Prompt 25: Strangers

A/N: yay for Thursdays with nothing better to do than fill in time between tutorials of boredom. Also, I'm struggling through the next chapter of Success but it's really not my fav atm. Hang tight.

Jo tugged at her skirt for the eighth time since they'd arrived. Laurie was on the other side of the room, known only to Jo from the extra head taller he was than the rest of the crowded room. Whilst she often complained it gave him a totally unfair advantage to most of the sports they played, it was times like these Jo really appreciated his giant-like figure. Even with the twenty or so other bodies between them, she could keep an eye on him.

"So that's why economics totally sucks ass," the tipsy boy with red streaked hair almost yelled at her as he swayed, propping his hand up on the wall behind her. Jo nodded absentmindedly thinking he looked more like and arts student than an accountant anyway. "So what'd yer say yer studying?" he asked before taking another mouthful of what smelt like bourbon and three other drinks she had spilled on her.

"I didn't," Jo considered the young man who was squinting with what she hoped was curiosity and not the precursor to vomit. "I'm studying Lit."

"Lit?"

"Literature."

The boy mouthed 'oh' nodding carefully as Jo rolled her eyes, the darkness of the room covering her scowl.

"That Shakespeare and crap?" Jo turned her head towards him again, noticing wearily that he was gradually leaning closer with glazed eyes. She slowly nodded yes before turning back to look over the sea of shuffling, loud people for Laurie. "You wanna make out?"

"No thanks." Jo stepped away from the now more-than-tipsy boy just as he fell into the laps of the couple that had been sitting to her right. Smiling at the scene Jo shook her head and took off onto the makeshift 'dance floor' to find her neighbour.

Every time she went to one of these uncomfortable, awkward, stranger-filled parties she promised herself it would be the last one. But then Laurie would look up at her, pouting better even than Amy with shining eyes and clasped hands begging on his knees unashamedly. He complained they (Jo more like it) never got out enough, telling her that a social life was healthy and study was boring and Amy would be there and she would have at least the two of them and it would be oh so fun time would fly.

Jo pushed past a collection of necking couples, feeling totally out of place. Silently she cursed Laurie and all his powers of persuasion. Jo finally spotted a group of faces she knew and she squeezed her way past the grating dancers to fall into their small circle. Amy was grinning red-cheeked with Fred's hand clasped to her stomach as she laughed at Watson's joke about Norma and Timothy's engagement party for the umpteenth time that evening.

"Jo!" Amy cried, finally noticing her sister. She embraced her fiercely before falling back to Fred's side quickly, reclaiming the quiet boy's hand. Jo frowned for a moment wondering why her eldest and youngest sister had taken to such dull and boring men. "So you did come! I thought I saw our boy gallivanting about! When did you get here? Oh, never mind I'm so glad you came. Fred didn't think you would, but you did and so I'm right and I win! Oh, how come you never wear anything low-cut? You're not a nun Jo – for Christ's sake! Oh well, next time I'm making you come over before and you can borrow some of my clothes. You've really grown up and I know you'll look great in them. Oh! There's Anders, I wonder if he brought Norma and Timmy with him. Oh wouldn't that be great, Wats? Oh come on."

Jo stared as her sister dragged off the two boys to meet her friends. Amy was in her element in gatherings such as these but it was always a surprise just how much she could say and how fast and clear even with all the noise about them.

"Wow that girl can talk." A voice commented from behind and Jo turned to see someone she hadn't in such a long time.

"Oh my god!" Jo threw her arms around the boy her height. "Everett! William Everett! Well look at you! I haven't seen you in… what, it must be five years now?" the boy hugged her back before pulling away a little red-faced.

William nodded, running a hand through his short-clipped tawny hair. Jo scanned up and down her old friend, assessing all the changes she could in the poor light. People began to bump into them as the song changed to something obviously popular. Jo didn't recognise it, even as the dancers began to jump together.

"Woah!" William steadied her before leading them closer to the wall a few feet to his left. "So how have you been stranger? You look… well, grown-up frankly."

