Bronagh

by L. A. Casey

If he could do this, so could I.

  I nodded my head and swung my arm backwards, but I screeched when the ball fell out of my hand. I quickly turned and scrambled after it.

  "It's okay; it's okay. Nothin' was broken I have it under control. Nothin' to see here folks," I called out to the staff members who stared at me and shook their heads.

  I looked to Dominic, who took up two seats because he fell to his side from laughing so hard.

  "Shut the fuck up, you're makin' a scene."

  "The scene," Dominic laughed, "Was made when you decided to throw a bowling ball in the air."

  I huffed.

  "It slipped out of me hand... and nothin' was broken so give it a rest."

  He continued to laugh. "I wish I recorded that."

  Fucking fuckface.

  I angrily turned and stepped up to our lane; I gripped the ball tightly swung my arm back then forward and realised it, but the same thing happened it went up into the fucking air then landed back down on the ground with a thud.

  "Oh please, stop. I can't breathe."

  I'd cut that hyena's breathing off for good if he kept laughing at me.

  I jumped backwards from the ball then in annoyance I put my foot behind the ball and pushed as hard as I could. It worked; the ball went gliding down the lane, and I jumped up and down with excitement.

  It crashed into the pins and knocked a few of them down.

  I turned and punched the air.

  "Yes."

  Dominic shook his head at me. "That's cheating."

  Oh, Mr. Proper.

  "Whatever, how many did I knock down?"

  "Six pins."

  I did a little hip thrust dance. "Yeah boy."

  Dominic shook his head at me as he stood up.

  "Let me show you how it's done."

  I rolled my eyes. "You're pickin' things I've never done before for these birthday dates. The only one I've been good at so far is eatin' chicken at our picnic."

  Dominic tilted his head at me. "You've never gone bowling before?"

  I deadpanned. "Did you not see my first two attempts at tryin' to roll the ball down the lane?"

  "Yeah, but I thought that was just because you sucked."

  Oh.

  "Thanks very bloody much!"

  Dominic held up his hands. "Just telling you the truth."

  I narrowed my eyes and said, "Game on, fuckface."

  I turned and walked to the control centre thing for our game and watched the screen.

  Dominic raised eyebrows at me then turned, got his red ball from the ball machine then walked to our lane. He rolled then down the lane, and he got another strike.

  Fuck.

  He walked back and sat next to me, a grin tugged at his lips.

  I grunted as I stood up. "Don't smile just yet."

  He turned his head from me as I rolled my neck on my shoulders and shook out my hands. I was going to roll a ball down that fucking lane even if it killed me.

  "Okay," I breathed.

  I got my purple ball from the ball machine and walked up to the line that separated me from the lane.

  "Be at one with the ball," I said.

  Dominic cracked up behind me. "You okay there, Yoda?"

  I was going to harm him badly if he didn't close his mouth.

  "I'm concentratin'!"

  "Sorry."

  He wasn't sorry.

  I shook off Dominic and focused.

  You can do this.

  I went old school and spread my legs, bent down and rolled the ball from between my legs onto the lane. It didn't have as much powerm but it was rolling down the lane instead of possibly flying at a person's face and that to me was a sucess.

  "To the right," I mumbled and motioned the ball to go to the right with my hands.

  "That's it, use the air to push the ball in the right direction."

  I gave Dominic the finger.

  "Yes!" I jumped when the ball knocked into the pins.

  I quickly walked back to Dominic.

  "How many was that?" I asked.

  "Two pins."

  Two.

  Fucking two?

  "That's bollocks."

  Maybe I should just kick all the balls down the lane; I knocked a lot of pins down the first time I did that.

  I sighed and looked at Dominic. The level of smugness on that lad's face was unreal. He thought he was so bloody cool beating a girl at a game.

  "Pussy," I mumbled.

  "What was that?" Dominic asked.

  "I called you a pussy. A p-u-s-s-y. Pussy."

  Dominic's jaw dropped. "How am I a pussy?"

