Bruna is kind of easy," Ro said, as if that justified Joaquim’s sleeping with her.
“ I really don’t care who Joaquim has slept with, Ro," I said, rolling my eyes. “ It’s not like I plan to be added to his list.”
“ True!" Ro laughed.
We reached the crowded bowling alley, Friday nights being their busiest night. We had to park a good distance away from the entrance, and I was glad I’d brought my thick bomber jacket. It was early December, and the temperature kept getting colder.
Ro and I rushed inside, grateful for the warmth. We saw a bunch of our friends, Ana, Emanuela, and a couple of other girls. They waved us over.
“ Hey Nellie-girl," greeted Ana. “ You coming to my party later?”
“ Definitely!" I said, smiling.
“ Are you bringing Joaquim?" Emanuela asked, slyly. Emanuela’s whole life revolved around gossiping about other people.
“ Probably," I said, noncommittally.
“ Have you seen Tommy and Joaquim, by the way?" Ro asked. “ We’re supposed to be hanging out with them”.
“ Oh yeah. They’re over there," Ana replied, pointing to where Tommy and Joaquim had already begun bowling.
We said goodbye to the girls, went to rent our bowling shoes, then joined Joaquim and Tommy.
Joaquim held my hand when he saw me. I had to fight the urge to yank it away. I don’t like you like that, I wanted to scream.
Tommy gave Ro a long kiss, which brought on a few catcalls and whistles from kids nearby. We all laughed, but I edged away from Joaquim before he got any ideas.
But as much as I didn’t want Joaquin to think we were on a “date," it was fun hanging out with him. He kept showing off about what a great bowler he was, running down the lane doing silly moves before he let go of the ball. He booed and hissed whenever Ro and I went up, because we were playing boys against girls. His obnoxious jokes had me laughing so hard I kept throwing gutter balls, even though I’m a pretty decent bowler.
Tommy and Joaquim were serious bowlers, though and soon Ro and I were way behind, trying to think of strategies to beat them.
“ I say we flash them our boobs just before they launch," Ro said out loud, and Tommy pretended to drop the ball when he heard.
“ I’d forfeit the game if Nellie flashed me!" Joaquim joked, and I punched him in the arm.
We were joking around, doing bowling cheers, when I felt Ro’s hand grip my arm.
“ What the hell," she whispered into my ear, and I knew it was serious, because Ro never cursed.
“ What is it?" I asked her, thinking maybe she’d hurt herself.
“ Look, but don’t look. Over by the rental shoes. It’s Channing and Ty”, she whispered.
I gave her an incredulous look, but she just opened her eyes wide, warning me not to talk out loud.
“ Nellie. Seriously, they’re headed this way," she hissed, and she pulled me down into our chairs.
I felt my palms go sweaty. What in the world were Channing and Ty Sutton doing at the Egg Cove bowling alley? Ardsley kids rarely showed up at the bowling alley. In fact, the only times I ever saw people from Ardsley Park at the alley was when there was a birthday party for some little kid, and even that was rare. The bowling alley was strictly an Egg Cove form of entertainment. The A-kids had their country club, fancy hotel, and private beach they hung out at.
I tried my best to not look to see if it really was Channing and Ty. Maybe Ro was wrong. Maybe it was just guys looked like the Sutton twins, as crazy as that sounded.
“ They’re with Bethany Grant," Ro whispered, pretending to smooth my hair.
“ Bethany Grant?" I repeated, wanting to look but not daring. Instead, I focused on Joaquim, who knocked a twelve pin.
“ Yay!” I said, trying to sound excited.
He looked at me with a confused grin, because I wasn’t supposed to be cheering him on . Ro and I were playing against him and Tommy, but I was so flustered I’d forgotten.
“ Hey Tommy, Joaquim. What’s up?" Ty Sutton loped toward our
“ I really don’t care who Joaquim has slept with, Ro," I said, rolling my eyes. “ It’s not like I plan to be added to his list.”
“ True!" Ro laughed.
We reached the crowded bowling alley, Friday nights being their busiest night. We had to park a good distance away from the entrance, and I was glad I’d brought my thick bomber jacket. It was early December, and the temperature kept getting colder.
Ro and I rushed inside, grateful for the warmth. We saw a bunch of our friends, Ana, Emanuela, and a couple of other girls. They waved us over.
“ Hey Nellie-girl," greeted Ana. “ You coming to my party later?”
“ Definitely!" I said, smiling.
“ Are you bringing Joaquim?" Emanuela asked, slyly. Emanuela’s whole life revolved around gossiping about other people.
“ Probably," I said, noncommittally.
“ Have you seen Tommy and Joaquim, by the way?" Ro asked. “ We’re supposed to be hanging out with them”.
“ Oh yeah. They’re over there," Ana replied, pointing to where Tommy and Joaquim had already begun bowling.
We said goodbye to the girls, went to rent our bowling shoes, then joined Joaquim and Tommy.
Joaquim held my hand when he saw me. I had to fight the urge to yank it away. I don’t like you like that, I wanted to scream.
Tommy gave Ro a long kiss, which brought on a few catcalls and whistles from kids nearby. We all laughed, but I edged away from Joaquim before he got any ideas.
But as much as I didn’t want Joaquin to think we were on a “date," it was fun hanging out with him. He kept showing off about what a great bowler he was, running down the lane doing silly moves before he let go of the ball. He booed and hissed whenever Ro and I went up, because we were playing boys against girls. His obnoxious jokes had me laughing so hard I kept throwing gutter balls, even though I’m a pretty decent bowler.
Tommy and Joaquim were serious bowlers, though and soon Ro and I were way behind, trying to think of strategies to beat them.
“ I say we flash them our boobs just before they launch," Ro said out loud, and Tommy pretended to drop the ball when he heard.
“ I’d forfeit the game if Nellie flashed me!" Joaquim joked, and I punched him in the arm.
We were joking around, doing bowling cheers, when I felt Ro’s hand grip my arm.
“ What the hell," she whispered into my ear, and I knew it was serious, because Ro never cursed.
“ What is it?" I asked her, thinking maybe she’d hurt herself.
“ Look, but don’t look. Over by the rental shoes. It’s Channing and Ty”, she whispered.
I gave her an incredulous look, but she just opened her eyes wide, warning me not to talk out loud.
“ Nellie. Seriously, they’re headed this way," she hissed, and she pulled me down into our chairs.
I felt my palms go sweaty. What in the world were Channing and Ty Sutton doing at the Egg Cove bowling alley? Ardsley kids rarely showed up at the bowling alley. In fact, the only times I ever saw people from Ardsley Park at the alley was when there was a birthday party for some little kid, and even that was rare. The bowling alley was strictly an Egg Cove form of entertainment. The A-kids had their country club, fancy hotel, and private beach they hung out at.
I tried my best to not look to see if it really was Channing and Ty. Maybe Ro was wrong. Maybe it was just guys looked like the Sutton twins, as crazy as that sounded.
“ They’re with Bethany Grant," Ro whispered, pretending to smooth my hair.
“ Bethany Grant?" I repeated, wanting to look but not daring. Instead, I focused on Joaquim, who knocked a twelve pin.
“ Yay!” I said, trying to sound excited.
He looked at me with a confused grin, because I wasn’t supposed to be cheering him on . Ro and I were playing against him and Tommy, but I was so flustered I’d forgotten.
“ Hey Tommy, Joaquim. What’s up?" Ty Sutton loped toward our
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