Touchdown Boy

Chapter Thirteen

Tom examined the bowling balls in front of him, trying to pick one out for their game. He eyed an eleven pound one and lifted it from the rack.

"Are you going to cheat at bowling too?" Billie Joe asked under his breath, coming up from behind Tom.

Tom gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about?" Billie Joe picked up a twelve pound ball from the rack.

"Mark told me," Billie Joe answered simply. "You lied about getting Addison's name last night. You cheated. I think we might have to move up the deadline if you're not going to play fair."

Tom rolled his eyes. "It's not like we were going to have sex in the closet," Tom replied. "Besides, we never set any rules for the bet. You only said I had to sleep with her by the end of the first semester. So, anything goes."

Billie Joe eyed Tom for a minute and then laughed. "You're a devious one, DeLonge," he commented. "You'd make a good lawyer, with all your loopholes and shit."

Tom laughed. "Yeah, right. Could you see me in a suit?" Tom joked.

"True," Billie Joe smiled. "Even with your tricks, I think you'll have a hard time winning. Addison didn't seem too impressed with you when I was texting her this morning."

Tom frowned. Addison had been texting Billie Joe? Why hadn't she responded to Tom's text? What did she say to Billie?

Tom quickly changed his frown into a smirk. He couldn't let Billie Joe see him sweat. He had to act like he had the bet in the bag.

"You let me worry about Addison. You just worry about winning the bowling game. Or are you going to let Adrienne do that for you?" Tom shot back.

"Oh, bring it on, DeLonge," Billie Joe smirked.

"You're going down, Armstrong."

"We'll see about that."

The two boys walked back to the two lanes they were going to be playing on, with their bowling balls in their hands. Mark was sitting at the controls and was starting to enter in the names of players. Skye was tying her shoelaces. Addison and Noelle were walking back towards the lanes, having just picked out their balls. The rest of the group was deciding who would be on what team. They had to split into two groups of five. Mark had already put Billie and Adrienne on the same team, of course.

Tom walked up to the console. "Put me on the other lane," he told Mark. Mark typed in Tom's name in for the other lane and then typed in his own. "We're taking down Armstrong." He shot a look at Billie.

"Is that so?" Tré asked rhetorically. "I'll help you out, BJ." He swung his arm over Travis' shoulder. "What do you say, Travis? Want to show these two goofballs up?"

Travis shrugged. "Sure," he answered.

"Traitor," Tom muttered.

Mark clutched his chest. "Travis, how could you?" But he typed in their names for Billie's lane.

"I'll be on the first lane too," Noelle stated as she walked up to the group.

"No," Mike groaned. "I don't want to be on Hoppus' team." Skye giggled.

Mark looked offended. "I'll have you know," he retorted, "that I'm quite skilled at bowling."

"Yeah, skilled at getting gutter balls," Tom laughed. Mark scowled. "Should we ask them to put up the kiddy rails?"