✔️| 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡

Chapter 3.

The drive-in. God, this place is going to be missed. I remember spending most weekends here with Jughead when we were little, then Betty, Archie, Kevin and Veronica as our friend group grew. The smell of buttered popcorn flowing through the air. Sitting in the back of a car huddled up in blankets in an attempt to stay warm on those cold nights in Riverdale. Hopefully, tonight will be peaceful and unproblematic, but then again it is Riverdale.

Kevin walks off to get popcorn for the three of us as Veronica and I finish setting up the seating area on the back of Kevin's pickup truck, an array of blankets and pillows set up to make the cool metal somewhat comfortable. Kevin comes back and Veronica places a blanket over the three of us. I don't know why she decided to wear a short, black dress to a drive-in movie theatre but I guess that's just how the Lodge family do it. The projector flicks on and the movie starts playing on the big screen.

It's about halfway through the movie and Kevin has gone off to get a refill of popcorn and Veronica just went off somewhere, maybe to see Archie. I decide to stretch my legs and try and find out what's taking Kev so long.

On my way to the shop, I text Gigi's friends' parents to see how Gigi is doing but then I feel a stinging sensation on my behind. "What the fuck!" I yell, turning to the teenage boy behind me smirking. The snake tattoos clear on his forearm letting me know he's apart of the Southside Serpents.

"Thought that might get your attention, you want some company? I can make some room for you right here" he says and he pats his lap.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not." I roll my eyes and carry on walking to find Kevin.

"Hey, hey, hey, come back. Don't judge the ride before you even try it," he smirks, grabbing my arm pulling me back towards him.

Fucking perv.

I try to push him away from me but his grip tightens on my arm, then all of a sudden the boy gets yanked backwards, letting go of me, and he gets punched in the face, hard.

"Next time you decide to put your hands on a girl like that, make sure she's single or that her boyfriend isn't one to mess you up," a familiar voice says, anger dripping from their words. Sweet Pea. He grabs my hand and quickly leads me to the secluded area behind the snack shack.

Where the hell did he come from?

"Since when did I become your girlfriend?" I ask, laughing.

"Since I decided you needed one momentarily. You're back on the market now" Sweet Pea answers.

"Damn, that's a record, dating and breaking up with someone in a whole thirty seconds," I say, doing a fake pouting face. By this point, my back was against the wall behind me and Sweet Pea was standing right in front of me. Very close I might add.

"Well, you're lucky that you even got the privilege, even if it was for a short time," he says, leaning closer to me.

"Well, there are better ways that thirty seconds could have been spent" I reply, looking up into his dark brown eyes and he puts his hands against the wall, trapping me.

"Oh really?" he questions, intimidatingly, and I nod, gulping as his face gets closer to mine. "I think I have a general idea of another way, but I think it'll be longer than thirty seconds." He leans even closer, close enough to lightly feel his breath against my skin. I go to say something back to him but he cuts me off by his lips pressing against mine.

Well shit...

I kiss back and place my hands on his cheeks. The kiss quickly gets heated and he moves his hands down to my waist. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my hand through his hair. He starts kissing down my jaw and on my neck. My breath hitches as he lightly sucks on a sensitive spot. He has definitely left a hickey on my neck and I can tell he knows it because I can feel him smirk against my skin.

My phone starts ringing and we break apart from each other. I look at the screen of my phone and see it's Veronica calling me. "Hello," I say, answering the call, and try to get my breath back.

"Where the hell are you? I'm at the truck and both you and Kevin aren't here. And why do you sound out of breath?" Veronica asks.

"I went looking for Kevin after you left" I answer, ignoring Veronica's second question.

"Oh ok, well hurry up and come back to the truck, you're missing out on the movie and snacks," she says then hangs up.

"Who was that?" Sweet Pea asks.

"My friend, Veronica, she wants me to go back to her because she's alone," I answer, putting my phone back in my pocket. "Kevin hasn't gone back."

"Who's Kevin?"

"Don't worry, he's gay" I reply, giggling at Sweet Pea's jealousy, and he nods.

"I've gotta go," I say, looking up at Sweet Pea.

I sure do say that a lot to him...

He grabs my hand as I go to walk away. "Wait, can I get your number?" I nod. I grab a pen out of my bag and push up the sleeve of his leather jacket, lightly dragging the tip of the pen over his skin; the blue ink marking my number on his arm.

"I know I'm from the North and you're from the Southside, but I don't think you're as bad as people make you out to be and I want you to know that. So feel free to use that," I say, pointing down to my number. He nods and yanks down his jacket sleeve.

"I'll let you go now."

* * * *

I get back to Kevin's truck and see it's only him there. I climb onto the back and sit down next to him. "Where is Ronnie?" I ask.

"She left us for Archie because we took too long to get back" Kevin answers, turning to me, and he looks at my neck.

"Holy shit, you've got a hickey and I know that wasn't there before," he says, shocked but excited, and I quickly undo my ponytail to hide it. "Tell me everything!"

"I may or may not have just been with a Serpent," I say, trying to hide my smile at the thought of Sweet Pea.

"Damn, you're not as much of a goody-two-shoes as I thought" Kevin replies, excitedly. "Did you just meet him? What's his name? Tell me everything."

"I met him on Friday, and his name is Sweet Pea."

"I ship it," Kevin says loudly and people yell at him to be quiet. We both look at each other then burst into quiet fits of laughter.

"Spill your story" I whisper. "What took you so long to get back here?"

"I also made out with a Serpent, and his name is Joaquin" Kevin answers shyly, and I look at him shocked.

"Get it, Kevin!"

"Says the girl with a hickey on her neck, you're lucky your mother isn't home for a couple more days."