"Hal's drunk," Mary hisses in her ear.
Alice shrugs her shoulders up so Mary will take a step back. Her eyes dart quickly to the boy on her other side. His thumb is tucked into the waistband of her leather skirt and she's torn between wanting him to dip it a little lower and wanting him to let go of her. They've been at the party all of thirty seconds and he somehow has a beer in his other hand already. Mary's hiss was low compared to the music blasting, but FP's ears still perk up. He turns to Mary.
"Oh thank God," he shouts, each word a little louder than the last. He takes a long pull off his red cup before offering to her. She declines. "Coop is at his best when he's plastered."
He nudges Fred with his elbow, but Fred's face stays stony. He has the same expression on he's been wearing for the past six weeks now and Alice still isn't sure who's it's more directed at - her or FP. He lets out a noise of acknowledgment, but doesn't say a word. His lips are pursed in a very un-Fred like way and it creeps Alice out.
"You think I can get him to jump off the garage again?" FP asks. He downs the rest of his beer and starts looking around the room. "He could probably make it to the pool from there, right? He did it at -"
"Stop it." Alice startles herself when she realizes the words came out of her own mouth. "Just stop. Don't start anything tonight?"
FP looks down at her, amusement dropping from his face. "When do I ever start shit?" He rubs his thumb along her bare skin so she knows he's just messing around, but she doesn't like it. The action is far too intimate and it makes her skin crawl with goosebumps. Not in the way it was supposed to. He digs his thumb out of her waistband when he sees her discomfort, but keeps his hand where it is. "You okay?"
She combs her long hair back with her finger and walks into Mary. "Maybe I do need a drink."
He tilts his cup at her. "Grab me another beer too while you're at it, babe."
"Not your babe." She grabs Mary by the arm and walks away without taking his cup.
"Hey." FP grabs her arm and spins her back around. Alice lets go of Mary and glares at him. "What's eating you?" She shrugs. "For real. What's with you?"
"Nothing. Jesus." She runs her hand through her hair. "I just don't want to sit through a night of you being an asshole, that's all."
"Christ, Allie. It was a joke. Don't get so bent out of shape. You want me to leave Coop alone, I'll -"
"Don't call him that!" Her voice comes out too loud and she gets a few looks. She grits her teeth. "You know his name, FP," she says much calmer. "Don't be a dick."
His face drops. "I'm sorry, okay? I won't mess with Hal. Can we just have a good time?"
Alice's eyes dart to Fred and Mary, still standing right behind FP. Neither tries to hide their eavesdropping or disappointment. Alice wraps her arms around herself.
"Yeah, sure." She forces a smile. "A good time."
"You've got to be kidding me." Fred lets out a harsh laugh and shakes his head. "Mary, you mind taking these two home later? I think I'm heading out."
Mary pouts. "You guys just got here."
"Yep. And I'm already sick of being here. You're a pal, Mare."
Fred shoves his way between Alice and FP, forcing them to jump out of his way. He storms off towards the door and FP shoots Alice a curious look. She shrugs and takes off after him, FP on her heels.
"Fred!" she yells as he walks down Rick Mantle's front lawn. Cars are parked haphazardly all down Miller Street and Alice gets an ache noticing Hal's is right in front. Leave it to him to get to a party early. What was he even doing here by himself?
"Stop following me!" Fred yells over his shoulder. "I'm not talking to you guys!"
"What's your problem?" Alice yells after him. She's feeling a million emotions and the last thing she needs to add on top of her list of worries is Fred being mad at her. "You're acting like a child!"
Fred stops his pace just as they get to the edge of the yard. He turns around and nearly runs right into FP. His lip pouts out as he shakes his finger at Alice. The only light comes from a streetlamp some twenty feet away, but Alice can still make out the tears glistening in his eyes.
"A child?" Fred asks, his voice cracking. "Are you fucking kidding me? You!" He points to Alice. "And you!" And then to FP. "You two are the fucking children here."
