Preview in the Book

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It's Junior Year, it's fall, it's just fine. Hunter has been going through the emotions lately. He can't place it but it's just been okay. Is he content with it? He guesses, he can't place what is wrong. He has good grades, plenty of friends, and his family is well off. His life is good but there's something he cannot place. He does know what he longs for. It's fine though, the bowling season is about to start and he wants to try and get on the varsity team. He gets there a little bit earlier to try and get some extra set up time and catch up with some of the old bowling friends. He notices that the neighboring town's team is there, this is unusual but he's okay with it. He knows many of the bowlers there from his practice in other bowling leagues in the area.

 

As he's walking in he can smell that classic bowling alley smell. A mix of fried foods, bowling alley lane oil, and that faint but distinct smell of smoke from the decades before of cigarettes. While it may not be the best smell in the world, it does provide a sense of nostalgia. Maybe this season isn't so bad. He notices one of his friends from the rival school Brendon. Brendon is an old acquaintance, they don't know each other too well but they've been bowling side by side since they were 5 years old. The neighboring towns are small and the bowling alley just happens to be on the border of the two small towns. He decides to spark up a conversation as it seems like they are some of the few who showed up early.

 

"Yo what's up Brendon! It's been a long time how have you been?" Says Hunter, trying to make up for lost time.

 

"Hey Hunter! Yeah I haven't seen you much this summer, my family has been traveling a lot for vacations. I've been well! You ready for our junior year season!" Says Brendon who is certainly excited for this season to come.

 

"Absolutely! It's going to be a sick season. I'm shocked they have the two teams here. Maybe this will be a regular occurrence?" Says Hunter who is more excited about the season the more he thinks about it. Maybe this is what will get him more motivated.

 

"I'm shocked too. Maybe this will be a good way to get some school rivalry and spirit going. Last season was just so boring" says Brendon

 

"You're not wrong! Hey I got to go get setup, Ill talk at you later! I finally signed up for Snapchat, Ill get that from you after practice! Maybe we could talk more?" Says Hunter hoping that maybe he could truly make a new friend. Sometimes the ones he has get a bit stale, maybe junior year will be a good shake up.

 

"That would be great! I got to get ready too! See ya!" Brendon replied, waving as he headed off to prepare. While they have been acquaintances for so long neither of them initiated much conversation other than the occasional bro talk. Girls, sports, and whatever was in for boys over the time.

 

As Hunter is walking away he notices a boy walking in. Hunter doesn't know why but for some reason this boy catches his eye. There's an unknown feeling inside himself that he cannot place. Hunter doesn't think about his emotions much. I mean why would he, he's been raised to believe that boys don't do that. So he simply doesn't. This time is going to be no different. Hunter gets started with try outs, however, he notices that boy staring at him. Hunter wasn't sure how to feel about. He was kind of surprised he maybe actually liked it. However, he over heard his teammates also pick up on this unexpected attention.

 

"Do you see that f** over there? He keeps staring at you Hunter, its so disgusting, its like he has a crush on you." Bradley sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

 

"I'm sorry what did you just say?" Hunter asks, it threw him off. Hunter knows that this town is homophobic but its 2024. It threw him off.

"

That boy over there. His name is Tyler. He's so gay, he came out two years ago after his search history got exposed. His girlfriend dumped him and he's been pathetic ever since." Bradley says.

 

Hunter is shocked that was a bit much even for Bradley.

 

"Hey be nice you don't know what he's been through" Hunter says trying to at least be nice to this boy Tyler.

 

"Why are you gay for him too?" Laughs Bradley.

 

"Absolutely not, just leave it okay?" Says Hunter.

 

Bradley appeared slightly irritated and skeptical that Hunter didn't care about Tyler staring at him intently. But Hunter didn't mind, he just wanted to make varsity that's all he was there for. However, that didn't stop Hunter from continuing to catch Tyler's eyes from staring a little bit too long. Hunter got butterflies in his stomach. Did Hunter actually like it? Hunter has never felt this way so this is a new feeling. The feeling from when Hunter first saw Tyler hasn't gone away. This certainly is distracting and before Hunter knew it try outs were done. Just barely Hunter made varsity, he knows he needs to focus more in the future. Tyler being there should be a one off thing and there should be no issues going forward right?

 

After try outs Hunter goes back up to Brendon to get his Snapchat, he's thinking he can get more information on Tyler.

 

"Yo Brendon how did your try outs goes for you?" Says Hunter trying to make small talk before he asks more about Tyler.

 

"Oh I made varsity! I'm so pumped, it's going to be a great season! I can tell already. Dude, let me give you my Snap before we leave we can talk more later!" Brendon excitingly says as he's taking out his phone to exchange snapchats.

