chapter 21: weisz is worried

~weisz~

       Reno pulls his car into the parking lot of the bowling alley. He turns off the car, and I'm about to get out but I suddenly feel a bit lightheaded. I sigh and lean back in the seat, rubbing my forehead as I take a few shaky breaths.

       "Are you sure you're okay?" Reno asks. "You looked very weak when I picked you up. We could have just taken a rain check. I'm sure they would understand."

       I shake my head. "No, it's fine. I'll be fine. I haven't seen them all for a while and I really want you to meet them."

       Reno places his hand on my arm. "I would have met them eventually. If you're not feeling well..."

       "I'm fine," I say. "I promise. It's probably because I didn't get much sleep last night. It didn't help that a show I've been waiting for a long time was released at midnight so I was binging it." I feel a tiny bit better, so I leave the car. 

       Reno gets out as well, locking the car behind us. "If it ever gets too much for you..."

       I intertwine my hand with Reno's, giving him a smile. "I'll be fine, but thank you for caring so much."

       The two of us get into the bowling alley, immediately going to rent our shoes since my friends are already here at one of the lanes. Once we get our shoes on, I lead Reno over to where my friends are. They're in the middle of a game, but they stop the moment they see me and Reno.

       Amelia is the first to get up and hug me. "Yay, you two made it!"

       "I literally texted you half an hour ago to tell you we were on our way," I say.

       "Sorry, I'm just happy to see you again." Amelia pulls away from me, furrowing her eyebrows as she looks at me. "Are you okay? You look very pale."

       "I do?" I ask. 

       "Yes, very," Amelia says. "So are you okay?"

       "Yeah. I was just up all night watching a TV show. I'm fine."

       "You heard him, he's fine," my friend Adam says. "Stop trying to get him to leave. We missed him."

       Amelia glares at Adam. "I'm not trying to get him to leave. I'm just concerned for his health like all of you should be."

       "Anyway," I say before the conversation can venture into something I don't want to be brought up with Reno around. "Everyone, this is Reno. Reno, this is Adam, Jane, and Marcel."

       Jane gets up from her spot and walks over. "It's very nice to finally meet the person that has been making Weisz happy ever since, ugh, Marie. Can I hug you? I'm a hugger."

       "Uh, sure," Reno says, so Jane wraps her arms around Reno.

       "Sorry, I'm just really happy that Weisz is happy," Jane says. "He deserves it after everything he has gone through."

       "We should bowl now," I say. "I didn't drive all the way here just to chit chat."

       "I mean, technically, I'm the one who drove all the way here," Reno says.

       "Well, yeah, obviously. I like your car."

       "Because of all the stuff we've done in it?"

       My cheeks begin to blush a deep shade of red as Reno just smiles smugly at me. I should have known Reno would have said something like that. I'm just waiting for him to bring up my leather jacket fantasy, which I do not have.

       "Oh, Weisz, you rapscallion," Marcel says. 

       I clear my throat. "Anyway, we came here to bowl. So we should bowl. And not just stand around and talk. You guys have to finish your game anyway."

       "Nah, we can just start a new game," Adam says, going over to the console to reset the game. 

       "Are you sure you don't want to reset it just because you're losing?" Amelia asks.

       "Semantics," Adam says.

       The game resets and once we're all signed up to play, the game begins. I'm first on the list, so I pick up the bowling ball and head over to the lane. Before I can even roll the ball, Marcel says, "Don't lose."

       I turn and glare at Marcel. "It will be easier for me not to lose if you don't say something right before I roll the ball."

       "Sorry," Marcel says. "I'm totally not trying to make sure you lose since you always win and it brings my self-confidence down."

       "If you're measuring your confidence solely on your lack of bowling skills, then I don't know what to tell you," I say before rolling the ball towards the pins. I knock down all but one, but I'm able to get it one my second turn.

       "Wow, you're good," Reno says as he gets up for his turn. "It will be such a shame if someone gets a strike right after you."

       Lo and behold, Reno does end up getting a strike with ease. I'd be lying if I say it wasn't extremely attractive and that I wasn't staring at Reno's arms the entire time. "You're kidding," I say. "You're good at bowling, too? What's next? Baseball? Basketball?"

       Reno sits down beside me and leans close, his lips just under my ear. "Ballet," he whispers.

       "Excuse me?" I ask. "Since when?"

       "Since I was five." Reno leans back against the seat.

       "You're so hot."

       "Yeah, hi," Adam says. "I'd appreciate it if you two didn't be all lovey-dovey around us. It's so beautiful that it's going to make me cry, and crying isn't a manly thing to do."

       Amelia snorts. "Okay, Mr. Man."

       The game goes on with only a slight competition between me and Reno, only because I'm used to winning and he's trying to take my streak away. I don't care too much. I just enjoy checking him out when he goes.

       The best part has to be that Reno gets along great with me friends. He's already joking with all of my friends, and they're making sure they get to know each other. I'm glad he fits in with them.

       I take another turn, once again getting a spare. I walk back to where I normally sit beside Reno, but he doesn't get up to take his turn. He just points to his nose. "Your nose."

       I furrow my eyebrows and touch my nose, feeling some blood dripping from it. Jane is quick to grab a tissue out of her purse and hand it to me. "Thanks," I say, pressing the tissue up to my nose.

       "Are you sure you're okay?" Reno asks. He presses the back of my hand against my forehead. "You seem sick."

       "I'm fine," I say, though now that this has happened a second time within a week, I'm starting to doubt that I actually am. All I know is that I have an appointment on Monday so I'll find out for sure if I'm okay or not.

       "It's fine if you two want to leave early," Jane says. "Don't force yourself to stay if you're not feeling well."

       I know I shouldn't be overexerting myself anymore, so I say, "We'll finish the game and then head out. But I'll probably need someone to take my turn."

       "I'll go for you." Reno pats my leg before he stands up. "Maybe then your score could actually go up."

       "Oh, ha ha," I say sarcastically. Reno smiles at me before going to the lane to take his turn.

       Now that he's out of earshot, Amelia says, "And the truth, Weisz? Are you really okay? Because the last time you were like this...?"

       "I promise, I'm okay," I say. "One hundred percent."

       "Okay..." Amelia says.

       "Just... tell us if anything changed," Adam says.

       "Of course," I say.

       "And tell Reno," Amelia says.

       I look over at Reno, who actually didn't get a strike this time, so he goes to get the rest of the pins. "I don't want to worry him. If things change, of course I'll tell him, but right now, it's in the past. And that's where it's going to stay."

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i love weizs's friends so much. they're great. and yes, we will see more of them woo.

also, i've been thinking of changing the books title. idk, i'm just not feeling drive by anymore. if anything, i'll just change it to reno and weisz (basic, i know, but i like it better than drive by)

(we still have angst coming soon)