"Freddy." FP puts his hand on Fred's shoulder and Fred smacks him away. "What's going on with you?"
Fred lets out a laugh and throws both of his hands in his hair. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong? Now you ask?"
"Come on, man." FP throws his arm over Fred's shoulder. Fred tries to shove him away, but FP doesn't budge. Just takes a few steps closer until they're right in front of Alice. "Talk to us."
Alice kicks her feet in the dirt uncomfortably. She feels all too much like they're freshman again and Fred is feeling like a third wheel.
"Is this about Hermione?" FP finally asks. "Because if you're really -"
"My dad is sick," Fred blurts out. "My dad is sick and you two don't even care."
The sinking feeling returns to Alice's stomach. "I mean, when you said sick we thought you meant -"
"Thought I meant what, Alice?" Fred shrugs FP off of him and crosses his arms. "That he had a cold? The fucking flu? No. You two didn't even ask. Ever since we got back from spring break everything has been a fucking wreck." He runs his hands through his hair. "He has cancer and it's bad and neither of you have even asked about him since I told you." Fred points at the house. "Mary there? She's visited him three times already. And you two? Jesus. Last time I said I was feeling down you asked me if it was about Hermione!"
FP shoves his hands in his pockets. "I'm so sorry, Freddy. We're sorry. We've just been -"
"Been what? Busy?" FP shrugs. "Busy ruining both of your lives, that's what? Fucking around? Running with a gang? Fucking each other?"
Alice's face grows red. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Fred shakes his head. "You two are a disaster together. Disaster. You don't… you're too goddamn similar. I love you guys, but you don't work together. Alice, you're only falling back on FP for comfort because you broke up with Hal over something stupid and you're too proud to apologise. And FP, you're only messing around with Alice because you're afraid to commit to anyone else. Even when you could have your pick of the goddamn litter. Someone right - you're both idiots." He gestures between them. "Are you guys a couple? Are you dating?"
FP looks to her and she shrugs, eyes falling back to the ground.
"You guys don't even know! That's amazing. Thanks for proving my point." Fred reaches into his pocket and pulls out the keys to the Volkswagen. "I'm leaving. I don't need friends like you two, okay?"
"Freddy." FP reaches out for him. Something flashes through Fred's face and Alice is unsure if he's going to cry or throw a punch.
He cries.
Fred collapses in FP's arms. His weight takes FP by surprise and they both end up on their knees on the Mantle's front lawn. Alice takes the few steps to them and throws herself onto Fred's back. She meets FP's eyes and he's holding back tears too.
"I'm so sorry, Fred," she whispers into the back of his head. "We're shit friends."
Fred lets out a wet snort. "You guys really are."
"We're the fucking worst," FP agrees. He rocks Fred back and forth until his sobs turn into a chuckle. "You should trade us in for Hermione and Hiram. They'd probably be better friends than us."
He lets out a real laugh that time. "How? Hermione still hasn't talked to me or Hiram since the cabin."
All three of them laugh at that. They sit there for a few moments. Three friends in a messy, wet hug on a classmate's front lawn. No newcomers to the party pay them much mind. Dogpile on a front lawn was typical Saturday night behavior.
"I'm sorry I called you guys a disaster," Fred finally says as he wipes his face clean. "If you guys are happy together, that's your own business."
Alice meets FP's eyes. He has on his brave face - the same one she's been able to read since they were kids - but his eyes are sad. He gives her a nod anyway and turns to Fred.
"We're not together, Fred," he says clapping him on the back. "In fact, I think Alice wants to go work things out with Coop. I mean," he shoots her a smile through his hurt eyes, "Hal. She wants to go work things out with Hal."
Alice bites the inside of her cheek. "I do?"
"Of course you do, Allie. You're kind of a miserable bitch when you don't have him to boss around."
Fred howls at that one. "He's not wrong."
Alice picks up a small rock from the grass and flips it in her hands. "I don't know. Hal's been hanging around Penelope lately. I figured she was trying to move in on him." She sighs with her entire body. "She's probably here with him right now. He'd never come to a party alone."
