The Loner Girl

Part 33

The place was packed even more inside. It looked like a roller rink on a Sunday night. Tristan's eyes grew wide at the place, and the sounds of people hitting pin after pin, and the ball rolling along the polished hardwood floors.

And this song greeted us as we walked through the glass doors...

"Remember this song?" Tristan nudged me in the ribs, and laughed.

"Shh!" I shushed him, and he blushed, and at the same time he jumped on my back. We strolled around, until we came to the counter. We got our shoes, and balls, and joined in, hoping we'd find an open spot, which was difficult, until one left for the evening.

"Let's go there." I pointed, and Tristan agreed. We changed our shoes, and set up the screen for our game. I saw Sequoia, and Daniel, and his friends from the college he attended, at a few lanes away from us. Even though it was packed, I still saw Sequoia. She was perfect, as she held the ball in front of her, got into position, and rolled the ball down the lane. 

Strike! It said on the monitor above them. Daniel and his friends all cheered. She gave them all high-fives, and Daniel was next. He took his shot, but the ball fell out his hands, and ended in a gutter ball. He placed his hands over his face and at the same time, grabbed his hair.

Tristan laughed, and he was up for his turn. Luckily, the place was loud, and no one heard us, especially Daniel. He had been watching other people on how to throw the ball. He got into position, and made a perfect strike.  

Even the monitor above us agreed to Tristan's strike.

And we were the only two amongst everyone who had teams of four, or six, since this was league night. Even Sequoia and Daniel were in groups of five. Mostly they were Daniel's friends that he went to college with.

And she was in that shirt, but with both straps sitting on her shoulders. Like how she would dress back in school, tutoring me for math.

And we still have another month and a half of school to go, after spring break is over.

Now, it was my turn, as I grabbed the ball, and got into position. I threw it, and only got 8 out of the 10 pins, which were soon swept away by the arm, before dropping a new set of pins. I shook my head, but Tristan clapped.

"You're soo graceful holding that ball, and threw it perfectly." Tristan says, eyes widening. He gave me a tight squeeze for a hug. I can thank both Elias and Kira for teaching me how to throw the ball down the lane.

And luckily for me, both of them aren't here today...

Another song comes on, and this one is from another of Tristan's favorite movies, Top Gun. 

Tristan jumped up and down, and clapped his hands very closely when the song played overhead. The last time I watched Top Gun was in 2010, around the same time the last Blockbuster store closed in this town, and we still have the old tape from the store to this day, while Tristan had the Blu-Ray version. 

And that wasn't from Blockbuster.

Too bad the VCR no longer works now, after my dad bought it from a yard sale from a dodgy-looking seller, after we rewired his house for a new entertainment system.

"Top Gun!" Tristan pumped his fists in the air, like Dylan did when he was giddy about going to Home Depot that night. The crowds near us gave us funny looks, but Tristan was very giddy. He grabbed the ball, got into position once more, and threw another perfect round.