Just Friends

*35*

"You know? As fun as that weekend was I'm so happy to see an actual bed again." FP declares as he flops down onto his stomach atop Alice's bed.

She smiles down at him. "Yeah no kidding. You'd think our self proclaimed "camping connoisseur" would have brought air mattresses or something."

"Yeah next time we're gonna have to make a list of things so we have a bit more of an enjoyable sleeping arrangement."

"Are you implying that sharing a tent with me wasn't enjoyable?" She teases with a smirk. "And who said there's going to be a next time, anyhow?"

"Come on, I know you had a good time." FP tells her. He reaches up to hook his arm around her waist and then yanks her down onto the bed beside him. She lets out a squeal as she crashes down next to him, the sound quickly fading into a laugh.

"I suppose... it wasn't the worst time." She admits.

"Were you able to take your mind off of things?" He wonders, arm still nonchalantly slung around her.

She thinks on it for a moment, lolls her head to look at him, and nods, deciding easily that she was. "Yeah, I think I'm feeling a lot better."

"Good, I'm glad."

He shuts his eyes and Alice reaches out her palm to stroke his hair back. "How about you? You know? With the whole Gladys thing."

He sighs and shrugs. "I guess I'm just more angry than anything. I mean who is she to demand I just not see my friends anymore?"

"Did she say why she didn't want you seeing me?" Alice wonders aloud, a little insecure.

"I think... I think she's a little jealous of you." He leaves out the part about Gladys thinking he and Alice would hook up now that she's single.

Alice scoffs, letting out a laugh. "Why is she jealous of me?"

"Because of how close we are? I think that's the reason anyway." He shrugs. "Doesn't matter anyway, if she wants it to be over I'm not gonna beg her to stay."

"Good," Alice decides, and smiles brightly at him. "You deserve better anyway."

***

He's relaxing on his couch with a bag of popcorn when there's a knock on his door, a glance at the clock tells him it's nearly ten o'clock, who in their right mind would be at his door right now?

He opens it and his eyes widen when he finds Gladys on the other side. "Gladys? What are you doing here?"

"I knew you were coming home today," She explains. "Thought maybe we could talk?"

"What's there to talk about? Last time I saw you you said not to talk to you again." He leans against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I know, I was just mad, I didn't mean any of it."

"Mad or not Gladys, you said some pretty shitty things." He reminds.

"That's why I wanted to talk."

He thinks on it for a moment, he could send her away right now and be done with it all, or he could hear her out. He decides on the latter and steps aside with a sigh.

She walks over to his couch and sits down, expecting him to sit next to, he perched himself on the arm of a chair instead. "Don't you-"

"Gladys I'm not in the mood, just say what you have to say and get on with it."

"I can't pretend I understand your relationship with Alice, but I know she clearly means a lot to you, and nothing I say or do will change that fact." She frowns. "I do know that I care about you a lot and I don't want to lose you."

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before you gave me an ultimatum and tried to make me choose between you and my best friend."

"That's was wrong, I know, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to change it, Gladys. I told you nothing was going on between Alice and I and you didn't believe me. If you can't trust me then how could we ever possibly work?"

"We can work on it."

He chuckles. "That's not a relationship! Any time I'm not with you you'll be worried I'm with Alice, that's not fair to either of us."

"I guess your right." She admits softly.

"I care about you too, Gladys. I really am sorry it had to end up this way."

She shrugs. "It's not your fault entirely, I'm the one who screwed us up, I guess I need to work on the jealousy thing."

He laughs. "Yeah, maybe a little."

"Well I should probably get going then, don't want to bother you anymore than I probably already have."

"You're alright, I'm actually glad you stopped by. I think we both needed the closure."

She opens the front door and prepares to leave, but turns back on her heels. "You know if you did have feelings for Alice, that would be okay."

He groans, even after they've broken up she's still bringing Alice up. "Gladys-"

"I'm not picking a fight, I'm just saying if you do that you should go for it."

"So before you were worried I was going to get with Alice, now you're trying to push me towards her?" His eyebrows furrow in confusion and frustration. "I don't understand."

"I'm not trying to push you, I'm just telling you that it's okay to give into those feelings if they are there." She offers him a smile as she gently strokes his cheek. "Take care of yourself, FP."

"Yeah, you too."

He steps out onto his front porch as Gladys drives away, not noticing that the trailer next door's pretty inhabitant has come out to check on the commotion. "A little later for visitors, isn't it?" Alice calls, startling him.

He smiles. "It was Gladys," he explains, stepping closer to the railing, she does the same. "She wanted to clear the air."

"And?"

"It's over." He tells her, surprisingly optimistic.

"Not to sound like a total bitch, but I'm glad. Like I said, you deserve better." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Even still, I know something that always eases the pain of a breakup? You up for some ice cream?"

"Always."

He follows her over to her trailer and leans against the counter as she searches through the freezer. "Ive got chocolate or mint chip." He turns his nose up at the second option and she laughs. "Chocolate it is."

She passes him a spoon and digs into the container with her own, taking a large bite. "So? Does this mean we've got to find you a rebound girl?"

He chuckles. "Why? Do you have someone in mind?"

"Well I hear there's a party tomorrow, maybe we'll find you someone there?" She suggests. "Or we can just be each other's dates for the night."

He nods his head, smiling dopily at her as the two blissfully devour a carton of ice cream. "I like that plan best."