"Oh please." FP lets out a hearty laugh. "Like that redheaded prude holds a candle to Alice fucking Smith?"
"As if Hal has ever looked at another girl besides you?" Fred asks. He gives her shoulder a playful punch. "Do you need our help, Alice?"
"I mean." She finally looks up from her rock. "Would you guys?"
"Anything," FP says earnestly. "We'll do anything."
"And tomorrow, we'll come over, Fred," she says. "We'll see your dad. I swear."
Fred wraps an arm around either of them. "Three musketeers. Lets do this."
The room is spinning and Hal just wants to be home.
"Here. I brought you another beer." Penelope presses a red plastic cup into his hand. She smiles brightly at him and he feels a pang in his chest. "You look like you can use a refill."
"Thanks," he mutters, taking it from her. He squeezes it a little too hard and a bit sloshes to the floor of the Mantle's kitchen. "Fuck."
"Don't worry, I'll grab some paper towels." Penelope flounces away and Hiram clicks his teeth from two feet away. He places his hand delicately on Hal's back.
"I think you've had enough, pal." Hiram wraps his free hand around the brim of the cup and pulls, but Hal doesn't let go. He raises it to his lips and gulps half the cup before taking another breath. Hiram tuts.
"How many is that now? Six? You're going to be sick."
"You're the one who always tells me to loosen up. Have a good time."
Hiram cranes his neck and looks out the kitchen door. "Well shit. I think any chance of you having a good time tonight just walked through the door."
Hal gulps. "Who is it? Alice?"
"Don't look, but -" Hal spins around, sloshing more beer to the tiled floor. "Real smooth. I said don't look."
He sees a flash of Alice's curly blonde hair before it disappears past the doorway.
"She's terrible," Hiram insists, clapping his friend on the back again. "You don't need a girl who'll treat you that way. Cut your losses and run."
"I can't." Hal pulls from his cup again, not even knowing how it's nearly empty already. "You don't understand."
Hiram turns Hal around and puts a hand on either of his shoulders. He squeezes him gently, looking him straight in the eye.
"No, Hal. I don't understand." Hal's eyes wander to the ground and Hiram gives him a little shake so he looks back at him. "Explain it to me?"
"I love her."
The answer is so simple. So quick. Hiram gives him a look like he's about to smack him, but instead he just sighs and loosens his grip on Hal a bit. He feeds him a sad smile.
"I know you love her, man. I know that. But I'm your friend and I need to be honest with you." His eyes back to the doorway, as if Alice was going to pop back up. "I don't think she loves you anymore. I think you need to move on."
"I can't. Alice is amazing. I love her, Hiram. Love her. She's smart. Fearless. Talented. Not to mention the prettiest girl in school by miles."
"Who's the prettiest girl in school?"
Hiram jumps at the voice. Penelope's back holding a brand new roll of paper towels, eyeing Hiram's grip suspiciously. Hal notes the smile Hiram forces. He always told him Penelope wasn't the ideal girl he had in mind for him. But, he assured him, if he had to get on top of one girl to get over another, might as well be her.
Hal had no interest in getting on top of another girl. Or getting over Alice.
"You of course, Penelope." Hiram adjusts his grip and slings his arm over Hal's shoulders. "Hal was just telling me how pretty he thinks you are."
Penelope's face flushes. "Oh? I don't know. There are probably prettier out there." She fiddles the roll of paper towels in her hand. "Do you really think that, Hal?"
Hal's face falls, as well as the pit of his stomach. "Sure, Pen. Of course you're pretty."
"Thanks," she says softly. She presses her lips together for a moment as she looks at him. Her eyes go back to the ground. "Oh, the beer. Let me." Penelope starts unrolling paper towels and Hal takes them from her.
"I've got it. I made the mess."
"Are you sure? I don't mind."
