Alaska felt like a lost baby colt standing in the club with her bowlegged posture and obvious discomfort. The music was so loud it was practically a physical force, the bass reverberating in her chest. It was almost too much for the young blonde, but she had only just got there. Maybe after a couple of red bulls and some better music she would loosen up and start to enjoy herself. Her friends were already having a grand old time out on the dancefloor, leaving Alaska to hover against the wall by herself. They were used to this kind of scene, there was no hesitance as they entered the club. This place was popular among college students, especially the young gay ones. Her group was known to be a pride flag waving, rainbow toting group of kids, so it only made sense that her friends looked at this place like a home away from home. But they were also loud, and extroverted. Alaska wasn’t like that, she was still a shy little girl from Pennsylvania with knobby knees and big Bambi-like eyes. Innocent, that’s what her friends called her. The baby of the group. And yet they left their precious baby to fend for herself in a room full of drunk strangers.
Through the overwhelming noise in the room, a loud, wheezing laugh caught her attention. She turned just in time to see a pair of girls supporting each other in their arms stumble towards her. The shorter one’s heel gave out and she wobbled, nearly crashing to the ground. Out of instinct Alaska reached out and grabbed her arm, steadying the poor girl.
“Courtney you fucking idiot,” the other woman crowed, another peal of snorting laughter leaving her. The girl Alaska had caught slowly blinked and looked up at her. A sloppy grin crossed her face and she sprung up to wrap her arms around Alaska’s shoulders.
“You saved me, thank you,” she slurred, her voice light and musical, and twinged with some sort of accent. Alaska tried to help her balance so she could drop her arms from the girl, but it seemed like if she let go the girl would just go tumbling straight to the ground.
“It’s okay girl,” Alaska assured, her voice drawling.
“Oh, you’re so nice, you should come dance with us! Your hair is super pretty,” the girl continued. She started brushing her fingers through Alaska’s hair tossed over her shoulder, and all of the sudden praise made her blush. Drunk girls were always affectionate, but she’s never been in a position where she was alone with two very obviously inebriated ones.
“God you’re so drunk,” the other girl giggled. She had no room to talk really, as she was swaying in place. Her shoes were dangerously tall and thin-heeled, and judging by the glint of red underneath they were expensive too. Definitely not something you wore to a club like this unless you had a death wish or something to prove.
“So are you Bill!” The blonde in Alaska’s arms countered shrilly. Again the other girl laughed, her glossy lips never changing from that dopey smirk.
“I’m more than drunk,” she reminded. Her focus shifted to Alaska, and she didn’t bother hiding the fact that she was sizing her up. “Who’re you again?”
Alaska squirmed uncomfortably. “I’m Alaska, I never got the chance to say,” she replied.
“Cool name. I’m Willam, and this drunk slut is Courtney.”
They made quite the pair, the two of them. It was like one of those sitcom couples that were exact opposites but somehow still best friends. Courtney was a cute little thing, her platinum blonde hair curled neatly around her face, her eye makeup dark and tasteful, her wardrobe stolen straight from the Spice Girls. Willam on the other hand could’ve been an extra from Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty video. Her messy honey hair was dark rooted, and her makeup was colorful and smudged. She had a gorgeous body that she dressed in a tight skirt and crop top, showing off her toned tan thighs. They were both gorgeous, but looked like they came from two very different worlds. Neither of which Alaska belonged to.
Courtney seemed to pick up on Alaska’s hesitance, so she grabbed her hands and started pulling her away from the safety of her wall.
“C’mon, you’re dancing with us,” Courtney insisted. She was a head shorter than Alaska, even in heels, but she was strong. Her body must be made of pure muscle. Willam pulled up the rear, so even if Alaska tried to escape she could easily grab her and keep ushering her forward. When they reached an open space in the crowd Courtney stopped and turned around to face Alaska. She beamed and started dancing, though it was more bounding around with her arms above her head. Willam moved to be next to both of them, creating a little triangle with their bodies. She started dancing too, her hips swaying to the beat and her head bopping along to the music. They didn’t look like they had a care in the world as they moved, but Alaska felt like every eye in the club was on the three of them. She didn’t want to just awkwardly stand there while the other two danced, but she also didn’t want to make a fool of herself.
“Ugh, c’mon Bambi don’t look like we’re holding a gun to your head. Don’t you know how to dance?” Willam took Alaska’s hands and looked at her pointedly as she continued to dance, and only smiled when Alaska started to bop along to the music with her.
“There you go!” Courtney encouraged. Alaska felt herself relaxing in the presence of the two of them. The energy the pair gave off was so easygoing and fun. Just being around them made Alaska feel lighter. Her body moved more freely, one of her hands going to brush through her hair.
Alaska watched as Willam’s arm wrapped around Courtney’s waist, tugging her in front of her body. The smaller girl giggled and leaned back into Willam, their hips now swaying in time. It was clearly a very familiar position for the two of them. Willam’s hands looked so natural against Courtney’s hips, and Courtney fit so perfectly in the curve of Willam’s body. Alaska felt like she was intruding as she looked on at the two of them.
