Jordan and Violet come back with drinks梀iolet a hard seltzer and Jordan a pitcher in one hand and a stack of cups in the other.
揕ook at you,?Jordan says as I slide on the oversized bowling shirt.
Violet giggles as she takes me in.
揟hat bad??I ask.
揘o, you抮e totally pulling it off.?
揂dorable.?Jordan抯 lips twitch with a hint of a smile as he extends a cup toward me. 揃eer??
Liam抯 already filling one for himself, so I nod. 揟hanks.?
Jordan pours my cup almost to the top, and I take a sip as another guy joins us. One I recognize.
揧ou have got to be kidding me,?Violet抯 voice cuts through the noise of the place.
揌ey, guys,?Gavin says. 揘ew recruits??
揇aisy is filling in for Jenkins tonight.?
揂nd you??Gavin asks, looking at Violet.
揑 was here for the drinks and socializing, but I guess now I抦 just here for the booze.?
揧ou two know each other??Jordan asks.
揥e抮e neighbors,?Gavin says.
揙h, right.?Jordan shakes his head. He looks to Liam. 揟hey live next to The White House.?
揜eally??Liam asks me, smiling.
揧eah,?I say quietly.
Liam moves to the chair in front of the computer to input names and motions for me to follow. My heart rate skitters along as I sit, and his arm brushes mine.
揧ou抮e filling in for Jenkins. He usually goes second, but I can put you anywhere in the lineup you want.?
揥herever is fine.?
揑抣l put you between Gavin and Jordan,?he says, focusing on the screen in front of him. He puts himself first and then Gavin, me, and Jordan. He sits back. 揥e抮e all set. Ready??
揘o.?I laugh.
揑抳e got you.?
Liam puts on his team shirt, grabs his lucky ball, and gets in position. He throws a strike on his very first turn.
The guys give him fist bumps, and he takes a seat next to me again.
揘ice job.?
揟hanks.?
When Gavin has the same result, my stomach sinks. I glance at Violet whose smile and big eyes meet mine, silently communicating the horror. These guys are good. When Violet said I was pretty good, she meant my ball mostly stays out of the gutter, not that I knock down a lot of pins.
揧ou抮e up,?Liam says.
I glance at a girl on the lane beside us, watching as she takes her turn. Her ball flies down the lane and knocks all but one pin down. I swallow thickly. Oh god. What was I thinking agreeing to this?
I grab my ball and glance back. All eyes are on me. Awesome. Slowly, I walk to the center of the lane.
揕et抯 go, Daisy,?Liam cheers behind me.
It抯 only because the sooner I take my turn, the sooner I can go sit back down, that I move my feet and hurl the ball. It isn抰 as fast or straight as the others, but it manages to get all the way down without going in the gutter, and I knock down four pins.
I let out a sigh and go back. Then I remember I have to go again.
揟hat was great.?Liam smiles and claps, encouraging me.
Jordan抯 sitting off to the side with Gavin and Violet, his cup of beer up to his lips. Even so, I can tell he抯 smirking at me.
I suffer through the rest of my turn and manage to get seven total pins.
I pass Jordan on the way to my seat. His confidence in rented shoes is aspiring.
Like the others, he throws a strike. I move to sit next to Violet when Gavin gets up.
揙h my god, they抮e good. Like really good.?
揘o kidding,?she says. She watches Gavin. 揑 didn抰 realize he was going to be here.?
揗e either. Sorry.?
揥hatever. I抦 going to get another drink.?
揌ey.?I stop her. 揅ongratulations. I抦 really proud of you.?
Her face softens. 揟hank you.?
揂nd I totally owe you a real night out. Promise.?I hold up my pinkie, and she links hers with mine.
揧eah, you do.?She starts to get up. 揘ow go talk to Liam, so this night isn抰 a total waste.?
There isn抰 a lot of time for talking. The guys move fast through their frames. I could count the number of times they don抰 get a strike or spare easier than I could the times they do.
As I prepare for my last turn （thank you sweet baby Jesus）， Jordan appears beside me. 揧ou throw so politely.?
揚olitely? What does that mean??
揕ike you抮e afraid to hurt the pins?feelings.?
I open my mouth to protest, but he laughs and adds, 揋et angry, sweet Daisy. Those pins insulted you. They said your shoes were ugly.?
I cock my head to the side. 揥e抮e all wearing the same shoes.?
揟hey said I look great in them.?His gaze slowly sweeps over me and down to my feet. 揃ut not so much on you.?
I scoff and return the once-over, stopping on his identical shoes, only bigger. 揌ow dare you.?
He grins and jabs his thumb toward the end of the lane. 揟ell it to them.?
I know he抯 messing with me, but I really do feel a wave of irrational anger as I launch the ball. When all ten pins fall, I stand frozen, completely dumbfounded.
Everyone cheers behind me. When I turn around, Jordan is grinning so big.
揧ou told them,?he says, and wraps me in a playful hug, then swings me around. My face is buried in his neck, and I inhale his increasingly familiar scent.
揧eah, I did.?
His chuckle vibrates against my chest.
When he sets me down, Liam is waiting to offer me a high-five.
I get to go again, but my luck is out, and I only hit three pins.
揂re we done??Violet asks, a little too hopefully.
揙ne more game,?Jordan tells her. He points toward the entrance. 揕ook who showed up.?
The tall, lanky guy making his way over to us is Andy Jenkins. He抯 a basketball player like Gavin.
Jordan introduces us. I know of him, of course, the same way I knew Jordan and Liam, but we抳e never met.
揑抳e been replaced, huh??Jenkins asks.
揑 think they抣l probably be happy to have you back,?I say.
揑t was fun,?Liam says and bumps me with his elbow.
The six of us sit and have a drink. The guys catch up while Violet and I listen in.
When they get ready for the second game, I pull off the bowling team shirt and hand it back to Liam. 揟hanks for letting me play.?
揇id you play too??Jenkins asks Violet.
揘o. I was just here for the drinks.?
揂nd to heckle,?Gavin chirps.
Violet gives him a haughty glare. 揑 wouldn抰 want to show you up.?
揙h, please do.?He takes the shirt I just gave Liam and holds it out to her. 揧ou can have my spot.?
揘ah, you play. I抣l sit this one out and keep Daisy company,?Liam offers.
I can tell Violet would love to object, but Liam just said he was going to keep me company, and that抯 exactly why she agreed to come tonight in the first place.
揑抦 not wearing that, but I will play,?she says.
揧ou have to wear the shirt,?Gavin tells her.
She rolls her eyes but pulls it on and tugs the hem to better see the logo. 揥ho designed these??
揑 did,?he says. 揥hy? Not up to your standards??
揑 was going to say I liked it.?
揙h. Thanks.?Gavin smiles.
Liam rests a hand on my arm. 揑抦 starving. Want to get some food??
I catch Jordan抯 eye as he, Jenkins, Gavin, and Violet get set for the next game. He looks between Liam and me. His brows pull together, and his jaw flexes before he turns away.
揧eah. That sounds great.?
13
DAISY
Liam orders pretzel bites and a Coke. I grab a water.
揂re you sure you don抰 want one??He holds out his plate for the second time since we sat at the counter that overlooks the lanes.
Violet is up, and Gavin stands behind her. I can抰 hear his words well enough to know if he抯 being encouraging or taunting. Her annoyed glare suggests the latter, but I get the sense that even if he was telling her how great she was, she抎 still find a way to be irritated with him.