Just Friends

*15*

She hadn't exactly planned the detour, really she hadn't. She was just planning to go to the mall, maybe grab a pretzel in the food court. Instead she had seen the classic convertible in the parking lot of Dover's Convenience store and suddenly she was squealing into the lot as well.

She knows it's Jamie, and with a quick glance in the backseat, at the letterman jacket on the seat, it's confirmed. She doesn't even think of the consequences, she's not even sure there's a thought in her head as she storms into the small store and searches for the boy.

She finds him near the back, reaching for a bottle of Gatorade. She grabs his elbow and yanks him back to face her. "Was it you?" She barks before he can even register who she is.

"Was what me?"

She delivers a sharp smack to his arm. "Don't play dumb. Was it you?"

Jamie takes her by the elbow and pulls her aside, away from onlookers so she doesn't cause such a scene. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"There's a rumour going around about me and I have a sneaking suspicion that you're the one who started it."

"What kind of rumour?"

"That I'm some kind of call girl? That I'm easy and the go to for a fuck?" He smirks. "It's not funny."

"It kind of is though." He tells her. "I mean, it's true."

"No it's not." She adamantly spits.

Jamie leans in closer to her and she feels his breath tickle her neck as he whispers in her ear. "Why do you think I went out with you?"

She swears her heart stops for a moment, that her brain just completely shuts off. "That's not true."

"No? Think about it. What did we do on our first date? And every other date after that?" She's silent, his words more and more vile as he continues to speak. "Exactly. Face it, Alice, you're nothing but a lowlife whore from the slums, and you'll never be anything more. You're destined to be just like your mom."

Something in her snaps and she lunges at him, her tiny frame easily being held back by Jamie's stronger and larger one. The store's patrons spring into action and begin pulling her away. "Woah woah, what's going on out here?" The owner yells out above the commotion.

"Get her out of here!" Jamie responds angrily, staring at the blonde who's now nearly hysterical in an employees arms.

The owner places a hand on Alice's back and with the help of the teen employee, leads her outside. "You think you can just come into my store and make a scene?" He scolds.

"You don't understand-"

"Yeah and I don't care to. I better not see you here again, get the hell out of here, kid." The two of them storm back inside and Alice walks back to her car, her face red with embarrassment and her body buzzing with adrenaline.

***

As she nervously knocks on the door of Hermione's home, with every passing second she gets closer to abandoning her decision and drive home. But she needs to tell someone, she can feel herself spiralling.

She could tell Fred and swear him to secrecy, but he's never been the best at keeping secrets, he's probably slip up and tell Hermione anyway.

And she for sure can't tell FP. He'd go on a witch-hunt for whoever started the rumour and it wouldn't end well.

So Hermione was the only option. The girl is smaller than she is, there's no way she'd go off fighting anyone on her behalf, and she can keep a secret.