'cause every time I see you, I don't wanna behave

ari's pov.

the drive to the party didn't take long. tara was driving,  ethan was in the passanger seat, and i was sitting in the back with jordan. jordan was the guys i stumbled upon once in the bookstore and he was with friends with tara, so he tagged along.

we got out of the car, and made our way towards the door, when a car slowed down, and parked. "who are these fine ladies?" paige yelled from the passenger seat, windows rolled down. aubrey was driving and two more people were in the backseat. i couldn't make out who they were. i'm guessing if paige is there it's most likely azzi. "not you, ethan. you can turn away."

we decided to wait for the girls. i started to feel the chilly night air on my skin. 'i should've brought a jacket.' jordan must have noticed that i was shivering a little bit, and asked me if i wanted his jacket.

"no thanks, it's okay." i told him.

"are you sure? it's really cold."

"she's sure," aubrey said as she approached us. "she doesn't need your jacket."

I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "and why is that?"

aubrey shrugged. "because if you're cold, you can wear mine."

I rolled my eyes but took the hoodie from her anyway, pulling it over my head. It was warm and smelled like her—like fresh laundry and something unmistakably hers. I tried to ignore the way my stomach flipped at the scent.

"thanks," I murmured, shoving my hands into the sleeves.

she grinned. "looks good on you."

tara cleared her throat loudly, clearly entertained. "are we going inside, or are we just gonna stand around here?"

ethan smirked. "I vote for standing around. this is getting interesting."

I shot him a look, but he just wiggled his eyebrows.

azzi, who had just climbed out of the car, shook their head. "y'all are so embarrassing. can we go inside before I freeze to death?"

"want my jacket?" paige asked her as we walked inside.

"shut up."

the house was already packed, music vibrating through the floor. the scent of something sugary and spiked filled the air as we wove through clusters of people. someone had strung fairy lights across the ceiling, casting everything in a golden glow.

"drinks are in the kitchen," paige announced, heading in that direction without waiting for anyone.

jordan turned to me. "you want anything?"

I hesitated. "I'll come with you."

jordan and I made our way into the kitchen, where people were huddled around the counter mixing drinks. he grabbed a red cup and handed it to me. "try this. I think it's just punch."

I took a sip, the sweetness coating my tongue. "not bad."

jordan leaned against the counter, studying me. "so, you and aubrey..."

I nearly choked on my drink. "nothing. we are nothing. also, sorry about that."

"it's okay. don't even worry about it. so you guys are not together...?"

"i wouldn't say. we are just good friends." friends who kiss. a lot.

before it could get any more awkward, i praise the lord that jamie came up to us.

"ariana, hi. i haven't seen you in a while." he said, embracing me in a hug.

jordan raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, just took another sip of his drink. I could feel his curiosity lingering, but thankfully, namie's sudden arrival saved me from any questioning.

"jamie!" I grinned, hugging him back. he smelled like cologne and something faintly citrusy, familiar. "yeah, it's been a minute. how've you been?"

"good, good," he said, pulling away but keeping a hand on my arm. "you look great, by the way."

from the corner of my eye, I saw jordan shift, suddenly focused on his drink.

I laughed lightly. "thanks. you too."

jamie leaned in a little, lowering his voice just enough. "we should catch up later. I have something I wanna talk to you about."

I blinked. "oh? what is it?"

he smiled. "later," he teased, giving my arm a small squeeze before stepping back. "I'll find you."

and just like that, he was gone, disappearing back into the crowd.

I exhaled, realizing too late that jordan was still watching me.

"what?" I asked, sipping my drink.

he shrugged. "nothing. just—" he paused.

"he's gay."

"oh."

...

the party wore on. i found myself on the couch talking to a friend of mine who was in one of my classes. there were a lots of people. more than usually. i started to get uncomfortable. maybe this dress was too short. it's too hot in here. i need to go outside.

the girl next to me was talking about something i wasn't really playing attention to anyways so i excused myself and walked outside. there weren't a lots of people out here. a few couples lingering here and there. i sat down on the stairs of the porch. my cup still in my hand and aubrey's hoodie still warming the upper side of my body. i looked into the party, noticing aubrey dancing a little too close to the girl. i shouldn't be jealous. she is not mine, i'm not hers. we're friends. 

i felt a presence next to me. it was jamie.