Hal doesn't feel like getting to the floor, but once he's down there it seems like a comfortable place to be. The room spins less from lower down.
"Penelope!" he hears a familiar voice call. "Are you in my history class?"
FP approaches them. Hal quickly looks up at Penelope and sees the sour look across her face. He's hidden by the kitchen island and hopes FP doesn't notice him.
"Depends." Penelope crosses her arms over her chest. "Are you ever actually in class?"
Hiram kicks him lightly. When he looks up at him, he's jutting his head towards the kitchen door.
"I'll distract him," Hiram mouths. "Go."
He gives Hiram a thumbs up and abandons the spilled beer and wad of paper towels. Hiram hops on a stool and leans across the kitchen island.
"Hey, FP," he says brightly, cutting Penelope off. "You know where I can score some coke? Alice around?"
Hal lets out a groan as he crawls away from them. Good old Hiram. Always well intentioned, even if incredibly misdirected.
"Hal!" A pair of beat up Converses greet him once he passes through the kitchen door. He looks up to see Fred grinning down at him. "What the hell are you doing down there?"
Hal sits back on his knees. "I dunno. Escaping. Also," he closes his eyes, " I drank a lot and I just don't feel great."
Fred takes his arm and gives him a pull. Fred's not remotely strong enough to move him, but Hal gets up on his own away. He stumbles a bit and Fred grabs him.
"You know what you need, man?" Fred asks. "To lie down. Let me take you upstairs."
Hal starts laughing. "Are you trying to seduce me, Fred?"
"You wish."
Fred leads Him up the stairs, one hand on the small of his back, the other holding his arm.
"One at a time, bud. One at a time. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right -"
"Shut up," Hal mutters. "You're not even saying it in tune to our steps. How the hell do you have a band?"
Hal knows the words came out meaner than he intended, but Fred just laughs again.
"Since when are you a mean drunk?"
"I'm not drunk. I'm just really tired."
"You're really tired because you drank half a keg, dummy."
They get to the top of the landing and Hal tries to pull his arm away from Fred, to no avail.
"I didn't drink half a keg. Don't be stupid." He trips on the plush carpeting of the Mantle's second floor and is thankful for a moment Fred hasn't let him squirm away yet. "We're drinking out of 16 ounce cups. There are 15 and a half gallons in a keg, which would be just under 2000 ounces. That's roughly 125 beers. Half of -"
Fred pulls him to a stop and spins him around. Instead of grabbing his shoulders like Hiram, he grabs him firmly by each arm and shakes him. "Stop doing math! You're drunk! Who does math when they're drunk?"
Hal's turning a lovely shade of green and Fred lets up with the shaking. His head wobbles a bit before stopping with the rest of his body.
"Was I right?" he finally asks.
Fred sighs. "The fuck if I know. I can hardly handle math as it is. Come on." He takes Hal by the arm and starts leading him down the hallway. "Do you need to hurl?"
Hal grimances. "No. God, don't talk like that. Then I'll start thinking about it." Hal covers his mouth with his arm and talks through it. "And if I think about it, I might have to do it."
"We can stop by the bathroom if you have to."
He shakes his head. "I just need to lie down."
"No time for that. You're a man on a mission."
"I'm a what?" He uncovers his mouth as Fred examines a closed door.
"Don't worry about it. You'll find out soon enough." Fred tilts his head at the door and finally shrugs. "This must be it." He places his hand on Hal's back again and turns the handle. "Good luck."
"Good luck?" He takes a step towards the open doorway. It's dark, cluttered. A closet. "Fred, what are you -"
Fred gives him one good shove and he stumbles into the closet. He reaches quickly behind him to grab the door, but Fred pulls it closed before he can. The light clicks on and when he spins back around, the pull-string from the overhead light dangles right in front of his face, making him dizzy. He closes his eyes and takes a step back so he's up against the door, the knob digging into the small of his back.
