HOLY CRAP ESPI I'M SO SORRY. THIS HAS BEEN FINISHED FOR MONTHS BUT NEVER PUBLISHED!!  espi1313

"Bowling?" Soda asked me one afternoon. We were walking home from school when I decided I didn't want to just go back to his place. I wanted to do something fun. I shrugged.

"Sure, that sounds good." I didn't really care what we did, as long as it was something. We walked in the direction of the bowling alley and I dug my hands in my pockets, making sure I had money.

"I'll pay, Espi, don't worry," he said. I smiled, gratefully. He knew that I didn't have a job, and my parents scarcely ever give me any extra spending money.

When we got there, he asked for our shoes. He knew my size and handed them to me immediately, telling me he was going to get some snacks and I could go put them on. I thanked him and went over to our lane.

After about 5 minutes, Soda wasn't back, and I peeked around the corner to the snack bar, where I saw him talking and smiling with a beautiful blonde. I frowned. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place who exactly she was.

After 10 minutes, he was still over there, enthralled in a conversation with this girl, and I started to get worried. He wasn't cheating on me, right? I went over there.

"Soda, are we gonna play?" I asked, standing next to him and hugging him. He smiled at me.

"Yeah, just give me a second," he said.

"Soda, who's this?" The girl asked.

"Oh, right. Sandy, this is Espi. Espi, this is a friend of mine, Sandy," he introduced us. He didn't say I was his girlfriend, I noticed. Sandy gave me a smile, which didn't seem too genuine, and held out her hand. I shook it, hard, and didn't let go. She didn't either. We just stared at each other for a second. Soda laughed.

"This is great, my two favorite girls getting along," he said. We both smiled at him.

"Espi, why don't you go sit down? I'llbe right back," he said. I nodded, but instead of going back to our lane, I walked into the arcade.

"Hey," a guy, probably 17, came up to me immediately. He was cute, I smiled at him, but didn't give him much thought.

"Hi," I said, walking over to the pinball machine. He followed me, watching me play for a minute or two.

"Damnit!" I cursed when I lost.

"Wanna play again?" The guy asked, holding up a nickel. I shook my head.

"Why don't you?" I suggested. "See if you can beat my score." He nodded, switching places with me. That was when Soda came in.

"Hey, Espi. What're you doing?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Watching him play pinball." I pointed to the guy, since I didn't know his name.

"I've been looking for you. Are we gonna play?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Hey, uh..." I looked at the guy. He gave me his name, smiling.

"You wanna play with us?" I asked, whipping my hair over my shoulder. He looked at me, and then up at Soda, who put his arm around me. Tight.

"Espi, let's go." He muttered in my ear.

"Oh, Soda, he's so nice. He tried to give me a nickel so I could play again. I don't see the harm in letting him bowl with us!" I exclaimed.

"I'm her boyfriend," Soda said, out of the blue.

"It's okay, Espi," the pinball guy said, looking out towards the alleys. He smiled at me. "Maybe I'll see you around." I faked a blush.

Soda looked at me, annoyed.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Just a friend and I," I shrugged, almost like he had with Sandy.

"You seemed like you were flirting with him," He said. "And before I got here, I think he was too." Soda didn't seem to like the idea too much. I giggled. He glared at me, but tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me closer.

"I love you, Espi," he said.

"I love you too," I responded. "Just not when you're flirting with your 'other' favorite girl." He laughed nervously, his face flushing.

"She's just a friend, Esp. But for the record, I wasn't too thrilled with your new friend either." I watched my ' new friend' walking out. He was cute, but he had nothing on Sodapop Curtis.

"I could tell," I told him, secretly liking his jealous side. He kissed me then, and I stopped thinking about Sandy altogether.