Big Book of One-Shots

Sweet Pea (Riverdale) #2

Requested by: Anon on Tumblr

Word Count: 669

Pairing: Sweet Pea (Riverdale) x Reader

Warnings: Angst, Artist!reader that no one asked for, Aristotle and Dante references (I just read this book), self loathing Sweet Pea

Request: Sweet pea x reader // reader is sweet peas north side best friend (and they're both secretly in love with each other but oblivious) and then he starts to date Veronica?

   Your life was the basic story of unrequited love, you loved your best friend Sweet Pea, and he didn't love you back. The two of you had been friends since childhood when you lived on the South Side and not a whole lot changed when your family had moved to the North Side. Not once did your loyalty waiver, even when he joined the serpents and when he caused trouble with Archie, the story was different for him. He had dropped you about a month ago when he started to date Veronica Lodge, you weren't really close with her, but something seems fishy about it. You weren't aware that the two had ever had a conversation that wasn't nasty towards each other, but alas here we all are.

   Ever since Sweets ditched you, Pop's had become your new hang out, just hoping to catch a glimpse of him once again and hoping that maybe if he saw you he'd realize that he was actually in love with you and not her. Pathetic, you know, but you were heartbroken from his absence.

   Entering the diner, the bell rings above you -- announcing your arrival to the packed room, only a few people turning to look at you, including Jughead, who was sat in a booth with his northside gang and the happy couple. He looked at you with sympathy, but you just rolled your eyes. On the inside you pitied yourself enough, and it was against your personal code to show how upset you really were. If he didn't care, you wouldn't either.

   Pulling your messenger back further up onto your shoulder you walk to your usual seat at the back of the room, sitting and pulling your sketchbook and pencils out of your bag. You decide that today's not the day to mope around hoping he'll see you, so you draw. Nothing ever bothers you when you draw, it's like the world disappears and you can vent your emotions through art. Your pencil glides and scratches, eraser and finger become a team in blending the strokes into a single organism; a single masterpiece. When you pull away, your senses come back to you, your fingers covered in graphite, pencils scattered on your table, and a tall figure next to you -- of course you knew who it was.

   He was standing there in all his glory, combat boots, tight black jeans stretched over muscular legs, a white t-shirt mostly covered by the serpent jacket and finally the hateful glare that topped off the whole thing. Oh yeah, he hadn't just stopped talking to you when he started dating her, he told you that the dozen years of friendship you shared had all been a sham. He had thrown you away like garbage.

   He reached his hand down to your paper, stone faced and brought it closer to him, squinting his eyes at the pencil drawing before tossing it back into your face.

   "It's honest" he spoke harshly, before walking away, out the door and out of your life for the last time.

   You look down at the page and realize what you had drawn. Your emotions had really ruled this one, you had drawn yourself, and Sweet Pea, it was of that night, the night of your fight, he had said he never cared. Those two words set you free -- he doesn't care anymore, so neither should you. No tears fell that night, you vowed to yourself that he would no longer cause you pain.

                                                                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sweet Pea's POV

   Breaking her was a necessity, if she even had the slightest hope that we could be friends, she would try. After so long of believing that I could JUST be her friend, nothing more, I finally broke. I wasn't good enough for her, and when I thought about it, I never really was. She had too much potential to be held back by me.

   I had to say goodbye, move on and never look back. She had to learn to do the same.