"You miss me?" a voice asks softly. He knows its her before he even opens his eyes again. Her vanilla perfume fills the small room. It's the cheap kind of perfume that comes from Riverdale Drugs and not Spiffy's Department Store. She won't let him buy her the real stuff and he learned not to fight it. "Hal?"
His eyes stay shut and he doesn't let up until he feels her hand on his cheek. He opens one eye slowly and there she is in all her glory. Loose hair and leather skirt and white tank top. Wearing the earrings he got her for their anniversary.
Her voice is flirty, playful. Every kind of wrong for the situation. "You're not dreaming, tiger."
He tries to scoff, but it comes out more as a sputter. "Of course I'm not dreaming, Alice." He wants to brush her hand away but he misses the feel of her hands on him. "Fred just shoved me in here."
"Hal," she whispers. She runs her hands around his neck and links them. Something in the act reminds him of Penelope in the front seat of his car last weekend and he tries his hardest to shake the thought out of his head. "Don't be like this." He turns his head away and fixes his eyes on a battered Candyland box on one of the shelves. "Didn't you miss me, babe?"
"What are you doing, Alice?" he asks flatly.
Alice tugs his head down, but he keeps his neck straight. The closet is dim, but her blue eyes are shining. "I missed you, Hal." She goes on her tiptoes so her mouth is hardly an inch from his. Her breath smells like cigarettes and spearmint chewing gum and just a little bit like lies. She moves closer and closer until it feels like she's sucking the breath right out of him. "Tell me you miss me."
He opens his mouth to tell her something - that he misses her, hates her, loves her, doesn't know how to forgive her - but she closes the gap before he has a chance. Her lips meet his and he's lost to her again.
Part of him wishes he hadn't drank so much. Another part of him knows the lightheadedness has nothing to do with the beer and everything to do with the girl in front of him.
His hands fall to her waist. Her skirt is leather, so instead of pulling her in by the belt loops, he digs his nails into her and draws her against his body. She moans into his mouth in response, moving her hands from his neck to cup his face. Her holding him like that again is almost enough to make him forget what's happened. Make him apologize to her even though she was the one who -
"No," he says as he breaks apart from her and lets go of her hips. She grinds against his body and he's embarrassed he's already growing hard. She laughs and grabs his belt.
"Come on, Hal. You never say no to me."
He puts his hands on her shoulders and presses her away. "No, Alice."
She doesn't fight against him. Just takes a step back and slumps her shoulders, mouth slack. "Why?"
"Why?" His laugh comes out like a bark. He steps away from the door and almost misses the pain of the doorknob against his back. "Are you serious? Why? How about because you're here with your new boyfriend, huh? Or because he'd gladly use this as an excuse to kick my ass if he caught us together." He buries his face in his hands. "Oh god, is that what this is? Fred shoves me in here and FP is going to come save you, right? All just some big set up to make me look like a fool. Like the bad guy."
"Shut up." He picks up his head. Alice's arms are crossed and her features hardening. "Like you weren't just downstairs with Penelope? You think I haven't noticed her hanging all over you lately?"
"I knew you were doing a shitty job ignoring me."
"You come here with her?"
"I gave her a ride, but -"
"So what, you're dating Penelope fucking Bennet now?"
"I'm not dating Penelope!" He sighs and leans against a stack of plastic storage containers labeled XMAS. They were just level to sit on, but he didn't want to take the chance of collapsing them. "She's just a friend."
"Hiram is just your friend. What the fuck do you need Penelope for?"
"She's a good friend."
"Ah. Well that makes sense because Hiram definitely isn't a good friend. He's the one who asked me to come to this stupid party because his stash is dry. And maybe to get you all riled up."
"Is this why you wanted to get me alone? To belittle my friends? I can't be happy because I'm not with you?"
She stiffens. "Are you? Happy I mean?" He shakes his head. "So what are you?"
