Author's Note: Work is killing my soul. Sorry the update it so late. I just didn't want to post the update until I decided where I wanted it to end versus the next one to start. This was the best place to cut it. Anyways, thank you all for all the follows, favorites, reviews, ect. I promise I get excited every time I see one I have just been so busy.
Reggie had excused himself to the football field where Coach Clayton was still standing, he was going to apologize for cutting practice and showing up just in time for everyone else to be excused for the night. Ali swallowed hard as she stuck her headphones in her ears and turned on some music to play in her ears as she took off in a slow jog around the track.
Track after track, minute after minute her pace increased until she was in a full run, it was surprisingly stress relieving. Being able to run with no sense of clear destination. It gave Alicia a chance to run away from her problems. From her memories of the last moments with Jason, from her betrayal of Reggie, from the harsh words of Cheryl. It was this new feeling where none of these things weighed down on her.
Alicia was in her own world when she felt Reggie brush past her shoulder in his own run, she watched as he continued to the end of the track before the next turn where he slowed to a stop, she slowed her speed and pulled out her headphones and came to a stop by him. They were both breathing heavily as Reggie wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. They were both sticking with sweat yet it was so comforting.
"Feel better?" He asked as he pulled back from her, smiling down at her. With the way he looked she could only imagine how unattractive she looked covered in sweat. She nodded as she bit her lip, the sweat on his body reminded her of those summer nights they had spent together in his garage on that old worn couch he kept their. He looked at her like he was moments away from pressing his lips to hers. "Ali..." Her name seemed to be barely louder than a breath, as she pushed herself onto her toes to place her lips on his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her around her waist. It was delicate and longing, Alicia couldn't honestly say the last time she had kissed Reggie more than a quick peck on the lips.
It was as he pulled back that she saw the glint in his eyes. She had seen it there before but had never thought much of it until this moment. Pain.
"Reg..." Alicia said pulling back from him but grasping tightly onto his hand, interlacing their fingers as he painted a smile across his lips as they wandered off into the grass that separated the track from the parking lot. "I think we need to talk..."
"Listen, I know... We haven't been together for months, but I care about you more than I even understand. I'm addicted to you, even when you fuck me over." Reggie said stopping near the fence that separated the cars and the field. "I..."
"Reg.."
"No listen, I want to start this year right, and I want to do that with you as my girlfriend. Not as my kind of girlfriend bullshit we usually do." He bit his lip, it had been so long since Alicia had seen Reggie be nervous. "So do you want to try this again?"
A smile danced across her lips and a small giggle came from her chest. "Reg, are you honestly asking me that?"
"Well don't laugh at me. Jesus." He said leaning against the fence. "We can just stay friends if..."
"Don't you want to know what I did first?" She asked, to which he smirked at her and shook his head no. "Really?"
"Do you care what I used to do? I mean think of all the shit I used to put you through." He said simply, she could think of multiple times he had betrayed her. "I just... I want you to let go of whatever it was you did if we get back together, or at least let me help you through it. Seeing you around town, you haven't even looked like yourself for months."
"I've had a lot on my mind..." She defended her behavior even though she knew he wasn't meaning it as an attack.
"So, want to be my girlfriend or not?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer to him, he pulled them back against fence, "I'll be pretty disappointed if you say no." He voice sounded so playful and happy, he ran his hand up her side as she placed her lips to his with more force than the last. She found herself lost in his lips, her fingers gripping the cloth on the back of this tank, wishing it was his skin. His hand going into her hair and pulling it gently as he tilted her head to make it easier to explore her mouth.
It was the loud cheer that broke the two from their moment. Chuck Clayton and a group of Varsity football players had been released from practice and found themselves audience to Alicia's moment. Alicia found herself pulling away and running her hand into her hair noticing Reggie had messed up her ponytail, that she found herself pulling tighter. Reggie, ever the gentleman, flipped his middle finger up at the other boys laughing as he pushed himself off the fence he had been using to support them both.
Reggie reached for Alicia's hand, however she didn't let him have it. Instead she began to walk back towards the parking lot, where she knew her Jeep was parked. "So is that a no?" He asked as she walked away from him, she spun around with a smile.
"It's a I need a dress to the dance." She responded with a smile, "call me later?" She asked still backing away from him.
"Phone sex is always fun." He grinned back at her, before she spun around to continue her walk out to the parking lot by herself, she glanced over her shoulder to see Reggie running over to the guys to receiving high fives and pats on the back.
Alicia was shocked when she heard the cheers coming from inside the gym, she would have guessed that try outs would be over by now. She found herself sneaking in behind the basketball players who were waiting for the court to see Betty and the new girl standing across from Cheryl, who was clearly trying to rile Betty up. Cheryl hated the Coopers, almost as much as she hated Alicia now. The new girl was standing up to Cheryl in a way that made Alicia almost want to cheer, and watching Cheryl bend to her command was also a moment of bliss.
However when the Vixens were excused and Alicia found herself in the eyesight of Cheryl she felt that bliss disappear. "Well well well if it isn't the flake." Ginger Lopez said as they approached her as the basketball team took the court and the Vixens were making their exit.
"Seriously? Skipping class and try outs? Going for the bad girl thing or something?" Tina Patel mirrored the crossed arm and snarkiness that was only lacking Cheryl's approval.
"Flake and 'bad girl thing', real original, I was feeling sick Reggie took me home." Alicia found herself copying their positions as her arms crossed themselves over her chest and her eyebrows knotted in a showing of strength.
