"Bowling," Jack says as they enter the retail park. "I wouldn't have thought it was your thing," he continues, looking around at the Pizza Hut and the Mcdonald's. Realising it's the same as pretty much every other retail park he's ever seen. "I didn't know where to go. I just thought of a normal date. Is something wrong?" Andi replies calmly, knowing there wasn't a plan. It was just to go somewhere. Jack slowly shakes his head. "Erm. No. If anything, it's a bit late," he says whilst putting his arm around her lower back whilst guiding her in.
Andi seems to look less nervous as Jack guides her in. "One game, please," Jack says to the miserable assistant. "Shoe size." The assistant replies coldly as Jack replies with his shoe size and Andi does hers. Jack is finally able to hand the cash over and he hands the shoes to them. Putting them on is as uncomfortable as anybody who's gone bowling could describe. There's no good place to do it before heading over. "I've been once about 5 years ago and remember nothing. You?" Jack says to Andi. Expecting her to have about as much experience.
"A few weekends a year but nothing good," Andi replies as they head over to the lane. What follows would only be described as the worst game of bowling you could see. More gutters than pins hit shows some impressive lack of ability. "We should have gotten the child barriers up. This is harder than Wii Sports," Jack jokes as he heads for his last roll. The combined scores are 12-15. Again, very few pins are hit as Andi steps up and somehow gets a strike. Jack's jaw drops. "You should have had the child barriers up. I was playing," Andi replies in the same level of smugness Jack had shown on a few occasions. Jack stands speechless. "Another game?" Andi replies, continuing her smugness as they take their shoes off. Jack scowls at her. Knowing he'd rather get beaten badly than like that. "I hate you," Jack continues as he goes over to hand the bowling shoes back.
Jack waits outside for Andi as he continues his annoyance. "When you do that, I hate you," Jack says as she comes out. "Like really hate you." He wraps his arms around her, "But not properly enough to last." He whispers into her ear as she wraps her arms around him.
As the hug ends, she leads him into a dirt path and then they cross a dual carriageway. Heading into the quiet, well-covered forest before a more open area with a thick, fallen log. She kisses Jack deeply. Wrapping her arms around her as she pushes deeper into him. This time, much more elegantly than Jack was told about the time with Ronan. Pushing Jack into the log to sit down as Andi straddles him. Something that felt out of character for her but felt, to Jack, more like she wanted to be with him.
Jack couldn't tell you how long the kiss lasted before she pulled off. It wasn't dark and it wasn't yet sunset. "You seem different. Are you out of your mind?" Jack asks with no real thought to what he says. Her attitude changes quickly. "Not when I'm with you," she replies in a much softer, more sensual voice. "There's clearly something wrong. You're here in this situation with me. But I'm not complaining," Jack continues in response to the tone she's giving him. Following her tone before wrapping his arms around her waist for another deep kiss.
Pulling out from this kiss, Jack pauses for a moment. "We should probably make this more…official," Jack says with no other way he could think of describing it. "You know what I mean, I think," Jack continues. "Like a girlfriend?" Andi responds with her soft voice continuing. "Well. For you, yes," Jack continues trying to understand why he's nervous about asking a question he knows the answer to. "Yes. You be the girlfriend. I'll be the other one…the boyfriend," Jack finally stumbles his way to the point.
"I'm surprised you took so long. You've not got the wrong idea," she stumbles into a response for no explainable reason. "You're either taking the piss or you're worse at that than me…which is very much impossible," Jack says wanting an actual confirmation. "I'm taking the mick. Obviously, yes," she responds much calmer than her response showed putting more emphasis on her messing about.
"We should head back," Jack says as he notices the sun going down slightly. "We haven't eaten yet." Jack continues as he remembers. "We should probably head out," Jack says as Andi doesn't respond. "My mums are out," Andi finally responds. "All of them?" Jack responds with only a scowl as a response. "McDonald's is only there so might as well take that back to yours.", Jack suggests knowing he wasn't going to get a response.
As they head out, a group of much older men enter. They have what appears to be parcel-shaped and Scout would probably have told us what. They force both Andi and Jack into the open space and Jack wraps his hand around her waist in an attempt to comfort her. "Wh-who are you?" Jack asks, obviously startled at the group of three men surrounding him and Andi. Unsure what to do in this situation.
"Nobody if you say nothing," the clear ringleader threatens. "I remember faces so if you do, there's not many to look around for," he continues to say. His deep voice becomes progressively more threatening as he continues. "If you two don't remember faces, we won't have a problem. If you do," he says before sliding his finger across his neck. "Now go," he finally finishes and letting Andi and Jack rush out of the area.
"We've never met him, right?" Jack asks as he rushes back across the dual carriageway. His legs felt jelly-like in fear. "Yeah, never met him," Andi responds with a tremble in her voice. "McDonald's then yours?" Jack asks with continued fear in his voice. "Yeah. Sure. Fine. Whatever. Just get out of here," Andi replies also in a rush heading to the McDonald's in the retail park. The place was somehow quiet on a Friday evening and they get out quickly. They both rush back to Andi's in paralysed fear.
"I hope we're never seeing him again," Jack says with the only mention of the incident for the rest of the night. "Nobody saw us there but we didn't do anything illegal. They'd probably believe us but don't head there again," Jack finally finishes. "We're never seeing them again. It would be fine but it wouldn't shock me if Scout knows them," Andi replies knowing Scout's story before going to the school.