3 GUYS, A GIRL, AND A ROSE
Chapter Thirty-Six
"Tommy is on my team!" Christina
called. It was Tuesday night, and everyone went bowling as they had planned.
Tommy picked up Christina, Jack, and Rose.
Fabrizio had met up with them, since he didn't live far away. Christina didn't
bother to talk to Rose in the car. She went off talking to Tommy. She only
spoke to Jack when she was spoken to. Now they were at the bowling alley,
picking teams.
"I'm not gonna play!" Fabrizio sat
down, crossing his arms.
"Afraid ya gonna lose, Fabri?"
Christina teased him.
"No! Just seeing as there are five
people, I'll sit out."
"You're a big fucking puss, Fabri!"
Tommy joked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Keep saying that, Mr.
Ryan! You've been a puss lately whenever it come to Chris…" Fabrizio
stopped, realizing what he had almost said. Tommy gave him a disgusted look.
"What were you gonna say, Fabri?"
Christina asked, putting on the bowling shoes.
"He was gonna say I become a big puss
when it comes to Christopher Reeves!" Tommy said. Christina laughed,
finding it a bit odd.
"Tommy gets all pussed out by
Christopher Reeves, thinking that he really is Superman and that he's gonna
kick Tommy's ass," Fabrizio made up.
"I used to be scared of Superman when I
was a little boy." Tommy was so nervous, he could have hit Fabrizio for
almost blowing his spot.
"All right," Christina said,
finding it a bit weird. "But anyway! We're here to bowl! So it'll be Tommy
and I going against Jack and Rose."
"Think you can handle it, Dawson?"
Tommy teased.
"Oh, we got you guys!" Jack
answered.
Christina went up first, rolling the ball
down the lane. She hit all ten pins and jumped up in joy.
"See if you could take that, guys!"
Christina said.
Tommy went after Christina. He knocked down
another ten pins. Christina and Tommy gave each other a high five.
Rose then grabbed a bowling ball. She
positioned herself to roll the bowling ball down the lane. When she was about
to roll it down, Christina sneezed which distracted Rose. The ball slipped from
her hand and went down to the side.
"Shit!" Rose yelled.
"It's all right, Rose! I'll get
it!" Jack said. Tommy and Christina snickered low enough so Jack couldn't
hear.
About an hour later, the game was over. Jack
was the last to go. He missed by one pin, which lost him and Rose the game.
"Yes!" Christina cheered. She ran
to Tommy, throwing her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his
waist.
"We did it, Christina! We won, baby!"
Tommy said. Christina kissed him all over his face. Tommy's face got all red.
"I believe you're blushing, Mr.
Ryan," Christina teased him.
"It's hot!" Tommy said. He had a
huge smile on his face. Christina let go of him. There was some strange chemistry
going on between them. She just couldn't figure it out.
They all went outside, laughing with each
other.
"Since Tommy and I won, the losers have
to pay for dinner!" Christina said, pointing her fingers at Jack.
"What about Fabrizio?" Jack asked.
"Oh! Well, Fabrizio pays for his
part," Tommy answered Jack.
"Why do I have to pay?" Fabrizio
asked, his hands in his pockets.
"You didn't play!" Christina said.
"So what?" Fabrizio yelled.
"Hey! Don't complain, Fabrizio! It's
fair!" Jack said.
"We'll pay for dinner, and Fabrizio pays
for his own!" Fabrizio mimicked him.
"You guys pick where to go,"
Christina said to Jack and Rose.
"How about Uno's?" Jack asked them
all.
"I've never been there before,"
Rose said.
"Well, then, we should go!"
Christina said.
"It's only four blocks, anyway. I don't
have to move the car," Tommy added in.
"Come on, then! I'm hungry!"
Fabrizio said. They all laughed at him.
*****
Rose sat there quietly. She felt kind of
weird being there with them, especially with Christina around. She felt like
the outcast. They all sat at a table in the back of the restaurant. Christina
sat in between Tommy and Fabrizio, while Jack and Rose sat across from them.
"I have to work tomorrow!"
Christina complained.
"Don't worry! We'll be with you tomorrow!"
Tommy said. Rose noticed Tommy holding Christina's hand, rubbing his palms on
the top of her hand.
"I could use a good beer tomorrow,"
Fabrizio said. He ate his food like he hadn't eaten in years.
"I'll go tomorrow! Wanna come,
Rose?" Jack asked her, his arm around her shoulder.
"Oh, I don't know. I have a big final
Thursday I should really study for," Rose said.
"Oh. You should go off and do
that," Jack told Rose. Christina had a satisfied smile on her face.
"That reminds me, you guys! I have great
news!" Christina had a lot of excitement in her voice.
"All right, then! Spit it out!"
Tommy said.
"Okay! I'm starting at Pace University
in September!" Christina yelled.
"That's great, Christina!" Tommy
was happy for her. Rose could tell by his voice. He grabbed her face and kissed
her forehead. Fabrizio gave her a hug.
"I knew you could do it, Chris!"
Jack said. Jack leaned over the table to hug Christina. Rose got jealous,
noticing the passion that was in the hug.
"Congratulations, Christina!" Rose
said. Christina shot a look at Rose.
"Thank you!" Christina smiled. Rose
smiled back at her. "Where do you go to school anyway, Rose?"
"NYU," Rose answered.
"That's cool. What are you majoring
in?" Christina asked.
"Acting and directing. And you?"
Rose asked her back.
"Journalism and mass
communications." Christina took a sip of her soda.
"Interesting." Christina just
nodded her head.
Rose was pleased about Christina's kindness
in asking her about school. Christina had barely uttered a word to her the
whole night. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.