the back. Ross shut up after that.

The restaurant that we had gone to was a typical store chain that served normal pub food. It was the easiest and most affordable place that my mum could afford.