 

"Bro that's amazing! Congrats, me too! Hopefully we have a good season!" Hunter is getting out his phone. While doing so he asks,

 

"So that Tyler? What's up with him, he was staring at me like the entire time he was here and the other boys were kind of making fun of him."

 

"Tyler? He's harmless for the most part. He sometimes gets these intense crushes that he can't control. Give it time he'll forget about it. It's not like you're going to see him much, our practice days are usually not together! I wouldn't work about it." Brendon says confident this is just one of Tyler's unrequited loves from afar. It happens far too often for Brendon's liking. Though, is it truly Brendon's place to say anything to Tyler? Tyler is looking for love just like the rest of his peers. He just happens to have a much smaller dating pool.

 

"I'm not too sure how to react to that, but I guess if I won't see him again it'll be fine." Hunter says unsurely.

 

Hunter and Brendon finish up exchanging Snapchats and head out of the bowling alley. Hunter cant help but think of what Brendon said though. Harmless for the most part? What is that supposed to mean? Is Tyler a stalker? Should Hunter be worried? Hunter surely thinks Tyler looked innocent enough.

 

Through the next few days Hunter didn't think much of Tyler. His adrenaline from making varsity just landed him back in the bowling alley more. He wanted to prove that he was the best on the team. He wanted to go to states this year. Still, even with that drive Hunter doesn't understand what's wrong. He keeps going back to the same thought of everything is just fine. Nothing more, nothing less. The more that Hunter thinks about it, the less content he is with it. He wants to know what's missing.

 

Today Hunter is back at the bowling alley on an off practice day. Bowling is some of the only time he can get away, bowl, and not think of much. However, today was different, the thoughts would not stop. While deep in thought of trying to figure out what is wrong,

Hunter's bowling friend, Brittany, comes up to him.

 

"Hunter! We finally run into each other this season! You ready for combined practices this year? It's the only way the bowling alley could fit all of us in for practice this year" says Brittany enthusiastically knowing the two schools would be sharing lanes weekly now.

 

"What do you mean? I thought that was a one time thing the other day?" Says Hunter very confused. This has never been the case.

 

The two teams practicing combined? Is he going to talk to Tyler often? That hasn't left his mind lately. How the boy was just staring at him insistently. This is where he felt something different, but he couldn't place the feeling.

 

"Did you not listen to your coach? Or maybe mine blabbed a little too much after try outs. But yeah, the two schools are going to have to have combined practices. The bowling is too busy on the other days. So they don't have many lanes available" says Brittany who had a shocking amount of information available.

 

"I didn't know that. That will be interesting for sure... Just out of curiosity, will that kid Tyler be there? Do you know him?" Asked Hunter who is a little nervous about being around Tyler again. He thought it would be a one time thing.

 

"Tyler? He's one of my closest friends! Yeah he made varsity this year so I guess you'll see him a bit more this year won't you? Why do you ask?" Brittany asked with her getting nervous. She was expecting this to come up but she didn't think that it would be so sudden.

 

"I was just wondering, he was staring at me at boy's tryouts the other day and it caught the attention of my teammates. It didn't bother me much but it bothered the others a lot. I'd hate for him to get bullied more" said Hunter who truly wanted the best. While Hunter still couldn't quite grasped how the staring made him feel, Hunter was a good person at the core. He doesn't want Tyler to get hurt at all.

 

"Yeah, he sometimes gets like that. I'll talk to him. He just can get so boy crazy sometimes it makes him come off as unlikeable. He means well. Other than being sometimes creepy, I think you'd like him!" Says Brittany, she wants Tyler to get more friends but knows that she'll need to remind Tyler to not fall to hard for a straight boy. She doesn't want him getting hurt over something that was never truly there.

 

"Yeah... I'll take your word on that. Hey, I gotta finish up these last few frames. I'll talk to you later okay? Can't wait to see you this season!" Hunter trying to get off the conversation of Tyler. It's weird how this person after just one day with glances from afar has affected Hunter so much.

 

Brittany and Hunter go their separate ways. As Hunter is finishing up his practice, he can't help feel nervous about this season. He doesn't know Tyler and he doesn't know how to feel about the situation. Hunter thinks he'll just play it cool and be friendly to Tyler.

 

There's no use in making it more awkward than it already is for Tyler. However, theres something coming from within Hunter that he doesn't understand. It feels like it might be butterflies in the stomach but that wouldn't make sense. Hunter has never felt this way before and certainly not for somebody he's never even truly met. Maybe the next practice session coming up, he'll get to finally talk to

Tyler. Maybe Tyler isn't is as bad as what Brendon and Brittany have made it out to be. Whatever it is, Hunter will have to figure it out quickly as the next practice is in just two days!