Just Friends

*2*

The air is thick with the scent of summer just on the horizon and for the teens of Riverdale, it couldn't come soon enough. Just one more week until the end of junior year, soon they'd be seniors, taking that huge next step in their lives. But for now, it was a time to enjoy themselves, enjoy the freedom while they still had it. And they weren't going to let it slip through their fingers.

Alice slinks out of bed mid-morning, slipping into a pair of cut off denim shorts and tying her t-shirt into a knot at her waist in an attempt to cool her already heated skin.

"Hey, Al! Check it out!" FP's voice drawls as she skips down the steps of her rickety front porch. She drifts her eyes towards him, holding back a laugh as she looks at him; He's stretched out comfortably in a hammock that looks like it could break at any moment. Though, calling it a hammock is generous, all it really is is a fitted sheet that he's nailed between two trees.

"Where did you get that?" She questions with a devilish smirk.

"I made it!" He states proudly. "Wanna try it out? It's really comfy."

She chuckles, she knows the second she were to join him, the thing would collapse from underneath them. "Maybe another time. I'm heading to Pop's if you want to come."

He tumbles out of his hammock at her words, trying to play it off coolly as he scrambles to his feet again. "Course I do! A glass of lemonade and a burger sounds pretty damn good right about now."

"Probably better than hanging out in that death trap." Alice points to his hammock.

"Hey I worked hard on that!" He insists, giving her a pout.

"Well sorry if I don't want to drive your dumb ass to the hospital when you fall and crack your head open."

"Now how do you know that'll even happen?"

"Because I know you." She answers easily, pulling her sunglasses off her head and down over her eyes. "Now let's go, I'm starved."

***

"No way! The second one is way better than the first!" FP argues loudly.

"You're kidding me right? The first one is a classic." Alice retorts.

"Classic schmassic. The second one has way more interesting stuff in it! I mean Marty and Doc trying to fix the space time continuum? That's just amazing movie content right there."

"But the first movie has that whole love story wrapped up in it!"

"Pretty sure people aren't watching a movie called 'Back To The Future', for the love story, Al."

Fred approaches the booth with a quirked eyebrow.
"What are we fighting about?" He questions, sliding into the booth next to Alice.

"FP thinks that Back to The Future Part 2 is better than part 1." She explains. "I'm telling him how wrong he is."

"Oh." Fred replies simply, thinking of his opinion on the topic. "Well the second one is good-"

FP claps his hands in triumph. "Ha! See Al?"

"But the first is amazing." Fred continues, watching FP's face sink.

Alice grins. "See? You never mess with the classics." She swipes her fingers through the whip cream on her milkshake. "Knew I could count on you Fred."

"Ah yes, exactly what I live for, to break up petty arguments between the two of you." He snatches a fry from Alice's plate and rests his arm above her shoulders. "Don't take it too hard FP."

He shrugs. "Whatever, I know I'm right. You guys just need to rewatch."

"Well we can but my opinion is pretty solid," Alice insists. "You're not going to change it."

The bell above the door dings and Alice's eyes light up as her latest fling walks into the diner. The boy smiles at her from the counter and waves her over.

She practically skips over to him, and both Fred and FP watch as he draws her into a kiss. "Hey you." Jamie greets lowly. FP rolls his eyes and turns back to Fred, pulling a face.

Fred continues watching the couple, seeing the way they unabashedly flirt with one another and the way Jamie whispers, no doubt suggestively, in Alice's ear. He hears her girlish giggle before she's twirling around and making her way back to their table.

"This should cover mine." Alice says as she drops a couple bills on the tabletop.

"You're ditching us?" Fred pouts. "I just got here."

"Don't take it personally," Alice assures him. "He asked if I wanted to go watch a movie at his place."

"So in other words, a little afternoon delight?" FP teases.

"No, a movie." She insists, albeit, unconvincingly. They know her all too well for her to lie.

"Are his parents home?" She blinks, taking a moment to find her words. "Exactly."

She rolls her eyes, her cheeks having turned a bashful pink. "It's been grand boys, I'll see you later."

"Use protection kids!" Fred calls, earning a middle finger from Alice as Jamie escorts her out of the diner, his arm curled low around her waist.

FP scoffs in disgust as he watches them through the large window, seeing Jamie open the car door for her, smiling that punchable smile of his at her. "I hate that she's with him."

"You hate anyone she dates." Fred points out.

"Well I hate him most."

"She seems happy, isn't that what matters?"

"Of course, but once the excitement of dating a Serpent subsides, he'll drop her like a fly and I'll have to pick up the pieces."

"Maybe he'll surprise you." FP's eyebrow quirks up, as if to say 'yeah right'. "Or maybe not."

It's quiet for a moment, both just picking at the food on their plates, until FP finally breaks it. "So," He begins. "You really think the first one is better?"