Alice woke up with a pounding headache and a very blurry recollection of the last night's events. She stared down at her outfit. Oh yeah, the party. She chuckled to herself when she remembered what she had said to Hal. She immediately winced. Laughing was not a good idea. The light spilling in through her window felt like a death laser. She could taste the beer in her mouth still. It had been a good night, but how had she arrived home? Everything after her screaming contest with Hal was a hazy. She decided to call Hermione for some insight.

The phone rang about four times before she picked up.

A groggy voice croaked "hello?"

"Hermione, it's me."

"Jesus Alice, don't you have any social graces? It's only mid-day."

"Meet me at Pop's in 10 you big baby."

She hung up and started to get ready. When she was dressed in a more appropriate attire she took off her make-up and then cautiously reapplied it. It was only when she was leaving she realised that her keys were missing. How the hell had she come in with no keys? Seeing as she was already late, she decided to forget about it.

When Alice walked into Pop's she was greeted by a very angry looking Hermione Reyes.

"You're the one who wanted to meet and you have the audacity to show up late."

Alice gave her the once over: she was stunning as per usual. She probably woke up like that, the bitch.

She sat down "Some of us don't have personal chauffeurs at our beck and call. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I said I'd be polite and wait for you."

"And they say romance is dead."

The two ordered their usual: strawberry milkshake and fries for Alice, vanilla and a veggie burger for Hermione. Alice couldn't remember a time where that wasn't her order, except for Friday's when she ordered a slice of raspberry pie.

"How was your night? I saw you molesting Fred Andrews before I left."

"Hmmm yeah, we had a good time. Apparently he's been into me for a while, that's why he and Mary broke it off."

"Mary is going to be on the war path on Monday, you'll be her first target."

"I'm well aware, but I can handle Mary. She's all bark and no bite."

Pop arrived over with their order "Enjoy your meal, ladies."

"Thanks Pop" they said in unison.

Hermione looked at Alice with a smirk "So how did your night end up?"

Alice shrugged "I have no idea, all I remember is screaming at Hal about his teeny weeny."

Hermione snorted "that was so iconic, I thought his head was going to explode. But what about afterwards?"

Alice raised her eyebrow "what do you mean afterwards? I somehow managed to get home and then I passed out onto my bed. My shoes were off oddly enough."

"Alice, you left with FP."

It all suddenly made sense, there was no way she could have arrived home in that state with no keys.

"Oh, that was nice of him to walk me home."

"Mhm real nice of him."

Alice stopped eating her fries "what's that supposed to mean?"

Hermione shrugged "nothing, nothing."

"Just come out and say what you want to say Hermione."

"I don't want to say anything Alice, he's your friend, you're his friend. That's all there is to it right? He didn't try anything?"

"Why would he try anything Hermione?"

"Have you seen yourself lately? You're hot. He's hot. It's not difficult to do the math- especially since there's a horny teenage boy in the equation. "

Alice rolled her eyes and finished off her food "I'm glad to see that you think so highly of him."

"Hey, I like FP, who doesn't? I just think he's still into you is all."

Hermione froze as she realised what she had said. She tried to change the subject but Alice cut her off.

"What do you mean 'still'?"

"Hm?"

"You said that you thought FP was still into me."

"Did I? That's weird, I don't remember that."

Alice gave her an icy glare "Hermione…."

Hermione made a show of checking her watch "oh would you look at the time. I have many homeworks. So many essays, so little time!" She payed Pop at the counter and sprinted out the door. Typical.

Alice mulled over what she had just heard. FP couldn't have liked her. There was no way. None. But why would Hermione have rushed out like that if it wasn't true?

Friday brought a lot of drama to Riverdale High. The school was buzzed because the Bulldogs had their first game that night. The first game back was always a rowdy affair. People brought banners, painted their faces and pretended that they were interested in the game when in reality they were only interested in being seen at the game. High school politics.

Alice had no intention of going to the game. She thought it was dumb how people fawned over the footballers as if they were Greek Gods. She also thought the game was dumb, who cares if one team can get the ball to the other side of the field? What does it achieve? Absolutely nothing.

