This is a slice-of-life story about friendship, romance, love and everything else.
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or a...
Alicia was subtly drifting towards her bedroom door, getting ready to escape, which is how she ended up near the exit with her back towards the door. She is watching the two boys in her room when the voice suddenly sounds behind her.
Alarmed, she twirls around, her heart beating a staccato in her chest. It takes her a few seconds to register that the two boys standing just outside her bedroom are Ranger's friends and not the enemy coming to finish the job they started yesterday.
At least, she doesn't think that's what they're here for.
John and Archer were about to enter Ranger's room when they noticed the activity in the room across from his. They stopped close to the entrance, baffled to see their friends in the room that belonged to the girl living with the Wentworths. The girl Ranger marked as off-limits, tempting them to test those limits.
Nothing about the strange scene playing off in the room makes any sense to them. Have those limits been moved?
They are strangers to Alicia, and she finds it highly disconcerting to discover their frowning faces behind her. She runs her eyes over the two boys, trying to assess the level of danger she might be in, nervous to have them blocking her escape. This is the first time she's this close to them, and the idea that all Ranger's friends apparently have house keys makes her very apprehensive. She hopes that Jared just left the door unlocked, though that would not be good either.
He didn't.
All Ranger's closest friends know the code to the gates and have keys to the back door. They've been friends with Ranger for nearly five years, and he gave them access because he found it annoying to have to open for them whenever they drop by, which is even more often than Alicia realises.
The tall, muscular boy with the closely cropped hair flashes angry dark eyes from Ranger to Jared and then at Alicia, and she instinctively takes a step back. She feels cornered and vulnerable, having them block the only route out of her bedroom. The guy seems to be on the verge of an attack, and she's not entirely sure who will be his target. She's about to apologise for the inconvenience having Ranger in her room is apparently causing him, but then he smiles and it's like watching a beautiful sunrise.
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Alicia's eyes widen in surprise. She is dumbfounded that someone with a smile as bright and warm as this one would always hide it. She has never seen him smile before. She smiles back because it's that kind of smile. It's not flirty, endearing and a little goofy, like Jared's smile. It is welcoming and kind, the type of smile that instantly makes everybody feel a little safer and comforted... perhaps because it gets rid of his scary scowl.
"Hi, I'm John," he says when Alicia continues to stare at him. He stabs a thumb over his shoulder and adds, "This is Archer."
Archer nods his head and mutters something that might be a greeting. Now that she sees him up close, Alicia is surprised to realise she was wrong; he doesn't look creepy at all. He is still too pretty, though.
