LEXA LED THE GROUP TO THE LINE, walking beside Malakai as they piled in to cut with the other group. Her smile was clocked by Spider and Dusty from quite far away, both boys taking note of her laughter around Malakai. She however had finally found a friendship bubble, she felt, Malakai and her simply getting to know eachother.

"Tell me youse didn't bore my poor Ant out of his godamn mind," Lexa pouted as the boy let out a dramatic sigh, "Settled for waterboarding Spider with mountain dew."

"Yikes," She replied. Lexa watched as Malakai and Spider then interacted, Spider giving Malakai an irritated look, "Go on then, take a picture. I'm a lovely ting, unna? Don't go projecting your shit 'cause you're feeling inadequate."

"Inadequate? Nice. Big word for a little bloke," Spider tilted his head toward Malakai. Their stare grew tense, Lexa spinning to only face Spider.

"I like this," Lexa hummed, her fingers tracing over the stacked chains around his neck. She'd even glazed her hand over his cheek to see the earring he had in, "Hot."

"Where'd this attitude come from?" Spider crossed his arms, the girl reaching to pull them apart, "Seriously?"

"What?" Spider lightly brushed her off, despite sticking beside her. She squinted her eyes as she looked up at him, "Don't be like that."

They'd pulled away from the group, the two able to have some kind of argument without disrupting everyone else's vibe.

"Just don't wanna cause your social suicide," He shrugged, "Or... no, what was it? I think the term-"

"Are you really doing this right now?" Lexa crossed her arms, Spider with a satisfied expression, "Sure am."

"Wasn't all you wanted this time effort?" She rebutted, "I'm trying to have a good time with you tonight. Fix your attitude."

"That's alright, if you don't want it I bet Malakai over there would-"

"Fuck this," Lexa groaned, swooping under the rope to exit the line, "Cash, Darren, you coming?"

"Oi! How come we didn't make the cut?" Amerie joked as Lexa led the two to the venue doors, "Next time don't write a map with everyone's sexual exploits."

"That was so long ago!" Amerie added, despite Lexa, Darren and Cash already standing by the security at the door. She'd worked some sort of magic talking to one of the door girls, Lexa of course having connections in and outside of the club.

Lexa left Darren and Cash to their own vices, of course hoping Cash would finally have the time of his life. She headed to the bathroom so she could take her caps. Cash had refused to give her any himself, the boy concerned that she wouldn't be able to cope after he festival, Lexa however was adamant to take some from Amerie because she could handle it.

And she always had.

She just wanted to have a good time.

Lexa had made random friends around the place, all well in her mind until she felt Dusty's hand turning her from her waist, "Took youse forever to get in."

She kept dancing, her smile bigger than ever as Dusty spoke, "Always been a queen of the night."

"What do you want you now?" She giggled, her finger poking into his chest as he too smiled, "Been looking for you."

Lexa spoke, "Your jealousy plot is so boring and if Spider's falling for it, you two can go blow eachother instead."

"Tough crowd," He whistled, though he'd inched closer to her, "Come on, let's be good with eachother."

"And what's your definition of good?"

He took a step closer, Lexa putting her hands to his chest to hold him back. He sighed, "Harper and I aren't serious. She knows that, you know that."

"I shouldn't know anything about who you're sleeping with, not my problem," Lexa objected, "I don't give a shit what you and Harper do, just stay out of my lane."

Dusty let out a dramatic sigh, "Hey, I'm just tryna have a good time tonight. Aren't you?"

Fuck Spider, she thought.

Her same mindset came back; a little entertainment never hurt anyone. Well, anyone but her.

"Act like it and this conversation'll go so different," She said as she turned to dance, the girl allowing Dusty to dance behind her. Soon enough, his arms had found their way to Lexa's waist, the two far too close for being 'broken up.'

"My jealousy plot, right?" Dusty muttered with satisfaction, though she didn't quite hear it.

Harper wasn't around, though that wasn't a factor to Lexa. The sight of Spider though? That suddenly was.

And in the worst way.

The second she actually saw Spider across the way, the careless attitude broke.

She'd almost frozen, some sort of battle in her mind over what she'd do; she couldn't be the weak one here, she should just keep dancing, she thought. Fuck him. Fuck him if he wanted to brush her off earlier.

