After trading in her sneakers for bowling shoes, Snow wiped them against the carpet and tapped them together for getting used to it. She followed the guys to their lane, where the colored bowling balls in line and the bowling pins discerned from the far distant were waiting for them.

Her eyes couldn't resist as they scanned around the place of other people that were bowling. There was someone that you could shortly tell who had their A-game on or if they lacked in some way.

A girl, who looked about fourteen years old, held the bowling ball up near her chest, and her eyes were watching the pins like a hawk. She held that stance for a little while, and then she took two or three steps back with an arm and ball behind her.

She lunged forward as her arm swiftly drove to release the ball. It rolled straight, and as it came closer to the pins, it shifted to the right slightly but then came back near the middle, proceeding to knock down all the pins.

Wow, she's really good for her age.

There was a guy, and he was a young adult with his dark hair and a green streak. He scratched his head with one hand, and the other held the ball. Looking at the most leftover pins, he figured he had to get them somehow.

Soon the guy moved back, and in his improper stance, he carelessly let go of the ball that ensued in only knocking down two pins. He shrugged his shoulders and walked back.

"Snow," Kyle called out, which made her turn around, "come put your name down." He pointed to the standing scoring system.

She walked over there, viewing how there were three names registered. She typed the letters on the screen to fill in her name and then tapped enter. The system took over and placed in confirmation, and when she looked up above, their names appeared on the huge screen with the empty scoreboard. They were locked in for the first round.

"Sweet," Malloy exclaimed, boiling up just how excited he was. "I'm first."

Except for Malloy, the three of them took their seat on the deep wine bench chair as they watched him pick up a forest green bowling ball from the rack.

Malloy stared at the bowling pins on the other side, and afterward he stopped behind the foul line, curling his fingers to the holes of the ball. "Hello, pins."

He took a huge step back with his feet slightly apart, and at that point, his right arm pushed farther back with the ball visibly high. In two steps, he rushed, readied to swing. Just when it looked like he was going to bowl, he stopped in his track.

"Wait," he announced, standing back to a normal position. There was something he realized. "I forgot to stretch."

"And here we were waiting," Kyle mentioned airily.

Malloy placed down the bowling ball as he was careful to not let it roll off and had it stay still. He began with stretches starting first with neck and shoulders. "What? Stretching is vital."

Snow giggled quietly at him.

He didn't do like a quick second stretch; he liked to properly stretch. Stretching from his sides, then with his forearm, arms, knees, thigh, and legs. Malloy liked the full effect of the exercises.

Finishing up with his deep breathing, he took the ball in his hand, the fire within him getting worked up. If the pins across could feel the generated heat, they'd be sweating and nervous.

Then he advanced with his right arm gearing, his left leg fronted, and he completely pushed the ball while his right leg kicked back, and his other arm balanced him.

The ball now gyrated made its way to the platform. From watching, his flare passed onto the ball. When it made instant contact with the pins, every one of them fell except the one by the gutter.

"Go Malloy," Snow cheered as he went to get another bowling ball.

"Thank you," Malloy said as he noticed her, the support of his few fans boosting his esteem.

"That's impressive," Casey noted.

"Thanks," he said to him. "You're going to see me knock down that spare pin." Malloy walked backward as he pointed a finger at him.

His actions were true as his words as he went again and got the last spare. He turned back with his shoulders shrugged, conveying as if it said I told you so.

"Your turn now." Malloy indicated at Casey.

"Good luck," Snow said to Casey when he stood up. He didn't say anything back as he went to grab a bowling ball for himself.

Malloy sat down, taking up space in the absence of Casey's. "Let's see how he does."

"Is he good at it?" Snow asked.

"I don't know, but that's the fun of finding out, ain't it?"

"He doesn't look like an active guy, is he?" Kyle questioned, gazing at Casey, who looked ahead at the pins.

"You can't judge a book by its cover without looking into them," Snow advised. So he wasn't the most athletic or built person there was, and she didn't know if he could carry many boxes like the mover guys unloading from the U-Haul truck.

He wasn't skinny either. Judging from his arms muscle, they didn't look bad. His body was a typical build as most average men.

She didn't care too much about a guy's physique, just as long as he was healthy.

The only thing she couldn't explain was why he was so tall. He was a towering giant compared to her, even though she wasn't too short.

It must be his legs. He was ninety percent legs for sure.

Casey continued to lock his gaze at the bowling pins while he held onto the bowling ball firmly. He was up to something, almost as if he's calculating where the ball should go.

He nodded his head to himself and took a first step approach, his right leg stepping up with his left. Swiftly rolling his arms as the ball went out of his reach.

The ball was moving, and Casey watched it. When it was almost meeting with the pins, the ball turned to the right and knocked four pins down.

And in the second try, four more pins were also down.

"Good try!" Malloy shouted.

