We walked into the restaurant and though the little sign said 'Please Be Seated,' I waved Briley over. Before I could ask where her section was, she started talking. "Kelly! You won't believe it! I went to check the mail, and JC sent Ishmael back! I can't believe he sent it back! And with the picture! And I only threw it to him last night!"
"Briley, did you have doubts?"
"Yeah! I mean, they get tons of things like that every night! I didn't know if he would send it back!"
"Briley?"
"I bet you want to sit down."
"There's six of us... Briley?"
"Kelly, I got Ishmael back! I am so happy! It's great!" She lead us to a booth and we sat down.
"Did you get an autograph with Ishmael?" I asked.
"Yeah! What do you all want to drink?"
"Water," I answered.
"Water," said JC.
"Coke," said Joey.
"Water," said Lance.
"Dr. Pepper," said Chris.
"Chocolate milk," said Justin.
"Great, I'll be back with your drinks. Kelly, I am so excited!" With that, she turned and walked away.
"So, JC, ever get the feeling that someone doesn't notice you?" I asked with a smile.
"Honestly, today is the first time in a long time!" JC answered. "It is a nice change though."
"How did you get it sent back so quick?" I asked.
"I mailed it last night through an overnight delivery thing," he explained.
"Oh..."
Briley got back to the table with our drinks and finally looked up at the other people at the table. When she noticed who it was, her mouth dropped open. She quickly regained her composure, but as she reached for a glass of water, she sent Justin's chocolate milk spilling into my lap. And it was just my luck I was wearing white jeans. "Kelly! I am so sorry! I've got some pants you can wear!" She took a couple of steps out of my way and tripped, sending the other five glasses to the floor. She leaned down, quickly untied her shoe, and retied it. As she stood, she said, "These stupid shoes! They won't stay tied for anything!"
"They never came untied," Chris pointed out.
"Okay Chris, you can shut up now," I said, giving him a 'look.'
"That would be a good idea..." Chris said.
"I really am sorry! I'll be back with your drinks in a second. Come on Kelly, I'll give you another pair of pants," she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the breakroom where her stuff was. She began digging through her bag. "Kelly, I just made a complete idiot out of myself! And I really liked JC too!" She tossed the pants to me.
"Briley, if you really like him, get your butt out there and be the best freakin' waitress they've ever had!"
She smiled. "Okay." We walked out of the breakroom then, her to get the drinks, me to the bathroom to change my pants. After I changed, I went back to the table. All six glasses were there completely full.
"Did she do better this time?" I asked, gesturing to the glasses.
"Perfect," Joey said, smiling at Briley as she walked over to take our orders.
"How many different tickets?" Briley asked. Justin, Joey, Chris, and JC looked at me, then at Lance. He nodded.
"Five," JC told Briley.
"Wait- six," I corrected.
"Five," Lance said.
"Six."
"Five."
"Six."
"Five."
"Six."
"Five!" JC, Joey, Chris, and Justin all said together.
"Okay, five."
"The drama of the first argument..." I heard Chris mumble under his breath. I reached over and hit him. "Okay, shutting up."
"Kelly, what do you want?" Briley asked, laughing. "The usual?"
"Yeah, that's fine," I answered.
"What's your usual?" Lance asked.
"You have a usual?" Joey asked. "How often do you come here?"
I looked at Joey. "Yes, I have a usual. I don't come here very often, but me and Briley have been coming here for a few years... I've always gotten the same thing." I looked across the table at Lance. "Regular cheese fries, bacon steakburger, chocolate shake."
"Hmmm... same for me," Lance told Briley.
"Okay. Chris?"
"Taco salad, extra fritos."
"Justin?"
"Mushroom and swiss, small fries."
"Joey?"
"Double steakburger with everything, fries."
Before Briley even mentioned JC, he jumped in. "Bacon and swiss double with thousand island dressing and large cheese fries."
"Okay, I'll have it right out," Briley said, writing. She turned and walked to the kitchen.
Justin chuckled. "Kelly, you don't match too well... maybe your mom should start laying your clothes out for you."