  I shrugged. "Your smugness is annoyin' me, you think you're all that and packet of Tayto crisps 'cause you're winnin' me at bowlin’. Let's go home and play chess, I'd fuckin' destroy you at chess."

  Dominic pretended to be scared. "Not chess, anything but chess."

  "You know what? I'm not dealin' with your sarcastic self today; it's my birthday bitch, I'm twenty-one. It's my day, not yours so screw you."

  I would have loved if my hair were down so I could flip it, it was a perfect fuck you hair-flip moment.

  "Ohhh, this really is an ‘it's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to’ type of day you're havin'. I'll take you in a mood with me over crying though."

  I reached forward and shoved Dominic in the chest.

  "I can't help it if I'm soft hearted and cry easily, okay? If I were hard-hearted, I would have never dated your stupid Yank arse."

  Dominic smirked. "You aren't insulting me."

  Damn it.

  "I'm never comin' here with you again, I hope you know that."

  Dominic shrugged. "I won't be bringin' you back here again; you suck even worse than Branna does, and she is a complete girl when it comes to sports."

  Okay, that does it; I wasn't talking to him.

  I gave him the finger then sat down and folded my arms across my chest. Dominic snorted then went and bowled another bloody strike. This continued for the rest of the stupid game. Dominic got a strike, spare or knocked a lot of the pins down. I, on the other hand, knocked down three or four pins during each turn. Five if I was lucky.

  Dominic was right.

  I sucked.

  I wasn't admitting that out loud to the bastard though.

  "Grumpy gills, it's your final turn."

  I grumbled as I stood up. "Your score is one hundred and three, my is twenty-three... I think we both know you've won."

  Dominic smirked. "Just go bowl your final turn."

  I did, but I did it with an attitude.

  I was about to throw my ball when a woman my age appeared next to me. She was a little taller than me with white blonde hip length hair and big blue eyes.

  She was very pretty.

  "Hey, I'm Jo."

  I smiled. "Bronagh."

  "I hope you don't mine me sayin', but you're doin' that all wrong. I couldn't help but notice your game, and since your brother won't help you, I will."

  My brother.

  She thought Dominic was my brother?

  I mentally rolled my eyes, this happened so bloody often to me.

  I got it; Dominic was incredibly hot, and I was the homely girlfriend who fit better as his sibling rather his partner.

  Whatever.

  I decided to humour the girl because I needed all the help I could get. I looked over my shoulder to Dominic and smiled.

  "Jo here is goin' to help me with me form because you, dear brother, won't."

  I could see the amusement on Dominic's face as he waved me on.

  I turned back to Jo and said, "Teach me, wise one."

  Jo smiled and moved behind me; she reached forward and touched my hand then placed her left hand on my hip to steady me or something.

  "Okay keep your body straight, draw your arm back and swing but no so hard that you knock off balance. I've watched you, and you move your whole body forward when you throw the ball. You only move your throwing arm; you keep the rest of your
body straight."

  Oh.

  That explains why messed up so bad on my first two attempts at throwing the ball.

  "Okay, so pull back... and forward... and release."

  I did as Jo said, and I felt as though the entire bowling alley was watching the ball zoom down the lane.

  I jumped up and down when the machine voice shouted, "STRIKE!"

  I got a strike.

  I fucking got one.

  "Yes!" I screamed and instantly turned and hugged Jo, who hugged me back and jumped up and down with me.

  I pulled back to thank her, and the weirdest thing happened.

  She kissed me.

  She. Kissed. Me.

  "You're welcome, enjoy the rest of your game." Jo beamed the turned and walked off like she didn't just kiss me on the mouth.

  I blinked a couple of times thenturned back to Dominic with my mouth open and found him laughing his head off with his phone pointed in my direction.

  Was that motherfucker recording me?

  "Delete it!" I growled and whipped my mouth.

  Dominic quickly tapped on the screen of his phone then jumped up. "Too late. My brothers, your sister, and Alannah have now seen you get hit on and kissed by a girl."