Kyle walked up and quickly checked the weight for each bowling bowl. He took out the purple ball and went behind the line. He huffed out a breath as he spun the ball in his hands. "I'm nervous," he said to himself.

"You can do it," Snow cheered for him sweetly.

"I can do it," he repeated the words to himself, breathing out once more. He stepped forward and then back, and then again. He was distracting himself when he should aim for the pins.

He led on like this until he saw that the pins were still standing perfectly. Then Kyle lowered the ball to his side on his left hand. His eyes stared straight ahead, and he signaled when it was the time to go.

All that worrying was zilch when he saw the bowling pins were down. Kyle turned his head to look at the scoreboard, and it was a five. The second time came, and three more pins vanished into the hole. He managed to simmer down the uneasiness.

Snow stood up and high-fived Kyle just as he was walking back. The ball he used returned to the rows with all the others, decorating themselves like her bowl of Trix cereal.

She hoisted a ball up and found that the weight was quite heavy for her hands to hold. It's not that ball for her, so she grabbed another ball, but wasn't sure if that was it either. Even sorting out balls, she couldn't figure out which one would work for her.

Shortly she just went with the ball that was the least heavy and scooped it up, walking to the approach area. Her eyes meet with the fresh set of bowling pins the distributor put out.

If there were such a thing as one of the few sports she wasn't great at, bowling would be one of them. Unlike the guys who could pummel the heck out of those pins, she would miss more times than she would score.

This great distance between her and the pins was immeasurable.

Plus, making a sort of form was awkward for her. Even if other people may not pay attention to her, she felt like a simple glance in the corner of their eye would catch her.

Snow stepped back her right leg, swinging back and forth with her arm repeatedly and not knowing when she should let go. She could reassure Kyle, but she could not reassure herself.

When she did roll the ball, it was just there at first, as she was hoping she could knock down some of the pins. Unfortunately, her expectations did not meet when the ball fell to the gutter. The score was zero.

Agh, she thought, dropping her head down.

"No pressure." She heard Malloy say as she was taking another ball to her hands.

"I told you not to slouch your shoulders," Kyle reminded her.

In the second attempt to bowl, it was measly two pins on the far corner she had achieved.

The rest of the round was just the four of them bowling and casually talking. The scoreboard showed that Malloy was in the lead, Casey catching up to Kyle's score, and hers were not so exceptional. The most pins Snow hit was like six and seven, but the rest was below average.

The second session was starting up. Malloy got out of his seat as he was eager to get in the game, and the three of them watched.

"How are you feeling now, Casey?" Kyle asked him.

"I almost had you," Casey said, his voice livening up. "I am going to get you this time."

Snow had her eyes shocked; his tone differed than when he walked in the place.

"Oh yeah? Try me," Kyle remarked. "I'd be impressed if you did."

"I didn't know you were that good," Snow said. "Your scores are marking up." His score was emerging higher within each turn than she had thought.

"Um, I think I'm okay. Since bowling isn't a kind of game where it is close up or where you're surrounded by other people, you have more time to stay still."

Hmm, an interesting note.

"So, how many times have you played bowling before?" Kyle said, asking the question that Snow wondered about too.

"I would say... I play whenever I was with a crowd," Casey answered.

"Ahh, is that it?"

At that moment, Malloy appeared. "Your turn," he told Casey, sitting down as Casey was standing up.

Once Casey was out of earshot, Snow said, "Casey looks... like he's into it a little bit."

"I know what could turn up a notch." Malloy curved his lips into a sly smile then glanced at Kyle. A second later, Kyle caught onto his gaze, and in a like telepathic communication, they agreed on the same wavelength.

"What am I missing?" Snow inquired.

So then, when it came to her and talking to them with their eyes, they got each other, but if the guys talked to each other without her, she had no idea.

Why was it that guys leave out something for her to find out last?

"Just wait," Kyle reassured her, but that only got her anxious to find out what it was.

Casey came back to the bench chair and claimed his spot again. Malloy signaled his finger at him, urging him to come closer, and when he did, he whispered something in his ear.

"What?" The look of confusion stated that he either needed to hear it again or didn't know what to respond to that.

"That's right," Malloy said, "Snow wants to make a bet with you."

"What?" This was new to her. "When did I say that?"

"A friendly bet," Malloy stated, and Snow looked at him, wondering. "I'm sure you two can make one now."

Her eyes puzzled at him in confusion. Why?

He directed his finger at her and Casey. Work something out. Then he squeezed the air in between. That way, you two can do better.

Malloy raised one of his brows in the most obvious look. Get it?

"Ahh." Snow nodded her head, fully understanding the concept. Her head turned to Casey. "That's right. I do."

"You want to bet?" Casey questioned.

"Good luck." Kyle rooted for Snow, patting her shoulder quickly before he headed out for his turn.

"Hmm," Snow mused, pertaining to thought of all the things that could keep them going and motivated. She used up her brain cells as if this was a mathematical equation, and she needed an answer for it.

