Alex and Richard ended up spending the rest of the day going around the city and catching up while walking everywhere. It was a much needed refreshment for the both of them after not seeing each other for so long. It was mainly Richard who was guiding his friend everywhere seeing as he had more experience with the bustling hub than Alex. Despite having lived in New York during her freshmen year, the girl didn’t get much of a chance to explore with the lack of a car and living on campus. The only time she ever left the grounds was when there was an important party that she was invited to and she would have to take a cab. After finishing the errands Richard needed to get done, the blonde took his friend to a restaurant he knew around their apartment for a late lunch, simply chatting the time away. Remembering his plans for the night, he invited Alex to a party he was going to later and left with her once she ecstatically agreed and suggested they head back to the apartment to start getting ready.
When they returned, Jasper wasn’t around which Alex momentarily thought about before seeing her bags that Richard had left by the door when they had quickly left the apartment. Deciding to at least put her clothes up (it would also help her in looking for an outfit to wear out to the party), she spent some time on doing that before getting ready. As soon as the two were done, they left to start walking to where the party was going to be held. They didn’t need to take anything since it was already in the nicer part of New York which was where they lived. While on their way there, King explained to Alex just exactly who Nick Caldwell was and why this party was going to be one of the hottest this year.
Once they arrived, they had to check in with the bouncer who only had Richard’s name on the list. Thankfully Alex looked and acted like she belonged with the crowd that was already in and they were eventually allowed to go in together.
Was King party ready? Probably. He felt hot, dressed down in an open flannel and jeans with his hair gently tousled and his lips tasting of cigarette smoke and coffee. A pretty girl on one arm and his name on the list only enhanced his confidence, allowing his general dazzling, mocking grin to stand out heavily against the rest of the crowd. The elevator ride up to the penthouse was stuffy and pull of loud chatting that King ignored in favor of staring at himself in the reflective interior.
By the time the doors were opened King swore they had to be in space or something.
“God, this is like, what-- the fiftieth floor? I bet I could touch the moon or something.” King dragged Alex out of the way of the incoming swarm of glossy lips and big hair and pre-gaming assholes, “Looks like we’re here though. Welcome to the first big party of the year, ready to get shitfaced?” He arched down suddenly, grinning merrily into his friend’s face as he dragged her easily towards the closest watering hole.
The shorter brunette beside him scoffed and smirked at her friend's antics. While he had advocated to drink prior to arriving to the party, Alex had dedicated the last few minutes to not getting buzzed on beer and finishing up her makeup. "Richard, you're not even that drunk yet. And you know I love our drinking games," she teased as he lead the two of them to the bar. After downing a few shots, the girl couldn't respond to anything her friend was saying about whoever besides giggling. Another one down and Alex wasn't tuned to anything around her aside from the music, a few of the bright lights, and her tall friend. Taking Richard's hand, she yelled to him in a vain attempt over the pounding sounds resonating around to the room to notify them that they were going dancing. Bringing them over to a section of the dance floor, green eyes looked up to give the other an exhilarated look before Alex began to let her body move the way it wanted naturally and carelessly.
King followed after Alex after only three shots because he had gotten so into some odd conversation about one of the teachers at uni. The sudden shift from sitting to dancing took him by surprise, and Alex’s quick drinking and quicker turn to the dance floor was everything including adorable to King as he tried his best to keep up. His two left feet trailed hopelessly after his friend in slight beat to the music.
“God, Alex, how can you do this so well!” He shouted above the bass and crowd, reaching out to grab her wrist and pull himself closer to her. King laughed as hands and bodies dragged against him, shoving them off with a few playful glares behind him. “I hate dance floors, Allycat! Can we shove off elsewhere?” Despite saying that, however, he still rocked his shoulders fluidly and slid across open spaces as gracefully as he could manage. His smile light, one of pure enjoyment and pre-drunkness.
Above the dancing heads, though he saw salvation on the side of the room where many open seats and tables were splayed, and among them was a familiar face. King blinked, then glanced down at Alex and another bright smile pressed against his lips. He hooked his arm over her’s again, leading them from the dance floor and towards the familiar face that was Ava Dawson.
“C’mere Allycat! I think you need to mingle more and grind less tonight-- there’s quite a few interesting people in this crowd!”
A lot of Alex's dancing seemed to be made up of some form of hopping and moving her head from side to side tonight. Not sure how long she had been on the floor but feeling like it was the best time of her life in that moment, it took her an extra minute to register that Richard was trying to tell her something. "What?!" she called back, unable to decipher his words over the booming sound and foggy mind. However, this time, instead of trying to be louder than the music, Richard lightly pulled his friend over to a sitting area with nice furniture. Initially stumbling, Alex drunkenly laughed and gripped the other's arm for support. Thankfully, the man was strong enough to not trip over the sudden extra weight. Once they managed to steer their way to the chairs, the blonde gently sat Alex in a seat and she simply beamed up at him as she softly swayed.
“Here, just. Say hi to Ava. I’m gonna go catch up with some folks.” King gave her a gentle pat on the head, stalling her sway with a brace of the wrist, “Meet up by the elevator when the party starts winding down, okay?” He yelled the rest of his words loudly over the music and, after giving a brief, confident nod to to the sister of his roommate he faded away into the party, humming merrily.
“Okay!” the distracted brunette chirped at her friend’s informing of where he was going. Looking around at the lights, Alex only refocused on the person in front of her when she registered he was making sure to be heard. Focus… her hazy mind tried to communicate to her. Staring at Richard blankly for a moment, she widened her eyes innocently and pouted her lips before nodding. Watching distantly as her friend disappeared in the swarming crowd, Alex tapped her fingers on her bare thighs and continued on swaying. Then a thought hit her and she furrowed her eyebrows before cocking her head and asking no one in particular, “Who’s Ava?”
