I had a doctor's appointment and it ran later than I thought. Still, I'm uploading two chapters now and going to sleep. It's one in the morning for me.
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Chapter 11
"And that's a zero for you." Jackson looked quite smug as he scored the perfect shot. Well, it was near perfect but it was full so it didn't matter whether it was perfect or not.
Dan's team was last, I in third, Aaron and Todd were second and Jackson and Sara were first. Well, I was third because both of the starting rounds were played by Betty.
She was terrible. Well, terrible wasn't the right word for it. She had no choice but to be terrible. As I thought, something was going on with her.
"It's your turn, bro," Dan said. As it turned out, it was very easy to become someone's bro after just five beers.
I stood up and made my way to the line. I wasn't into any sort of sports, even indoor sports like this one. All I ever did in my life since I was thirteen was masturbate and study and then in high school, I volunteered at the doctor's office so I never had any time for sports.
I knew the rules of bowling but I never played it before. Still, how hard could it be? After I was granted a practice shot because everyone found out I was playing it for the first time, I got the hang of it.
I wouldn't say I mastered the form to perfection, but I could still manage thanks to my high stats. With my focus enhanced thanks to my senses and my increased intelligence, I took the first official shot.
And...…
Strike!
A perfect shot with no pins standing. There must be a term for this but as I said, I wasn't overly familiar with this game. I just knew the rules. Shoot the ball and drop the pins.
My strike left everyone's mouth hanging open. Even Mira, who was just sitting on the sidelines couldn't help but be surprised given her wide stare.
"Br…Bro," Dan called me before he asked, "You're not hustling us, right?"
"I'm buying the beer." What were they losing to call it hustling? I made my way back to my seat while a giddy Betty yelled how amazing her team was. While others stared at her with narrowed eyes, Jackson's eyes relayed a different story.
His earlier smugness and arrogance were nowhere to be seen. Well, that was a given. Before me, he was the sole king here. Now he wasn't.
"Dude," Todd said, "That's hard to believe. I can believe you since your form's terrible but your grip and control were perfect. What sport did you say you played?"
"I didn't." I replied before I added, "I've never played any sports."
"You're lying," Lucy said with narrowed eyes while everyone else agreed with her. Well, almost everyone, "He's telling the truth. He hated sports three years ago as well. I doubt that changed in high school."
Upon hearing Sara's testimony and getting the nod of agreement from Mira, everyone stared at me like they were looking at a monster.
"Seriously, brah?" Dan still looked like he couldn't believe it all but he had no other choice than to believe me since even Sara and Mira were testifying for me.
"It was just a lucky shot," Jackson spoke, his voice overflowing with displeasure.
"I doubt that man," Dan, however, didn't agree. And he was right. After the next round, although my form wasn't perfect, it was a lot better than before after I observed everyone and figured out the correct posture. And no, before you ask, I wasn't a fast learner.
Not before today anyway.
"Why don't I buy that beer now?" I said before I turned to Betty, "Hey, Betty, you mind giving me a hand?"
"Sure," Betty replied and we made our way to the bar. We ordered 10 beer mugs. I handled six while Betty managed four somehow. I could have carried more but I wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining things since earlier.
And I wasn't. There was that reaction once again from earlier. She was too excited when she hugged me so she forgot to pay it to mind but she did afterward.
We returned to the others and we had our fill of the drinks until intoxication began to set in. Jackson started making moves on Sara but she wasn't very comfortable in front of everyone so she refused every time which only made him more upset every time.
"Hey, Betty," I said as I stood up, once I noticed no one would mind our absence from the scene, "Can you help me with something?"
"Sure," She replied, not sure of what it was but she didn't deny it. We made our way to the restroom section of the bowling venue and as we arrived, Betty weirdly asked, "What do you wanna do here, Tyler?"
"We're friends, right, Betty?" I asked.
"Of course, we are," She replied.
"So, if there was something going on in your life, you'll tell me, right?" I asked once again to which she smiled but hints of panic could be seen behind that smile, "Of course."
Her assent was different from her words. I moved forward and before she could defend herself, I lifted her shirt from the front, exposing her stomach.
"He--" She tried to stop me but it was too late. I was too fast for her.
With her stomach exposed, I asked once again, "We're friends, right, Betty?"
She looked at me, not bothering to make me let go of her shirt. "It's nothing," She replied.
It sure wasn't nothing. I felt it the moment she hugged me. A slightly pained expression on her face. The slight subtle wince she'd let out every time she had to raise her arms. She wasn't just bad at bowling; she was beyond terrible. But that wasn't because she couldn't play. That was because she couldn't even use her arms properly.
"Who did this?" I asked, referring to the bruises all over her stomach. They were deep, sharp, and most of them fresh. Many of them were almost faded as well which means whatever this was, it wasn't new.
'She fell,' wasn't an excuse that would work because I was well familiar with the patterns of bruising from hits. I should know because I've treated hundreds and inflicted thousands myself.
"Who was it, Betty?" I asked, "Ex-boyfriend? Boyfriend? Someone at school? Who did this?" I pushed her against the wall and asked with my eyes staring deep into hers.
There was fear in her eyes, not of me but of someone else. I didn't like that. Betty, even though we hadn't seen each other for three years, was one of my crushes.
Granted her big ass had something to do with it even when she was just fifteen, but that wasn't the issue here.
She was a friend before she was a crush. I had very few friends. Close to zero but those that I did consider my friends always had my back no matter what and so I had theirs. It wasn't going to be any different for Betty.
"Tyler, please," She pleaded, not wanting me to get involved but nothing was going to make me stay away.
"Who was it?" I asked once again, my voice a little sharper this time.
"Her stepdad." I heard a familiar voice from the corridor corner. I turned to look at Sara who was standing just around the corner, her eyes fixed on me.
I let go of Betty and turned to Sara, "What do you mean, Stepdad? I didn't know her mother remarried."
Betty's dad died in a car accident when she was ten. Her mom never remarried and it was the same the last time I saw her.
But what I didn't understand was why Betty was taking all that and saying nothing.
"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked her.
"Because her mother stupidly transferred everything to him. If he divorces her, they lose everything." Sara took the liberty to explain.
"I see," I simply replied before I turned to Betty and said, "You're staying with us tonight. For old time's sake."
Betty didn't say anything but that was a yes anyway.
"Now go and fix your makeup," I made an excuse but her eyeliner was showing after she shed a few tears.
Once she was gone, I turned to Sara and asked, "What's his name and where can I find him?"
"Tyler," Sara began, most probably to change my mind but I closed the distance between her and me and asked again, "Where will I find him?"
"Haa…" She sighed before she told me everything about him. Well, everything she knew anyway but that was enough for me. I just needed to find him after all.
Betty was still inside so I told Sara to go out and wait for me. "We will head home after Betty comes out." She nodded and turned to leave but before she could, "What the fuck are you doing here with him?"
Jackson was standing in the corner, his expression not good at all.
Now what did this piece of shit want?
I just hoped he didn't make me anymore angrier than I already was.