Alice Kirkland wasn't fond of parties. There was certainly a time, one that was long past, where she would've enthusiastically welcomed a night of drinking and dancing and fun, but high school was behind her and now she was just one semester from having her college degree. And though she certainly understood the need of stress-relief that parties brought, she now preferred the quiet atmosphere of the library over the pounding, sweat soaked air of the dance floor.

So why she had decided to rent a house with Francine Bonnefoy - World University's most popular cheerleader and renown party girl - was absolutely beyond her. Maybe some part of Alice thought, foolishly, that Francine's party days would end their senior year. That she would finally grow up and realize that it was time to be an adult, a task Alice had been trying to achieve since their transition into college.

Then Halloween came around and all of that hope had been thrown out the window.

Alice should've known something was up the moment Francine had started nonchalantly asking her what time she'd be home. It was Wednesday and Alice had two tests and an essay due by the end of the week, so Alice had taken to her normal schedule of hunkering down in the University library for several hours till she'd completed at least a partial amount of the work. Which would've meant late hours or, if Alice was extremely unlucky, an all-nighter if some idiot at the coffee shop hadn't spilled hot tea all over her white shirt.

Thankfully, Alice had stashed a purple shirt in her car, but by the time she'd changed her anger had given way to annoyance and she was ready to just be home. She could do all of her work there anyways, so it wasn't a true loss (though she'd have to avoid Francine seeing her purple shirt/red shorts combination).

The moment Alice turned the corner onto their street and saw people milling on their lawn, all she could manage was a deep sigh. Because of course. Of course Francine would be having a Halloween party in the middle of the week and of course she'd hide it from Alice. Of course she would.

Alice had to park two streets away from their house because of how pack their street was from the attendees. She told herself she wasn't going to get mad at Francine, who, in all fairness, had asked her what time she'd be home and had at least attempted to be considerate even though she hadn't said anything about a party at all. That calmness didn't last very long. More scenarios popped into her head the longer it took her to get back, most of which involved people going into her room and digging around in her stuff. There were some things in her room that were definitely supposed to remain private.

So by the time Alice had hiked her way back to her own house, she was ready to murder someone, specifically her roommate. Francine might be more athletic than her, but Alice was infinitely more devious.

As Alice approached the house, it became obvious to her that the party was still very much tame and seemed to be more of a fun get-together rather than a famous Francine Bonnefoy bash. Alice knew that would change the moment Francine decided to break out the alcohol and crank up the music, she'd been to enough of Francine's parties to know it wouldn't truly start till midnight.

Several Halloween-themed party games had been set up around the lawn and the costume clad people playing them seemed to be having a good time. Towards the house, Alice saw a couple people trying to throw a glowstick ring onto a pumpkin, while another group was taking pictures with props in front of a backdrop decorated like a decrepit looking forest. On her sides, tables had been set up with other activities. Some people sat carving pumpkin and others bobbed for apples.

It was honestly kind of tempting to just forget her anger and join the fun. Alice hadn't been to a party since high school graduation and the small voice in the back of her head was egging her on.

Just one party , it whispered. What's wrong with a little fun?

She gritted her teeth and sternly told it to shut the fuck up.

She had work to do and shit she needed to get done.

Alice started towards their front door, ignoring the strange looks of the partygoers as she passed. They weren't really the ones that should be judging her outfit.

"Alice!" came a boisterous shout from behind her.

The Brit stopped in her tracks and turned around. She knew that voice and god now she really wished she hadn't come home.

Amelia Jones came bounding up the sidewalk from the pumpkin-painting table, clad in a Supergirl costume and bunny slippers. Her honey blonde hair had been pushed back by a headband decorated with two, fuzzy red antennas, which bounced from side to side as she moved towards her, and her face was lit up with a brilliantly beautiful smile.

The most stunning thing about the American though, which Alice most certainly did not have a crush on, were her eyes. Sky blue, always, and absolutely captivating to look at, not that Alice had noticed or anything.

The two girls had met by complete chance. Francine had dated Amelia's sister, Madeline, for a short while and Amelia had been by their house more than a few times, even after the two had broken up. If it hadn't been for Francine's relationship, Alice might've never met the aerospace engineer simply because their majors were so different.

