to go back to my grandparents' house."
"Well, it's good to see you outside of school," Emily added.
"Do you want to join us?" asked Casey.
"Oh, that's really nice, but I'm having a good time with my mom. Call me on Sunday though."
Mom walked up behind them.
"Mom, these are my friends from school, Casey and Emily. This is my mom. Sophie."
"Wow! This is your mom? She could pass as your sister," Emily grinned.
"That's really sweet. It's nice to meet you two," Mom replied.
"Well, if you change your mind, feel free to join us," said Casey.
I looked over Casey's shoulder and saw Evan staring and Sasha glaring. "Thanks, but not tonight."
"Okay, we'll talk later." Casey and Emily walked back to their lane.
"Honey, if you want to go bowl with them, I don't mind."
"No, I'm fine right here. Besides, Sasha is there. She's the other girl I was telling you about."
"Ooohhh, I see." Mom turned to check out Sasha.
"Mom, don't! I don't want her to know I was talking about her."
"Sorry, just curious. Hey, is that the guy you like? What's his name? Lucas?" She was looking at Evan.
I laughed, "No, Lucas doesn't hang with that crowd. He's here though. He's at the other end. If you look, please don't be obvious."
"There are so many people I couldn't find him even if I knew what he looked like."
"Let's just forget it. I want to concentrate on having a good time."
"Okay, you go first." Mom typed our initials into the computer.
I grabbed my ball and walked up to the lane. I had a complex knowing that someone was probably watching me: Lucas, Sasha, or most likely, Evan. I threw the ball and it hit the gutter. I turned and joked, "Off to a good start."
"You can pick up a spare with the next ball…hopefully."
I picked up the other ball. "This one might work better."
When I looked up, I could clearly see Lucas' lane. He wasn't there, but I recognized a few of the guys I'd seen him talking to at his truck. There were four girls from school sitting with them; two of them were cheerleaders.
"Eliana, are you going to play?" asked Mom.
"Oh, yeah. I'm just trying to figure out which ball to use."
Mom smiled. "If you say so."
I walked to the lane and threw the ball. "Come on; come on. No gutter; no gutter." The ball hit three pins.
"I got three this round, beat that," I smirked, and walked back to my seat.
"That's going to be pretty hard to beat."
I sat and tried to focus on my mom as she threw the ball, but I really wanted to see if Lucas was back and if he was with one of the girls.
"Oh my goodness, you've got eight pins," I squealed.
"I'm going to get a spare, just wait and see."
Sure enough, she picked up her spare. Her face lit for the first time since my dad had left.
"Way to go Mom," I cheered.
"Don't worry honey, you can catch up."
"We'll see," I laughed.
"Eliana!" A familiar voice behind me hollered above the music.
I turned to see who it was, even though I already knew. "Hey, Lucas."
"What happened to movie night?"
"Oh, we already did that, but decided we wanted to bowl too."
"So was the movie good?"
"Yeah, we really enjoyed it." I grabbed my ball and then realized I'd forgotten to introduce my mom. "Oh. Lucas. This is my mom, Sophie."
"It's nice to meet you ma'am."
"Please call me Sophie. Ma'am makes me feel old."
"All right, I'll remember that." Lucas smiled and turned back to me. "So, I saw you over here and figured I'd say hi."
"Okay. Hello." Why did it always sounded like he pitied me?
"Well, I better get back to my lane."
"Yeah, I don't want to keep you from your date," I fished for a response.
He grinned and shook his head. "Okay Eliana, maybe I'll see you later."
"Don't hold your breath," I muttered, thinking the music would keep him from hearing.
He did a quick double take as he walked back to his group.
"Eliana, why are you so mean to him?" Mom asked.
"I don't think I was mean." I knew that wasn't true, but being mean was easier than letting my guard down.
"I think he likes you. Don't ruin
"Well, it's good to see you outside of school," Emily added.
"Do you want to join us?" asked Casey.
"Oh, that's really nice, but I'm having a good time with my mom. Call me on Sunday though."
Mom walked up behind them.
"Mom, these are my friends from school, Casey and Emily. This is my mom. Sophie."
"Wow! This is your mom? She could pass as your sister," Emily grinned.
"That's really sweet. It's nice to meet you two," Mom replied.
"Well, if you change your mind, feel free to join us," said Casey.
I looked over Casey's shoulder and saw Evan staring and Sasha glaring. "Thanks, but not tonight."
"Okay, we'll talk later." Casey and Emily walked back to their lane.
"Honey, if you want to go bowl with them, I don't mind."
"No, I'm fine right here. Besides, Sasha is there. She's the other girl I was telling you about."
"Ooohhh, I see." Mom turned to check out Sasha.
"Mom, don't! I don't want her to know I was talking about her."
"Sorry, just curious. Hey, is that the guy you like? What's his name? Lucas?" She was looking at Evan.
I laughed, "No, Lucas doesn't hang with that crowd. He's here though. He's at the other end. If you look, please don't be obvious."
"There are so many people I couldn't find him even if I knew what he looked like."
"Let's just forget it. I want to concentrate on having a good time."
"Okay, you go first." Mom typed our initials into the computer.
I grabbed my ball and walked up to the lane. I had a complex knowing that someone was probably watching me: Lucas, Sasha, or most likely, Evan. I threw the ball and it hit the gutter. I turned and joked, "Off to a good start."
"You can pick up a spare with the next ball…hopefully."
I picked up the other ball. "This one might work better."
When I looked up, I could clearly see Lucas' lane. He wasn't there, but I recognized a few of the guys I'd seen him talking to at his truck. There were four girls from school sitting with them; two of them were cheerleaders.
"Eliana, are you going to play?" asked Mom.
"Oh, yeah. I'm just trying to figure out which ball to use."
Mom smiled. "If you say so."
I walked to the lane and threw the ball. "Come on; come on. No gutter; no gutter." The ball hit three pins.
"I got three this round, beat that," I smirked, and walked back to my seat.
"That's going to be pretty hard to beat."
I sat and tried to focus on my mom as she threw the ball, but I really wanted to see if Lucas was back and if he was with one of the girls.
"Oh my goodness, you've got eight pins," I squealed.
"I'm going to get a spare, just wait and see."
Sure enough, she picked up her spare. Her face lit for the first time since my dad had left.
"Way to go Mom," I cheered.
"Don't worry honey, you can catch up."
"We'll see," I laughed.
"Eliana!" A familiar voice behind me hollered above the music.
I turned to see who it was, even though I already knew. "Hey, Lucas."
"What happened to movie night?"
"Oh, we already did that, but decided we wanted to bowl too."
"So was the movie good?"
"Yeah, we really enjoyed it." I grabbed my ball and then realized I'd forgotten to introduce my mom. "Oh. Lucas. This is my mom, Sophie."
"It's nice to meet you ma'am."
"Please call me Sophie. Ma'am makes me feel old."
"All right, I'll remember that." Lucas smiled and turned back to me. "So, I saw you over here and figured I'd say hi."
"Okay. Hello." Why did it always sounded like he pitied me?
"Well, I better get back to my lane."
"Yeah, I don't want to keep you from your date," I fished for a response.
He grinned and shook his head. "Okay Eliana, maybe I'll see you later."
"Don't hold your breath," I muttered, thinking the music would keep him from hearing.
He did a quick double take as he walked back to his group.
"Eliana, why are you so mean to him?" Mom asked.
"I don't think I was mean." I knew that wasn't true, but being mean was easier than letting my guard down.
"I think he likes you. Don't ruin
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