"i think i like ethan." he confessed, fidgeting with his fingers.

"what? that's..amazing!" i said, patting his shoulders

jamie let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "yeah, except it's also kind of a disaster."

I frowned. "why?"

he ran a hand through his hair, glancing up at the night sky. "because it's ethan. and ethan...he flirts with everyone. he's impossible to read. one second, I think maybe he's into me, and the next, he's off with someone else, acting like I don't exist."

I tilted my head, considering. "ethan's a flirt, yeah. but that doesn't mean he doesn't like you."

jamie sighed. "maybe. I don't know. I just... I don't wanna be just another one of his passing interests, you know?"

I nodded, understanding more than I wanted to admit. "yeah. I get that."

he turned to me then, really looking at me. "do you?"

I swallowed. "yeah." my fingers tightened around my cup. "It's confusing when someone makes you feel like you're important, but you're not sure if it's real or just... how they are."

jamie hummed, studying me. "we're not talking about ethan anymore, are we?"

I hesitated, then shook my head.

jamie exhaled, nodding slowly. "aubrey?"

I didn't say anything. but I didn't have to.

jamie bumped his shoulder against mine. "sounds like we're both in the same boat."

I let out a small, tired laugh. "yeah. guess so."

for a moment, we just sat there, the cool night air a relief from the crowded, overheated house. I stared down at my cup, thinking, and then jamie nudged me again.

"you know," he said, laughing even before saying anything. "if things don't work out, we can just get in a lavender marriage."

I snorted. "oh my god. you can't be real."

...

the door creaked open behind us, and I heard footsteps before a familiar voice broke through the moment.

"there you are."

I turned to see aubrey standing just outside the door, her arms crossed but not in a defensive way, more like she had been looking for me and finally found me. her face softened when our eyes met.

jamie gave her a slow, knowing smile. "hey, aubrey."

aubrey smiled. "hey, jamie."

he lifted his hands in surrender. "don't worry, I wasn't hitting on your girl."

I choked on absolutely nothing, my face heating up. "jamie."

he laughed, standing up and stretching. "alright, I'll leave you two."

jamie winked at me before heading back inside, leaving us alone on the porch.

aubrey turned back to me, her expression soft. "you okay? you disappeared."

I shrugged, playing with the sleeve of her hoodie. "yeah. just needed some air. there's way too many people in there."

she nodded like she understood completely. "yeah, it's packed. and hot. and someone spilled their drink on me while dancing, so now I smell like cherry vodka."

I smiled. "I was gonna say you smelled different."

she laughed, sitting next to me. "oh yeah? what do I normally smell like?"

I hesitated, suddenly aware of the warmth of her shoulder brushing against mine. "like... I don't know. laundry. and something else. something just... you."

aubrey blinked at me, her lips twitching up into a smile. "that might be the nicest way anyone has ever told me I smell like detergent."

I rolled my eyes, nudging her. "shut up."

she giggled but then tilted her head, studying me. "you sure you're okay?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "yeah."

aubrey didn't look convinced, but she didn't push. Instead, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "you know you can talk to me, right?"

I swallowed, staring down at my hands. "I know."

for a second, neither of us said anything. the muffled sounds of the party drifted through the night air, laughter and music blending together. then, aubrey nudged me gently.

"come back inside?" she asked, her voice light. "I promise to personally clear a path through the crowd so you don't have to interact with anyone."

I laughed, shaking my head. "tempting."

aubrey hopped up and held out her hand. without thinking, I took it. her fingers were warm against mine, and she gave a small squeeze. I let aubrey pull me up, her hand warm in mine for just a second before she let go. we stepped inside together, the heat and noise immediately pressing in around us. 

she started weaving through the throng of people, her confidence cutting a path like she had done this a thousand times before. I followed close behind, careful not to bump into too many people. the room pulsed with movement—bodies pressed together, drinks sloshing, laughter ringing through the air. the energy was intoxicating in its own right, and despite myself, I felt it sinking into my skin.

then, just as I was getting my bearings, someone stepped in front of me.

"ariana, right?"