"Justin, you do realize it's your fault I'm wearing white Adidas pants with a black Tommy Hilfiger shirt don't you.... Mr. I-Want-Chocolate-Milk?"
"Hey, I wasn't the one who split it. I think someone else is the cause of it..." Justin said, glancing at JC. I caught his eye and shook my head no. He smiled. "Don't worry Kelly, I'm not going to say anything."
It was quiet around the table until I said, "Hey Chris."
"Yeah?" He asked, leaning up to look past Joey.
I pushed Joey's head forward so I could talk to Chris. I waved him over and when he leaned over enough to hear me, I whispered, "There's a baby changing station on the wall of the women's bathroom. Wanna help steal it?"
"Sure!" I got out of the booth. "Hey Joey, let me out!" Chris said. Joey moved and Chris jumped out of the booth. Before we went anywhere, JC stopped us.
"Where are you two going?"
"Oh... Chris is going to help me steal the baby changing station off the wall of the women's bathroom."
JC reached past Lance and grabbed Chris' arm. "Man, you can't go in the women's bathroom!"
"But if it's empty..." Chris protested.
"No... you can't go in there..." JC insisted. "Trust me... males do not belong in the women's bathroom."
"But JC, what about that one time that you..." Justin started to say.
"SHHH!!!" JC interrupted. "That's the past, we don't bring up the past..."
"Okay, daddy..." Chris said, plopping down in the booth and pouting.
I seemed to be the one who broke the silences, so I did it again. "Have you guys ever read the back of a box of Midol?" I asked.
"Umm... no," Lance said, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, if you ever get the chance to, do it. If you know anything about anatomy, you will find it to be very funny," I told them.
"I'll remember that..." Justin said slowly.
"Okay, Justin, you do that," Joey said, laughing.
Just then, Briley brought our food. Well, she brought everyone except for JC's. In the middle of eating some fries, I looked at JC. "Are you okay?" I asked.
He looked past me to the kitchen. "Yeah. I'm just wondering how come I didn't get my food like you all did."
"Maybe it wasn't... Hey!" I started to tell him that maybe it wasn't done when I saw Chris stick his finger in my shake. "What the heck was that for?"
"What?" Chris asked, innocently.
"You just stuck your finger in my shake."
"I just wanted to see what it tastes like," Chris said, whining like a little kid.
"Chris, did your parents not teach you table manners or something when you were a kid?" I asked.
"No, he probably just didn't absorb anything through that thick head of his," Joey said, taking a huge bite out of his burger.
"Okay, Chris, repeat after me. May I..."
"May I..." he repeated.
"Taste your chocolate shake?"
"Taste your chocolate shake?" He paused. "Now that I've asked, can I?"
"Umm... let me think... no." Joey, JC, Lance, and Justin laughed at Chris.
"Okay," Chris agreed, reaching across the table, doing the same to Lance's shake.
"Hey!" Lance said.
Briley walked up just then and asked if everything was okay. "No." JC answered her. "Is there any way I can actually get what I ordered?"
Briley ignored his request. "Hang on just a second... anyone need refills?" We all shook our heads. "Okay, I'll be back later to check."
"Wait!" JC said, a little loudly. If he hadn't been sitting between Lance and Justin, he probably would have jumped up and chased her down.
Briley turned. "Need something?"
"Yeah! My food!" JC said, exasperated.
"Your food?" Briley asked blankly.
"Yeah. The stuff we eat that gives us energy..." JC sounded like he was talking to my brother rather than to the employee of a national food chain.
"Did you order anything?" She asked, going through the tickets.
"No. I'm asking you to bring me the food I didn't order." JC paused. "Of course I ordered something!"
"What was it?"
I glanced around the table. Justin had his head down, but I could see his shoulders shaking from laughter. Joey was wordlessly, and laughlessly, watching the exchange. Lance had suddenly become very interested in his shake. Chris was looking at a desert menu. I was just trying not to laugh.
"I ordered a bacon and cheese double with thousand island dressing and large cheese fries," JC told her.