Jo smiled, looking away towards the dancers wondering when he would move his hands from her shoulders. A lot of people had been saying that lately, even Laurie who looked at her so solemnly as though she would grow up without him. "You too Will. I had no idea you were even still in the States?"

Finally the light brown haired boy let his hands fall to his side as he casually leaned on the wall, stuffing them in his pockets as Jo copied, folding her arms. He watched her shyly a bit as Jo's attention was taken by the coloured lights someone had rigged to flash in time with the beat of the popular song.

"I came back at the start of this year actually." William shrugged, unable to lose the slight smile on his face as Jo watched him inquisitively. "I'm studying at Columbia. Well, for the semester at least."

"Oh wow! I'm studying there too! How amazing is that? What course are you doing? What subjects?" Jo stepped closer, eager to catch up.

"Science. I'm doing the usuals. Boring aren't I?" Will grinned as she gave him an exasperated look.

"I can't believe you're still into all that crap" she teased him, "and you had such promise in English! Muses must be in mourning everywhere. Especially back in jolly old England, eh?" Jo asked slyly. "I mean you are only here for the semester…"

"Nothing ever did get by you, Jo."

Jo smiled widely, moving closer again, wishing that the dreadful new song she'd heard in Amy's car on Thursday wouldn't be played so loudly. It was making it near impossible to hold a conversation.

"So what's her name?"

"Albert, actually." Jo raised her brows, smiling even more at the flush in her friend's cheeks as he leaned in with the name.

"Well good for you Will! It's about bloody time." Will blushed further, patting Jo's arm in the old manner.

"Thanks, Jo. You know what that means to me."

"Well, congratulations. Really." Jo leaned across to kiss him on the cheek, proud her friend had finally found everything he ever wanted. She couldn't have asked for better news of him.

This party was actually worth it, Jo thought when she pulled back grinning stupidly, happy for Will who looked about as silly as she did.

"Ahem." Jo turned to the dance floor again to see Laurie standing there. Still smiling Jo beckoned him over. But the tall young man stood stiffly on the edge of the booty-shaking mass, his gaze dark as he looked between Jo and Will.

"What are you doing?" Jo called out, the smile still lingering on her lips as she regarded him puzzled.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Come over here." She frowned at her neighbour when he remained stationary and Jo excused herself from Will.

"What's going on?" She took his arm but he continued to stare at William who gave them a worried look. "Teddy!" Laurie finally looked down at Jo, pulling away from her grasp. "Please, what's wrong?"

"What was that, Jo?" he gestured at Will, the blackness of his eyes swelling as he examined her friend before turning his gaze on her, sadness immediately filling his expression. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what!?" she moved towards Laurie again. William watched on as Laurie bent down closer to Jo's face and they had a heated argument in whispers, or so he could tell from the tall man's stormy expression and Jo's posture. Jo's hands moved from waving by their faces to fists at her hips. Will winced at the look of heartbreak on the strange-to-him boy's face before they stood apart. He watched as Jo dragged the taller and presumably stronger man towards him and William swallowed unsure whether he wanted to be part of this. Jo had always argued fiercely on the tarmac back in high school.

"Tell him." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

"Tell him what, Jo? Is he giving you any trouble?" Will frowned at the boy behind his old friend.

"Oh for Pete's sake, Laurie, Will and I have known each other since high school and I was congratulating him on his new boyfriend."

Laurie squinted at Jo who had turned around to face him on finishing her explanation. He suddenly looked very guilty and he nodded to Will apologetically.

"It's true."

Laurie looked between them a moment longer before he abruptly leaned forward and planted a kiss on a very disgruntled-turned-surprised Jo. She swallowed at the unexpected feel of Laurie's lips on her and the distinct hot breath against her cheek as he pulled back, wavering a moment before smiling and nodding once more at William.

"Wha-" was all poor Jo managed before Laurie walked off towards the music, hands in his pockets and smiling like the cat that got the cream.

"Wow. You sure keep strange friends these days, Jo. Good-looking, but strange."