Better than Friends

Chapter 1: Sent 12:57 PM

• • •

"No friendship is an
accident."

- O. Henry

• • •

Two teenagers stumbled on to a quiet balcony in the middle of the frosty night, giggles and longing glances exchanged between both of them. Atria St. James held on to Dawson Ledger's forearm as he guided her across the pristine white floor to the middle railing for them to lean against. It was no matter, though, since Atria seemed to enjoy leaning against the eldest Ledger boy and Dawson's heart was thumping too loudly in his chest to protest.

In Dawson's hand was a bottle of expensive wine his mother had served during the party. She was particularly proud of this one, going on and on about how it had been aged for an absurd amount of years in a cellar reserved for the rich inside the mountains of Italy so Dawson thought the wine would impress not only him but his partner on the balcony as well. He had to get this right, is what he kept thinking as the lady rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was surprised you approached me," She piped up, looking up at him and he couldn't help but think how pretty she looked even when her face was covered by a mask.

The theme his mother chose for her famous end of the year party was a masquerade ball, going off about how it would be 'dazzling' and 'spectacular', using those adjectives repeatedly when she was defending the theme to his father. Dawson only agreed to attend because he heard she'll be there thanks to his brother Marcus who was awfully close to her.

"I should be surprised you decided to give me the time of day," Dawson chuckled back, taking a swig of the wine in his hands.

Atria's brows knitted together in confused amusement at his words. "Who wouldn't give you the time of day? You're Dawson Ledger."

Dawson let out a quiet laugh at her words because she did not understand how nervous he had been before he had approached her. "I meant I expected you to blow me off for my brother or something."

"Marcus?"

"I have no other brothers." Dawson quickly took another sip of the wine, realizing his words may have come off as snappy to some people. But his racing heart calmed down after he heard Atria let out a quiet chuckle.

"Marcus is a friend," Atria responded, grabbing the wine from Dawson's hand and to his surprise, took a sip from it. "In case you're worried."

She felt bold, flirty even and she needed wine to keep it that way. Atria never found a courage quite like alcohol and she believed she needed it more than ever now that she had the boy she didn't think would ever like her under her palm.

"I'm not worried."

"And you shouldn't be." Atria finished for him with a small smile. She raised the wine glass to his lips and Dawson gladly took it, taking another sip and pretending his heart wasn't racing as he remembered her lips were on it moments earlier.

"Your mother is a genius." The girl suddenly voiced, her eyes now glancing up to the blinking night that was soon to welcome the new year.

"How so?"

"This theme of hers," She startee with a far away look. "It makes me feel pretty."