Chapter 6

Yeah, I totally suck at bowling. I'm even worse now.

"Marc, it's all right. I was awful at bowling too. Not that I'm great at it now. I don't even like bowling." Ezra tried to console me while whispering the last part.

Still, I'm so losing face right now. I feel people are watching me and judging me. If I could just hide my face or somehow become invisible. The others in my team are outstanding. A lot better than me. Why did it have to be bowling first ugh?

Duke and David are the team captains. They're both great and at the same level. But they will never admit it. Lance obviously went to be on the opposite team as that of Marvin just so he can kick his ass. Ezra is on the rival team, but we are the team slackers. We're dragging the scores of our teams down, but I'm obviously the worst. I had managed to score the least. Kairn just bowled another strike.

So David, Kairn, Felix, Lance and I are in one team. And Duke, Marvin, Ezra, Liam and Ryan are our rivals. My hand hurts already. And here goes the ball into the gutter. Again.

("Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold. But you'll remember me, remember me for centuries....")

I love Fall Out Boy, but it's not helping that they're playing Centuries.

"Hey."

Kairn walked towards me and stood beside me to watch the chaos. I greeted him back with a ‘hey’. It's Lance's turn now. He picked up a ball, his eyes dead set on the pins, with David and Felix roaring for him in the background. But before Kairn could start a conversation, Marvin did a very Marvin thing, catching everyone's attention.

"My Lancelot, you got this. Even if we're in opposite teams, you know I'm always on your side." Marvin winked with a smirk on. There were chuckles. Marvin being Marvin, as usual. Damn, he can be annoying. Or I'm just in a pissy mood.

Lance ignored him and focused on his goal. He got eight but missed the other two in his spare. Immediately, he charged at Marvin like an angry bull and halted when he was face to face with him.

"Ugh why? Just why? Lancelot is NOT my name. It reminds me of that stupid dude from Merchant Of Venice. I hate it. You do that at school, but we're at the mall. Not that I'm fine with you calling me names at school." Lance sneered with his arms crossed, radiating annoyance and rage.

"Well, I think of Sir Lancelot from The Round Table first. But okay, Lance is perfect on you, anyway. You get to call me .... mmph."

Well aww, I guess? Also, what does Lance get to call him? Is it something funny?

Marvin did not get to finish that sentence since Lance silenced him first. Not that the rest were listening. They were busy trying to beat one another and cheering for their team. Marvin and Lance are just left with their drama sometimes. I focused on the others as well.

("We've been here forever. And here's the frozen proof. I could scream forever. We're the poisoned youth...")

"Hey Marc." Kairn was back after his turn. It looked like he wanted to talk before. I met his eyes; it was just his normal gaze, not sympathy or frustration or annoyance. Just Kairn. Looking at me like he always does when I look at him. I like that, really. Though I'm glad we're past that cold, impassable look.

"Hey Kairn." I tried to smile, though I’m sure it must look really fake and more like a grimace.

He showed a faint smile, as if in understanding. "Try this. Keep your wrist and hand straight while swinging the ball out and back. Rotate your wrist and hand away from your body when the ball comes forward and let go of it near your ankle. Try to keep your hand in a handshake position when you release the ball." He explained while holding a ball. Then helped me when I held one too and tried to imitate his movements. It took a few tries to get the posture right. All the others were busy with the game, arguing and cheering.

"Nice. Try to keep that in mind next time. You're doing really well." It was a genuine smile. And I couldn't help but reciprocate. This really lifted my spirits up. I felt I could be a little better, at least.

Ezra cut in, "You tried to teach me, too. Look at me. I'm still bad at this."

"And you never bothered to learn. You don't even play every time. And you don't even like bowling." Kairn lowered his voice and dragged on the last sentence for dramatic effect.

"Shh, don't tell the others. I here, aren't I? That's what matters."

"I don't think it's like they don't know that." Kairn had that deadpan look, as if to point out the obvious. He then faced me. "Don't listen to him. You're doing great. You'll improve, at least. That's what counts."

"Thanks a lot, Kairn. This really helped me. I can't wait to try it out."