  I was red with embarrassment.

  "You bastard, why would you do that?"

  "Because that was the funniest shit I've ever seen in my entire life. That girl looked at your ass more than she did your face; she was literally eye fucking it."

  Would the mortification ever stop?

  "I'm leavin'!"

  Dominic jumped up and put his arms around my body as stopped me from walking away.

  "The game isn't over yet."

  Really?

  "I've played enough bowlin' to last me a lifetime."

  "What about your present though?"

  Oh, that bastard.

  "I've done what you asked; I played the game... where is it?"

  Dominic chuckled. "Um... it's down the end of our lane."

  Come again?

  "Excuse me?"

  "I made you work for your other presents, what's different about this one?"

  I groaned in annoyance.

  "What happened to just handin' someone a present and sayin' here you go, happy birthday."

  "That's boring."

  I rolled my eyes. "That's one thing you aren't... this day has exhausted me, and it's only after five. What you think is excitin' is not my idea of excitin'."

  Dominic sighed. "Just go get your present, I promise this one will be the most-exciting part of your day."

  Oh.

  "I've to walk down the lane? Will I not get in trouble?"

  Dominic laughed. "No, who will say something to you?"

  "Uh, the staff."

  "Ryder came and put the present down the end of our lane; he told them what was going down."

  I swallowed. "And they just agreed?"

  Dominic shrugged. "Would you disagree with Ryder?"

  "I disagree with 'em all the time."

  "Bad example, you don't fear me and my brothers, but most people do. The staff won't say anything and if they do, I'll have a word."

  Oh, scary man.

  "Fine, let me go so I can get this done."

  Dominic released me, smacked my arse and sent me on my way.

  I walked to the lane and stepped onto the walking strip that the staff must use so they don't fall. I walked all the way down to where the pins were lined up and hunkered down.

  "Where the fuck is me present?" I mumbled.

  I bent all the way down until I was lying on my stomach and looking under the pin machine. I saw a blue and silver rope with a collar at the end of it.

  A lead?

  I reached for it, but my arms were too short to grab it. I carefully moved onto the slippery lane and moved closer to the pins. I reached to the side and grabbed the lead with my hand then I got to my feet.

  I examined the lead with confused eyes. I looked at the collar then at the blank tag that was shaped like a doggie treat.

  A dog?

  "Why would he buy me a lead if we don't have a- omigod!"

  I turned to Dominic.

  "You got me a dog?" I screamed.

  He was standing on the end of the lane and recording me again on his phone.

  "I got you a dog."

  Oh, my God.

  I screamed in delight then jumped up and down but jumping up and down on a bowling alley lane was not a smart move.

  Seriously, don't ever do it.

  I slipped and fell back on my arse, crashing into the pins knocking them all down. I groaned and rolled out of the way just as the pin machine came down to scoop the pins away.

  "That hurt," I groaned and crawled out to the path I used to walk down the lane.

  I stood up, put my hand on my arse and began walking back towards Dominic. I looked up and glared at him. He was on his knees recording me, but he was laughing.

  "That wasn't funny."

  I noticed Dominic was crying when I reached him.

  Crying with laughter.

  "That was hilarious."

  Bastard.

  "I think I broke me arse."

  Dominic stood up and gave me a tight hug. "There is never a dull moment with you, pretty girl."

  I grunted. "Happy to amuse you."

  Dominic pulled back and snorted. "You got a strike when you knocked all the pins down with your ass."

  Typical, fucking typical.

  "It was worth it; you got me a dog!"

  Dominic gave my head a kiss. "I got you a dog."

  "Where?"

  He grinned. "At home."

  "What are we still here for then? Let's go!"

  "Branna?" I screamed when I opened the door to my house.

  "Don't shout you will scare him."

  Him.

  "Branna?" I whispered as I rid myself of my cardigan and dolly shoes.

  I checked the sitting room first but it was empty. Next up was the kitchen, it was empty too.

  "Hey birthday girl... do I get a kiss from you too like that chick at the bowling alley?"

