Just Friends

*13*

"Do you see him anywhere?" Alice asks Hermione as the group of them walk into the house party. They can just barely hear one another over the sound of the speakers at full blast, and the voices of everyone in the house.

"Not yet." Hermione answers, eyes scanning the faces of everyone in the room.

"What if he doesn't come?" Alice wonders out loud, the insecurity thick in her voice.

"Yeah right," Hermione scoffs. "With how good you look tonight he'd be stupid not to."

"Since when did you get so insecure?" FP asks. "You're like the most confident person I know."

"This is just different. I'm the one who invited him. I'm the one who's vulnerable here, he can completely blow me off."

"Yeah but he won't."

"You don't know that."

"Actually I do." He insists, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around, pointing towards the new guest that's entered the party. The teen scans the room for a moment before locking eyes on Alice. He waves at her, sending a smile her way. "Told you."

"Oh he's coming over." Hermione squeaks excitedly.

"Hey." Brady greets, his voice deep and relaxed.

"Hey you made it."

"You thought I was gonna bail?" He teases.

"No, just... never-mind." She feels her cheeks flush as she stands in front of the boy she has been eyeing for weeks. "You want to go get some punch?"

"Yeah sounds great. Lead the way." He gestures, and she adds just a little extra swing to her hips as she walks ahead of him.

"You know, I was a little surprised when you invited me to this party." Brady admits as they scoop the strongly spiked punch into plastic cups.

"How come?"

"Well I've seen you at the games before but I always thought that guy was your boyfriend." She watches as he looks towards FP and she laughs.

"FP?" She laughs again. "We've known each other since we were little, he's my best friend."

"That actually makes a lot more sense." He chuckles. "I was wondering why he seemed so cool with you inviting me. Which by the way, I haven't thanked you for."

She waves her hand. "It's partly selfish on my behalf, I wanted to get to know you a little bit, inviting you to a party seemed like the best way to do that."

"You could've just came over and said hi after a game you know?" He teases, taking a step towards her.

"Well now where's the fun in that?" She smirks up at him as his hand drops to her hip, large and possessive as he pulls her closer.

"You seem to be all about the fun."

"You've figured me out quick." She drifts her eyes around the room and locks eyes on the staircase, watching as a couple stumbles their way up. "You wanna go somewhere a little more quiet?" She suggests flirtatiously, watching as his lips curl into a cheeky smile.

"Definitely." He links his fingers through hers as she maneuvers their way through the crowd and up the stairs in search of a vacant room.

She finds one at the end of the hall and she opens it, gesturing him in with a quirk of her perfectly shaped brow. She shuts and locks the door behind them, giving them some privacy. "Not much quieter but at least we can hear each other better." She decides, a nervous giggle slipping through her words.

"It's perfect." He agrees, sitting down on the bed. "C'mere."

She pushes off the wall to join him, and sits down on the bed beside him with a delicate ease. "So... you transferred from Easton High, right?"

"Yeah, my mom got offered a job at the station here a few months ago."

"How do you like Riverdale so far?"

"Not too bad. Will probably be a little bit better once school starts up and I meet some more people." He replies. "Though I have met some pretty cool people." He speaks the words as he draws his thumb across the highest point of her cheek.

"Is that so?" Her words come out in a tone just above a whisper as his touch makes her body temperature rise.

He nods, his face inching closer to hers. She meets him halfway and brushes her lips against his in a soft kiss, just testing the waters. It makes her stomach erupt in butterflies, especially when his hand comes up to run through her hair, tugging on it just slight to tilt her head back. His lips move to her neck then, kissing up the column of her throat and a gasp slips past her parted lips.

She feels his lips curl into a smile just before he kisses her again, pressing his body against hers as he lies back on the bed, one long leg hooking around his waist to keep him locked to her.

He grinds his hips down into hers, the sensation heightened with the way her skirt has risen up. Her darkly painted nails score down his back, in search of the hem of his t-shirt, and she raises it over his head, taking a brief moment to appreciate his sun tanned skin.

And then he's kissing her again, and his hand is sliding up her thigh, and everything around them just seems to fade away for a long while.