Dusty thought her stare would've been taunting but he pulled away when he realised she really couldn't keep her eyes off Spider. He still leaned into her ear though, another attempt at his tactics, "Go easy on him, yeah? Don't know how he'll take it. You've got him on some blind hope shit."

She spun around, "What's your play? You want me back or you just don't want me to get with Spider?"

"I've said it a million times, I know you're never gonna actually date him," Dusty shrugged, "So sure, I'll stay out of your lane if you tell me to. You've got my number."

"Tell me to go, Lexa," Dusty remarked in her silence. She put on a cold face, "Go."

He let out a slighted laugh, the smirk pained as she opened her mouth again, "Remember all the things we did? Ask Harper if she wants to recreate it till you get by!"

Dusty clenched his jaw tight, "We've been through so much shit and that's all you wanna say to me now?"

All she did was nod. Dusty locked eyes with her, "That's a fucking copout and you know it."

"It's what you asked for," Lexa replied.

——

LEXA HAD B-LINED STRAIGHT FOR SPIDER, the boy hiding the flicker of hurt in his eyes the second she was close. He took a gulp of his drink, "Back to Dusty then, yeah?"

"Well, I tried to go back to my old ways but the second I saw your face I couldn't. But sure, back to Dusty," She hissed.

"Don't have to pretend and hide your excitement, couldn't have lasted long right?" Spider shrugged, "You wanted a quick fuck before you got back with him. It's fine, I don't know what else I expected."

"This is exactly what frustrates me about you," Lexa scolded, "Shit doesn't go your way and then you act like the biggest asshole I've ever met. Drop it."

"Whatever."

"No, it's not fucking whatever," She argued, "I'm sick of whatever. I'm tired of this, I'm tired of the back and forth and I'm so godamn tired of pretending to push you away. For what? For fucking what I couldn't tell you!"

She meant every word, though her over-analytical side couldn't be completely overtaken. A part of her thought he'd go off, say she really was a crowd pleaser, the popular girl. That, that was the reason.

It always had been.

Spider instead gulped, looking down at the girl in silence. Lexa continued, "Do you wanna do this or not? Final answer."

"I'm not gonna be your second option anymore," He shook his head, "I'm your first, or I'm nothing at all."

He'd finally said it. Moreso, finally said it before Dusty could convince her otherwise; at least that was how he'd thought of it.

Lexa had tried to close the distance between them, his lips meeting hers halfway.

Those small thoughts in her mind disappeared; was she such a bitch for moving on so quickly? what were the right feelings to have?

She remembered she didn't give a fuck, or at least that she shouldn't.

Lexa always imagined the world would end, that she'd hear a bunch of gasps. Truth be told, it was too fucking loud and hazy in there. Though, she'd like to believe nobody cared the same.

Their kisses lasted a long while to Ant, who'd returned to find Spider and Lexa against a wall making out. The boy nearly dropped his drinks flat on the floor, Lexa pulling away with the cheekiest smile he'd ever seen; she wiped over her lips, "Look at you Anthony Vaughn, front row seats."

"Lexa. Spider. Lexa. Spider," He kept mumbling, a look of shock sprawled across his face. She laughed, "I think he might be having a heart attack."

"Shutup," Spider lightly smacked the boys head, Ant blinking his eyes, "This shit isn't real it's the caps. There's no way."

"Oh babe, the caps aren't that strong," Lexa remarked, "Pick your jaw up."

"I can't," Ant mumbled, "Damn, it might be the drugs."

The boy looked back up between them though, "So is this actually a thing?"

"Think so," Lexa answered for them, Ant looking toward Spider, "I don't know how you did it man. This is so out of your league."

"Alright Ant, I get it," Spider remarked, Ant shaking his head, "Are you gonna go all Dusty from wish mode now?"

Lexa rolled her eyes, "Please. Like you aren't waiting to put a dangly chain around your neck and rip your shirt open."

"Oh, you know me so well," Ant sighed, "If it's what the school needs, then I'll do it. If it'll get me a Lexa Madden, I'll do it."