And I got a little better next time. At least the ball didn't go straight to the gutter this time. I got five on my first try. Another three in my spare. I then concentrated on the game as much as I could. I even got a nine once. Failing to control my joy, I ran up to Kairn to thank him, but somehow lost my footing because I'm the antithesis of refined. Now it looked like a tackle or something. He ended up balancing us both. But I don't care. I couldn't hide that huge grin on my face while still in his arms. He was smiling too.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH. I never thought I could even bowl, well nobody taught me either. Thanks." I could still feel that excitement run through me like electricity. And we even won.

"Alright, love birds. Let's have some food, then we can try out other games." Duke said while leaving the bowling alley with disappointment written all over his face. They were really close. If he had bowled another strike, they would've won. But food makes everything better, and he isn't a sore loser. We then let go of each other when we mutually realised our awkward pose and Kairn mumbled a 'welcome' and 'you did good'.

Lance teased Marvin a little, which he didn't mind at all. In fact, he was just as happy.

Felix was first to voice what he wanted. "Let's get boba tea."

"Yeah, of course. That's the first thing you say the very second we sit down, every damn time." Duke laughed, shaking his head. Felix gave him a cheeky grin in return.

"Well, how many of you want boba drinks? I'll just get a coffee for me." David asked for a voting. Everyone expressed their choices. Some went to get drinks and some food. Ezra, Felix, Kairn and I got boba drinks.

"I'll have strawberry iced tea with kiwi bubbles." It took Felix five minutes to decide. All the while, Ezra stood there with his patience wearing thin.

"I'll have strawberry too but with blueberry bubbles." Ezra looked like he finally got to order after a long wait.

"I'll have lavender milk base with rainbow jelly bubbles." Kairn decided on something very different from the rest.

"Won't it be too sweet?" Felix chuckled, lowering his voice to not offend the person managing the counter. "You wouldn't understand the intricacies of bubble tea. The key to the best boba is-"

"Balance." Ezra spoke up flatly before Felix could finish. "You’ve said that like a hundred times."

"We're all having a glass of processed sugar with artificial flavours." Kairn told as a matter-of-factly, garnering a deadpan look from the person taking our orders.

"Fair point." Ezra agreed.

"When you put it that way."

"I'll have mango milk with blueberry bubbles." I just felt like blueberries today. And I love mangoes.

Duke was already there waiting with Marvin and Lance, sipping on some cold drinks when we got back with our drinks. They had already ordered some combo bucket. Ryan and Liam joined us in a little while, too. They brought chicken wings. David went to get his coffee, Duke’s iced tea, and some snacks. Kairn got up to look for him and help. So we started chattering about random stuff while waiting for them.

("I see us dancing by ourselves, we do it when no one around, yeah just you in my imagination, yeah. In my imagination.") The song played in background while the entire place bustled with people, the sound, smell and lights drowning out the music.

"Yeah, so she just hugged me suddenly, and I froze. It looked like she was hugging a log. And all the other students were watching. She's not even my close friend and-"

"Where's one fourth of my drink?" I stopped because Kairn suddenly spoke up when he joined us with David.

Felix pointed at me the very second and blurted out, "I don't even like sharing drinks... or food." I eyed him to convey what I really wanted to say. Hello, traitor.

"What? Nooo. That's how much they served you." Maybe he'll believe me. But no, he kept staring at me intensely, making me squirm in my seat. We're all just sitting in an awkward silence now. The silence is deafening. I GIVE UP.

"Oh, come on, it's just a little. Look at the colour, it's so pretty. And if you were worried it'd taste weird, it tastes fine." I smiled at him and tried to look innocent. But it just looked so pretty, just kept there in front of me. I didn't think he would notice or mind.

Ryan laughed, "Kai, you're so stingy. It's not even one fourth. So specific."

"Well, he doesn't share." Liam reasoned. I hope he's not really mad.

He looked at his drink for a few seconds, "Eh, it's all right, I would've been mad if you drank like half of it."

"Really? I'm sorry though. You shouldn't leave your pretty drink unguarded like that. If you'd told me 'don't drink that' sternly, I wouldn't have touched it, though maybe that'd make me want it more." I said the 'don't drink that' part with all the poker face I could muster. Kairn and I snickered, then burst into laughs, facing each other.

("I see us dancing by ourselves. We do it better with no one around, yeah. Just you in my imagination, yeah. In my imagination...")

Songs used:

- Centuries by Fall Out Boy

- Imagination by Foster the People