SLOW DOWN // Sweetpea

(10)

I just wanted to thank everyone who's read the story so far and is commenting such nice things about my book. I know I'm really slow at updating, but I'm glad some of you are enjoying it💖 also this is a pretty shitty chapter I'm sorry😬
-

Me and Jug sat in class, at Riverdale High, I was mindlessly tapping my pen on the table and Jughead was typing away on his worn away laptop as usual.

"Mr Jones, eyes up front. You too Miss Jones." Our teacher says.

I snap out of my trance and look up at her, slowly nodding at what she said, Jug doing the same.

Once her attention was on something else I soon creeped back into my trance, tapping my pen away.

Cheryl's voice was in the background, but all's I could think about was getting out of this class and seeing Pea.

The bell catches my attention and I pack away my things as quickly as I could.

"Mr and Miss Jones, we look forward for your oral history report next week." I mentally groan and basically run out of the class, Jug following my steps.

"Slow down." Jug says, letting out a small laugh.

I stop for a second and we then walk step in step to our next class.

"I'll see you later Jug." I say, he nods as he pushes past the jocks and I sigh.

As soon as I walk into the class I see Pea perched on the edge of his desk and his eyes go bright when he sees me.

"Hey princess." He says, pulling me into a hug.

"Hey" I grin into his chest.

We pull away, and our teacher arrives, signalling to sit in our assigned seats.

Pea pulls me down next to him, and tells the other boy who sat here to basically fuck off, and I rolled my eyes.

"You love it really." Pea says, playfully hitting me.

I kick him back and he pretends to be hurt.

The teacher notices this.

"Nova I'm not sure that's your assigned seat."

I completely blank her, and look down at my book.

"Nova. I said-." She says sternly and I cut her off.

"There's no need to repeat yourself, she just ignored you." Sweetpea says, and I grin.

"Fine. Sit there. But if you talk to me like that again I will assure you will get a detention young lady." She says, and I shrug.

- -

The next day, me and Pea walk hand in hand to the student 'chillax' area as Pea likes to call it.

"Oh. Hey Nova, Sweetpea." V says.

"Hey V." I say, as Pea puts money into the vending machine.

"Are you coming to that Pickens day thing?" Kev asks.

I scoff.
"What with the Serpents being security? No thanks." 

"As I've told Jug, you don't have to work." V says.

I roll my eyes.
"The damage has already been done, V."

"That's exactly what Jug said." V says.

"Creepy." Kev mutters under his breath and I laugh.

I give a small wave to them and Pea does the same, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"How's the basketball going?" I ask him as we sit on a bench outside.

He shrugs.
"It's good. Plus I like to see the look on Reggie's face when I wipe the floor with him."

I roll my eyes.
"Well it's good you've found something you actually enjoy." I say.

He nods, taking a sip of his drink.

"I think I might quit the cheer squad." I say.

"How come?" He asks.

"I suppose I've just lost interest. I don't know. I'm not the same girl I was a few months back. I suppose I'm just more bothered about what my dads doing. I mean I know he's not a child, he doesn't need looking after, but after the 'alcoholic' episode he had before all of this, I'm scared something will go wrong and he'll slip back into his old ways." I admit.

Pea looks at me and shakes his head.

"Your dad has learnt his lesson. He said it himself, he wants to get things straight. He loves you and Jug, he won't make the mistake again." Pea says, taking my hand.

"What about your dad? Your mom? You've never mentioned them to me, or anyone." I ask, looking at him.

He leans away, shaking his head.

"My dad left me and my mom when I was around 12. He was always an asshole, can't say I wasn't expecting him to leave." He says.

"How'd your mom take it?" I ask.

He shrugs.
"She never really talked about it. We grew apart. Even with us two cramped up in that trailer, we don't talk much." He says, looking down.

I lean across, carefully picking up the silver dog tag around his neck.

"Was this his?" I ask, looking at the name on it.

He nods.
"Only thing I had left. Mom basically erased him out of our lives."

"I'm sorry." I whisper, letting go of the necklace.

He laughs.
"It's okay princess."

- -

Me and Jug sat at the serpent meeting area whilst Toni read Juggies article.

She finished reading, her voice straining at the end as if she was running out of breath.

She says some stuff to Jug, and I keep out of it for the most part.

"This wasn't your story to tell." She says to him.

"She's not wrong." I finally speak up, "I'm starting to think that your anger tonwards the Northside is getting a little bit too much. Using other people's stories that you had no right writing about to prove a point?"

I shake my head and Jug looks at me confused.

"Come on." I say to Toni.

-

Today was Pickin's day.

The day we protest.
This was Jug's and Toni's idea, and I couldn't be happier they're doing it.

I walked in between Fangs and Pea. Our mouths taped over, signs in our hands.
Toni was infront of us and other Serpents followed.

Everyone turned towards us.

"Toni? Nova? Jughead? What the hell is going on." V asks as she stops singing.
I stood next to Toni.

"We're here representing the dead and the silenced. Pickens Day is a lie.
General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, my grandfathers family. And this land, the land that we're standing on, the land that will soon give way to a new Southside, was stolen from them. And we can't bring them back, but we can and we must honour them." Toni finishes.

"Hey, folks. Hi, uh.. I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale where young people stand up for justice. Where a young woman can defend the honour and legacy of her grandfather. And where we can celebrate the living legacy of the Uktena, who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale, that is Southside and that will be SoDale. So let's hear a round of applause for that, am I right?" He finishes.

I ripped the tape of my mouth.
"Fucking asshole." I mutter, pulling a subtle middle finger at Hiram.

Jug pushes my arms down and shakes his head.

"What. I'm not wrong?" I say.

- -