fifteen | spreading the love

IT'D BEEN QUITE A MELLOW MONTH. Ali and Jordan had both avoided clubs altogether—instead, they'd started a series on her YouTube channel where they reacted to movies Ali had been outraged to find out he hadn't seen. Her viewers were eating it up and they were enjoying filming them (as much as Jordan pretended to complain in the intros).

Their friendship this time round definitely felt like a real, balanced friendship. He didn't slip in flirtatious comments here and there anymore when they spoke and his hands didn't wander when they were in public. Ali had started to feel safe enough to allow her walls down around him.

"And don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. . . and, until next time—" Ali kissed the camera lens and then shut it off.

Jordan, who'd been sitting beside her removed his headphones and leaned back in the gaming chair. "That movie actually wasn't half bad, you know," he said, referring to Clueless. "Was so shocked when Antman showed up, though."

Ali rolled her eyes as she took the SD card out of the camera. "Going to pretend you didn't just limit the Paul Rudd to Antman."

"Hey, Antman was an underrated Marvel movie," Jordan argued, grinning at her.

"If you say so. . ." she giggled, taking apart the tripod.

"You hungry?" He asked, pulling out his phone and scrolling on DoorDash. He absentmindedly patted Doug, Ali's grey cat, who'd jumped on his lap during filming. Ali found it quite amusing that Jordan, a certified dog person, had become best friends with her menace of a cat (who'd always bitten Myles).

Ali nodded. "Yeah, I've got taco stuff in the fridge," she said, not looking up from her computer. She had to be sure the footage was useable before she could do anything else.

Jordan scooped the cat up and wandered into Ali's kitchen. He placed Doug on the counter and started grabbing ingredients out. As he set everything out, he couldn't help but look over at Ali and smile to himself.

💌

(@jordanriki via snapchat stories!)

REECEWALSH REPLIED TO YOUR STORY!
Cunt why's it look like that

JORDAN RIKI
Don't disrespect my boi Doug,
he'll fuck u up cuz

MIRA AND SILVI HAD BEEN VERY EXCITED WHEN ALI INVITED THEM TO THE BARBECUE REECE WALSH WAS HOSTING. She'd almost refused to go, claiming she would feel so out of place but Jordan had talked to Reece, who'd followed Silvi on Instagram and he'd suggested she invite them. So, the three were cooped up together in Ali's ensuite fighting over mirror space. The faint sound of Jordan scrolling Tik Tok in the other room could be heard.

"He literally went and liked all my posts, oh my god," Silvi said, giggling and showing her friends the screenshot.

Mira groaned. "If you's go and get matching Broncos without me. . ."

Ali butted in. "Um, I'm not actually with Jordan so. . ."

Her friends exchanged looks before agreeing with her. "But still," Mira whined, "you'll still go on double dates without me."

Silvia raised her hands, "easy there buddy, I've never even met this man. . ."

"You'll fall in love tonight, though," Ali teased, powdering her nose.

Silvia blushed.

"Are you guys gonna be ready ever? Walshys spamming me," Jordan called out before appearing at the bathroom door. He quickly gave Ali's outfit the once over; a white tube top and very low waisted grey jeans. He resisted the urge to burn every curve and wrinkle in the fabric into his brain forever.

💌

(@aligreer via snapchat stories!)

(@jordanriki via snapchat stories!)

THE BARBECUE WENT BETTER THAN ALI HAD EXPECTED IT TO. Her friends had immediately found their own teammates to talk to and essentially ditched her all night. Jordan, while trying his best to include her, had spent majority of the night talking shit with his friends.

Of all the Broncos players, Ali had not expected to get along well with Herbie Farnworth. She'd never been a fan of English people, which—being nine cruisers deep—she'd made sure to tell him as such. He'd found it funny and had started bagging on influencers to get her back.

"All I'm saying," Ali said, waving her empty guava cruisers around, "is that you could've picked anywhere in this country and you decided on Brisbane?"

Herbie laughed. "I quite like it up here—can stay tan all year round at the beach."

Ali made a buzzer sound. "Wrong. That's the Gold Coast. Brisbane beaches are—" she stuck her fingers down her throat and gagged to convey her message. Herbie choked on his beer.

It was at that point that Jordan had wandered over. "What is going on. . ." He asked, raising his eyebrows. He'd been wearing a black fitted t-shirt and dark wash jeans—Ali had picked them out for him, saying his followers would appreciate it very much.

Herbie and Ali exchanged looks before bursting out laughing once again. "Don't worry, mate," Herbie said, clapping Jordan on the back.

"I just came over to tell you that your mates been upstairs with Walshy for over an hour now," Jordan told her, cracking the biggest grin. His gaze turned towards Herbie and he extended a hand out, "cough it up then."

Herbie produced a crisp $50 note and begrudgingly handed it over. "Didn't know he had that dog in him."

"You don't get pregnant at nineteen without it," Jordan chuckled, shoving the money into his back pocket.

Ali snorted. "Oh, god—and where's Mira then?"

Jordan nodded to their left and that's where she saw Mira sitting in Patty Carrigans lap, running her fingers through his hair. "It seems your entire friend group has infiltrated our team," Herbie joked, throwing an empty plastic cup in Patty's direct and earning a middle finger in response.

"Oh, the group chats gonna go crazy in the morning," Ali said darkly, an evil glint in her eye as all the jokes began swirling around in her head.

"You've got yourself a little psycho, mate," Herbie muttered to Jordan as he offered the Māori his seat before disappearing inside the house to pee.

Jordan gladly took the spot and put an arm round the top of her camping chair, playfully pulling her hair in the process. "You having a good night?"

"I am, actually," she replied, smiling up at him.

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☀️ KK SPEAKS!
     this chapter was fun to write. i like silly little upbeat chapters before i rip your hearts out.