"Down girls." Cheryl said in a tone that was almost sickening. "Alicia was assistant stunt coordinator last year." Alicia found herself biting her lip as Cheryl put a fake title to the fact that Alicia was second in command behind her last year when they were both on the junior varsity squad. "Where's your uniform?" Cheryl asked with a fake smile Alicia had seen her paste onto her face so many time it was almost more than she had seen her true smile. "Did you not get my message to pick it up from the cleaners downtown?"
"I didn't. My phone must be acting up." Alicia said simply. "It must be why I haven't gotten the practice schedule yet. Tina you want to send it to me?" Alicia said picking at the weakest link in Cheryl's chain. Tina had only been at Cheryl's side since Alicia left the position. The way Tina's mouth gaped, told Alicia she picked the right target.
"Of course she does." Cheryl said answering for the girl with a glare in her eyes directed at her gaping mouth. "Will I see you at the dance?" Cheryl asked, faking nice being one of the few things she did better than anyone else in Riverdale.
"Would I ever miss an excuse to wear a cute little black dress?" Alicia said trying to mimic Cheryl's fake kindness knowing she would never be as good as the queen.
"See you then, and remember to get your uniform by next practice or consider yourself demoted. Only so much consideration can be made for members grandfathered into the squad." Cheryl's abruptness, her distance it always left Alicia feeling strange and unsure. Had she won this conversation or had she fallen into Cheryl's trap that was probably set weeks ago.
Alicia only tuned back in when she felt her phone vibrating in her arm band, she pressed the mic on her headphones as she put them back into her ears. "Hey," she answered as Kevin began to complain to her about taking the Jeep without telling him, again. "I'm sorry Kev, how about I make it up to you with a milkshake from Pop's. I have to go buy a dress..." She began to leave the gym and head to her car parked in the lot as she spoke to her brother. "Yes, I am going home to shower before I go..." She continued the conversation as she climbed into the driver's seat of the Jeep. "Oh my god Kevin, you wouldn't..." She found laughter while talking to her brother as she started the Jeep.
Alicia stood in front of her mirror holding up the dress she had bought that evening. Kevin had brought Betty with them, while Betty went with a traditional pink dress, Alicia found herself holding a form fitting black dress that flared towards the bottom, it had been the perfect dress in the store but now she worried it would be too risque for a high school dance. The front wasn't low cut, but the back with its many crisscrossing thin straps would bring everyone's attention to her bare back beneath them. Behind her she saw her River Vixen's uniform hanging on the hook she had on the back of her closet door. Normally she would have her robe hanging there, but the fact it was draped over her shoulders covering her thin camisole and boy shorts left the hook empty for her uniform fresh from the dry cleaners. She wasn't sure if Cheryl had it delivered there earlier that afternoon or if Cheryl had actually took it there when she took the others. "Alicia, sweetheart?" Her mother's voice called through the door before her fingers knocked gently at the girl's door. That was her warning that the door would open, she lowered the dress and turned to face the door as it opened. Her mother's ageless smile made her look as young as her daughter while the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth began to betray her. "I made some tea." She announced and Alicia knew that meant her mother wanted to talk to her about something.
"Earl Grey?" Alicia asked as she hung the dress up in front of her River Vixen uniform. Her mother walked into her room with a tray with two mugs on it, her mother sat on her bed before sitting the tray next too her. This was definitely going to be a serious conversation. "I hope you remember I like cream and two sugars." Alicia said with a smile as she sat down on bed on the other side of the tray picking up a light blue mug and noticing that the mug was only warm, not hot anymore.
"Alicia," her mother began.
"Listen, I promise I am not going to make you a grandmother anytime soon, I am religious with my birth control and always use protection..."
"Alicia." Her mother stopped her. "I am not in here for the sex talk, we have already had that and if you ever want a refresher remember your sperm donor of a father." She said before she picked up her pastel pink mug. "I've been downstairs so long trying to talk Martin out of grounding you the teas gone cold." She said as she set the mug back down on the tray. "Coach Clayton called while you were out at the store." She her voice was so calm that it was almost unsettling. "He said you and Reggie skipped the second half of the day, he said he wasn't going to bring it up to Principal Weatherbee this time, but next time it would be an automatic three day suspension. I didn't begin to explain to him that suspending you away from the school would be counter productive, instead I had to thank him for his kindness and tell him I would handle the situation." Alicia went to speak but was silenced by her mother raising her finger. "I'm not finished young lady. If I ever hear that you are ditching school again, I will force you to clean this house from top to bottom with only a toothbrush. Do you understand me?" She asked and Alicia found herself only being able to nod as she set her mug back on the tray. Her mother stood back up and smiled at her daughter before picking the tray back up. "I'm glad we had this talk, sweetheart." Alicia found herself unable to say the same as she was not allowed to say one word during the conversation. "Also, please don't let Martin see you leave in that dress, unless you want a police escort all night." She said with a friendly smile as she left the room leaving the door open behind her. It brought a smile to Alicia's lips as her phone began to vibrate and sing softly from her dresser, she walked over too it and saw it read Reggie's name.
The way the night was playing out was almost perfect, almost like it had been last year, back before Jason. Before the heartbreak and darkness had taken hold of her soul, and the smile that came to her lips as she answered it was for once genuine. Though Alicia would come to find out, like all things one wants to keep hidden in the back of their darkest and deepest closets people bring those skeletons out to play at the most inconvenient of times.