"You're here!" the other woman said, finally coming to a halt in front of Alice.

"Well, yes, this is my house," came Alice's quick reply.

"Yeah, it's just...Francine said you were studying so…"

Alice quirked an eyebrow, thinking, for a moment, about asking Amelia where her renegade roommate was so she could commit murder. But Amelia was here, talking to her, and Alice couldn't bring herself to brush off the girl that definitely didn't make her heart speed up every time she saw her.

"That was the plan," Alice eventually said, "but I had an unfortunate experience at the coffee shop that left me with a ruined shirt, so I decided to come home to study. Which was obviously a mistake."

"Damn, I'm sorry," Amelia replied, her eyes scanning Alice before hesitantly continuing, "If it's any consolation, you look great."

Alice most certainly did not blush at the compliment.

"T-thank you."

"You don't look very Halloween-y though," she pointed out. Before Alice could even respond, Amelia reached into the pocket of her jacket and fished out two hair clips, shaped like bats. "Here ya go!"

Then the American stepped closer to her, far too close for Alice's sanity, and reached up to clip the bats onto her pigtails. Alice could feel the other girl's body press against her, even though the layers of fabric between them.

Concentrate, Alice, she told herself weakly, she's just putting clips in your hair. Girls do that all the time. It means nothing.

Amelia stepped away from her far too quickly and Alice could've sworn she saw a blush on the other girl's face.

"Better!" she declared loudly. "Anyways, since you're here, we should hang out!"

Amelia left no room for protest and instead took Alice's hand and sat her down at an empty apple-bobbing table.

"I-I really shouldn't, I need to study…"

"Eh, I probably need to too," Amelia shrugged, sitting down beside her. "I'm just here cause Maddie needed to talk to Gilbert about something."

Now that came as a shock to her. Amelia, as far as Alice knew, willingly procrastinated her studies by partying.

"You're not here for the party?"

"Nah, I got an Aero test tomorrow that I have to study for," she admitted, looking ruefully at the other partygoers. "Otherwise my grades gonna tank."

There was a moment of silence between the two women and Amelia took to poking the apples floating in the water. "What about you?"

"I have an essay for my 19th Century British Literature class due on Friday and two exams tomorrow."

"Ouch," Amelia said back, physically wincing at the Brit, "That sounds...horrible."

"Not as bad as an Aerospace exam."

"I guess we're both fucked then," she conceded, nodding solemnly. "So, I'm assuming you're not here for the party either."

"At one point, I probably would've been, but no, I'm not."

At that, Amelia perked up and raised an eyebrow at her, "'At one point'? You partied?"

"In high school," she said, smirking cockily at the other girl's disbelief. "I was quite the rebel. Cut my hair, dyed it, had piercings, got a tattoo."

"Holy shit…"

Alice chuckled at that.

"What was your tattoo of?"

The wolfish smile that crossed Alice's face was honest to god not her fault. "Wouldn't you like to know."

The sputtering, blushing Amelia definitely was her fault.

"Amelia," a voice called before Amelia could pull herself together and respond. Alice glanced towards the house and saw Amelia's sister, Madeline, coming towards them. "Are you ready to go?"

"I...uh…"

"Hello Madeline," Alice cut in politely, giving Amelia's brain time to reboot. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Madeline responded, sounding rather winded. Alice didn't really want to know why she was winded. "How are you?"

"As well as I can be."

"Oh?"

"It seems I need a place to study," Alice told Madeline, the annoyance at Francine twinging at the back of her mind. "Francine seemed to have forgotten to tell me she was having a party tonight."

"Ah, well, you can always come over to our place and study," Madeline offered, looking at her sister for approval.

"Yeah," Amelia said, seeming to have finally regained brain function. "I have to study anyways and it's always better with a buddy."

Alice scrunched her eyebrows together, forgetting all her previous worries and now genuinely considering the other girl's offer. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Not at all," Madeline assured her, throwing her sister a sly smile when Alice wasn't looking.

"Oh, well, thank you."

"Of course!"

Amelia met her sisters look with a mixture of gratefulness and disbelief, trying to wrap her head around just how good of a wingwoman her sister was.

You're welcome, Madeline mouthed as the three of them walked to their car.

My entry for the USUK Networks Halloween Bash!