“Are you guys together?” She asked, having to yell over the music. Both girls looked at each other and wrinkled their noses.
“Courtney is my cis-turd,” Willam said proudly, like that answered Alaska’s question.
“We’re friends, we just happen to be very familiar with each other’s anatomy,” Courtney added, which cleared things up a bit more.
“That’s cool,” Alaska replied. Willam snorted at her nonchalant reply.
“C’mon Alaska, don’t you ever take advantage of your hot friends? There’s nothing better than sex with someone who isn’t going to get all weird and attached,” Willam explained. Alaska shrugged, hoping she didn’t look too much like a blushing virgin. Sleeping with her friends wasn’t really an option, there was no way any of them could ever look at her in a sexual light. Her silence had Willam and Courtney freezing, both with puzzled looks on their faces. It was funny how in sync the two of them were most of the time without even noticing it. Their eyes met, and a silent conversation seemed to pass between them. Finally they parted, and Courtney crossed the small space between her and Alaska.
“You’re too pretty to be so wound up, relax,” the cheerful Australian said playfully as she wound her arms around Alaska’s shoulders. Alaska had to bend forward slightly, as she towered over Courtney. But Courtney didn’t seem to mind their faces getting closer. She just beamed, her teeth flashing in the colorful lighting, and started swaying her hips. Alaska’s own hands settled on Courtney’s hips. Courtney inched closer and closer, her eyes hooding as she looked up at Alaska. Courtney was a gorgeous girl, but in that bubblegum pop star kind of way. But the look on her face now, simpering and seductive, had Alaska’s cheeks flushing. Those bright eyes had her hypnotized, and when Courtney tilted her head up Alaska didn’t even think but to press their lips together.
Before she could even freak out over the fact that she was kissing a stranger in the middle of a crowded club, Courtney’s hand tangled in Alaska’s long hair and held her close. Her lips were demanding, and the taste of alcohol lingered on her mouth. Alaska was hooked. Every time she’s ever kissed someone before, they treated her like she would break at the simplest of touches. It was always brief, and soft, never enough. But Courtney wasn’t holding back. Her lips were parted, and her tongue danced against Alaska’s. She made content little noises, almost like moans. It sent a thrill through Alaska. She could hear Willam cheering in the background but she was too spellbound to pay attention to the other girl.
That was, until Willam moulded herself to Courtney’s back and cupped Alaska’s cheek, guiding her face from Courtney to her own. Now Willam was kissing her, even more commanding than Courtney had. Courtney wasn’t deterred by Willam taking over, her lips instead drifting to Alaska’s jaw and neck. Alaska felt like she was underwater. There were hands all over her body, lips hot against her skin. She has never felt so wanted and so confident in her life.
“Alaska?” Jinkx’s voice sounded far away, but when Alaska pulled away her ginger friend was standing right next to them with wide eyes.
“Hi Jinkxy,” Alaska greeted shyly. The heat pooling in her stomach was quickly draining away, replaced by humiliation and dread. The arch of Jinkx’s eyebrows let Alaska know she wasn’t going to live this down.
“We’re heading out, you can say goodbye to your new friends then meet us outside,” Jinkx teased before disappearing into the crowd. When she was gone Alaska covered her face with her hands and groaned. She was screwed. Jinkx was going to go tell all of their friends about dorky little Alaska getting hot and heavy with not just one, but two chicks in public. She was never going to hear the end of this.
“Alaska?” She dropped her hands from her eyes to see Courtney looking at her with concern. “You alright love?”
“Yeah, sorry, it’s just embarrassing,” she explained. As if her bright red face didn’t give that away.
“Fuck ‘em, they’ll be jealous,” Willam replied. She shoved her phone into Alaska’s hands. “Put your number in, will you?”
“Oh! And add us on Snapchat and Insta and all of that,” Courtney added. Alaska quickly went through the different apps, adding herself to Willam’s contacts. She made sure to shoot her own number a text from Willam’s phone so she could add the other girl then handed her back her cell.
“Alright, I should go…” Alaska murmured. Courtney pouted and pressed a final kiss to Alaska’s cheek.
“Bye sweetie, it was nice to meet you,” Courtney chirped.
“Glad we could show you a good time,” Willam added with a smirk. Alaska gave one final wave and wriggled her way outside. Her friend group was waiting, and the way they were staring at her let her know that news of her night had already reached them.
“You’ve got lipstick on your, well, everywhere,” Jinkx teased as they climbed into the cab. Alaska didn’t bother to wipe the evidence off of her face.
***
By the time Alaska made it back to her dorm room, she was still buzzing from the events of the night. She quickly got ready for bed, a small smile on her face as she scrubbed off the marks left behind by two very distinct lips. When she climbed into bed she opened her phone to see follow notifications from both Willam and Courtney. It was a good sign for being able to see the two again. There was something about the pair that brought Alaska out of her shell. They were the first people to ever treat her like a grown woman and not an innocent angel. Alaska didn’t want to be everyone’s little sister. She wanted to let her hair down, have fun, be looked at like she was sexy and not just cute. Willam and Courtney were the only ones who have ever looked at her with lust in their eyes.
