the second time she hangs out with them, they lock eyes for a quick second and he feels an unexpected twinge, a jolt, in his lower stomach. it's not an unfamiliar feeling, but more one he might get when, say, a girl gives him a hug and he feels her pressed against him and can smell the shampoo in her hair... but this time it comes out of nowhere because all she did was look at him and it's- weird. he shifts in his seat, taps his fingers on the table and looks away. the moment passes.

and after she leaves, he doesn't even think about her for the rest of the night... not until he's about to fall asleep, and the image of her laughing plays out against his eyelids. it's not a fully realized image, just faint flashes of her... her bright smile tempered by a dark gaze.

"how was the thing with rae, then?" he asked, bouncing the football from one knee to the other.

archie shrugged, pulling up a fistful of grass and flinging it to the side. "fine."

finn nodded through the silence, catching the football on his foot and sending it straight up into the air. he caught it neatly and fell down on the grass beside archie, waiting for him to continue.

"we just, you know... hung out. nothing- she's just cool, you know?"

it was his turn to shrug. "s'pose."

she can talk freely about things he's only thought in his head before, things he's kept to himself- mostly about music, but other stuff too, sometimes. when she's there, with them, he's hyperaware of her, and her voice is strong, assertive, real. he finds himself glancing at her a lot throughout the day, gauging her reactions, waiting for the comment or sarcastic jibe he can sense is coming.

it's like when they had to take dance lessons at school... he somehow picked it up quickly, and had to hide from the other boys how much he enjoyed it. but it was easy and nice... sensing the rhythm, anticipating his partner's steps, guiding her smoothly. it was like that with rae. he could feel her thoughts as if they were choreographed to him. that's the way it is with your best mate, he guessed- it was just, he'd never had a mate like that.

it's like the bottle is spinning in slow motion. it doesn't seem... right... that rae should be going in the closet with someone else, and he feels at once restless and sick. he knows it's illogical... he doesn't own her, he's not the only one that might enjoy her company, but in that moment he wants to step in front of her and hide everyone else from looking, from finding out whatever it is he's found out.

izzy asks before he gets a chance. "where's rae?"

chloe squints in the sun and slips her shades on. "can't come today. she has an appointment."

there's this weird empty feeling that washes over him, and he realizes, very plainly and very suddenly, that he'd been looking forward to seeing her. that he'd being smiling stupidly on his walk over to the park in anticipation of spending the day with her, of lending her the mixed tape he'd promised, the one he spent a bit too much effort on. because it was like being plugged into an energy source when he was around her... it was a recharge, a jolt of life. but now the ground was solid against his feet and the day stretched out in front of him, strangely grey and full of empty white noise.

and maybe he'd noticed that he felt that pleasant twinge *every* time his eyes met hers now, and maybe he'd been wanting to feel it again today.