See You Again~Archie Andrews

6.

•Archie•

Pop hands us both a menu with a smile and leads us to a nice booth in the back where our group usually sits. Ricki sits across from me an, her dark hair tied back in a braid. "I think I'll just get a milkshake. The strawberry ones are always so good." She says with a smile.

"I'm more of a chocolate kind a guy." I reply, returning her smile with one of my own. She chuckles and continues eying her menu.

After a waitress comes by to take our orders, I bring up our earlier topic. "Would you ever be interested in working on a collaboration together?" I ask her softly.

Ricki met my affectionate gaze. "Sure, yeah. That sounds pretty nice actually." She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I nod along, thinking to myself about what we might be able to sing together.

"So what were you thinking?" She interrupted me from my dazed state. Our milkshakes had already arrived and she was sipping hers, a hunk of whipped cream on her tiny button nose. I chuckled at her having absolutely no idea.

"What?" Ricki frowned and ran a hand through her hair, smudging the cream across her cheek and arm. "Oh." She blushed, her cheeks beating up as she wiped the remnants with a paper napkin. I felt a flush coming on too and quickly made my way back to the subject at hand.

"Anyway. I was thinking maybe you could come by the music room sometime before school and we could... um.." I scratch my wrist, trying to think of what to say. She made my words jumble into nothing in my head. Something no one had ever been able to do before.

"Write some music?" She laughed innocently, her small hands grasping the straw for her milkshake. "Yeah, definitely."

I smiled across the wooden table, the only thing separating the two of us. That and the both of us still being single.

•Ricki•
I couldn't keep my eyes off of him and his ginger waves, chocolate colored eyes, and strong jawline, though I tried making it a little less obvious by acting like I'm not really interested. Which I am. Hint hint.

A beep from my phone snaps my attention to my purse which I quickly rummage in. "Sorry, my brother told me he would check in later. Just making sure it's nothing important."

Archie chuckled and waved a hand. "No problem. Take all the time you need."

I glance down at the message on my phone from Jonas and huff in annoyance.

Be home by 9. There's a bad storm coming and I want you home in case we lose power.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to take a raincheck. There's supposed to be—" a large lightning strike followed by a loud thunder clap interrupt the end of my sentence.

"A storm, perhaps?" Archie laughed and sipped the last of his milkshake. "Yeah, I'd best be getting back too. Dad should be home soon anyway. And I've got literature homework." He rambled a bit.

I smile and jam my hands in my denim jacket pockets as he sets a $10 on our table. "I'm paying you back for that." I tell him as we walk to his car.

"How about we go on another date and call it even?"

A laugh surpasses my lips. "Sure, but I'm holding you to it. Thanks." I say softly as he opens the door for me.

"Mhm." He gets in on the drivers side and turns on the radio. Renegades starts playing and I start singing purposely off key. At first Archie just keeps driving and occasionally holds back a laugh, but by the time we arrive at my front door, we're both singing and laughing hysterically.

"Long live the pioneers!"

"Rebels and mutineeeeeers!"

"Hey, we're at your house already."

"Oh, is that right?"

Archie and I turn to look at each other before we both burst into another fit of laughter. Once we're finally semi calm he smiles at me. "This was fun, Ricki." He says.

"Yeah, quite." I smile back at him, eyes looking into his.

Before I can make a dash into the icy rain his lips are on mine and mine are on his. And neither of us seem to want to stop.