"I'm fucking miserable without you, Alice," he whispers. "Six weeks. You haven't spoken to me for six whole weeks and I'm about to go out of my mind. It's sick. It's like I'm obsessed with you. You're the first thing that pops into my head every morning and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep. Everytime I see you at school, I pray that it's the day you'll finally come back to me. The day you'll apologize and -"
"Apologize?" Alice spits the word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth. She steps closer to him and waves her finger in his face. "You listen here. I am not apologizing." Hal opens his mouth and she presses her finger to his. "And I'm not asking you to either," she says softer. "No apologies. Isn't love never having to say you're sorry?"
"You hate that movie," he mutters against her finger.
"But it's true. We don't need to talk about any of this. Not about that stupid article, not about anything. It's over, it's done. I don't want to sit here and spill my guts and cry, okay? Not in a closet and especially not at Rick fucking Mantle's party."
"Alice." She presses her finger harder against his lips and he finally takes her hand and pulls it away from his face. He holds her right hand in both of his and she stares down at their hands together until he speaks. "I want to talk about this. Get it out in the open. We don't have to say sorry if that's what you want, but we have to clear the air at least."
"Babe," she whispers and steps closer to him. She pulls her hand out of his grasp and touches his face again. He relaxes at her touch. "We don't need this big show of everything, okay?" She presses her lips to his neck and watches as Hal lets his head rolls back, throaty sigh escaping him. Her teeth lightly dig into his skin and she presses against him with her body. "Just let me make you feel good," she says against the collar of his polo shirt. She drops to her knees, hitting the carpet just a bit harder than she intended to. He catches her hand just as she's unfastening his belt and, with one swift motion, grabs her under her arms and pulls her to her feet.
"Hal!" she says too loudly, ruining any chance of setting a mood. "What the hell?"
He shakes his head. "God Alice. You'll do anything to get out of saying sorry, huh?"
"Okay, Hal." Anger seeps into her voice. "I am so sorry that you don't want a blow job. Forgive me, please, for trying to do something nice for you." She runs her hands through her hair. "What's wrong with you? What kind of guy prefers an apology to getting their dick -"
"I do, okay? Is that so wrong?"
"It's weird as hell. Why can't this be enough for you? Why aren't I enough for you?"
"You're not enough for me? Are you kidding? You're the one who broke up with me, Alice. You're the one who wanted out of this relationship. The one who had a new boyfriend the next day!"
"I did not have a new boyfriend!"
"Fine!" Both their faces are red, flushed, their breathing far too heavy. "You got your old boyfriend back the next day. Is that better?"
"FP is not my boyfriend! He has never been my -"
"So what is he? Fuck buddy? Don't even lie and tell me you're not sleeping with him. I've seen you two around. Kissing. Holding hands."
"Holding hands! How fucking romantic." She presses her lips into a scowl. "FP is grandfathered in, okay? And you know what? I don't need to explain jack shit to you. I wasn't cheating on you. We weren't together."
Hal exhales through his nose. "Fine. You're right. You broke up with me and got back together with him. None of my business."
"I'm not with him!"
"You looked awfully cozy walking into the party together. And at school every goddamn day."
Alice opens and closes her mouth a few times before the right words come to her. "Fine. We were having sex, but we're not dating. Not by a long shot, okay? We're not together."
"Does he know that?"
She nods. "He does now. I made that clear. He was just there for me, you know?"
"No, I don't know," he whispers. His eyes travel back to the Candyland box on the shelf. "Because I'm supposed to be the one who's there for you, but you dropped me. Said you never wanted to talk to me again."
"Hal, I -"
"I'm sorry, Alice." His eyes drop from Candyland and meet her blue eyes. "I am so sorry my dad wrote that article. He had no right. And my mom she, well she went along with it I guess. I can't say I'm sorry enough for all of that. But you know I had nothing to do with it. I would have done everything in my power to stop them if i knew. Anything." He looks down at his shoes. "You need to believe that, because the worst part of all of this, the very worst part, is the part where you really think I'd knowingly let any harm come to you, you know that? My dad slid a copy of that article under my door the morning it was printed. And by then half of Riverdale had already seen it. What was I supposed to do? Go back in time and -"
She grabs his face and cuts him off again with a kiss. Just as he makes to to pull back, she breaks away, still cupping his face.
