Chapter 23
Carl walked away from the dance floor, still feeling the ghost of the stranger's lips on his neck. He adjusted his sweatshirt and was about to head toward the back when someone at the bar caught his eye.
Robert.
He was in a fitted black V-neck, sleeves rolled to the elbow, a silver stud glinting in his left ear. Carl blinked — he'd never noticed a piercing before. Beside him stood a blonde woman in a sleek beige gown, her laughter light and practiced.
Robert laughed at something she said, but mid-smile his gaze shifted… and landed on Carl.
Carl's heart lurched. He looked away instantly, pretending to focus on the bottles lined behind the bar.
Julian followed Robert's gaze, and her brows lifted. "Guess they let minors into clubs now," she murmured.
"He's eighteen," Robert replied, his voice low, almost defensive.
Julian smirked at his tone but said nothing as Robert stepped away from the bar and approached Carl.
Carl considered slipping into the crowd, but his feet stayed rooted.
"What are you doing here?" Robert asked, his voice carrying just enough edge to pass for casual.
"I'm here with some friends," Carl said, shifting his weight.
Julian appeared beside Robert and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Julian. Remember me? We met at the gala."
"Oh…" Carl said, his tone careful. He shook her hand briefly. "Yeah, I remember. I… I should get back — my friends are waiting."
He slipped past them before either could say more.
Robert watched him go.
"Quit staring, Rob," Julian said under her breath.
"I'm just worried about a student. Can't I do that?"
Julian gave him a look. "He's not your student tonight. And you're not his teacher either. Let it go — he can handle himself."
She hooked her arm through his and steered him back toward the bar. Robert let her, but his gaze kept flicking toward the spot where Carl had vanished.
---
Carl pushed through the crowd until the music felt like a dull thump in his chest, finally spotting Gina, Valerie, and Rodney at a corner table. Gina was sipping on something bright blue, Valerie leaned on Rodney's arm, and they were both laughing.
"There you are," Gina said, eyes narrowing. "You vanish for ten minutes and expect us not to notice?"
"Bathroom," Carl said, forcing a smile as he slid into the seat.
Valerie tilted her head. "You sure? You look… distracted."
"It's nothing," he said quickly, reaching for his drink.
Gina arched a brow. "That's your 'definitely something' face."
Carl chuckled weakly. "Seriously, I just needed some air."
Rodney leaned back in his seat after the song ended, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"You guys wanna do something better than this?" he asked, glancing at Carl and the girls.
"Better than a club? Bold claim," Gina said.
Rodney grinned. "My dad owns the bowling alley on Brookside. It's closed tonight, but I've got the keys. We can have the whole place to ourselves."
Valerie's eyes lit up. "Are you serious? Why didn't you say that earlier?"
Rodney shrugged. "Didn't know if you'd want to. But we could grab snacks, blast our own music, and actually hear each other talk."
Carl nodded slowly. "Yeah… sounds good."
"Cool. Let's get out of here before someone steals our idea," Rodney said, already standing.
As they headed for the exit, Carl kept glancing back — not at the club, but toward where he'd last seen Robert. He told himself it was just curiosity, but the truth lingered in the pit of his stomach.
Robert had looked so at ease, so different from the careful, guarded man Carl had seen in classrooms and behind closed doors. And that blonde woman — was she someone important? A date?
He pushed the thought away.
Theo's face came to mind instead — the way his lips curved almost reluctantly when he smiled, the stubborn set of his jaw. Theo was real, present, someone Carl actually wanted to know… not just remember. Carl didn't know which thought made him more restless — wanting the boy who seemed just out of reach, or missing the man he knew he shouldn't want at all.
Valerie tugged him toward the crowd, laughing. "Come on, lover boy, whoever you're thinking about, they're not here."
Carl smiled faintly and let himself be pulled in, but deep down, he knew that wasn't true.
---
They pulled up to StrikePoint Lanes, the neon sign over the entrance glowing faintly even though the place was closed. Rodney fished a set of keys from his pocket with a smug grin.
"Gentlemen—and ladies—welcome to our private bowling night."
The metal door screeched a little as he unlocked it, and they stepped into the dim space. The lanes stretched out like a promise, the polished wood gleaming under the low lights.
Gina let out a low whistle. "Okay, this is actually cool. I feel like we're breaking the law."
"We are… kinda," Rodney said with a wink. "But perks of being the owner's son."
Valerie dropped her purse on one of the tables and headed straight for the racks of colorful balls. "I'm calling the pink one."
Carl wandered in behind them, hands in his sweatshirt pocket. The air smelled faintly of oil and popcorn, and the quiet felt strange after the noise of the club.
Rodney went behind the counter, switched on the lane lights, and queued up music from the speakers. Gina grabbed nachos from the vending machine and slid them toward Carl.
"Eat. You look like you've been thinking too hard again," she teased.
Carl smirked and took one, but his mind wasn't entirely here. He could still see Robert leaning back in that chair, laughing with that woman. And Theo… he wondered what Theo was doing right now. Studying? Sleeping? Or maybe laughing with someone else like he had with those friends earlier?
Rodney's voice snapped him back. "Alright, lover boy, you're up first."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "Lover boy?"
Valerie grinned wickedly. "Don't mind him. Only we have the right to call him that."
Carl just shook his head, took a ball, and stepped up to the lane. He let it roll, the smooth weight leaving his hands, spinning down the glossy wood before smashing into the pins.
"Strike!" Rodney yelled, throwing his hands up.
Carl laughed — a real laugh — and let himself get pulled into the easy competition. They played round after round, cheering, eating junk food, and making stupid bets.
But every so often, between turns, Carl would find himself staring at the glowing lanes, the way the light hit the polished wood, and his mind would wander back to the roof of the school, to Theo's quiet voice, to the lingering sting of Robert's goodbye.