Thursday 7.35 pmMia and Isaac are on a double date tonight with Jackie and Milo at ‘Balls to t

Thursday 7.35 pm

Mia and Isaac are on a double date tonight with Jackie and Milo at ‘Balls to the Wall’, a Bowling Alley-slash-restaurant-slash-entertainment venue that has not long been open in town. It’s a month since Mia and her mother Nanette have returned from Paris, and the first time Mia has been out in public with Isaac. They’ve fucked a few times, but Noah’s death still feels like a heavy rock lodged in her heart, and most nights she would rather just sit on the couch under a blanket and binge-watch her favourite soap operas and reality shows. She has come to realise that one of the reasons she loves her soap operas so much is because their endless nature rarely provides the viewer with any closure. Mia finds this comforting, and very relatable.

Isaac has revealed himself to be an expert bowler.

“Oh my God,” says Jackie, “He’s got anotherstrike!”

Isaac does a little victory dance, while Milo grunts in admiration.

“Yay,” says Mia dully. “Whose turn is it now?”
“Milo’s,” says Jackie. Milo climbs to his feet with very little enthusiasm. Isaac asks if they would like him to get them all a drink. Milo says he’ll have a beer.
“I’d love a  lemonade,” says Jackie. “Nothing stronger because I’m on call.”
“What would you like, Mia?” Isaac asks.
“I’ll have a beer too,” says Mia, and then adds as an afterthought, “Thanks.”
“He’s a sweetie,” says Jackie after he’s out of earshot.

Mia’s bottom lip juts out.

“Yeah. He doesn’t deserve to die,” she says.

Bowling Alley by @minasavenue