"I'm sorry, Hal." She keeps her nose lightly pressed against his. They breathe the same air again. "Okay? I am sorry. I don't know how else to say it or do it, okay? So I'm just… I'm sorry. I know you had nothing to do with it and I shouldn't have cut you out like that."
"Uh huh." The room - the closet - is spinning again and Hal knows this time it has nothing to do with drinking beer and everything to do with drinking her in. His hands find her hips again and he digs his nails into her. "That was all I wanted to hear."
She strokes his cheek as their lips meet again. Quick this time. Hot. Fast. She coaxes his mouth open with her tongue and he knows his face is already stained by her lipstick.
For the second time, Penelope pops into his head. Last weekend. Her wiping her lipstick off his mouth with a pleased grin.
He brushes the guilt away and remembers the girl in front of him. The girl that makes him feel a way Penelope never could.
He runs his hands down her hips and picks her up. She breaks their kiss to let out a little squeal as he spins her around and sits her down on the plastic containers of Christmas decorations. They shift slightly, but stay put. Alice doesn't weigh a hundred pounds soak and wet.
Alice grabs his collar and pulls him back in again, wrapping her legs around his midsection until her Doc Martens hit each other behind him. He leans his body against her as their faces meet. He rests his hands on her bare knees, happy she opted out of wearing jeans or fishnets, and slowly runs them up her thighs. She nods against him, letting go of his collar. He groans as he reaches the hem of her skirt.
"Fuck," Hal mutters against her lips. She kisses him in between his words and her hands fall to his waist. "I don't have anything on me."
"Hmm?" Her hand snakes around to his back pockets.
"I don't have a condom."
She stops kissing him and laughs, rubbing her nose against him. "Course you do, dummy. You're a goddamn boy scout." She pulls his wallet out and flashes it open. "You always have one. See, right -"
"Alice!"
He reaches for his back pocket even though his wallet is clear as day in her hands. She unlinks her legs from them as she stares inside it. She flips through the cash and feels behind his license before looking back up at him.
"Who?" It's only one word, but there is so much fire in her eyes, Hal takes a step back. "I asked you a question, Hal."
"Alice, I didn't -"
"Bullshit!" She closes the wallet and hits it against his chest hard. He grabs it before he falls to the floor and fumbles putting it back in his pocket. When he looks back at her, she has her face buried in her hands, her legs dangling off the stack of storage containers. "It was Penelope, wasn't it?"
"Penelope and I -"
Angry tears are brimming in her eyes as she looks up at him. "Aren't we past lying? The least you could do is be honest with me."
Penelope flashes in his mind. How she kissed him in his car last weekend. How she climbed into his lap and whispered in his ear that she knew ways to make him feel better. That she didn't mind, not for him. How maybe - just maybe - he considered it for a moment. And how glad he was that he tossed the condom in his wallet days earlier because it made him think of Alice whenever he looked at it.
How he dropped her off at home and she wiped the lipstick off his face and maybe she looked just a little let down, but didn't say anything. He went home and felt like crap that he'd even considered taking advantage of a friend like that.
"God, I bet she was a virgin too, wasn't she?" Alice's voice brings him back to the present. Her arms are crossed and she's glaring at him. "Was it worth it? Ruining what we had to pop that stuck-up bitch's cherry? I always thought you were different, but you're not." She shakes her head and glares at him. "Just like every other guy, looking for a place to stick your dick."
Hal puts his hands back on her knees and leans into her. Alice gasps at the action, but stops talking.
"Does it matter if I slept with her?" he asks. He hates lying, but he hates the double standard she sets even more.
"Of course it matters."
"Why?" He leans in so their faces are only an inch apart and she slowly opens her legs so he can step closer to her. "We were broken up. Nothing either of us did was cheating, right?"
Her eyes go to the ceiling.. "I guess so."