Alaska smiled just from the thought of the two of them, even now that she was nestled in the comfort of her bed. She opened up her phone to see if they had messaged her yet. When she opened Snapchat she noticed Willam had a story posted. Without hesitance she clicked on it.
The first picture was in a brightly lit bathroom, Willam and Courtney posing in the mirror. It was probably before they went to the club, as their makeup was much neater and their hair was orderly. Next was much darker, posed at the bar with a bunch of shots lined up. Following that was a video of Courtney knocking back shots while Willam cheered her on in the background. Then they were with a small group, and a guy had his arm wrapped around Courtney’s waist. A shot of Courtney laying down on the table followed, her shirt rucked up under her breasts so the same guy could lick salt off of her tan stomach, followed by a shot.
Willam’s story was video after video of the two girls bouncing from group to group, getting progressively drunker and flirtier as the night went on. But it was the last video that made her heart clench.
There she was, her arms wrapped around Courtney and their lips locked. Alaska looked so into it, her cheeks flushed and her hands so possessively gripping at Courtney’s waist. But Courtney was kissing her with the same pageantry that she had put on for the other videos. Alaska was just another body in the crowd, ready to be posed with for the camera. What was such an important night for Alaska was just an ordinary weekend for the other two girls. It made a lump rise in Alaska’s throat.
Humiliated, Alaska shut off her phone and buried her head in her pillow, tears stinging in her eyes. She knew she would never live this down, either. The next few days she was going to be pestered by her friends, asking about the two hot girls she was dancing with all night. How was she supposed to tell them they were just partygirls using her for the night without feeling like a complete loser? Why did she think for one second that she, a plain gangly nobody would ever catch the attention of two such charismatic and beautiful girls? Alaska had let her guard down and had taken a chance, and now she was paying the price.
***
Weeks went by and Alaska tried to move on with her life. Out of sight, out of mine became her mantra. If she threw herself into her schoolwork, she wouldn’t have time to tear herself apart over that night. Her friends seemed to pick up on the fact that she didn’t want to talk about it, thankfully, so it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be to move on. It shouldn’t even bother her that much. It was just one silly night that didn’t mean anything. It was only her needy ass that turned it into something bigger than it was in her head. If she wasn’t such a little mouse, she wouldn’t still be obsessing over it weeks after.
She had enough to worry about with classes, anyway. She had a group project due in a couple of days, and she was paired with the most intimidating kids in her class. Alaska had to take a break from their study session, so she offered to buy them all coffee at the school’s cafe. It was bustling with activity, the line stretching nearly to the door. But Alaska didn’t mind. Warm sunbeams filtered through the windows, and the scent of roasted coffee beans drifted through the room. It was exactly what she needed to destress.
“Alaska?”
There went any hope of tranquility. Alaska turned around to see Willam staring at her with arched eyebrows. She looked just as good as the first night they met. Though her clothes were toned down slightly, she still had that smoky blue shadow around her lids and metallic lipstick glinting in the sunlight. She had, however, added some pastel streaks to her dirty blonde hair, fitting of Willam’s rebellious attitude.
“Oh, hi,” Alaska murmured. Her heart was clenching in her chest, and she could already feel her face heating up with embarrassment. She was surprised Willam even recognized her.
“How’ve you been? You kind of disappeared on us. Did your phone break or something?” Willam questioned. There was a look in her eyes, almost like she could see straight into Alaska’s head. It made her uneasy.
“No, my phone’s fine.” Alaska internally winced at how awkward she was. She didn’t know what to say to Willam. Sorry, I just thought you gave out your number to be polite? Sorry, I didn’t want to be clingy? Sorry, I don’t know how to handle myself in any social situation and clearly read everything wrong?
Willam snorted. “Look, if you weren’t into us you could have just said something. You got Court’s hopes up and she’s been all mopey ever since. A text back would’ve been nice.”
Alaska’s eyes widened. Did Courtney really care that much that she hadn’t talked to them? Sure, she’d gotten a standard ‘hi this is Courtney’s number’ text, but she didn’t think it was a conversation starter. Again, she just thought she was being polite. But if what Willam was saying was true, that meant Alaska hadn’t been crazy thinking that there was a spark there that night, an undeniable chemistry.
“I’m sorry, I can be so fucking stupid sometimes,” Alaska admitted. Willam’s face softened, and she put her hand on Alaska’s arm.
“Dude, it’s fine. We can just start over and not be idiots about it this time.” She dropped her hand and held it out in front of her. “Hi, I’m Willam and I think you’re super hot. Wanna hangout with me and my best friend who also thinks you’re really hot?”
Alaska laughed, relief washing through her as she took Willam’s hand, shaking it.
“Charmed, and I would love to,” she replied with a smirk. Willam laughed, a wheezy, throaty sound that made Alaska’s stomach flutter.
“Looks like you’re up next,” Willam noted. Alaska turned to see that in the time they’d been talking the line had dwindled down. “Call us, okay?”
Willam smirked, and with that she turned on her heels and strutted out of the cafe. Alaska couldn’t keep the smile off of her face as she ordered her drinks.