Always and Forever

Chapter 13: The Sweet Hereafter

Sweet Pea took it upon himself to walk me home, or at least to the other side of the track. Like if I didn't know my way around the Southside. It was morning.

"Sweet Pea.." I began. "Why did Mr. Blossom want me dead?"

"Rumor has it, you knew something you shouldn't have known," Sweet Pea answered. "He wanted to make sure you didn't have a chance to tell anyone."

"Is it a good idea for me to return to the Northside then?" I asked.

"Cliff Blossom is dead, your friends found out the truth, and he hung himself before he got to be arrested for the murder of his own damn son," Sweet Pea answered. "You will be safer there, than on this side of town."

"What else happened?" I asked.

"You ask a lot of questions Dani," Sweet Pea groaned.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Let's just get you home, no more questions," Sweet Pea ordered. Soon we reached the front steps.

"Will we see each other again?" I asked.

"Most likely not Northsider," Sweet Pea confirmed. "A Northside like you seen with a Serpent like me could cause chaos." He then turned to walk away.

"What makes you think that?" I asked and he turned to face me. "You don't know anything about me like how I don't know anything about you. I might cause chaos, but I wouldn't care."

"Touché," Sweet Pea says. "See you around, Dani."

"Bye Sweet Pea," I said and watched him leave. Then I knocked on the front door of my house. The door opened and I was tackled into a tight hug.

"Dani!" Dad cried as he hugged me tightly. "We were so worried about you. What happened? Are you hurt? How did you get home?"

"I was kidnapped, and when I woke up I was in the basement of the Whyte Wyrm," I answered. "A Serpent took it upon himself to walk me home and make sure I got home safely."

"Did those Serpents hurt you?" Archie asked as he got the next hug. "How did they get in the house?"

"First of all don't assume that since they are from the Southside that they would hurt me," I answered. "Second, not a single mark."

"I will call your mother," Dad stated as he walked away.

"Where is she?" I asked as I was let into the house. I got down so I could pet Vegas.

"She didn't have a choice. She had to go back to work," Archie answered.

"Oh," I breathed.

"But she was extremely worried about you, she almost broke down before she left. Mrs. Cooper and FP were the same," Archie told me. I went upstairs to freshen up. As I was showering I kept getting flashbacks of Sweet Pea. I couldn't help but think of our conversation when I woke up. I couldn't believe my best friend's dad wanted me dead. Dad ended up driving me to school later that day, I received numerous hugs when I walked in.

"Dani!" Josh cried out when he saw me with Reggie behind him, he pulled me into an extremely tight hug, spinning me a bit as Reggie did the same after. "Are you hurt? I heard a Serpent took you?"

"I don't know who took me," I admitted. "But I did wake up on the other side of town."

"I am going to kill all those Serpents," Josh threatened. "I..."

"No!" I exclaimed. "The Serpent did not even lay a finger on me, Josh, Reggie one of them was even nice enough to walk me home."

"Just because they walked you home, doesn't mean they are people you can associate with," Reggie said and Josh nodded in agreement.