When Trevor reached Lolly he gave her a quick hug and a kiss. Beside Lolly, Mitzi said, “Yuck!."

Munch laughed. Mitzi stuck her tongue out at him, spun on her little heel and made a dash for the bowling alley doors. Trevor sprinted after her, caught her and swung her up into the air. Mitzi giggled. When he put her down, she said, “Do that again.”

Trevor knelt down to her level and said, “Only one more time, or I won’t ever do it again. Deal?”

“Deal!”

He lifted her again and spun her. Mitzi squealed, “Puccini loves this. He thinks we’re on a airplane.”

Gently, Trevor landed the plane. Mitzi slipped her hand through his and said, “I think I like you.”

Trevor replied, “I think I like you too,” and gave Lolly a wink.

Hand in hand, Trevor and Mitzi walked into the bowling alley. Amber said, “Looks like someone has stolen your date.”

“Yup. It does.”

They went inside. A haze of cigarette smoke hung over the bowling alley. It was always like this. While Trevor paid for Mitzi and Lolly, Mitzi kept a firm grasp on his left hand. Amber just laughed. Max was being unusually quiet. He had this glazed look on his face and a really stupid grin. Munch leaned in and whispered in Lolly’s ear, “It looks like your whole family has a crush on the Longs.”

On their way to get bowling shoes, several women in Pink Bowling League shirts asked Mitzi, "Where's your daddy, Honey?" It seemed like Uncle Luke had some fans or some hot trot Ladies after him. Was he after any of them? Politely, Mitzi smiled at each of them and repeated the same answer. "I don't know. I'm here on a date." This sent every one of the ladies to giggling. At least Mitzi was in a docile mood. All Lolly could do was pray it continued. The first threat of trouble began when they went to get their bowling shoes. Mitzi told the lady at the counter, “I want number 26 in a little kid size 8. When they got the shoes, they didn’t fit. Gravely, Mitzi said, “Looks like I out growed another pair of shoes. I guess I need a size 9.”

Lolly returned the shoes and asked for a little kid size 9. The shoes she was given were in in bad shape. She asked, “Got anything else?”

The lady at the shoe counter said, “Nope, that’s it.”

As Lolly expected, Mitzi took one look at the shoes and said, “Those are DISGUSTING! I will NEVER put my feet in those?”

Amber suggested, “You could bowl in your socks.”

Mitzi looked own at her stocking feet and wiggled her toes. “I can do that?”

“Yeah,” said Amber. “Just be careful that you don’t slip.”

Lolly wasn’t sure if this was first crisis avoided or a future crisis in creation. Now, she had to pray that Mitzi did not split her head open if she slipped on the wood lane floors.They divided up into teams. It was Trevor, Lolly and Mitzi against Max, Munch and Amber. Munch and Amber both seemed pretty sure of their victory. Neither of them had ever seen Mitzi bowl. As for Max, he was in a pink unicorn fog.

The first set, Mitzi got the littlest ball they had and toted it over to the chairs. She crawled up beside Trevor. He grinned at her. She smiled back. Amber was first to bowl. She just missed getting a strike. Mitzi went next. Lolly noticed as her cousin approached the lane, the Bowling League Ladies had stopped their game and were watching Mitzi. With Puccini slung over her back in his pouch, Mitzi approached the line, ball tucked to her chest with eyes focused on the pins. She slid her foot forward and released. The ball was slow, but was on a bullseye course to the center pin. It bumped the center pin just hard enough to tip it. Almost in slow motion, it fell knocking the pin behind it down. One after another the pins fell until they were all down. The Bowling League Ladies cheered. Mitzi spun around and gave them all a bow.

One called out, “Honey, you can join our team any time!”

Mitzi called out, “Thank you.” Amber and Munch stood in stunned silence. They had never seen anything like it. Mitzi walked passed them and said, “You guys are toast.” And they were.

After the game, they went into the snack bar and ordered some burgers. Mitzi kept close to Trevor. In fact she managed to wedge herself between Trevor and Lolly in the booth. What Lolly really wanted was to just go on a date with Trevor. Just Trevor. He was being a good sport about Mitzi and she appreciated that, but still!

Some one put a quarter in the juke box and K.C. and the Sunshine blasted out of the speakers. Mitzi said, “That is my favorite song!” She slid under the booth table and hit the floor dancing. She had a natural rhythm.. Mitzi sang along, "Oh, that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh/I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh."

When the song ended, a Bowling League Lady with blue black hair came over and said, "Honey, you are such a good dancer!" She patted Mitzi's cheek and walked away.

Mitzi rolled her eyes and said a little too loudly, "That is Sylvia. She wants to me my new mommy."

Momentarily Max came out of his trance and asked, "What?"

"You heard me."

After they finished their burgers, they played pin ball. Mitzi did not excell at pin ball but Max did. He was really showing off for Amber. He knew just how to make the ball spin out and flip the paddles. Ping, ping went the pin ball machine. Amber was impressed by his prowess and he knew it. When he beat every one listed on the board, Amber gave him a hug and said, “That was amazing.”

