“You look better in that slave costume.”
He laughed. “Yeah, all right. Next Halloween?”
I nodded. “Deal.”
The party was still in full swing. Family and friends were full of food and drink and cheer, and they were dancing the night away quite happily. They weren’t going to miss me and Zane.
I grabbed his hand and he looked at me.
“What?”
I smiled. “Come on.” I tugged on his hand and pulled him towards the fence.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere a little more private.”
“I’ll follow where you lead.”
I chuckled as we slid between the fence. We climbed up into the treehouse and I paused to have a look at the party down below. The music was still loud but you could hear the laughter and some chatter now and then.
Zane wrapped his arms around my waist and leant his head on my shoulder. I lay my hands over his arms and leant back into him. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
“Your mum have a good night, you think?” he asked.
I nodded and smiled as I caught her dancing around. “Yeah. I think so.”
He dropped his nose to my shoulder and kissed it gently.
We stayed like that for a moment, just coexisting without the need to talk. Eventually, I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his shoulders.
“Hi,” he said smoothly.
“Well, hi.”
He nudged my nose with his and I felt him start to sway.
“Are you trying to dance with me?” I asked, pretending to be shocked.
He shrugged innocently. “I was hoping I was subtle enough that you might not notice.”
I laughed. “Sure. That works.”
We swayed together while the song was slower. I leant towards him and kissed him. His arms tightened around my waist and he kissed me back. I could feel the smile on his face and my heart fluttered happily.
We spent the rest of the night hanging out in the treehouse, not really caring if anyone noticed we’d slipped away or what they thought we were doing. We ended up lying on the beanbag near the door and watching the stars through it.
We heard the music turn down, we heard his parents head home, we heard mine head inside, but we didn’t feel the need to end the night quite so soon.
Chapter 20: Zane
Charley was getting dressed when I wandered into her room.
“You going out?”
She turned to smile at me. “I am.”
“Where you off to?”
“Meeting Jett and Penny out,” she said as she tied her shoes.
“What are you getting up to?”
She looked up at me with a rueful smirk. “We’re going bowling.”
“Dweebs bowl?” I asked, acting shocked.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. We bowl.”
“You any better than you are on Wii?”
She laughed. “Not at all.”
I hovered around awkwardly.
As she picked up her jacket, she turned back to me. “If you’re angling for an invite, I’m gonna have to ask them first.”
I shrugged. “No. I wouldn’t… I mean…”
“Too much?” she asked, her easy certainty falling.
I shook my head. “No. I mean, I don’t think so. I just didn’t want you to think I thought… I didn’t know if we were there? At the…people knowing…bit?”
She sighed. “I mean, we don’t have to tell them.”
“We don’t have to.”
“I’m pretty sure they already know.”
“How?”
She gave me a glare of disbelief. “They’re not stupid. You come and sit with us and start talking about stuff they like, and I’m smiling at you like an idiot? It doesn’t take a genius.”
“Bleeker and the boys don’t know.”
She paused, looking like she’d been about to say something then thought better of it. “Well, that’s not surprising. They’re hardly geniuses.”
I’d concede that. “Yeah, fair.”
She paused again, then shook her head. “Do you want to come bowling?”
“Do you want me to come bowling?”
She shrugged wildly. “I don’t mind.”
“Well, neither do I.”
“You always have an opinion.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You do. I’m not going into this whole thing if you’re just going to become Mr Indecisive because you’re worried about hurting my feelings. I’m gonna get over being pissed at you making a decision I didn’t want faster than you being indecisive.”
I nodded. “Okay. I kinda do want to go bowling with you and your friends. But if you’re not ready or uncomfortable about that, I will accept it.”
A ghost of a smile. “Okay. Thank you.” She pulled her phone out and started typing.
“So…?”
“Oh, it’s not up to me,” she said, still looking at her phone.
“But I mean…a guesstimate?”
“Penny was an instant yes. Jett’s little dots are blinking.” Her phone vibrated. “And it’s a yes from Jett, as well.”
“Cool.”
The smile she gave me wasn’t one of shared celebration. She wanted something.
“I’m driving, aren’t I?” I asked.
She batted her eyes and came over to me. “Pwease,” she said teasingly as she took my shirt in her hands.
I nodded, pretending I was totally put out by the whole thing. “Okay. When are we leaving?”
“Now?”
“I need to get petrol on the way, that okay?”
She shrugged. “More okay than cruising to a gentle stop on Magill Road.”
I put my arm around her and we headed for my car.
Things were simple and easy with Charley, like I could try and sing all the parts to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ all by myself and sound like a tone-deaf cat and she wouldn’t care. Mostly because she was trying it right along with me.
We were the first ones to arrive and Charley went up to book us a lane.
“One or two lanes?” the clerk answered.
“There’ll be four of us…” Charley said, looking at me for my opinion. “So, one?”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“And games?”
Charley sucked her teeth while she thought about it. “Four, please.”
The clerk put the payment through and then got us sorted for shoes and balls.
By the time I was lacing up my second shoe, Penny and Jett were walking over.
“Hi!” Penny said when Charley looked up.
The two girls embraced. Jett and I nodded to each other before Jett hugged Charley. He did then hold his hand out. I slapped his palm and shook it.