Her and FP had been normal all week which solidified her belief that nothing had happened and that nothing could ever happen. She also cursed herself on multiple occasions for listening to Hermione's blather. All in all it had been a drama free week. Alice smiled as she walked to her locker. If things were this blissful for the rest of the year she would be a happy camper.

Loud shouting disrupted her thoughts.

"You're a pig, Cooper. A fucking pig!"

"Yeah well at least I'm not a snake!"

The source of the noise was FP and Hal, which didn't bode well for Alice. A crowd had begun to form around them.

"Someone needs to teach you a lesson you spoilt asshole!"

"Oh and who's going to do that, you?"

The crowd, anticipating a fight, backed up. FP squared up to him, his voice laced with venom.

"Nah, I wouldn't waste my time on you Harold. But you'll get what's coming to you."

With that FP turned around and started to walk away. He was halfway through the crowd when Hal shouted "That's right, go back to your serpent slut!"

In a flash FP was on him. Hal was burly and strong, but FP clearly had the upper hand. He pinned him down after a few seconds and started punching him relentlessly. Hal's nose was bloody and eyes were swollen before one of the teachers pulled him off.

Hal was moaning and writhing in pain. The teacher dragged FP to the principal's office while Penelope helped Hal to the nurse's.

Alice found Hermione and Fred in the crowd.

"What the hell was that about?"

They both looked down at their shoes and remained silent.

"Um hello? An answer would be nice."

Fred cleared his throat "um Hal has been spreading some rumours about you and FP."

"What kind of rumours?"

Fred looked as if he was going to pass out.

"Uh he said that he broke up with you because you'd been cheating on him with FP."

Alice didn't know what to say. Rage flooded through her. She started walking in Hal's direction, murder on her mind. Hermione grabbed her arm.

"Don't make it any worse Alice" she hissed "no one believes him anyway."

"I don't care what people believe, I'm going to gut him."

Hermione was just about to respond when FP Jones charged past them and burst out the front doors. Alice ran after him. Hermione sighed "she's going to make things worse isn't she?"

Fred smiled down at his girlfriend and kissed the top of her head.

"Stop worrying, you've done the best you can."

When Alice eventually caught up with FP he was smoking behind the school. He looked up at her and frowned "what are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you, dumbass."

She moved to sit next to him and held out her had for a cigarette. He obliged and lit it up for her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before FP spoke.

"Sorry about making a scene in there, I didn't mean to broadcast to the whole school."

"I'm only mad that I didn't get to punch him."

FP chuckled while blowing out some smoke "you still have time."

"Speaking of time, are they going to lock you up and throw away the key?"

"Pshh no. They aren't even suspending me, they need me for the game tonight."

"Wow. That's just…wow."

"I know, Harold was livid."

Alice burst out laughing "I can imagine his face."

"I can't. There was so much blood on it I couldn't see his expressions clearly."

They laughed for a while and then returned to a comfortable silence. It was Alice who broke it this time.

"Of all the rumours that bastard could spread. I'm sorry you were dragged into this, especially today with your game coming up."

"It's fine Alice. No one believes it anyway, they know you wouldn't do something like that."

"Of course people are going to say that they don't believe it, FP."

"Everyone knows that Hal is a bag of shit, he moved on from you pretty fast with Penelope Bishop of all people, why would they believe anything he says?"

"I don't know, because maybe the rumour makes sense? We do spend a lot of time together."

"Spending time together as friends, yes. I don't see your point."

"Of course you don't, you're a guy."

"I don't see how my gender makes a difference in this scenario."

"Of course you don't, you're a guy."

FP shook his head and punched her arm.

"Don't you think you've done enough punching for one day?"

"No, not really."

FP stood up and extended his hand to her "Come on, let's go back inside."

They walked back inside, heads held high. They had nothing to hide and they certainly didn't need to justify their friendship to anyone.

By lunch time most people had cast aside the rumour as nothing more than crazy ramblings- except for the perceptive few who had always noticed how FP looked at Alice. How his eyes always sparkled when she entered the room. How a smile was never far from his face in her company. Yes, they believed the rumour alright, the only doubt they had was if they were getting the full story.