"Are you sure? I didn't seem to write it down for some reason," Briley replied, still going through tickets.
"Apparently," JC mumbled.
"Would this be a bad time to ask for desert?" Chris asked, breaking the tension. This made us all crack up, including Briley. JC just kinda smiled.
"Listen, I'm really sorry. Let me take it back and have them fix it now," Briley said, hurridly walking away.
About five minutes later, she brought him his order. "Thanks," JC said, not even looking at her.
"No problem," She said coldly.
"So, Briley," My mind was racing to change the subject. "What time do you get off?"
"In thirty minutes." It was 4:30.
"Do you wanna hang out with us?"
"I kinda got play practice," Briley replied.
"But, I'm so cool... you can't skip play practice for a once in a lifetime chance to spend the evening with me?" Justin asked, joking. "What is the world coming to?"
Briley laughed. "Justin, your just so cool... I apologize, but I can't. But, I would love to," she said, acting like a star struck girl.
"Well then... why don't you meet us at a late show?" I asked. "That is, if you guys want to see a movie."
"Yeah!" Justin said, his eyes lighting up. "Is 'I Still Know What You Did Last Summer' playing here?"
"Yeah," I answered.
"Can we see that? We've been so busy on tour, I haven't gotten to see it yet!" Justin excitedly said.
"Is that okay with you all?" I asked.
"Yeah," Chris answered. JC nodded and Lance smiled at me. Joey was too busy checking Briley out to even notice I had asked a question.
"Okay, then, Briley, meet us there." I said.
"Well, you got like, four hours before the movie, so what will you do until then?" Briley asked.
"I'm thinkin' that since we got five city boys here, I should take them to steal farm equipment and cow tippin'," I answered. Briley knew I was kidding, so she laughed. I looked around, and JC, Lance, Joey, Chris, and Justin were staring at me as if I'd lost my mind. "Or... we could find something else to do," I shrugged.
"We could just do whatever you two usually do on Friday nights until then," Justin spoke up.
"You want to sit at my house and watch T.G.I.F. with my parents? That's awfully weird," Briley said.
I laughed. "Don't worry Briley. We'll find something."
Just then, a voice from the kitchen shouted, "Briley!" Briley turned and walked away without another look at us.
"Let's see... you guys bowl?" I asked.
"We're more of basketball people, but, hey, why not?" JC asked.
"Speak for yourself," Lance said quietly. "I suck at basketball!"
"I know how you feel!" I told him. "I cannot play basketball at all!"
"You can't be any worse then Lance is," Justin said.
"Trust me... I think I got him beat!" I laughed and the others joined in. I pulled a dollar out of my pocket.
"What's that for? I'm paying for you," Lance said.
"I know, but it's a tip. She wasn't that good of a waitress, but she is my best friend," I replied.
"A tip?" Chris asked. "Aren't waitresses paid to wait on people?"
"What's the matter Chris? Are entertainers not paid the way they used to be?" I asked, laughing.
"Okay, okay... here," Chris said, giving me a dollar. Lance, Justin, Joey, and even JC gave me a dollar for the tip after that. After I got the rest of my shake in a glass I could take with me, we all paid for the food and went out to the car.
JC turned to me. "How do I get to the bowling alley?"
"First, make a right out of parking lot, then, make a left. Go through three sets of stoplights, go about five miles, make a left, your there." I rambled the directions off quite fast.
"Okay, there's something I didn't get," JC said.
"And that is?" I asked.
"Everything after the right to get out of the lot," JC said. When we all started laughing, JC tried to defend himself. "Hey, she talks to fast! It's not my fault!"
"How about if I drive?" I asked. JC handed me the keys and we all got in. Myself, Lance, and JC were in the front and Joey, Chris, and Justin were in the back. "Hey, someone hold this." I said, handing my shake to the backseat. One of them took it, so I put the keys in the ignition and started the car.
"Kelly, how long have you been driving?" Joey asked, as I searched for the headlights.
"Umm... let's see... today's Friday, so that would make it..." I paused as I made the left. "Since this morning."
"WHAT???!!!" I heard five voices yell.
