Chapter 11
1499 Words
Friday afternoon arrived with an energy that only existed on college campuses.
Students hurried through the last classes of the week with one goal in mind—freedom. Conversations about exams were replaced with plans for football games, late-night diners, hiking trips, and parties that would inevitably be talked about all week.
Ava, however, had promised herself one thing.
Tonight, she wasn’t going to think about assignments.
She wasn’t going to think about work.
And she definitely wasn’t going to think about whether Mason seemed distracted lately.
She had spent enough time worrying.
After her final lecture, Emily caught up with her outside the nursing building.
“So?” Emily asked.
“So what?”
“Bowling.”
Ava blinked.
“Oh.”
“You forgot.”
“I completely forgot.”
Emily laughed.
“I figured.”
“So… who’s going?”
“A few people from our cohort.”
Emily started counting on her fingers.
“Me, Jordan, Tyler, Megan… a couple of students from respiratory therapy, and whoever else decides to show up.”
Ava hesitated.
She wasn’t great in large groups.
She usually spent Friday evenings with Mason.
Except…
He had texted her that morning.
Running late again tonight. Rain check?
She had replied with a simple Of course. Good luck today.
She meant it.
She always meant it.
Still, the disappointment lingered.
“You should come,” Emily said.
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve said no every single time we’ve invited you somewhere.”
“I have?”
Emily gave her a look.
“You really don’t notice, do you?”
Ava looked down.
“I guess not.”
“You deserve to have friends outside of your boyfriend.”
The words weren’t cruel.
They were honest.
Ava slowly nodded.
“What time?”
Emily smiled.
“Seven.”
⸻
Back at the apartment, Chloe was curled up on the couch sketching clothing designs when Ava walked in.
“You’re home early.”
“I have a question.”
Chloe immediately closed her sketchbook.
“That sounds serious.”
“I got invited bowling.”
“Oh my gosh.”
“What?”
“You got invited.”
“I’ve been invited before.”
“And you’ve always said no.”
“I know.”
Chloe leaned forward.
“So what’s different?”
Ava dropped her backpack beside the couch.
“Mason has to work.”
“And?”
“And maybe…”
She smiled nervously.
“…maybe Emily’s right.”
Chloe’s expression softened.
“What did she say?”
“That I should have friends outside of Mason.”
A smile spread across Chloe’s face.
“I like Emily.”
“You’ve never met Emily.”
“I still like her.”
Ava laughed.
“So…”
“So…”
“You should go.”
“I don’t bowl.”
“You don’t have to bowl well.”
“I’ll embarrass myself.”
“Perfect.”
Ava rolled her eyes.
“You enjoy watching me struggle.”
“I enjoy watching you live.”
The room grew quiet.
Chloe reached over and squeezed her hand.
“You’ve spent so much time building your life around classes, work, and Mason.”
She smiled gently.
“I think it’s time you remembered you’re allowed to have fun.”
Ava thought about that for a long moment.
Maybe Chloe was right.
Maybe both of them were.
⸻
By seven o’clock, the bowling alley buzzed with music, laughter, and crashing pins.
Ava immediately realized she’d forgotten how loud bowling alleys were.
Emily waved from two lanes over.
“You came!”
“I almost didn’t.”
“I’m glad you did.”
Jordan handed Ava a pair of rental shoes.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’m terrible.”
“So am I.”
Within ten minutes, Ava realized everyone had lied.
Jordan wasn’t terrible.
Tyler definitely wasn’t terrible.
Even Emily managed a strike during the second frame.
Ava…
Ava somehow threw her first ball directly into the gutter.
The entire group stared for one second.
Then burst into laughter.
Ava covered her face.
“I knew this would happen.”
Jordan pointed dramatically toward the lane.
“I have never seen someone miss by that much.”
Emily elbowed him.
“Be nice.”
“I am being nice.”
He grinned.
“It was impressive.”
Ava started laughing too.
Real laughter.