"Well, Lexa Madden cheated on Dusty, so unless you want that-"

"Do not tell him he needs to start acting like you," Lexa held out her hand to silence the both of them, "We're already having to work on that."

Spider's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of offense crossing his face at Lexa's remark. He just reminded himself that she didn't mean it in the way he analysed it, that she was just quick to Ant's remarks.

In the short silence, Lexa yawned and stretched out her arms, "Well, I needa pee. I'll be back."

"What?" Both Ant and Spider called out, Lexa looking for the direction of the bathrooms, "What? You've never seen people make out before?"

"I have!" Ant oddly replied. Before Spider opened his mouth though, Lexa shushed him, "Don't worry, I'm coming back for you."

She slipped into the bathroom, minding her own business with a smile till she reached the sink and saw Harper.

"How's your night been?" Harper asked, Lexa squinting her eyes, "What'd you see?"

"Nothing," She shrugged, "I was hanging with Dusty but then I caught up with Sasha and Missy."

"Mhm," Lexa replied, "I'm like completely off the Dusty thing now... Contrary to what you might hear tomorrow."

"I'm starting to think I should back off from Dusty anyway," Harper lifted her brows cooling herself down with some water down her neck.

Lexa sniffled, glancing at Harper, "Only if that's what you want. Don't do it on my account."

"He's pulling his hair out over you," Harper mentioned, "I don't know if I wanna put up with it."

"He'll get over it," Lexa tried to brush it off, though Harper answered, "I think you kinda broke his heart."

Lexa paused, splashing herself with water too, "And what's your point?"

"I'm just saying," She backed off, "I just meant that he's stuck on you. That I'm just there."

"What more could you possibly have been?" Lexa said, the girl without a care in the world, "Come on. He hooked up with you at the graveyard to get back at me. He called you out in the crowd after I left him dry."

Harper let out an offended laugh, "Sometimes I forget the raging bitch you can be. The world doesn't revolve around you."

"Babe, this fucking circus sure does," She barked back, Lexa storming out of the bathroom seconds later.

She then made her way through the dance fooor with another drink, irritated she couldn't get an eyesight on Spider or Ant. To top it off, that face from the festival she remembered too well flashed across her eyes; Josh.

His crooked smile had sent a shiver down her spine, instinctively recoiling and trying to blend into the sea of bodies around her. He'd spotted her though, striding through the crowd who'd been buying off him and his mates the entire night.

"There she is, Lexa Madden," He laughed as Lexa's heart rate quickened, tensing in apprehension. Lexa forced a tight-lipped smile, she didn't want to be near him but she just felt like she couldn't get away, "Josh."

His smile lingered in an unsettling way, making her skin crawl, "Been busy tonight. Let me know if you want any-"

"Not interested in what you're selling," Lexa tightened her jaw as she lied, "Got what I needed from Cash anyway."

Josh laughed, though Lexa had tried to push past, "If you'll excuse me..."

He didn't move, his smirk widening as he instead took a step closer. She panicked, her eyes flickering across the room for an out. He snuffed, "Ohhhh, come on. Don't be like that. We used to have fun, don't you remember?"

Sometimes she'd forgotten how far gone Chook and his friends were, how they remembered their fun to be selling drugs, starting fight, shoplifting...

The girl had clenched her fists, her fingernails denting her skin, "Chook told you to leave me alone."

Still didn't move, "When have you ever listened to him? Or anyone for that matter."

She'd tried to dare, but his frustration released when he realised she wouldn't play along. He reached out to grab her arm with a tight grip, one too familiar, "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Lexa had ripped her arm as hard as she could away, bursting through the venue doors as she gasped for air. Tears welled up in her eyes, a secondary blur over her eyes beside the dizziness.

Spider seen the girl in the crowd moments earlier, watching the interaction only a few seconds behind her. He hurried over to her, calling out, "Lexa?"

She'd instinctively swatted him away thinking it was Josh, though when her eyes darted upwards of the blonde she let herself collapse into his arms.

"Woah, woah it's okay, Lexa," he murmured, his voice soft and reassuring. "I've got you. I'm not going anywhere."

— cloudydior
soooo sorry for not updating this week!
double chapter incoming bc it got too long 💪🏼