When a lightbulb appeared right above her head, it screamed excellence. "Whoever lands a strike first, the winner makes the loser do whatever they want."

Intrigued by her words, Casey was going along with it. "Okay, I'd like to see that. What do you want if you win?"

What do I want? Huh. She never thought she would need to hear those words come out of his mouth.

There could be numerous things that she would love to see him do, but to make it easy on him, she told him, "Your best smile."

"I want to see your best smile." Snow remembered that smile one time. He really looked good with it, but he wasn't the kind to show off often. Now, if she would ever see him smile, it was rare.

He moved his lips into a funny straight line with his raised eyebrow. "Do you now?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Fine, and if I win... I want—"

"I'm getting kind of hungry. We should buy some food." Kyle came running to them and rubbing his stomach.

"You'll buy food for us," Casey said, pointing his finger at her.

"Deal," Snow said quickly.

The time passed as they kept bowling for fun. But between Snow and Casey, it was a competition for them. While she may not be the best bowler, there were random times when making a strike could happen to her.

I can still do this. Determined by this gathered courage, she held her fists together, and eyebrows furrowed.

When it was her turn, she did her best to relax even though it probably may not help much. She had shaken her hand to rid of the jittery nerves before she could concentrate on the pins.

Maybe she might try to copy Malloy's form so that she could have a shot of winning.

She almost did but froze up when she thought the way that she did it was weird, like the same feeling she might walk weird.

Not being able to do it, after all, she'd skip it and just hope for the best.

Snow took one small step forward with her left foot and willed her energy to the ball as she let go. It approached the pins with a loud smack, reverberating the sound around the room. Two pins were standing, and then there was the third pin shaking unsteady, and she prayed it would just fall.

It didn't. The pins were in a split state, and she could either hit the left for two of them or the one standing by itself on the right. She aimed towards the two pins, but the one on the right was still there.

When Casey got up for his turn, he was almost sure of himself. He eyed at the pins intently and with caution. He allowed himself room to step back and drove his arm with the ball. It was just a moment with him and the ball and the pins across from him. You could almost zoom in on the effect and how zoned-in he looked.

After a moment, the ball was moving furiously fast and just crashed all the pins down before she could blink. If she had to replay that moment, the impact of it was mind-blowing. The rolling was so smooth and on-point that it hadn't wavered to either side. Every pin disappeared in the hole except one pin, and that pin had to be carried out by the distributor.

He walked over to Snow as her eyes widened with incredulity. "I believe I win this bet."

Snow rose from her seat to approach a few feet closer and view the scoreboard that now displayed an X with his name. "Aww, you did good," she said, much to her disappointment.

"I did, didn't I?"

"So, what do you guys want?" Snow asked, directing her attention to the guys.

"Burgers and fries," Kyle answered, grinning.

"I believe they also have tater tots," Malloy said, holding his chin thoughtfully.

"Okay, I know your guys' drink," Snow said, sighing. "Any drink specifically?" She turned to Casey.

"Just water is fine," he said.

Her face fell flat from the embarrassing thought that she might have a slight chance of winning. She should've known that her strength on this one was inferior to Casey's. It was only a shame that she couldn't see his smile again.

"Look here!"

She heard Malloy's voice and turned towards him. Malloy was behind Casey, and from behind, he smooshed his face with his hands then his cheeks were depressed.

"H-Hey," Casey grumbled, tensed under his touch. Signs of uncomfortableness exhibited. "What are... you- you doing?"

"Shut up," Malloy reprimanded him, then turned to meet Snow's eyes. He grinned at her devilishly, using his index fingers to curve the corners of Casey's lips to go up. Strained against his will and with his face squished, it just looked like an expression of a globefish.

The time stalled longer for Snow to stare at Casey. When that moment caught up to her, she erupted in laughter. She tipped her head over, holding onto her stomach with one arm.

Her laughter was faint, but when she looked up again at him, the sound increased promptly. As much as she didn't want to appear like she's laughing at Casey, it just happened, and she couldn't hold it in.

Malloy loosened the grip on Casey's face and smiled at her.

Once the laughter unleashed from her system, the air became breathable to her again. "I'll go get our food now."

Snow shook her head, and just after passing by Malloy, she muttered to him, "Thanks."

"Hey, wait," Casey called to her, and she looked back to him. "You play well."

"But I suck," she complained.

Kyle butted in, "He's just being nice, Snow."

And maybe that's a tiny piece of him getting to warm up to her, and she looked a little pleased.

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Hey Monday. Because heyyy, this chapter is here. What do you think of that? I tried to make it casually fun, and you know, actually make them bowl as if they were there than to skip parts to pretend they aren't. Like, isn't it fun to see who bowls best? Aka Malloy is the best bowler, yes.

What do you think about near the ending part with what he did to Casey? It popped into my head, and I thought this would be a good time to insert it. I thought it was funny, idk.

Please vote and comment as it means the world to me!