  Okay, Ryder, Kane, and Alec where in the kitchen, but no puppy and my puppy was all I wanted to see.

  I ignored Alec's nasty self.

  "Branna?" I called out.

  "She's out in the back yard-"

  "Branna!" I squealed as I ran to the back down and looked through the glass door.

  I spotted Branna sitting on the ground while a chubby little Siberian Husky sat next to her.

  Dominic got me a Siberian Husky.

  I screamed and I jumped up and down.

  "Oh, my God!" I cried.

  I pulled the slide door open just as Dominic said, "She hasn't stopped crying all day."

  I was so happy with every present he got me, how could I not cry?

  "There's mama." Branna beamed up at me.

  I slowly walked over before I sunk to my knees and then lay down on my belly and rested my head on my hands.

  "Hello," I whispered to the puppy as he waddled over to my face.

  I laughed when he licked my nose.

  "He loves you." I heard Dominic say from behind me.

  "I love him too," I sniffled.

  I sat up then and lifted him into my arms, holding him to my chest.

  "What do you want to call him?" Dominic asked.

  I lifted the puppy up and looked into his bright blue gorgeous eyes.

  "How about... Tyson?"

  I heard murmurs of approval then Dominic said, "I like Tyson."

  Tyson.

  "Your name is Tyson."

  I kissed Tyson's head and then put him on the ground. I used my arms to wipe my tears from my face; I then crawled over to Branna and lifted up my necklace.

  "Look."

  Branna took my pendant in her hand; she looked at both sides of the heart and then burst into tears. I instantly cried right along with her and it caused mumbling from behind us.

  "I'
m getting bee water," Kane's voice murmured. "If she is crying like this all day the girl must be getting dehydrated."

  He was so thoughtful!

  I calmed myself down and hugged my sister tightly.

  "He made me a cool book too," I whispered. "I'll show you it later though."

  Branna smiled, wiped her eyes then nodded her head.

  I looked back down to Tyson when he decided to gnaw on the end of my dress. I smiled and tugged my dress from him. I lightly tapped his nose and firmly said, "No."

  I was nipping any chewing and eating of clothes in the bud immediately. I stood up then bent down and picked Tyson up into my arms.

  "I love him so much!" I turned to Dominic, Ryder and Alec and held Tyson out for them to see. "Just look at him, isn't he gorgeous?"

  "Beautiful."

  "Fabulous."

  "Stunning."

  I glared at the three of them, sarcasm radiated off them in waves.

  I looked to Tyson. "They are mutts so don't mind them, baby."

  "Mutts?"

  I smirked. "Mutts."

  Alec glared at me. "I'm offended."

  "Good."

  I looked away and smiled.

  "Dinner will be done soon, I've it on the past hour."

  I looked to Branna. "Me and Dominic already had food... but I could eat."

  I looked to Dominic who was staring at me.

  Diet and exercise starts tomorrow, not today!

  I rolled my eyes. "Me arse can't get any bigger, give me a break."

  Alec tilted to the side and looked down to my behind. "So squat more and it will."

  I laughed. "I'm not tryin' to make it bigger, it's big enough."

  "Bigger the better." Dominic said.

  Alec shrugged his shoulders. "I'm more of a leg man."

  I laughed. "Yeah because that's the first part of male underwear models that you look at... their legs."

  Ryder walked into the house laughing and Dominic quickly followed not wanting to listen to the conversation.

  "Okay, when it comes to women I'm a leg man but for men I'm a straight up cock lover."

  I fell around laughing.

  "You're so disgustin' that it's funny!"

  Alec grinned.

  I continued to laugh as we walked back into my house. I kept Tyson tight to my chest and looked to Dominic.

  "You're gonna have to build him two houses."

  Dominic frowned. "Why two?"

  "So he can have his own house out our back and your brother's back. Duh."

  Groans.

  "Fine, I'll get on that soon."

  "Tomorrow."

  Dominic rolled his eyes. "Fine tomorrow."