Page 90 of Inbetweeners
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It wasn’t hard to guess that Phoenix’s loudFuck offhad been aimed at Vin. It had woken Emmett up and he realised Phoenix must have fallen asleep as well. So much for the theory that once a day was as much of an intrusion as Vin could manage. Finally, Phoenix let Emmett’s hand go, a look of embarrassment on his face. Equally hard not to guess that Phoenix regretted showing that level of vulnerability.
“Are you okay?” Emmett whispered.
Phoenix nodded.
“What—?”
Phoenix put his finger on Emmett’s lips. “Not now. We might as well leave before we’re asked to. We’ve missed a chunk of the film anyway.”
Outside in the car park, Emmett had to walk fast to keep up with him.
“Ashamed to be seen with me?” Emmett asked. “Need me to walk a few steps behind, master?”
Phoenix huffed, but slowed down.
“Well, that was a crap date,” Emmett said. “Apart from the popcorn and the Maltesers. Where was the fun I was promised for sitting at the back? Did it happen while I wasn’t looking? And I don’t count almost meeting your unwelcome hitchhiker. You better not fall asleep in the bowling alley.”
“You still want to go bowling?”
“You promised to annihilate me. Hopefully not literally. Though if Vin wants to brain me with a bowling ball, you could try to give me some warning.”
“Now I’m wondering if you’re secretly an expert and I’m the one who’s going to be annihilated.”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
Emmett was well aware that they should be going after Greyson and not doing…this, whateverthiswas, but Phoenix was looking shaken and needed distracting. Though that wasn’t the only reason. Emmett had the feeling everything could soon be over and he didn’t want it to be. Not yet. Even though he worried his choice ofno memories for memight continue when he returned, there was a chance that he could remember this. The thought that he might forget… forget Phoenix didn’t sit comfortably.
I want to do more than remember.
I don’t want to go back.
But how can I not?
The idea of Phoenix being returned to Hell made Emmett’s stomach churn. Compared to Phoenix, what did Emmett have to complain about? He felt riddled with guilt for ever thinking Heaven was boring, even though it was.
But the future was out of his control. He could try and influence it, but his ability to do so was limited. Even controlling the present was hard. Phoenix was much more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy and Emmett wasn’t. His whole life had been one of control, bothofhim andbyhim. The control exerted by his parents over how he lived and behaved. The control Emmett had to impose on himself to avoid pissing them off—well, as far as that was possible. Then the same with David. He’d learned it was best not to draw the wrong sort of attention—ever. Not to show how he really felt. To hold his tongue when most would have spoken out. Hiding in plain sight. He was a fucking expert at that. But it hadn’t kept him from getting hurt. He was conning himself if he thought otherwise.
Except now with Phoenix, hewasletting himself go, reacting to being pissed off, being…normal. He was learning to live, which was the biggest irony ever.
The bowling alley was just across the road from the cinema, but they took the bike over and parked outside.
Freaking out about having to wear the special shoes probably clued Phoenix in that Emmett had never been bowling before. Thank God he was wearing socks.Eww.
“Want to set up the scoring?” Phoenix asked. “Put our names in.”
“Fine.”
“You can be Demon and I’ll be Angel.” Phoenix grinned.
Emmett rolled his eyes but entered the names into the keypad. “Now what?”
“Grab a ball. Make sure your fingers fit.”
Emmett looked at the stack of balls. “I have to stick my fingers in holes where other people have stuck their fingers? That’s disgusting.”
Nix frowned. “Yes. How else do you think you’ll bowl?”
