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“If you get lost, you go find an adult. If anything happens, you call me. And don’t, and I mean not under ANY circumstance, accept a drink from Victoria, got that?” Chloe asked, as she turned her head to Max. Chloe one hand on the steering wheel, talking with her free hand, not literally talking with her hand of course, but you get that.
“Yeah ‘mom’, I know the drill.” Max replied, undoing her seatbelt. She looked surprisingly neat for her standards, not that those were very high. She wore a pair of white sneakers, blue jeans, a plain white shirt — no quirky design? I can’t believe it either. — and a hoodie she had ironed specifically for this. She also had her messenger bag with her, her camera tucked away safely within, were a nice photo moment to arise.
“And I expect you to not keep me waiting when I come pick you up young lady!” Chloe played along, as she let out a chuckle. “For real though, stay safe okay? You know how I feel about those Vortex Club types.”
“Chloe I told you, Victoria isn’t that bad.”
“Yeah yeah, she isn’t a huge stuck up, snobby, arrogant, selfish, narcissistic bitch. Just a big one.” Chloe chuckled, as Max shook her head.
“Just don’t be late when you come pick me up, okay Chlo?” Max asked, as she stepped out the car.
“Gotcha, captain Price out!” Chloe replied with a salute, as she drove off.
…
“I AM NOT WEARING SHOES WORN BY LOADS OF OTHER PEOPLE BEFORE ME!” Victoria protested, as sat behind the wheel of her car.
“Well maybe you should have asked her out to something that wasn’t bowling then!” Taylor retorted, Victoria just huffing in response. They were driving towards the bowling alley, and Taylor was instructing Victoria on how bowling worked.
“So… I throw the ball?”
“No no no! You roll the ball, if you throw it you’ll get kicked out real quick. Have you really never bowled before?”
“No.”
“How was bowling the first thing that came to mind then?”
“Stop interrogating me.” Victoria demanded, as she kept her focus on the road.
“Are you nervous, Vic?”
“No, but… yes.” She admitted. “She hates me Taylor.”
“No she doesn’t, do you think she would’ve called you, hell, do you think she would’ve accepted your invitation if she hated you?”
“No.”
“I actually think she maybe likes you a bit as well.”
“Bull fucking shit.”
“I bet on it that I’m right.”
“How much?”
“Twenty bucks.”
“Deal. Now, shut up and let me focus on driving.”
…
God I’m fucking nervous. Max thought to herself, as the three of them — Taylor, Victoria and Max — walked to their lane. She didn’t tell me it’d be just the three of us. I thought I could try hiding in the crowd, maybe say one or two words and then slink out of here again, this is way too intimate. She’s gonna see how awkward I am and regret inviti-
“Caulfield?” Victoria repeated, as she snapped her fingers.
“Ye-yeah?” Max replied, snapping out of her trance.
“What do you want to drink?”
“Oh uh, a coke?” She answered. Victoria turned back to the waitress, saying something to her, before she walked away.
“Have you ever bowled before?” Victoria asked.
“A few times, I’d say I’m pretty good.”
“That’s good, means I don’t have to explain it to you.” Victoria said, Taylor giving her a look that, if looks could kill, she would be dead ten times over. “You wanna go first?”
“Uh, yeah sure.” She agreed, as she walked to grab a ball. I’m pretty good she says, cocky fucking idiot I haven’t played in 5 years, I barely remember how to hold the ball. She thought to herself, eventually figuring out she had to put her fingers into the 3 little holes. She slowly breathed in, before rolling the ball down the lane. And straight into the gutter.
“Gutter ball, nice one Caulfield.” Victoria snarked with her devilish smirk.
Max just gulped as she grabbed another ball, breathing in and out heavily. You can do this Max, just hit one pin and you won’t be a complete failure. She rolled the ball, crossing her fingers, and hitting a…
“Strike!” Max celebrated. “Suck it Vic-” She swallowed her words, as she slowly turned around. “I mean, di-did you see how well I did?” She said, backpedaling to the best of her control.
Victoria just rolled her eyes. “That was… nice.”
“Thanks!” Max replied, a small smile appearing on her face.
…
Fuck, this was the worst idea. Victoria thought to herself, as she grabbed a bowling ball. I can barely focus on this stupid fucking game with Max being so…
She turned her head, seeing Max sipping her cola through a straw. In the corner of her eye she could see Taylor saying something, Max giggling in response.
… cute. Victoria gulped, quickly turning her head around again before anyone noticed. She rolled the ball, hitting over 7 pins on her first roll and the last 3 on her second. She sighed, returning to Taylor and Max, as Max grabbed a ball.
“You’re off-game Vic.”
“As if you know how good I am when I’m on-game, this is my first time bowling.”
“I just mean in general, you seem really off-focus-”
“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Taylor.” She said, cutting her off. They both turned back to Max, who was having trouble with the ball.