"No Alice. If I did wrong by sleeping with Penelope, you did wrong by sleeping with FP. There's no difference. Okay?" Alice shrugs. Hal takes her chin in his hand and slowly tilts it down so they're looking each other in the eyes. "Okay?"
Her bottom lip pouts out, but she nods. "Okay," she says softly. "Okay. You slept with Penelope. That's fine. That's - that's not my business. I mean, I wish you didn't." Her voice cracks at the end a tear rolls down her cheek.
"Hey," he whispers. He wipes the tear away and pulls her into a hug. He considers telling her he's lying. That maybe they almost, but they didn't. They definitely didn't. And maybe he thought about it, but he wouldn't. Couldn't. Not with a girl he didn't think about that way. Even if she did offer. The words are on the tip of his tongue, itching to come out. To apologize for lying to her for even a minute.
But she sniffles against his chest and pulls back. She lets out a long breath and combs her hair away from her face. She forces a smile.
"This is okay. I'm not upset." She puts her arms on his shoulders and pulls him against her. Her legs wrap around him again. "We're even now. This is good. A little part of me always felt guilty I took your virginity. But now you have more experience and you don't have to worry about only sleeping with one girl your whole life."
"I never worried about that." He kisses her as the words sink in. "Wait, whole life?"
She nods. Her hands slink around to the back of his neck and she runs her fingers through his short hair. "I'm not ruining things with you again, okay? You're stuck with me."
The smile that breaks out takes up most of his face. "Good. Good."
"Lets pick up where he left off." Her eyes dart down and he places his hands on her knees again with a sigh.
"We don't have a condom."
"Has that ever stopped us before?" Her voice is playful again. Flirty. She pushes his hands up until they're at the hem of her skirt. He bites his lip. "Come on, Hal. I'm your girlfriend. I trust you. Plus," she gives his hands another push and they make their way under her skirt, "we get to cross another house off our bucket list."
Fifteen minutes later, they sneak back downstairs, hand in hand. Both disheveled with the faint stain of Alice's lipstick on both of their mouths, they sneak from room to room, looking for one redhead and hoping not to run into another.
"Mary!" Alice yells as they find her in the basement with Hermione playing pool. Mary is bent over the table setting up her shot as Alice jumps on her back and hugs her. "I need Hal's keys."
She shoves Alice off without looking at her. "Not a chance." She lines up her shot again as Hermione gives them a curious look.
"Mare," Hermione says. Mary looks up and follows her gaze. Alice beams brightly as Hal looks sheepishly away. "What do we have here? Has the golden couple worked out their problems?"
Alice rolls her eyes but the smile doesn't fade. She extends her open palm to Mary. "Keys please."
"Hal?" Mary's eyes don't leave Alice. "You can't drive."
"Alice is driving."
"I'm driving, Mary."
Mary's lips purse as she looks between the two of them. "You guys good? Like actually good?"
"Like Alice isn't going to drive you guys into Sweetwater River, is she?" Hermione chimes in.
"We're good, Mary," Hal insists. "Great really."
Hermione nudges Mary with her shoulder. "They totally just fucked."
Mary rolls her eyes as she digs into the pockets of her shorts. "I'm not blind."
Hal's mouth falls open as he looks between the two girls. Hermione gestures to his mouth.
"You're covered in lipstick, dummy. Better get out of here before someone else sees you."
Mary pulls back the keys just as Alice is about to grab them. "Hal. I know you've already told Penelope you're leaving without her, right?"
Hal looks down at his feet. "Actually, I was wondering if you could."
"Hal!"
He sighs and meets Mary's eyes. "Just give her a ride home? Tell her I had an emergency or something. I'll call her tomorrow and explain. I swear."
Alice snatches the keys from Mary. "Unless I should go tell her?"
"That would be cruel and you know it." Mary sighs. "Fine. I'll take her home. But don't say I've never done you any favors."
Alice links her arm through Hal's and pulls him away. "We have the best friends."