Redemption [Sweet Pea x OC]

Chapter 39

"You totally should," Toni pleaded.

"Nope, not happening," I said. "This is your thing, not to mention a way for you to get close to Cheryl Blossom."

"Hey, that's only a small part of why I'm doing this," Toni said. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe not a small part."

We stopped outside the locker room doors. "I don't know what you see in her, but I'm not going to stop you," I told her with a smile. "Now, get in there and become my favorite Vixen."

"I thought Ponytail was your fave?"

I shrugged. "She was, but after I essentially blamed her for screwing the whole webcam thing up between Kevin and Chic she's been avoiding me."

"Well, she's about to have no choice," Toni said. "She's headed this way.

I looked over my shoulder to see her and Lodge coming down the hall, arms linked. "I'm getting out of here. Let me know how it goes," I said, taking off down the hall in the opposite direction of the approaching pair.

Two hours later I slid into the booth at Pop's. "Serpent Princess," greeted the girl across from me.

"Blossom," I returned, looking at the redhead across from me. "Now will you tell me why we're here?"

"Well, I decided it was time you and I had a little tête-à-tête, seeing we're the strongest leaders in Riverdale High. I, with my Vixens of course, and you with your Serpents."

"Keep talking," I said, leaning back in my seat.

"Well," she began, glancing down at her perfectly manicured nails, "I wanted to extend an olive branch. Now that TT is a Vixen, she's a part of both our groups, and I don't want her torn apart by our conflicting leadership."

I sighed. "Look, Toni's smart enough to know who to follow if it comes down to it. Why don't we just agree to keep out of each others ways and maintain the peace? I'll tell my Serpents to back down, they're still used to having run of the school like we did at Southside High if you tell your Vixens to cool it around us."

Blossom smiled. "I knew there was something about you that I liked."

"Oh, good. I was worried about that," I said sarcastically before thanking Pop as he set a pair of milkshakes on the table. He knew what flavor we'd want without asking. "So, we have an agreement?" I asked once he'd stepped away.

"We do indeed," she replied. "Though I hope we can move this beyond a simple business arrangement. A friendship between us would only strengthen our alliance."

I gave a small smile. "Let's take it one step at a time, maybe we can get there eventually. Friendships between Northsiders and Southsiders don't come easily."

"Ah, yes. I have noticed your on-again-off-again friendship with Betty. If I may, is Veronica Lodge behind it?"

"Perhaps," I answered carefully, toying with my straw. "Are you looking for some way to help her win the election? Or is it that you want some way to bring her down, stop her from taking control of the school from you?"

Blossom shook her head. "No, I'm not worried about Veronica. There's the difference between her and I. Both of our families have money, obvi, but only one us knows that has nothing to do with power."

I nodded. "Lodge pays people to do what she wants and you manipulate people into doing your bidding, using your family's fortune as a backup."

"And that's something you and I have in common, Abigail," she said. "Why you and I would make the perfect team."