Polaroid // Reggie Mantle (2)

Chapter Nine

Caia was freaking out.

Caia had just learned some other information from her friends. Sweet Pea was angry about what Archie had done on his terf the few nights before. He hasn't been very happy about the gun, and he wasn't taking the threat lightly.

Sweet Pea had gotten a group of serpents together and they were planning on storming the Andrews household where they knew Archie would be. However, what they didn't know was what else was waiting for them on the Northside of town.

Caia had been strictly forbidden by Sweet Pea to stay away from the group gathering. He didn't want Caia with the serpents because, obviously, they were going to fight.

Despite the restrictions from her friends, Caia still found herself following the serpents on their motorcycles to Archie's house. She hid herself behind a bush near the front porch so she could hear the conversation between her two groups of friends.

The serpents, lead by Sweet Pea, charged up the porch steps. Caia gulped. Here comes the trouble, she thought.

The door swung open to reveal the red head Andrews boy. A slight stare down insued. SP finally broke the silence. "How stupid are you Northsiders?" He spat. "You really think you can come to my house, stick a gun in my face, in front of my friends, and their wouldn't be any payback?"

Archie didn't reply. The door swung open wider to reveal something none of the serpents had planned for. Reggie, and the bulldogs.

Caia's eyes widened. What the hell?

"You have crap timing, bro." Reggie edged out of the door towards the group he so hated. "Bulldogs eat serpents for lunch," he threatened.

"We'll we about that," Sweet Pea replied. He gazed around Reggie's head to the rest of the bulldogs. "The more the merrier," he retorted, knowing it would make Reggie mad.

It did. Reggie pushed Sweet Pea but was held back by Archie. "Chill," he warned. Reggie still kept glaring at Sweet Pea. Archie turned back towards his girlfriend. "Veronica, stay here."

"What? Archie, no!" She protested. She grabbed his arm. Archie turned to talk to her, partially secluded from the rest. Archie was so far inside and his voice was so low that Caia couldn't understand what he was saying. Finally, he turned back around.

"If you wanna fight, we'll fight."

"What about your gun?" Pea questioned.

"What about your knife?" Archie shot back.

Veronica let out an exasperated sigh and pushed herself to the front of the group. "How about no weapons?" She suggested. "If you chogladites insist on doing this, there are going to be rules," she commanded. "Or should I call Sheriff Keller to be referee?"

*

It was pouring rain by the time the fight was about to being. The two rival groups lined up across from each other, sizing up the opononets.

With the glistening leather jackets of the Serpents and the vibrant blue and gold jackets of the bulldogs, Caia couldn't help but thinking it was a scene straight out of The Outsiders. The two fueding groups from opposite sides of town, a misunderstood gang and the rich, preppy kids. It was uncanny how similar the two situations were.

Caia hid in the shadows on the side of the road. She was torn. She couldn't possibly choose a side to fight for. So instead, she made a different decision. She had to stop this.

She wouldn't fight for or against a side. She fight to keep them both apart.

Caia had only just made her decision when Archie threw a punch into Sweet Pea's face. This caused every one of the boys on both sides to charge.

Everyone had a partner and had started to maul each other. Caia breathed in deeply, pushing her now partly straightened hair out of her face. Then, she plunged deep into the mass of bodies.

Caia was trying to sepearte the fights, but the fighting boys didn't seem to get that. Or, they just didn't care.

Caia bounded toward a serpent who was laying punch after punch onto a bulldog. She tried to pull the serpent off, but only managed to get herself punched in the face. She stumbled backward, consequently running into a boy behind her.

The boy whipped around, grabbing the strangers shoulder and setting them in complete line for a punch. Caia squeezed her eyes shut, in anticipation of the blow. When it didn't come, she opened one eye to come face to face with Sweet Pea. He breathed heavily, his fist still in the same place it had stopped moments before.

"What are you doing?" He asked through clenched teeth. Caia didn't answer. Sweet Pea's nose flared. He shoved Caia to the side of the fight. "Go!" He commanded, pointing down the empty street. "Leave."

He didn't have time to make sure Caia followed through on these instructions as he was attacked by Archie. Sweet Pea took one hit before taking Archie over his back and slamming him to the ground.

As Archie fell to the ground, he caught sight of someone's shoes. They were regular high top converse but instead of the white details, they were light pink. They were girl's shoes.

What kind of guy wore his sister's shoes to a fight?

It was then that Archie realized they weren't someone's sisters shoes. They were Caia's. He was about to yell out to her when a kick the his gut distracted him.

Caia wasn't taking crap anymore. Once attacked, she finally fought back. And it felt so nice. She sent her fist flying into a leather clad sperpant's face. Then she brought her knee up into his stomach. When he bent over groaning in pain, Caia kicked he legs out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground.

As she was standing there, breathing hevaily, she was spun around and felt a fist hit her chin. She brought her fist up to fight back but her attacker grabbed her wrist in the air and snapped it back. She groaned in pain.

She felt herself being shoved into a car and a serge of pain through her back caused her to slip down the hood and onto the wet ground.

But Caia wasn't going down without a fight. She dragged herself back on her feet and searched for someone who needed help. She saw a bulldog punch someone who was already on their knees and she ran over grabbing the football player by their shoulders and throwing them to the ground. She kicked them in the side and heard Archie exclaim Dilton Doiley's name.

She whipped her head around and saw the tell tale glint of a blade. Meanwhile, the serpent she had thrown to the ground had now gotten up and kicked Archie in the stomach.

She started to make a move towards the two when she felt herself being spun around again. She flinched as a fist started coming towards her. But there was never an impact, once again. She was afraid She had been found by Sweet Pea again. However, she opened her eyes to see Moose with wide eyes.

"Oh lord," he mumbled. "Reggie's gonna kill you."

Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the air. Both Moose and Caia whipped their heads to where the sound originated from. There was Veronica, wearing a hooded cloak with a shotgun aimed at the sky.

The serpents started bolting. Caia's eyes darted around. She noticed Dilton being helped by Reggie, a knife handle sticking out of his leg. Instead of going inside with the rest of the jocks or running away with the serpents, Caia bolted back the way she had came, trying to avoid Reggie's or Sweet Pea's confrontation.