Invitation
Chapter One
Chapter Twenty-Five
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from The Riot Club/Posh, and all OCs were beautifully crafted by @club-riot
"I am going to buy shots," Ed got up, "Come with me," He tried to pull Elizabeth out from around the table, which including George who was already half asleep. "We have college in the morning," She argued. "Have you skipped a class ever, Shaw?" Alistair weighed in from the far side of the group as Ed led her to the bar. "No," "What would five hurt?" He shrugged innocently. "The great sum of knowledge that I could be gaining," She looked as though she were about to perform a monologue, her arm raised lightly, her feet in that classic L shape. If she had been bought more drinks, she might've broke into her favourite Hamlet piece. "Come on, I want shots," "Just bloody buy them, don't wait on me," Elizabeth didn't really care, she didn't want anymore drinks. She found herself standing at the side, in front of the table, somewhat awkwardly. After looking around the table she finally saw Guy giving her a little wave. He laughed when she did, and he didn't stop as she sat down beside him. "I was doing that a while," He pretended to look irritable but he wasn't much of an actor. "Sorry that I'm not aware of every single little thing you do," She rolled her eyes, much better at the false irritability than him. "How are you? It's been a while," He felt okay, managing some ordinary conversation. "Yes, it has been a total of two hours since you last saw me," She chuckled. Her sarcasm stopped him for a moment. Maybe he hadn't mastered ordinary conversations just yet. "Two hours is a while," He finally managed a smirk. She laughed. "Maybe, maybe," She reached over for the nearly empty cocktail glass which she had been sipping at until Ed dragged her up. "So, how are you?" He leaned forward, confidence just beginning to kick in again. "I'm fine," She shrugged, "Surviving all the assignments," "It only gets better," He chuckled, turning his torso towards her so he could lean his arm against the back of the chair. "They're coming along okay," Dimitri nodded, him and Poppy observing. "Come on, they'll do nothing if they catch you both staring," Tamsin tapped on his shoulder, "Drink?" "Yeah, Poppy, you're more than capable of doing this without me," He got up and left for the bar with Tamsin, an arm hanging loosely around her waist. "You're very protective of her," Alistair said to Poppy, still watching Elizabeth intently. "She's our child, our baby," She smiled at him, "Guy seems harmless but I'd gut him if she even shed a tear," "Would she do the same if Richards hurt you?" He asked, slow. He didn't smile or smirk. He just wanted to know how she would react. "Well, Miles isn't really a suitor," She shrugged after a brief moment. "But you admire him, and he's neglecting you," Alistair tilted his head. "He has priorities and that's fine. We're just friends and I think I'm old enough to deal with that," Poppy shrugged again. She wasn't sure where he was going with this, "Where are you going with this, Ryle?" "I just want to know if Elizabeth is as protective of you as you are of her," He shrugged a little himself, nonchalantly. "We all have each other's backs, Alistair," She stared at him with serious eyes, "Elizabeth would do anything for any of us," "I see," He said, casually turning back to the bowl of nice crisps on the table. "Wait, where is she going?" Poppy looked at Elizabeth getting up and walking towards them, "Why are you leaving?" "I'm just going to the ladies," She laughed at how ridiculously engaged Poppy was with her social life, then walked past the bar to the bathrooms. "Let her go, Kensington," James said, gathering a few empty glasses and standing up, squeezing past George and Guy to get to the bar, "You'll only scare her off," He placed the glasses on the counter and waited for the barman to serve him. Elizabeth returned from the restrooms a few minutes later and stopped when she saw him at the bar. "You getting more to drink?" "Yes, would you like one?" He offered, smiling slightly. "Oh, no," She shook her head, "No, I'm fine, thank you, James," "No? Are you sure? You know I don't mind," He creased his eyebrows. "James, I am totally sure, thank you," She laughed, raising a hand to guide her dark hair back from her face. "Alright alright," He raised his hands in defeat. Just then the barman reappeared behind the counter, "Could I have another pint please? Oh, and a Sex On The Beach for her?" "I hate you," She shook her head, smiling and heading back to sit with Guy. "What was that about?" He sat up, clearly having just watched them talk. "He's just being silly," She chuckled. "How so?" "I think you should've said thank you, but you'll learn," James walked over with her cocktail, leaving it on the table and going back to his own seat, smirking. "This is how so," She raised the glass, an unamused look on her face, "I swear, it's like you all want me drunk and want to spend all your money," "We clearly don't mind," Guy tried not to grimace. "Don't you remember the last time?" She snorted, "Seven glasses of rosé didn't do me any favours," "Well, I enjoyed that night," He said, somehow forgetting all the bitterness he had towards Leighton that night. Dimitri would've scoffed had he have been listening. "No," She smiled once she had taken a sip from her pinkish drink, "The best was one of the first nights out, at the start of October," She paused but he held an expression that said he was trying really hard to recall which night she meant but couldn't, "The night I met most of you, the night you walked me home the first time," "Oh, yeah.. I liked that night too," If he was one to blush, he would be at that point. They were quiet then. Both content and awkward. Contently awkward, awkwardly content. Either they were smiling like kids. "I'm doing this play..," She broke the silence and then regretted it, knowing she had to continue talking, "Come, if you want," "I'd love to," He was delighted, a personal invitation from her, only for him. "I'm inviting everyone," Or maybe it was only for everyone. He had to control the slight disappointment, "I mean, you can go with the group or on your own, I don't mind, just come, if you have time," "I will make time," He grinned, she beamed back. He just glanced over at the bar to see Dimitri and Tamsin grinning at him too, although he wasn't sure why.











