BAD IDEA ► SWEET PEA [discontinued]

― f o u r t e e n. J'veux ton amour

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was like any other normal day in Riverdale.

     Nothing screams "Everything is normal!" like coming downstairs to find your brother and his girlfriend at the kitchen counter reading the local newspaper with headlines like: People of Riverdale, I have rid this town of the drug-dealing child-killer and others like him. Now, you must choose your fate. The next 48 hours will be a test. And I will be watching you very closely. Show me you are pure of heart, and my work ends. Continue to sin, and I will take up the sword again.

     "Cool," I said. "That's basically an open letter telling everyone to stay the fuck home, right? Well guess I'll go unpack then-"

     I turned around to head back to my room when Archie says, "Kenna, you're still going to go to school."

     I grunted and turned to face Archie. "What if while walking to school I sin and get shot in the chest like dad?"

     "I'll walk you to school then," replied Archie.

     I pursed my lip and looked at my brother. As sarcastic as I was, I was actually genuinely scared. I've never done anything that sinful but I was still afraid. I've been on edge ever since that day. I've been feeling the same way I did after the shooting, that butterfly in my stomach gut feeling.

     "Can I not, Arch?" I asked.

     "No," he said flatly.

     "Ew you're ugly, Archie."

     I accepted defeat and walked to school with my brother and his girlfriend. Not gonna lie though, I did feel safer. Since that day onwards it has just been paranoia to the maximum and that death threat from the Black Hood was not helping.

     Even though coming to school was a daily occurrence, it felt foreign to me. I've been hanging out with the Serpents a lot lately, I mean, it was my job but I've also been hanging out with them outside of work. Unlike the friends I had in school whom I only hang out with in school. Every waking moment I spent in school the more I yearned to hang out with the Serpents.

     I wasn't able to pay attention in class. Being outside of the comforts of my own home was as if the Black Hood was breathing down my neck. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be around my friends. I wanted to feel safe.

     But I had band practice after school so that was a no go. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this school was a shit show. These people were competitive, shallow, no soul. To think these were the same people who condemned the Southside. Please, the Southside is definitely better than these people.