The kind that made her eyes water.
By the fourth frame, she still wasn’t bowling well.
But she had stopped caring.
Somewhere between terrible throws and greasy pizza, she realized something.
She hadn’t checked her phone once.
Not because she was avoiding Mason.
Because she’d been enjoying herself.
That realization surprised her.
Halfway through the game, Emily nudged her shoulder.
“Smile.”
“What?”
Click.
Emily held up her phone.
“I just took your picture.”
Ava groaned.
“Delete it.”
“No.”
“I probably look ridiculous.”
“You look happy.”
Ava reached for the phone anyway.
Emily turned the screen toward her.
For a moment, Ava simply stared.
Her hair had fallen out of its ponytail.
She was wearing rental bowling shoes that looked two sizes too big.
Her cheeks were pink from laughing.
She wasn’t posing.
She wasn’t trying to hide behind anyone else.
She looked…
Happy.
Actually happy.
“I don’t hate it,” she admitted.
Emily smiled.
“I know.”
⸻
Across town, Ethan and Ben sat in their favorite sports bar watching a college football game.
Or rather…
Ben watched the game.
Ethan stared absently at the television without really seeing it.
“You’ve been distracted all night.”
“I’m watching.”
“No.”
Ben laughed.
“You’re pretending.”
Ethan finally looked over.
“I’m just tired.”
“Mhm.”
Ben took a sip of his drink.
“So…”
“So?”
“You haven’t accidentally run into Ava in almost twenty-four hours.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You make it sound like I schedule these things.”
“I’ve started wondering.”
Ethan laughed.
“I promise I don’t.”
His phone buzzed.
He glanced down.
A message from his neighbor.
Thanks again for taking Cooper this weekend. You’re a lifesaver.
Ethan smiled.
Anytime.
Ben looked over.
“Dog?”
“Dog.”
“I like Cooper.”
“So do I.”
“He seems to have excellent taste in people.”
Ethan smiled quietly.
“I think so too.”
⸻
By the time bowling ended, it was nearly ten.
Ava climbed into her Honda feeling lighter than she had in weeks.
As she started the engine, her phone buzzed.
Mason.
She answered immediately.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You sound happy.”
She smiled.
“I went bowling.”
“You actually went?”
“I know.”
“I’m shocked.”
“So am I.”
He laughed.
“I’m glad.”
She rested her head against the seat.
“How was work?”
“Long.”
“You sound exhausted.”
“I am.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’ll calm down eventually.”
“I know.”
There was a comfortable silence.
Then Mason spoke again.
“I’m really proud of you.”
She frowned slightly.
“For what?”
“For going.”
“It was just bowling.”
“No.”
His voice was gentle.
“It wasn’t.”
He paused.
“You’ve always put everyone else first.”
Ava didn’t know what to say.
“I think it’s good you’re doing something for yourself.”
Emotion caught unexpectedly in her throat.
“Thanks.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
As they said goodnight, Ava found herself smiling again.
Maybe things really were okay.
Maybe they were simply growing through a busy season.
She pulled into her apartment complex and shut off the engine.
Before getting out, she opened the picture Emily had taken.
She looked at it for a long moment.
Then, for the first time in years, she made it her phone wallpaper.
Not because she looked perfect.
Because she looked genuinely happy.
She locked the phone and climbed out of the car.
From somewhere in the darkness, Oliver the cat trotted toward her, meowing loudly.
“There you are.”
She scooped him into her arms for a quick cuddle before setting him back on the ground.
“You know…”
She smiled down at him.
“Today was a really good day.”
Oliver purred in agreement.
Neither of them noticed the black SUV driving slowly past the apartment entrance before disappearing down the street.
Inside, Ethan had just finished dropping Cooper off at his neighbor’s house.
He never saw Ava.
She never saw him.
Sometimes, two lives could move quietly around each other for years without either person realizing how close they were to finally meeting at exactly the right time.
- Writer
