VIPER • the serpent princess

15

It's just turned eleven o'clock when I walk back into the trailer. All the lights are off. But when I turn to walk for the bedroom, Sweet Pea is standing there.

"You didn't call or text. Got worried" he states.

"Sorry, I just-"

"The kiss. Look I'm sorry I did it, it didn't mean anything. I didn't even feel anything when it happened, was just the heat of the moment. We're cool right?"

My heart breaks. This is what I wanted, I think. I nod.

"Yeah, of course. I felt the same" I agree, "I'm tired, we better get to bed"

"Yeah" he sighs, turning around and walking away.

I follow him to the bedroom, changing into my pyjamas and then getting into the bed. We both face the wall, away from each other laying on our sides. The air feeling colder than usual.

But when we wake up the next morning, everything is normal. In the next week were back to talking, laughing, watching cartoons, visiting the quarry and eventually the Wyrm. I even have been going to school, the Ghoulies and Serpents don't speak. No catcalling, no howling or whistling or even mention of the video. It's silent. Partly because, Fangs, Sweet Pea and the boys beat up the teen Ghoulies. Very badly. For them talking about me at school when I wasn't there. I didn't care that they did that, I was happy because it clearly shut them up. FP remains wrongly in prison, it was proven he didn't do it with a video of the kids father shooting him, but of course the cops keep the Serpent in jail.

I sit beside Sweet Pea on the couch, a lit cigarette resting between my fingers.

"I'm a bit over cartoons Sweet Pea" I admit.

"Shut up" he argues, "Cartoons are great"

"Says the sixteen year old Serpent" I laugh teasingly.

"Fine, no more cartoons. We're going to the quarry" he sighs, standing up.

We get changed, then ride our bikes to the quarry. We meet Toni and Fangs, the four of us sitting at our table.

"Anyone thinking that the Ghoulies have been weirdly quiet lately?" Fangs states.

"Don't jinx it Fogarty" Toni scoffs, "I'm loving this no violence thing"

"I'm not" Sweet smirks playfully, "Come on Fogarty, you and me let's go"

The boys run off, being idiots. I laughe atchifn at the other Serpents surround them and howl. I roll my eyes.

"Boys" I chuckle.

"So how have you and Sweet Pea been? Since the never-spoken-about kiss?"

"Fine. Normal" I respond fast, not wanting to discuss it.

"That's what you think, yeah you two are acting normal. But you both sneak a peak at each other whenever you can" she teases.

"He said the kiss meant nothing, he felt nothing and that it was a mistake. The kiss meant nothing"

"And you told him you felt the same"

"Yeah. I did"

"But you didn't. So if you could lie about how you felt? Couldn't he have as well?" she sighs, looking to me carefully.

"He didn't lie. No boy has feelings for me Toni. They just want to have sex with me and fool around. I'm unloveable" I chuckle.

"Don't say that"

"Why? It's true Toni"

"We are going to go get us all some pizza, meet back at the trailer" Sweet Pea states, still laughing with Fangs beside him.

"Alright, be quick I'm hungry" I order.

"Sure thing boss" he scoffs, winking at me playfully before walking away, getting on to his bike.

With that, Toni has to go to her shift at the Wyrm and I head back to the trailer. I get on to the couch and turn on the TV. However, when I look at the clock it's been an hour since Sweet Pea went to get pizza. I call his number.

"Casey"

"Fangs? Where the hell are you two?" I ask.

"There was an accident. Some Ghoulies, they ran Sweet Pea off the road. He is okay, just cut and bruised, he got knocked out. We're on our way back to the trailer now-"

"Why the hell didn't yo I call me as soon as it happened?" I hiss.

"He didn't want to worry you. He's fine alright Case, I'm bringing him home now"

"Next time you don't tell me shit like this Fogarty, I'll rip your balls off" I threaten annoyed.

"Alrighty then, I'm hanging up" he responds, before the call ends.

My phone sings and I look at the screen, it's a text message. From the same unknown number that sent the video.

UNKNOWN: We're even. No more retaliation. Or us Ghoulies will never stop.

I bite my teeth together furious that they did this to Sweet Pea. That he was the target. I pace up and down the trailer, until the door opens and my head shoots up to see Sweet Pea and Fangs. Sweets left side of his face has a huge graze, not deep though and his lip is split.

"See, I'm fine. I just hit my head" he explains.

I walk over to the both of them.

"You hurt your chest?" I ask.

"No why-"

I hit him on his chest hard, then hitting Fangs. They both since and step back.

"That! Is for not calling me the second it happened!" I shout, "Now, I got a text from the Ghoulies. Saying we're ever but if we retaliate, they will and won't stop"

"If they call that retaliation for what me and the boys did that's fine!" Sweets laughs, "I've got a graze and busted lip, we gave four of there guys arm casts"

I lean against the bathroom door, looking at Sweet Pea who takes off his shirt, sitting down on the bed. He has dark bruises on his back from hitting the road. He catches me looking at him, but I don't shy away.

"Those bruises are bad" I stated worried.

"Lucky I'm a tough guy" he grins playfully.

"You could have been seriously hurt Sweet Pea! Because of me! Don't you understand, I can't loose you either. If anything happened to you because of me I'd never forgive myself"

"The kiss. Be honest with me, how did you feel"

I look to him shocked, how fast the subject changed and him mentioning the never-spoken-about kiss.

"I told you, I felt the same as you-"

"I lied. I didn't feel nothing. I felt everything. I wanted to kiss you and I wanted to keep on kissing you. Hell I want to kiss you right now!" he scoffs.

We stand in silence, then I rush over to him, going on my tippy toes and reaching my lips to his. His hands go on my waist. We kiss hard and passionately, he walks back and sits on the bed. My hands go up his back, feeling his muscles. We move so we are on the bed properly, I sit with my legs either side of Sweet Peas waist. My hands on his neck. His lips move to my neck and I go to put my hands on his face, but feel his graze.

"Sweets, I don't want to hurt you" I whisper, his lips still on my neck.

He leans back, putting his hands on my cheeks.

"You could never hurt me" he declares.

With that, our lips collide back together.