Polaroid // Reggie Mantle (2)

Chapter Eight

"So you're telling me that you owe $2,000 in bills, and only have $100 and no way to get any more?" Sweet Pea questioned.

Caia sighed. "Basically.

"God." Sweet Pea scrunched up his face. "You need a drink."

"Yeah, but I don't have any money to pay for it." Sweet Pea chortled at the self depreciating humor and ordered another glass of whiskey for Caia.

While he was turned away, Caia turned her attention to the stage of the Whyte Wyrm. Some girl, no more than thirteen, was completing the serpent initiation. Caia cringed. She knew if she ever wanted to become a serpent shed have to do exactly what the young girl was doing. She'd have to dance on that same stage in front of the predatory eyes of dozens of serpent men.

The thought of it made her shudder. She wished she could go through the boy's initiation. Getting punched seemed so much easier than flaunting her body, especially to someone like Caia, who had spent a good portion of her life being hit anyway.

Her attention was drawn away from the stage when she felt a hand clap her back. She grew rigid at the touch. She hated being touched without warning, even if it was by her friends.

"Hey guys," Fangs greeted. Sweet Pea turned toward them, sipping from his glass. "Are you on a date?"

Sweet Pea's eyes grew wide as he choked on the alcohol he had just consumed. Coughing, he spit it out, splattering the floor with the clear liquid. "No," he quickly refuted as soon as he could speak without coughing over her words.

Caia's became increasingly offended. Was Sweet Pea really that mad to be thought to be on a date with her? "Hey!" She exclaimed, punching him on the shoulder, hard. "I'm not that bad. If anything, I should be the one insulting you."

"Whatever, Sinclair."

Fangs looked around the dimly lit bar. "Let's get out of here," he suggested. "It's lame."

Caia shrugged and jumped off the barstool. Sweet Pea downed the rest of his drink and followed suit. "Alright, let's bounce," he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together and leading the small group to the bar doors.

They headed to the convience store, where apparently her two serpent friends liked to hang out. Once inside, they made their way to the snack asile, Sweet Pea searching for some certain kind of chips.

"What are they called again?" Caia questioned. "Olive and Chive?"

"Cracked Pepper," Sweet Pea corrected. He bent down, searching through the endless amount of multi-colored chip bags. "I swear they just had them here last week."

Meanwhile, Fangs returned having scored the group their choice drinks. "Uh, peach tea for you," he reported, handing the orange bottle to Caia. "Fizzy water for me, and a monster for Pea." He handed the distracted serpent his can of pure energy.

Caia shifted her eyes suspiciously from Fangs back to Sweet Pea. "You know, for being some seemingly tough gang members, you guys sure do eat some weird things."

Fangs scoffed. "You call this weird? Toni eats Cheetos dipped in mayonnaise."

Caia recoiled. "Ewwww. Speaking of Toni, where is she?"

Sweet Pea, having his acquired his strange flavor of chips, stood back up. "Off with lover boy, Jughead Jones."

Caia rolled her eyes. "Lord help us all."

The group paid for their late night snacks and exited the convience store. They were laughing at a stupid joke Caia had just told, when they all noticed a figure in the distance spraying something onto the a pair of white doors down the sidewalk. It only took Caia a second to recognize the signature red hair off Archie Andrews. "Crap," she muttered, knowing their was going to be trouble.