"I'm kidding. Two and a half years." I then heard five relieved sighs.
"Okay, because, no offense, but I don't want to die," Joey said, laughing.
"Well, we'll all be fine. Unless a cow or barbed wire fence shows up that is..." My voice trailed off. A look in the rearview mirror showed looks of horror and confusion on the faces of Joey, Chris, and Justin.
"Care to tell us about these cows and fences?" Justin asked, leaning up from the backseat.
"Um... not really," I answered, laughing at his disappointed expression. "Let's put it this way- you'll need to ask someone who wasn't there." I pulled into the parking lot. It wasn't very crowded, and when we got inside, we saw only that five of the twelve lanes were filled. We got the needed things and prepared to bowl. We divided up into teams of Lance and I, Joey and Justin, and Chris and JC. I got up to take my first turn then and got a strike.
"Wa-hoo!" I yelled, returning to sit down.
"Beginners luck..." Joey mumbled.
"You think?" I asked.
"No, he doesn't do that too often..." Justin said.
"Hey, baby... shh!" Joey said, silencing him. Then, he turned his attention back to me. "Yeah, that's what I think."
I stood in front of him as he stood to take his turn. "Let's see if that's what your saying when Lance and I beat you four really bad..." Joey took his turn as I sat down. Lance looked at me and laughed. "So I get competitive... sue me..." Then, I joined him in laughing. Joey's turn only brought down eight of the ten pins.
About halfway through the game, I got up to take another turn. I picked up the ball, got into position, took a couple of steps and brought my arm behind me. Suddenly, the weight on my hand was gone. My mouth dropped open and my eyes got wide when I heard the loud THUD! behind me.
"That almost hit me!" Chris yelled.
"Hey Chris, next time don't stick your finger in her shake!" JC yelled gasping for breath. I turned, walked to the benches and sat down. Lance put his arm around me and I put my head on his chest. I stayed like this until I felt another hand on my back. It was JC.
"Sorry we're laughing so much..." JC started to say.
"But you should've seen it!" Justin hysterically called from two lanes over.
"No, we really shouldn't laugh like this," He told me.
I lifted my head. "It was funny... and I think I'm about to die of embarrassment... but I don't understand why I had to do that in front of five people who will never let me hear the end of it." I started to laugh myself, and that made them crack up again.
The rest of the game went smoothly then, even after I got up to take my next turn and Chris yelled, "Take cover!" while diving under a table.
"What's wrong Chris? Your hair could qualify as a helmet," I said.
"Ohh! Slam!" Justin loudly said, laughing.
As I took my turn, Joey moved over next to Lance. "You know bud... your lucky to have a girl like Kelly.... you need someone like her to stand up for you."
"What do you mean?" Lance asked him.
"Well, your so quiet, you just let us torture you. But Kelly insults us back! It's great!"
"Yeah, and he's really passive, so he could take a lot of my attitude before he snaps and goes psychotic on all of us," I said, joining the conversation. Joey chuckled as Lance slipped his arm around my waist.
"Psychotic? Oh our dear Kelly... Lance has already been there! In fact, we all have. Psychotic, beyond, and back. And there's a good chance you'll go to, being around us and everything," Joey explained.
"Oh yay... I can hardly wait," I sarcastically replied.
"Hey! Can we finish this game?" JC yelled.
Five people later, the game was finished. The final outcome was Lance and I tied with JC and Chris. Justin and Joey weren't far behind. As we walked outside, I asked, "Hey, you guys seen 'Grease 2?'" Justin smiled as he broke into the song 'Score Tonight' which is the song the cast sings about bowling in the movie. After we'd sang the chorus once, Chris yelled.
"RUN!!!" JC, Joey, Lance, and Chris all ran to the car, leaving me and Justin standing right outside the doors.
"You know Justin," I started to say. "It's a shame they don't appreciate our talent."
"I know. If they were true friends, they'd still be here," Justin continued.
"No matter what we were singing," I sadly and jokingly finished. Justin and I just looked at each other and then we laughed as we watched the other four desperately try to get in the car.
