The Twilight Drive in was buzzing like it typically was on a summer evening. Teenagers scrambling to find the best cuddle partners in the backs of trucks and station wagons, families gathering together for a family night out, and serpents lurking in the shadows, downing contrabanded beverages out of paper bags. Alice walked between blanket forted trucks, and huddled groups of kids enjoying a night out. She tapped her knuckles on the window of Fred's car. He turned around, smile across his lips when he saw the girl arriving with an arm full of snacks. "You legend." He said to the blonde as he opened the door and walked with her around to the back of the car.
The trunk was up, and Hermione laid back against the pillows, Walkman in her hand. "Third wheel, much?" She asked Alice teasingly as her boyfriend crawled into the back of the car. Alice handed him the food she had brought before climbing into the car herself.
"As long as you're not planning on getting it on back in here, I'll gladly third wheel the pair of you. There's nothing better to do on a Friday night around here anyway." Alice told the girl. She pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned back against the wall of the car.
"Aren't you going to ask?" Hermione questioned. She dropped her Walkman and sat up in a more comfortable position. She was surprised Alice hadn't asked for FP considering how close the two of them usually were.
Alice rolled her eyes. "Ask you what, Hermione?" She asked, acting naïve because she didn't want to give the other girl the satisfaction of knowing her mind had wandered there.
"The whereabouts of one Forsythe Pendleton Jones Junior." Fred interjected. He was laid back against the front seats, the bottoms of his sneakers facing Alice with a fresh wad of bubble gum just inches from her jean skirt.
She pulled a face at the boy. "He's probably sucking face with the skank whose gum you trotted on." She guessed with a shrug.
Fred let out a groan and immediately reached down to take off his gum covered shoe.
His girlfriend let out a dry snicker, eyes moving from the boy straight back to the Southsider to her left. "He's coming. Alone. You can bitch about the movie together all night long." She told her, knowing that Alice would prefer some kind of company other than third wheeling like originally planned.
Alice looked up from the cuticles she had been playing with. "Great. Late as always." She commented before looking around to find a spot for her to make herself comfortable. She scooted around to the other side of Hermione before laying back against one of the cushions Fred had shoved into his dad's car before he left.
"Fred you never told me this was going to be an orgy. I would have worn my best underwear." FP said as he poked his head around the back of the car.
"You wouldn't need underwear in an orgy, FP." Alice scoffed, looking up at the boy.
He let out a laugh before moving past Hermione to lay down next to her. "You would know." He whispered as he took up the remaining space on her cushion with his big head. She moved slightly to make more room.
"Which movies are playing tonight?" He asked Hermione who usually knew these things. He always had questions for the girl because her organisational skills were something he envied.
Hermione looked across at the pair. She knew they weren't dating but sometimes she wondered if they were showing her and Fred up. They were more affectionate than herself and her boyfriend and she didn't know if that was on them, or on her. "A Stranger Among Us." She answered before glancing over at her boyfriend who was busy furiously trying to clean the gum off of his shoe.
"Never heard of it." FP admitted as he laid back and stared up at the ceiling.
"You've never heard of any movie we come to see." Alice pointed out.
He chuckled. "Doesn't change that I haven't this time around either." He pointed out, leaning into her body despite not needing to steal any warmth.
"It's too hot for you to be all up in my business." She complained almost immediately.
"All up in your business?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He cocked one leg around her body with the pure intention of annoying the girl. "Like this?" He asked, deliberately trying to provoke a reaction.
"Oh, get off. You weigh a tonne." She whined, desperately trying to shift the weight from his leg.
FP let out a belly laugh as he let her struggle for a moment longer. He didn't intend on taking it too far. He knew the difference between genuine annoyance, and Alice having enough of him. He scooted over after releasing her from his hold, giving her all of the space, she desired.
"Give me some of those." Alice demanded of Fred who had since given up on cleaning his shoe and was now helping himself to the bag of candy Alice had so thoughtfully provided. He handed the paper bag over to the blonde, who immediately started rummaging around for her favourites.
