We head inside and place our order, then make our way to the arcade. It’s dark back here, except for all the flashing neon lights. Ugh. I’ll probably have a headache later, but Iris is squealing with delight, so I can’t complain too much. She runs right over to the Skee-ball lanes and starts rolling the ball back and forth. Iris has the curse of being the youngest. She uses youth to her advantage, for sure, but sometimes it’s hard to be the smallest. She’s never tall enough to ride what the twins like, and she’s not quite strong enough to keep up with them just yet, which she hates. She’s frustrated that the rest of us can do things with ease while she struggles. That’s why I’m kind of glad it’s just the two of us today.
"Are you ready to take me on?" I ask, lifting a ball like I’m weighing it in my hand.
"You’re going down, Josie," she taunts. Iris has smack talk down to a science. Backing it up is the problem.
I lob the ball toward the target, and it hits the outermost ring, earning me 10 points. Iris tosses hers, but it only gets halfway up the ramp before it rolls right back to her.
"That was great. Try to throw it a little harder this time, okay?" I step toward her to demonstrate, but I stop when I hear my name being called. I can’t believe our food is ready, but when I turn toward the counter, I realize my mistake.
"Josie, is that you?"
I look behind me to see Ollie Jablonski, and he’s not alone. Pete’s here, too, and so are Dean and the bouncy guy—Mikalski. Instinctively, I scan the room, checking for Van. He’s nowhere to be found. That would have brought me relief a few weeks ago, so I’m unprepared for the pang of disappointment that washes over me.
"Hey guys," I say, smiling and pushing aside any feelings I have for Van. It’s a skill I’ve honed over the years. Small talk is not my forte, but I’m not worried. Pete Santos is one of the friendliest guys I know and Ollie could carry on a conversation with a wall.
"What brings you ladies to this fine establishment?" Pete asks, crouching down so he’s closer to Iris’s level. At his height, he still towers over her, but the gesture is sweet.
My youngest sister doesn’t share my wallflower tendencies. She grins up at the big guy. "It’s just Josie and me today and we’re going to eat pizza and ice cream, but first I’m beating her at Skee-ball." She ends this pronouncement with a hand on her hip, as if to challenge anyone who dares question her arcade game prowess.
Pete lets out a whistle. "You’re that good, huh?"
Iris nods solemnly, despite the fact that she’s never actually tossed the wooden ball anywhere near the ring, at least not without help. But I love her confidence, so her secret’s safe with me.
"It’s an honor to meet a future champ. I’m Pete, and these guys are my friends. We go to the same school as Josie."
"I’m Iris. And I go to kindergarten." Her voice carries with the regality of a queen as she shakes Pete’s offered hand.
"Athletic and academic? It’s a killer combo." This comes from Ollie, who smiles broadly, before turning toward the hallway. "Dude," he calls, "get over here. Look who we ran into."
I’m not sure if my luck has run out or if I should book a trip to Vegas. Van walks into the arcade looking as handsome as ever. He wears the same thing he always does, a hockey hoodie and sweats, but he looks better than anyone has a right to.
"Josie?" He stares at me and for a moment, I’m caught up in his gaze. We haven’t talked since Thursday night, and I’m guessing the guys came here to grab some food after their road trip. I’m not coy on the best of days, so I’m unsure of what to say, how to act. Van and I came clean with each other last week. We shared secrets and forgiveness. But what does that mean? Are we friends now? I’d like to think so, and yet that isn’t a title that really fits.
He’s standing directly in front of me and I can tell there are a million questions spinning through his mind, too. He never gets to ask them, though, because Iris interrupts.
"He looks like a movie prince," she tells me, but her little voice is loud enough that there’s no doubt everyone in this room heard her.
Van blinks, registering for the first time that I’m not alone. He takes a step back and crouches down, just the way Pete did.
"Beckett Vandaele, at your service," he says, with an exaggerated bow of his head. Iris curtsies in return.
"Does that mean you have to do anything I say?" Iris asks.
"Anything," Van replies. "But nothing illegal, please. I don’t want to get tossed in the alligator pit again. The last princess I helped made me steal a crown, and I’d rather not do it again…unless you really need me to."
Iris can’t contain her giggles. "I already have a crown, but will you help me beat Josie at Skee-ball?"
Van’s head pops up and he looks right at me. "You told me you didn’t play any sports."
"This definitely doesn’t count," I reply. "Iris, the guys probably?—"
Before I can tell my sister that the hockey team most likely has to head back to campus, Van’s shaking his head. "We’re not going anywhere until the game is over, Jos."
Iris is overjoyed at the attention and I can’t blame her. Van psyches her up and gives her tips as though he’s been coaching pro Skee-ball in his spare time. All I can do is ogle him. It’s hard to resist Van under normal circumstances, but when he’s making my little sister happy, I have no hope of fending off the attraction.
Van puts the ball in Iris’s small hand before guiding her arm back. Just before he’s about to help her execute the perfect toss, he stops. "Oh, no. I almost forgot. Iris, did you bring any tissues?"
She shakes her head. "No. Do you have the sniffles?"
