Unsteady

Reuniting

Lauren
Word had just got out that Archies father was shot. We had all went to the hospital ad hugged Archie as he cried silently. Ive never seen him so broken before, it was as if his life just ended.
    I understood why he was so broken up about it though. His best friends were being forced to move away, his Dad is clinging on to life at this exact moment and none of us know exactly why happened in Pops.
    "Dont worry Archie your dads a fighter. He's gonna pull through. I just know it." I had said. Ive know Archie and his dad since forever they were always a second family for me and Jug.
    It was the next day when Jug and I walked over to Pops. It was completely empty, almost like no one would be coming in anytime soon. Once we told the rest of the group, Betty had told us not to worry about Pops and to worry about our dad instead she would take charge of saving the one place in town that I felt safe.
    We had been coming into Archies house when Jughead suddenly pulled me behind him. At first I didn't understand why then I say Archie with a bat. I zoned out as Jughead told him about what was happening with our father.
    I couldn't keep listening to what Jug was telling Archie, so I turned around grabbed my leather jacket and carefully pulled it over my cast carefully. I turned around and waked out the door. I put my headphones on and started walking. I didn't even notice I was on the Southside. I slowly looked up as the song ended. I zipped up my leather jacket and let my hair down to blend in more after all I did grow up here. Suddenly I saw the all too familiar serpent jackets but I only recognized the pink haired girl.
    "Yo Topaz!" I yelled as she turned around along with the guys she was with.
    " Oh my god LoLo! Is it really you?" She asked surprised to see me I guess.
    "Yep it's me in the flesh so to speak." I said with a slight laugh while taking off my headphones and putting them in the pocket of my leather jacket.
    The two guys she was with kept looking at me, I guess they don't know who I am.
    "Hi I'm Lauren. Toni was my best friend before I was forced to move with my brother." I said before slowly looking up at them.
    "This is Sweet Pea and the other one is Fangs." Toni said before noticing the cast on my hand. "What the hell happened to you?"She exclaimed while carefully grabbing it.
    "Well that's kinda a long story. There's this girl Cheryl who lost her brother recently and she was going to kill herself by drowning in the now frozen Sweet Water River, until I broke the ice to save her which also broke my hand." I explained trying not to make eye contact with her.
    "Well damn, was anyone else with you?" She had asked while taking the sharpie out of my pocket.
    "Wait a minute you just carry around sharpies in your jacket pocket? And you broke your hand for a Blossom?" The guy who I think was Sweet Pea interjected.
    "Yea why does it matter?" I asked with an attitude while turning back to Toni and saying "Yea Jug, his girlfriend, his best friend and his girlfriend." I then rolled my eyes after mentioning Veronica because I absolutely despised her at this point.
    "Well damn remind me not to get on your bad side." Fangs had said before turning to Sweet Pea.
    "Oh and Toni guess who's transferring schools tomorrow." I said with excitement in my voice.
    "I already know I'm giving you guys the tour." Toni said taking the excitement out of it all.
    "Well dang buzzkill. I'm just glad I finally get to escape the rich bitch." I said referring to Veronica.
    "Which rich bitch aren't here many?" Sweet Pea has asked while finally looking at me
"Yes there are many but I'm talking about Veronica freaking Lodge. That girl is so freaking annoying I want to punch her but now I can't." I said while looking down at my hand.
"I'll punch her for you. I mean what do I got to lose." Toni said while getting read to punch someone. I looked at her and shook my head. She was still the same Toni I used to know.
"Nah it's fine my hand should be better soon and I can mess her face up so much Andrews won't want to be with her anymore. Anyways I should probably head back. Jugs probably worried. I kinda left without saying anything. I'll see ya tomorrow TT." I said while hugging her. I turned to the boys and said, "see ya around." While winking at Sweet Pea.
I walked back to the Northside to get ready for tomorrow. I can't wait to go to Southside tomorrow and with that thought I fell asleep.

    Once my alarm went off I got up and got ready while pulling together an all black outfit and pulled on my favorite leather jacket.
    "Jughead lets go! I wanna see Toni!" I yelled up the stairs as he came down.
    "Alright let's go." He said walking past me towards Southside High.
    "Yay I get to see my best friend." I said slightly dancing around.
    Once we arrived at the school we were met with Toni. She immediately hugged me and I hugged back.
    "Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third. Good to see you again." She looked at him up and down before turning around.
    "It's Jughead but anyways on with the tour." I said breaking the silence.
    Toni gave us the tour and wow this school seriously sucks.
    "I'm going to just sit alone." Jughead said as I looked between Toni and my brother.
She didn't seem to understand that he liked being a loner. I ended up sitting with Jug instead of Toni. I couldn't leave my brother unprotected even if I have a broken hand I'm still more of a fighter than him. Jug wanted to restart up the paper at Southside and I went with him. We'd already planned that I would edit his writing and maybe we'd convince Toni to do the pictures. Suddenly while we were in the middle of restarting the paper when in walked Sweet Pea.
    "Yo Topaz lets bounce!" He yelled before looking at both Jug and I. "You guy wanna come?"
    I looked at Jug before he said, "don't exactly have my beach bod yet." I tried so hard not to laugh but I just couldn't keep it in.
Jug looked at me with a face that said 'shut up'. I rolled my eyes at him. I just dont get him he will ask the Serpents for favors but wont hang out with them its stupid. He seems to always think I'm going to be there to protect him. I turned around and walked out the door. "Don't come crawling to me when you need someone to protect you!" I yelled back to him. I knew someone was following me but at this point I didn't care. I just had to escape. I started to run while plugging in my headphones and listening to music. I finally slowed down and sat on a rock. I just continued to think about my dad I really just wish he'd be able to just hold me right now.

    After I sang a little I felt better but didn't notice the two serpents that had followed me.
    "LoLo that was amazing. How did I not know you could sing?" Toni asked before I could answer she continued, "Why did you run off like that?"
    "Well first you never asked and I only sing when I either get mad at Jug or if I'm sad or bored. And second because of freaking Jughead he's annoying and thinks I'll always be there to protect him even though I can't protect him anyways with a busted hand." I said finally noticing I was crying.
    "Uh I should probably go, I'll see you guys later?" I said while trying to walk past the two serpents before I got pulled into a hug. I knew for a fact it wasn't Toni because they were much taller. I looked up to see Sweet Pea.
    "I should really go now I have to get my cast off and punch a Lodge in the face later." I said trying to break out of Sweet Peas grip.
    "Wait stay please?" He practically begged. I knew I had to get my cast off but I also knew I couldn't say no to him.
    "Fine but I really do have to get my cast off." He nodded in understanding and motioned for me to get on his bike with him and that's exactly what I did.