I blinked, looking up. the girl in front of me had an effortless kind of cool ripped jeans, a fitted black tank, short dark hair tousled just enough to look intentional. her sharp features were framed by dim neon lighting. aubrey kept walking, she didn't notice me not being behind her.

I hesitated. "uh, yeah?"

she grinned, tilting her head slightly. "I'm blake."

"you dance?" she asked, her voice smooth, teasing.

"oh- uh." I glanced around for some kind of cue, but i didn't see a single familiar face.

blake raised an eyebrow, smirk deepening. "that's not a no."

I barely had time to process it before blake reached out, fingers curling around my wrist with a gentle pull. "c'mon," she said, voice coaxing, playful.

my pulse jumped, but I let her.

she guided me toward the center of the room, where the music deepened into a sultry bass. the atmosphere around us shifted, the energy thick with heat. suddenly, her hands were on my hips, pulling me closer, her touch sure and steady.

"just follow me," she murmured, her breath warm against my ear, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.

and I did.

at first, I was stiff, unsure, but blake had a way of moving that made it easy to mirror. the rhythm found me, melting away hesitation as my body synced with hers. there was something liberating about just letting go, giving into the music.

then, over blake's shoulder, I caught sight of aubrey.

she was watching.

her arms were crossed over her chest, her jaw tight. even in the dim lighting, I could see the flicker of something in her eyes.

"ariana." aubrey's voice cut through the noise, sharper and louder than necessary.

I turned, blinking. "yeah?"

she didn't answer right away. Instead, her fingers wrapped around my wrist. firm, but not rough as she tugged me away from blake.

"come with me." her voice was lower now.

blake just smirked. "didn't mean to steal her, aubrey."

aubrey shot her a glare, her grip tightening just enough to make a point before pulling me through the crowd.

straight to her car.

the shift was instant. the pounding music faded into silence, thick and pressing. my heartbeat was still racing, but now, it wasn't just from the dancing.

aubrey let go of my wrist, raking a hand through her curls as she exhaled sharply. she didn't speak right away. Instead, she just stared past me, like she was trying to piece something together. the tension between us buzzed, thick with unspoken words.

finally, I broke the silence. "aubrey, are you okay?"

she let out a short breath, almost a laugh, but without any real amusement. then she looked at me. really looked at me, like she was weighing something in her mind.

"do you even know who blake is?" her voice was quieter now, deliberate.

I frowned. "not really. she just-"

"she's not just anyone." aubrey cut me off, something flickering in her expression I couldn't quite place. "and trust me, ariana... she wasn't just dancing."

her words settled over me, slow and heavy. a creeping realization curled in my chest. I swallowed, shifting on my feet.

I looked into her eyes, nodding understandably. she was sitting in the driver's seat, and me in the passenger seat.

"we can go back now, if you want." she asked, reaching out to open her door.

"wait." i suddenly said, and she turned towards me. "i want to talk to you about something."

she furrowed her eyebrows, hesitated and then said, "go on."

"it's actually a question." i took a deep breath. "what are we?"

aubrey froze. her hand, that was resting on the steering wheel, tightened slightly before she let it fall to her lap. she didn't look at me right away, just exhaled slowly, like she was bracing herself.

"I don't know," she admitted finally. "I just know that I hated seeing you with her. and I don't think it was just because I don't trust her."

her voice was quieter now, more thoughtful. the tension in the car shifted, something deeper settling between us.

I bit my lip. "so... what does that mean?"

aubrey glanced down at my hand resting on my thigh, hesitated for half a second, then reached over and traced her fingers lightly over mine. just enough to make my breath hitch.

"It means," she murmured, "that maybe I should stop pretending I don't care as much as I do."

a slow warmth spread through my chest. "yeah?"

she nodded once, her grip on my fingers tightening slightly. "yeah."

I swallowed, feeling my heart hammer against my ribs. "so, are you gonna kiss me, or are we just gonna sit here and talk about it all night?"

aubrey smirked, tilting her head. "oh, so now you're impatient?"

I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, she leaned in, close enough that I could feel her breath against my lips.

"I was already going to," she whispered, just before closing the space between us.

i don't really like this but i have a lots of ideas 😝

i hope you enjoyed though!!