FP tried to sneak past her hand to grab a couple, with no such luck. "Wait your turn." Alice told him as she moved the bag away from any other wandering hands.
••
It was partway through the movie when Hermione insisted Alice accompany her to the restrooms. She didn't want to walk alone in the dark, not with so many undesirable individuals lurking around in the shadows. Alice had no fear at all as she walked alongside the other girl. Hermione disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the blonde to wait outside, tapping her toes against the concrete.
"Brave of you to show your face after what you've been up to this evening." Penelope Blossom snickered as she walked up behind her.
Alice turned her head. She was curious as to what the red head was referring to, mostly.
"And what crime is it that I've committed this time?" She asked, raising both brows quizzically.
"Don't act so innocent you southside slut." Penelope scoffed. "Everybody has heard all about that orgy you've hosted in the back of that van."
Alice let out a throaty laugh. "Oh." She said, smile spreading across her lips. "You feel left out?" She asked, playing along for the sake of her own entertainment. "I would have invited you to join, but you're not related to anyone of us. Sorry."
Penelope's jaw tightened, Alice's words making an impact straight away. "So, you admit it." She said in disgust.
"I admit nothing, babe. You're the one walking around like you've stepped in dog shit. Maybe if you smiled once in a while, you'd have enough friends for an orgy." Alice said to her with a chuckle. "But we know hell would freeze over before you made any friends…"
"Alice?" Hermione asked as she walked out of the bathroom. "What's going on here?"
Alice shook her head and shoved her hands into the pockets of her overalls. "Penelope was just saying how she wished she'd known there was room in the back of the station wagon, it's been forever since she's had a red vine." Alice said, eyes remaining on the Blossom.
Penelope's sour expression softened slightly, although she was still quite infuriated by Alice's words.
Hermione smiled. "Oh. Next time then." She said kindly, turning to look at the blonde again. "You ready to head back?" She asked, nudging Alice's arm with her elbow.
Alice nodded her head before she turned on her heel with enthusiasm. She knew that Penelope and her Vixens were the kind of girls that Hermione wanted to be like, she knew that Fred's friendship with FP was the only reason the two of them were friends right now, that was the only reason she wasn't starting shit with Penelope right then and there. She walked back to the car with the other girl in silence.
••
The Southside was rowdy after the film came to a close. Alice walked alongside FP from Sunnyside where Fred had dropped the pair of them off. He was unaware of FP's current address, or lack thereof, and Alice didn't live far off, so it made sense as to why he had dropped the pair off together.
"Your dad home?" FP asked as they walked past a busted street light.
Alice looked up at the boy and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He's probably face-down at the Wyrm by now. Won't be too long before someone sends him home in a cab. Another fee we can't afford." She answered bitterly.
FP let out a sigh because he understood how frustrated she was. "I can stay till he gets back, if you want?" He offered, unsure if that was something Alice would want, or even need.
Alice kicked a stone across the pavement before looking up at her friend. "If you have nothing better to do."
He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know where I'm gonna crash. I literally have nothing else to do than to stay with you till I figure it out."
"You really need to find a place FP. You can't spend your senior year not having a home." She told him.
"I will work something out. Don't worry." He assured her, although he wasn't so certain about that. Nobody wanted to take in a teenager, especially not someone so troublesome like he was.
"Coach likes you, doesn't he? You're his star player. Maybe he'll have room..." She suggested as they neared her home.
FP ran his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. "Nah, Alice. I can't ask him for something like that."
She nodded her head, not wanting to push him on that. "If my dad was any other dad, I would let you stay. You know, that right?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Ali. I know." He said softly, stepping back as she went to unlock her front door.
"Alice! Look who it is! Your bitch of a mother!" Mr Smith exclaimed as his daughter stepped inside.
Alice wore a frown as she walked around the corner to find out what the hell was going on.