Just Friends

*19*

"Catcher in the Rye?" A familiar sounding voice speaks behind her. She had slipped out of her trailer in the warm, summer morning, and had taken up residence on a park bench, eager to relax and get lost in a book for a while. "Catching up on the reading list before school's back in?"

She twirls her head around and is met with the soft and familiar eyes of Lance Davie, the handsome quarterback from Riverdale High's rival school. She freezes.

He smiles at her. "Mandatory readings are the worst, I swear they pick the worst possible book just to torture us."

"You know some people read those books for fun?" She points out with a smirk, watching as he perches himself on the arm of the bench.

"Those people must seriously hate fun."

She sticks out her hand to him with a quirk of a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Alice Smith, hater of all things fun."

His eyes widen slightly. "Oh... I'm sorry, I just don't usually see people reading that book unless they have to."

"Its alright, I'd probably think the same thing."

"So you're into the classics I take it?"

"Some of them. The ones that are written so beautifully you can picture everything in detail, that make you want to read it in one sitting. Then there are some that are so painstakingly boring it makes me want to jab my eyes out."

"Catcher in the Rye is that book for me."

"So I've figured out." She stares at him for a moment. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

"I believe this is what some would call fate, miss Smith."

"Fate huh?" She tilts her head, not quite sure if she believes it.

He nods. "I didn't get your number that night, and I've been thinking about you nonstop. Maybe this is my chance."

"Is this your sly way of asking me for my number?"

"Depends, is it working?"

She smirks slyly. "Maybe." 

"I really regret not getting your number that night, it was some of the most fun I've had in a long time."

She smiles at that, the same is true for her. "Me too."

"But I don't want you to think that's the only reason I want your number. The sex was great don't get me wrong, but I like you Alice, a lot." He tells her it so genuinely she could just about tear up. "And I want to take you out to a nice restaurant, show you off around town, the whole nine yards."

"Well when you put it like that, how can I say no?"

"You can't, and you shouldn't." He smiles at her again and it's still as charming as it was the night of the party. "How does Thursday sound?"

"Thursday is great." She confirms, flashing her own perfectly mesmerizing smile at him.

"I'll pick you up at 6?"

"Perfect." He gets up to jog away and she chuckles to herself. "Lance?"

"Yeah?" He calls back, running in place.

"Wasn't the whole point of this to actually get my number this time?"

He laughs, shaking his head in disappointment at himself. "That would be smart, huh?"

***

"And then he asked for my number, we're going out on Thursday." Alice gushes.

"That quick huh?" FP mumbles as he listens to Alice talk.

"We'll we've already had sex, I don't exactly think a date is so far fetched."

"Still, it is kinda quick." He repeats.

Alice rolls her eyes, lifting up onto her knees beside him on the couch. "Why are you being such a negative nelly?"

"I'm not."

"You're acting as though I just accepted a date with an axe murderer. Any other time you're excited for me." She pouts a little. One of her favourite things about her friendship with FP is that they share in each other's joy.

"I am excited for you," he insists. "It's just..."

"Just?"

"I don't know, Al, with everything that happened with Jamie I'm just worried." She understands, and she'd be lying if it wasn't on her mind too. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"Who are you? My father?" She teases, but notices the stern look on his face. "FP I love you but I've done just fine without a father figure, I don't need one in you, I just need you to be my friend." She tells him softly. "And yeah, maybe this whole thing is just because of the rumour, but maybe it's not, and I'd like to try being more optimistic for a change."

"I'm sorry." He shyly apologizes. "I guess I just don't think anyone will ever be good enough for you." She smiles at that and nudges him with her elbow. "But if you think Lance is a good guy than I back you one hundred percent, but if he's not, I'll also be first in line to kick his ass."

"And to say I told you so." She adds.

"Well of course." He chuckles, the two of them staring at each other for a long moment before he finally breaks the awkward tension. "Ok enough with the sappy shit. Let's go do something."

"Like?"

"They're doing a double creature feature at the Twilight tonight, wanna hit that up?"

"Depends, what are they playing?"

"Critters to start and The Blob to finish."

"Oh absolutely, we're going." She eagerly announces. "And we have to invite Fred too, but don't tell him it's Critters until we get there or he won't come."

FP laughs to himself. "Man he hates those things."

"And it's hilarious to watch him squirm whenever they're on screen."

"As mean as it is, you're right." He stands up to get the phone.

"Oh! And call Hermione too, she'll absolutely despise The Blob, so we'll get double the amount of entertainment tonight."