Max was so lit up, he could probably glow in the dark. All that time he and Mitzi spent with Uncle Luke and his bowling alley was paying off tonight.

On the wall, the hands on the clock pointed to eight and five. Aunt Jessie would be there soon. The instant Mitzi saw her mama, there was a shift in the universe. A suspicious look came on her face. She turned to Lolly and asked, “Why is Mama coming in here to get us? She should just pick us up at the curb.”

Lolly didn’t answer, but Max did. “She’s come to get you, its your bedtime.”

Thanks Max. Mitzi opened her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. Lolly begged, “Please don’t. If you want do this again you WILL NOT pitch a fit. Please.”

Mitzi opened her eyes. “Promise me I will get to go out with you again.” She was looking straight at Trevor.

He said, “I promise.”

With a slight shrug, Mitzi said, “Okay.” To everyone’s relief, she left peacefully.

Five minutes later, Max asked Amber, “Could we go cruisin’ in your car?”

Amber grinned and said, “Sure."

Max’s eyes got wide and his voice went wonky when he said, “Cool.”

They headed for the parking lot. When the Mustang took off, Lolly noticed a vibration flow through the back seat of the car and right into her stomach. Not a good sign. In the front seat, Max began a very animated story about when he broke his collar bone.

There was a white blur in the distance. It was a truck. As it approached them, Lolly prayed it was not Spence Drew’s truck. She glanced at Munch, he saw it too. She was aware of the tension in his body. Instinctively she reached out her hand and grabbed hold of his. That day in the hall when Spence pushed her started to play in slow motion in her brain. The truck passed them. There was girl with Spence. What girl in her right mind would go out with him? The answer was in the question.

Trevor asked, “Was that who I thought it was?”

Softly, Lolly said, “Yeah.”

With more venom than Lolly knew he possessed, Trevor said, “That bastard.” His grip tightened on her hand.

Munch turned frightened eyes on her. He said, “My karate class starts the second week in January. I wish it started now. I want to kick ass like Bruce Lee.” He pulled his hand free of Lolly’s and sliced the air with a Karate chop.

Trevor asked, “Oh man, did you see Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury? It was crazy good movie.”

“I saw it like four times and I would watch it again. Bruce Lee rules!”

Trevor asked Lolly, “Have you thought about taking classes with Munch?”

She hadn’t, but maybe learning some self defense would be a good idea. She asked Munch, “Would you mind if I went too?”

“Hell no.”

From the front seat Max asked, “What are y’all talking about?”

Munch replied, “Karate class. You want to take it with Lolly and me?”

“Hell yeah!” Max took a slice a the air with his hand.

The next thing Lolly knew, all three boys were swinging their arms and hands through the air and making weird noises in their throats. Amber burst out laughing.

At the sound of her laughter Max stopped. If there had been a light on in the car, Lolly would be able to see Max's face flushed embarrassed red.

Amber leaned over and touched his shoulder with hers. She said, “Dude, I’m not laughing at you. You are just so darn cute with those Karate moves.”

Max promptly puffed up like a little rooster and took a few more jabs at the air.

Beside Lolly, Trevor said, “If it weren’t for being basketball manager, I’d take that class too.”

Amber chimed in, “Me too, but I got work and stupid college.”

The vibration in the back seat was starting to make Lolly very queasy. No! She was NOT going to be car sick. A strong wave of nausea swept through her. Bad sign. She told Trevor, “I’m not feeling so good. Could I please sit by the window? I think I need some air.”

“Sure. Should I slide over or under?”

Munch snickered. What a dirty mind.

Lolly said, “Um, I’ll go over.” She slid over the top of Trevor, while he scooted beneath her. The first thing she did was crack the window. The cold night air rushed in. She took in a slow breath. Sweat was beginning to form on her upper.

Munch asked, “Are you car sick Lolly like you used to get in Grandma Toady's Dodge Dart. You hurled in it every time you sat in the back seat.”

Her palms were sweating.

Amber asked, “Lolly, would you feel better if you sat up front with me?"

“Probably.” She didn’t know if Trevor would mind the seat change, but she was sure Max would.

Amber pulled into the parking lot of the Dairy Queen and they rearranged themselves. Max gave Lolly a dirty look as he got in the back seat. That was swell. As for Trevor, he said, “Sorry you’re not feeling good.” He gave her hand a squeeze and released it.

Once she was in the front seat, Amber said, “I think a Sprite might settle your stomach. I’m paying. Let me clarify that, I’m paying for drinks and not food. Boys, what do you want.”

The boys called out their orders.

Driving home, sipping Sprite, Lolly started to feel better. Amber dropped Max off first. He looked like a sick puppy as he waved good bye.

At the trailer, Trevor walked Lolly to do the door. He asked, “You doin’ okay.”

“Yeah, I’m doing better.”

“I’m glad.” He leaned in and kissed her and she kissed him back.