Something About Alice Murphy: BOOK 3

P A R T - F O U R T E E N

Chapter Fourteen: Cold Winds
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Music flowed some what quietly now as the majority of the group continued to talk and laugh loudly into the early morning... "I promise you I can," Alice said, after a debate was started as to whether or not she could follow through with what she claimed was her favourite party trick. She stood up, and her head span, causing her to nearly fall side ways, although she regained her balance quickly and laughed.

"Steady, steady," someone warned playfully as the group laughed with her, collectively having consumed more alcohol over the course of the evening too.

"I'm good, I'm fine," she smiled, a little ways beyond tipsy now as she walked towards the kitchen and retrieved two pint glasses from the cupboard with a little effort. She had to climb up onto the counter, and was partially worried she was going to fall, but after a few moments returned safely to the gathering of about eight people and placed them down on the coffee table that was littered with cups and shot glasses now. "Who wants to challenge me?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and smiling.

There was a sudden surge of talk as one of the other boys lent forward to fill up both glasses with beer, everyone seeming to discuss who would go up against Alice who claimed she could down a pint beer in less than seven seconds easily.

"I'll do it," Magnus spoke up, sitting forward from where he had been lounging on the couch opposite where Alice had been sitting, placed next to Lucas, Amara and Otto. Ooo's and murmurs playfully echoed around the group as Magnus stood up, making his way around the coffee table to stand next to Alice, now watching her with a playful but small smirk. They'd all picked up on the very obvious chemistry between Alice and Magnus, regardless of whether they tried to keep their distance or not, some had seen the way he had danced with her a few hours ago, and seemed to subconsciously register that it probably wouldn't be long until they were going to announce they were a thing.

"Okay," Alice agreed, moving some strands of hair back since they had been tickling her face. "That's fine." She added and then giggled with excitement. "On my mark," she continued after a few seconds, picking up both pints of beer and handing him one. "Three... two... one-" she nearly cut herself off as she brought the glass to her lips and tilted her head back, Magnus now doing the same.

"One! Two! Three!-" the others began to chant and cheer as Alice and Magnus chugged back their drinks, "Four! Five!-"

"Done!" Alice chirped after swallowing a gulp, lifting her glass up in the air moments before Magnus finished. "I win, I win," she beamed, doing a little dance which only caused Magnus to smirk even more. He had moved past tipsy a while ago, and couldn't stop the occasional smirks and chuckles as he watched Alice interact with everyone. She was very charming now, pulling the group this way and that without being too controlling. They seemed to all follow her lead without knowing they were, glancing at her every now and then to almost gain approval, especially when she'd taught them a new drinking game.

"I demand a rematch," Magnus then said, a small and yet slightly cheeky smile playing on his lips as he watched Alice very closely, seemingly transfixed. He'd barely looked away from her all evening, and it hadn't gone unnoticed either... Oliver had been watching them carefully, making quiet mental notes just for himself on the way that they interacted. In some ways, he felt sorry for Meredith... he'd always thought that her and Magnus had little to no chemistry...

Everything had seem forced with the way she overplayed and overdramatised their relationship to everyone else, especially on social media, which almost made Oliver cringe when the thought passed through his mind. It would hurt to delete those pictures and long gushing posts about him, knowing he was probably falling for another girl at that same moment. The way Magnus would behave would always be different to what she would say, and the two supposed truths never seemed to connect no matter hard she tried. However, with Alice... he noticed an ease in Magnus's behaviour. The chemistry was effortless, and so where the smiles and the light jokes...