dear alice.

IX. ARCHIE

Considering it was close to midnight he still wasn't surprised at the number of people awake. He was one of them himself; sitting in a dark corner where the flashing strobe lights didn't reach him. For the boy who loved partying the constant flash of party lights made him sick. They set frames, snapshots of a moment, black and then repeat. It made his head dizzy and his stomach twist, the amount of drinks he had had only made it worse. The boy had lost count at how many— in fact, he hadn't been counting from the start.

Downing the last drops of his cup the boy caught the hand of a passing girl. She turned to face him, smiling widely due to the effects of alcohol. He doubted she was able enough to form coherent thoughts about who he was and what he was. When she giggled, swaying slightly he knew he was right. He motioned for her to sit, his voice drowned by the loud music.

The girl with pretty blonde hair obeyed, rather than sitting next to him she sat on his lap wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned back at her as she breathed sweet scented alcohol onto his lips. She was hot but what made her hotter was the fact that she wouldn't remember him in the morning. Something about it made the drinks kick in. There was no pattern to the way he kissed her, their lips hungrily met and sloppily greeted each other. It was rushed and that was the way he liked it.

A body sat down next to them but the boy was too caught up in the pretty blonde on his lap to care. It was when her tongue slipped into his mouth that he heard a familiar voice mutter a name. It was the voice of a criminal muttering a name not meant for his lips.

"Alice Grimsby," Benjamin Hallows said, hostility lacing with her name. The boy cracked open an eye interested to what the two would say to each other. He watched the girl with black hair freeze, her hands dropping from her side and once dancing feet rest still on the concrete.

"Benjamin Hallows," she replied curtly turning to face him. "I thought you were in Juvy."

Her mood had been shattered in an instant. What looked to be anger coursing through her veins erased the cheerful Alice Grimsby people hated. He had heard rumours and mentions of the war between Hallows and Grimsby, gossip of a court case and cruel words being thrown at Alice's best friend. The boy had learnt not to get on the black haired girl's bad side after a few run-ins with her himself.

"No, no. Babe, you see bad boys never get caught," a sly grin adorned Benjamin's face. Alice narrowed her eyes at him. Every ounce of venom she had in her went to her stare but he didn't even flinch.

"Bad boys get what they deserve," she said bitterly. The tension found its way to the boy and the pretty blonde attacking his lips. It was thick and suffocating. She detached from his lips and glared.

"You two mind taking whatever this is away from here?" the blonde asked. Grimsby scoffed, glancing at him and the girl before then turning on her heel to disappear into the flickering crowd.

Hallows remained seated eyes hungrily watching Alice leave. The blonde clicked her fingers in front of his face.

"Did you hear me the first time? Leave," she hissed. Benjamin didn't give her the time of day, without acknowledging her presence he took off into the crowd, following the direct path the black haired girl had taken.

It should have sent off alarm bells in the boys head. He should have registered the evil look in Hallow's eye. He should have followed just to make sure nothing happened. The boy did none of that but that was just a few of the many mistakes he's made in his life. He never knew it would be the most important.

The pretty blonde drew his attention back to her with a guiding hand. "Come on rich boy show me what you got."

As night turned into early morning it was time to leave. He left the blonde asleep on the upstairs bed, telling a girl she had seen her enter with that she was passed out. See the boy did have morals. He did have feelings. He did want to make sure she would be alright.