Max really wasn’t very good at bowling, it was the only reason Victoria herself wasn’t in last place, it being her first time and all. Almost out of instinct, she got up and walked up to Max.
“Are you really sure you’ve bowled before?” Victoria asked, as Max turned her head to face Victoria.
“Yeah! A lot… a few times… like half a decade ago?” She admitted with a chuckle.
“I noticed.” Victoria replied. “First of all, I think it’s too heavy for you.”
“What?”
“That ball, it’s way too heavy for you. You should grab a lighter one.” Max followed her advice, walking back to the ball rack and grabbing a new ball.
“A lot better right?”
“Yeah, this does feel a lot better.” Max admitted.
“Okay and now you’re sta-”
“What are you, a bowling teacher?”
“What?”
“I just, you seem really knowledgeable about this and… sorry, just a little joke.”
“No, It’s fine, I can be funny.”
“You can?” Max asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh don’t give me that shit Caulfield.”
“Hey I’m not giving you shit, just saying most of your disses, kinda cheesy.”
“I’m a diss connoisseur Caulfield, you wouldn’t even know the half of it.”
“I’ve heard you say maybe, two, three half decent jokes.”
“Okay then, if you’re so funny, tell me a joke.”
“That’s not how it works!” Max chuckled “I’m good at observational comedy, I can’t just force a joke like that!”
“You’re just making excuses, Smallfield.” She said, a chuckle escaping the smile that had formed on her face. It went silent for a few seconds, as they both just stood there.
“So-”
“So-”
They both said at the same time, cutting off immediately. Victoria immediately spoke up again.
“Anyway. You’re holding the ball pretty well, you just need to change your stance.” Victoria quickly showed her how to stand, Max mimicking her in silence.
“I… think I got it.”
“Yeah, you should be good now.” Victoria said, as she walked back to Taylor, who was having trouble holding in a laugh.
“Okay so I’m not going to mention how cute that was, what I am going to mention is that I’m still in first, both in bowling and in that bet.”
“I hate you.”
…
Max sighed, as she stepped into the passenger seat of Chloe’s car.
“And?” Chloe asked, turning to face Max.
“I’m in love Chlo, je suis amoureux.”
“Avec elle?”
“Avec elle.” She sighed.
“Damn, is she really ‘not that bad’?”
“She can be douchey, but when you get with her alone, her rough exterior just… melts away.” Max said with a chuckle and a thousand yard stare into the car’s front window.
“Fuck, you really like her don’t you?”
“Hopelessly.”
“You think she likes you?”
“I’m… not hopeful about that. What would she see in me? I’m hipster trash. She warmed up to me, but I don’t think she likes me, besides, I don’t even know if she likes girls.” Max sank farther into the seat, covering her face with her hands.
“Look, if she doesn’t see how amazing you are that’s her fault, got that Max?”
“Yeah Chloe.” Max said, a smile growing on her face as she let out a chuckle.
“Sooo… how’d you say goodbye? Goodbye kiss? Goodbye se-”
“Chloe, ew. No I… “ Max trailed off.
“You what?”
“FUCK!”
…
“Max and Victoria sitting in a tree-”
“Shut up Taylor.”
“K-i-s-s-i-n-g-”
“You are actually a child, did you know th-”
“Victoria!” A voice shouted from behind them, the both of them turning around to see Max jogging up to them. Taylor pushed Victoria in the back, Victoria turning her head towards her, an angry expression.
“Go get her!” Taylor whispered, a grin on her face. Victoria kept in her frustration, and turned back towards Max.
“I just wanted to say… “ Max rubbed her arm, staring into the floor of the parking lot. “...I had a blast, it was really fun, getting to know you better. While you were in like, a decent state as well, so that was also a plus.” Max said with a chuckle. “And the bowling was also fun!”
“Yeah, I guess you’re not as much of a loser as I thought you were.” Victoria said, a grin appearing on her face. “Still kind of a loser though.” She chuckled.
“Yeah… hey, if you ever need another +1 for something, I don’t have much better to do anyway.”
“That’s cool.” She replied dryly, as they both stood their in silence for a few moments.
“So uh… goodbye hug?” Max asked, opening her arms. Victoria’s breath briefly hitched, a very faint scarlet coloring her cheeks.
“Oh yeah, sure.” Victoria replied, as the two of them shared a quick hug.
“I do have to go now, Warren needs my help with something, and Chloe wants to finally meet the nerd I’ve said so much about, see you later!” She replied, jogging back to Chloe’s car.
“You okay Vic?” Taylor asked, walking to Victoria’s side.
“Taylor, have you ever been with a girl?”
“Uh, a few time-”
“You need to teach me a few things.”
“Sure, the payment for my lesson is gonna be that 20 bucks you owe me.”
“… fuck.”