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3
MEGAN
“Is this too much?” I ask while twisting in my full-length mirror. Lucy, Natalie, and I are getting ready for a group date at the bowling alley tonight. The navy blue dress I have on feels a bit too nice. Plus, those bowling shoes are slippery. I do not want to take a chance on falling down.
“Yeah, it’s a little too fancy,” Natalie says. She has on cut-off denim shorts and layered tank tops. She looks adorable in anything, though. With her fiery red hair and emerald eyes, she’s a knockout.
“Okay, how about this one?” I hold up a flowy blouse with my own denim shorts.
“I like that so much better,” Lucy says.
“Perfect.” I shuck off the blue dress, quickly put on the new outfit, then look in the mirror again. Definitely better than the dress.
“What are the guys’ names again?” I’ve asked this question close to a million times now, but I’m nervous. This will be my first group date ever. I’m not sure I’m ready.
At the same time, it feels ridiculous to have never been on a date at eighteen years old, so whether I’m ready or not, I’m going.
I hope I don’t make a fool of myself before the night is over.
“Jason, Daniel, and Nathan. They’re some friends of Sara’s brothers. Right, Nat?” Lucy supplies.
“Yeah, I’ve hung out with them a few times. They’re cool. I thought they’d be perfect for your first group date. Why are you so nervous?” Natalie asks.
“Because you both know I don’t date. This is completely out of my comfort zone.”
“You’re going to be fine. You’re naturally social, so just think about it like you’re making new friends.”
“New friends… Okay, I can do this.” I pack up my purse to get ready to go. When the girls are ready, we leave my room and walk downstairs. I quickly say goodbye to Mom before following the girls to my car.
We jam out to the summer playlist we burned onto a CD together, singing Avril Lavigne and Christina Aguilera at the top of our lungs. For a few minutes, I forget I’m about to meet a boy. Unfortunately, it all comes flooding back when I park at the bowling alley. My stomach flutters as I prepare to go inside.
The three of us jump out of the car and walk into the bowling alley, the smell of stale cigarette smoke and fried food hanging in the air as we walk up to the counter to get our shoes.
“The guys are already here,” Nat says, pointing to a lane where they’re getting things set up. After the attendant hands our shoes over, we quickly grab our bowling balls, then walk over to the lane.
“Hey, Nat,” one of the guys says. He has dark brown hair and pretty, blue eyes.
“Hey, Jason,” Nat says, giving him a hug. “These are my friends, Lucy and Megan. Girls, this is Jason, Daniel, and Nathan.”
Daniel has shaggy, brown hair and blue eyes like Jason, and Nathan has bleach blond curls and hazel eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I smile.
“You guys wanna grab some food first or start bowling?” Nathan asks.
“Definitely snacks first,” Natalie answers, so we head over to the concession stand together.
“Nat said you’re a cheerleader?” Daniel asks me as we wait in line.
“I am. Do you play a sport or anything?”
“Basketball, but it’s not going to be a career. I want to be a firefighter.”
“Isn’t the training supposed to be really difficult?”
We step up to the counter together, ordering nachos and Cokes for both of us. He’s sweet enough to pay for mine, which is a bit of a surprise.
“Yeah, it is. I’m planning on going to the academy to help. Hopefully, I’ll get a spot on a crew somewhere when I’m done. What are your plans after graduation?”
“I’m hoping to get into the University of North Carolina’s pre-med program.”
“Wow, impressive.”
“Maybe one day.” I smile at Daniel. The rest of the group is putting our names into the computer to start the game. “Are you good at bowling? I’m pretty abysmal.”
“I’m okay. Maybe I can help you out?” He winks at me. I look at Daniel and feel…nothing. He seems super nice; his flirting is adorable, but there’s just nothing there.
I smile back, following him to the chairs surrounding the computer.
Jason bowls first, each of us taking turns after. I prove I wasn’t kidding about how bad I am. With the exception of a few throws, most of mine go into the gutter. No amount of lessons from my friends is going to help at this point.
“You weren’t kidding about being bad,” Daniel teases.
“I told you!” I drop my head into my hands. “There’s no helping me at this point. I’m a lost cause.”
The group laughs at my plight. Even though they’re laughing at my expense, I’m glad everyone’s having fun. Maybe I should try giving Daniel a better shot at wooing me. I’ve never flirted before, so it couldn’t hurt to try.
“What do you do for fun, Daniel?” Not exactly flirting, but I’m working up to it.
“I’m usually up for anything. Going to the lake or the movies…” He shrugs his shoulders, smiling at me. He’s surprisingly cute. His blue eyes are warm, kind. I could probably get past his shaggy hair if I tried.
“I love going to the lake. It’s one of my favorite summer activities,” I tell him. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hits me, and I have to hold on to the armrest to keep from falling out of my chair. It takes several deep breaths before I return to normal.
“Hey, are you okay?” Daniel asks.
“I think so. I had a weird dizzy spell there. I think I’m okay now.” I look around the room to get my bearings again. The dizziness has passed, making me wonder if my blood sugar was low or something. The last time I got dizzy like this, I also got super nauseated. Thankfully, that’s not the case today. I already feel back to normal, so I probably just need a snack.
As I turn back to Daniel, my gaze catches dark eyes that have filled my head since I was twelve. His stare pierces through me, reading every thought I have.
“You sure you’re all right?” Daniel’s words pull me away from Todd’s intense scrutiny.
“Um, actually...not really. I’m so sorry,” I say to Daniel. I don’t actually feel bad enough to go home, it’s just seeing Todd while I’m on a date with someone else is sending me for a loop.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well anymore.”
“I drove the girls here. Do you think you could take them home?”
He nods his head, then gets up to tell Jason what’s going on.
Natalie comes over to me with a questioning look on her face. “I think I’m getting sick. You okay to go home with the guys? I don’t want you to have to leave early because I am.”
“That’s fine. Are sure you’re okay? I can drive you home.”
“No, stay. I’ll be fine. Something isn’t sitting well in my stomach, that’s all.” I’m lying through my teeth, which makes me feel bad. I’ll tell them the truth later when we’re alone. I can’t be here while Todd is a few lanes away from me.
“I’ll walk you out,” Daniel says, holding his hand out to help me up. I grab it to stand, waiting for something to happen. Anytime I’ve touched Todd in the past, electricity shoots up my arm, whereas, holding hands with Daniel just feels like another hand. Maybe it’s because we haven’t had time to build up a relationship.
He keeps holding my hand as we walk out of the bowling alley. I point to my car so he knows where we’re going, the sunshine making the red paint gleam.
“I’m sorry I have to bail early,” I say before opening my door.
“It’s all right. Maybe we can try again some other time.” A little smile pulls at the corner of his lips.
“Sure, some other time.” He’s been incredibly nice to me. With this being my first date ever, I think I got pretty lucky. Maybe if we try again, it’ll be different.
“Awesome.” Daniel grins, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Feel better, Megan.”
“Bye,” I say, opening the door to my car. Sitting down in the low leather seat, I give Daniel a quick wave, then head home.
I had a surprisingly good time despite the ending. I knew it would take more than just one date before I could move on from Todd. I just wish I knew how many.
I’ll have to figure out a way to not react when he’s around me.
That will be easier said than done.
