Falling for Gray

Chapter 9: An Escape

Caleb on the right and Arianna on the left :)
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I managed to get Grayson back to my place, he'd woken up thankfully but he was barely awake. He was laying on my bed, shirtless. I was sat beside him with a first aid kit that Aunt Jude keeps in the bathroom, just in case of an emergency. His body was covered in scratches, cuts and bruises. But it looked too many for it to be from just one fight. I bit my bottom lip and begin to clean each wound with rubbing alcohol. Grayson flinches in pain.

"I'm sorry" I whisper as I slowly massage the alcohol into each wound. Grayson smiles and squeezes my thigh.

"It's okay, thank you... for helping" he says still remaining to smile even though things could of been a lot worse for Grayson. I quickly stand up, perhaps because I felt awkward with his hand on my thigh. I hadn't been touched like that for years because I knew I couldn't get close to anybody.

I walk over to the desk where the first aid kit was, I began to put away the equipment I got out while Grayson shuffled around behind me, putting his shirt on once again. Shutting the lid of the box, I turn and face Grayson.
"Who were they?" I ask, walking back over to him.

"Just some guys I owe" he looks at me, sheepishly. Like he knows more than he's letting on. I know everybody has secrets and I probably sounded hypocritical at the fact that I wanted him to tell me, even if I don't tell him my own secrets. "You wanna do something?" He asks, changing the subject quickly. I nodded and we head out of my house and back out into the dangerous world.

Grayson grins and turns to face me, "so I was thinking we could go bowling. You know hangout for a while then go get something to eat. Might as well not waste the day"

"Sounds good" I say, also feeling myself smile. We walk to the bowling alley which wasn't to far from where I lived. It gave me a good chance to properly survey the area in case I needed to make a quick escape. We arrived soon enough at Ned's Bowling Plaza, it looked like one of those beat up buildings teenagers would smoke pot in and the guy bought it out hoping to turn it into something that he could live off of.

The interior however did not match the exterior. It was pristine and bright. Bowling lanes one one side, an arcade in the centre and the far side was for roller blading. In the corner was a small burger joint which I figured we would head to later.

Grayson and I walk over to the cashier, who wore a plaid white shirt and dicky bow. His hair was jelled back and he looked as though he was in his late 30s.
"Hi, two for bowling please" Grayson says, leaning on the counter with his wallet in hand.

The cashier looks on his computer and types away. "Well you're in luck, a lane is free so I'll set it up for you guys right away. Can I take your names?"

"Grayson and Jordyn"

He nods and continues to type away on the computer; "barrier or no barrier?"

I nod at the cashier and Grayson looks at me for an answer. "Barrier please" I reply. The cashier nods once again.

"That'll be £8 all together" Grayson hands him the money and then the cashier prints our receipt. "So your on lane 7, bowling shoes are just round the corner for if you're not wearing trainers and you have two rounds. Thanks very much and have a lovely date" Grayson smiles and takes the receipt and I follow him over to our lane. Weird how he didn't deny us being on a date.

I sit down in the booth at our lane and plop my bag down beside me. Grayson dumps his coat with my bag and heads over to the lane. He picks up a pink ball and inserts his fingers into the slots. He takes a small run of 3 steps, swinging his arm back before releasing. I watch the ball spin and roll down the lane, knocking down 9 pins.