The Surprise (On Hold)

The Date

My mother consented to this. I couldn't believe  it. Grace and I were in the car heading  to the bowling  alley.  She let  just the two of us go bowling. 

I looked back at Grace.  She was looking  out the window watching  the world go by. I smiled thinking that she can slip into her own little  world  sometimes  and just block everything  out. 

My mother dropped us off at the bowling  alley  waving goodbye. We went inside and got our shoes and lane. When we went to get a ball  we reached for the same one, our hands touching. We both blushed pulling  our hands away. She grabbed a different  ball and went to the lane. I followed doing the same thing.

We put our shoes on and set up the game. I put  her first with the name Gracey.  She rolled her eyes. She put me in as Jack Frost, her nickname for me. I laughed and smiled. We started the game.

Grace started and got a strike on the first try. She smiled. She turned  and laughed  seeing my shocked face. I thought, "It's been a while since I've heard  that laugh. "

She waved me up saying, "  Come on Jack Frost," she says  putting  emphasis  on  my name. " It's your turn. "  I smile  and get up. I grabbed my ball and go to the tip of the lane. I bowl knocking  out seven pins. I hit two on the second try. As I went back to Grace she comments," Almost a spare. So close. Next time. "

Then she hops up and grabs her ball. She heads to the tip  of the lane. She gets another strike. "She smiled, and her real smile too. Man was it good to see that again," I thought  watching  her walk back to me as shocked as I was.

" Were you a bowling champion in another life or something? " I asked shaking my head. She shrugs, "It's certainly  possible,  plausible, likely, but not too likely."

I laughed and grabbed my ball. I went to the tip of the lane. I took a breath. Then I let it fly down the lane killing all the pins with a strike. I shout and Grace cheered.

We continued  to get high numbers, strikes, and spares the whole game. At the end of the game she had 234 points and I had 235.

" I let you have that pin," Grace said laughing a little. " Oh yeah right," I reply laughing  along. My phone goes off. I look at it and see its my mother.  " Perfect timing, my mother's  here. "

We changed  our shoes and gave the correct shoes to the bowling  alley  guy. We put our bowling  balls back and headed outside. We got in the car amd my mother looked back and forth between  the  two of us wondering  what could have happened. 

" Mom, nothing  happened  besides me beating Grace at a game."

" By one pin!" Grace  said and hit my arm.  " Yeah by one pin, but I still beat you."

"Oh Shud up," she said smiling. 

" Sounds like you two had fun," My mother said. " We did, or at least I know I did," I said.  " I did too," Grace replied. I smiled remembering  her smiling and laughing as we played and thinking  that is what it should be like all the time.