Night Fall | Sweet Pea (completed)

Chapter Twenty-One.

"Betty there has to be something else here? Can't you guys remember anything significant that could help Archie from that night?" I sighed as I rested my head in my hands on Betty's kitchen table whilst Sweet Pea massaged my shoulders gently. 

"What? Do you think we're lying to you Danica? My boyfriend was just arrested for the murder of some low-life and you think we're not telling you something?" Veronica snapped making me sigh once more as she went on her rant. "We went to Lodge cabin for a romantic couples weekend away, then these Shadow Lake guys broke into the lodge and robbed us. That was it." 

Betty and Jughead both looked at Veronica as if expecting her to continue on but she just shook her head at them hoping I wouldn't notice.

"You do realise we all saw that right? Did you three forget that there were three other people in the room?" Reggie spoke up as he gestured to both Sweet Pea and I standing next to him.

"Reginald, nothing else happened." Veronica spoke as if trying to convince him otherwise.

"Little rich girl doesn't want anyone outside of her inner circle to know the full truth. Why? Did red actually kill the guy?" Sweet Pea laughed as he begun drawing shapes on my back.

There was a long pause between the group as they all stared at each other, as if having a private conversation.

"Jughead, may I remind you that you're a Serpent? What happened to loyalty?" I spoke before Jughead nodded.

"One of the Shadow Lake boys stole Veronica's necklace. Archie ran after him, he was gone for twenty minutes until finally coming back inside looking startled. There was no blood on him but he looked pretty shaken up. He told us that the kid had run away but dropped the necklace whilst Archie was chasing him. I tried to talk to him after Betty and Veronica had gone to bed but he told me to drop it." Jughead spoke up as I rattled the information through my head.

"So you guys actually have no idea what went down between Archie and Cassidy? Great. The three witnesses don't know what happened. How are we expected to help Archie avoid jail if his best friend's can't even testify for him?" I leant back in the dining chair as our chances of saving Archie became smaller and smaller.

"I mean you could just lie? Say he never left the lodge and then found the necklace outside the next morning?" Sweet Pea suggested as everyone looked at him in shock.

"Yeah that's not how these people work Sweets but nice try." I whispered to Sweet Pea before kissing him on the cheek, when I turned back to the group I saw Reggie shifting slightly in his chair.

"What are we even meant to be looking for though? Seriously are we just meant to go to the Lodge which I'm sure is an official crime scene and just ask to do the police's job in order to save your friend?" Sweet Pea asked causing everyone to look at him in surprise.

"Why can't we go to the Lodge though? It's your place Ronnie?" Betty suggested looking between the five of us.

"Because the murder didn't happen in the lodge? Plus my daddy said they already locked down the entire surrounding area and to not go anywhere near it. Nobody but Sheriff Monetta and his men are allowed through." Veronica stated matter-of-factly.

"Why don't you seem to care more? Why don't you just go to the Lodge? Your boyfriend was just arrested for murder, with no strong alibi to save him and you're acting as though you just left one of your thousand bags in a taxi. completely un-phased knowing you can just get another one. Is that how you viewed Archie? As disposable?" I snapped at Veronica making her and everyone around me gasp.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you are Serpent? You're on the Northside because your gang lost a war. You're in this house because Betty allows it. You have no power on this side of the tracks. Not that it's any of your business but I actually love Archie, I don't care what you or anyone else may think." Veronica snapped as she stood up and walked closer to me, causing me to stand up.

"Oh sweetie I'm the one with a gang as a family. I was raised by gang members. I'm the one who protects my family and my friends at all costs. I would go to the ends of the earth for my fiancé and I would do it time and time again. You on the other hand? Your boyfriend gets arrested for the murder of some nobody and you won't even go back to the scene of the crime because your daddy tells you otherwise. I am nothing like you or your Northside friends and I couldn't be happier about that. Maybe I should have warned Archie off you when I had the chance." At this point I was standing inches away from Veronica. I could see her shaking and I didn't care. 

"Princess..." Sweet Pea grabbed my arm and pulled me back slightly trying to calm me down. Veronica didn't say anything as I grabbed my bag and walked out the front door. 

"What was that Dani?" Sweet Pea asked me as we got into the truck and headed towards our camping grounds.

"What was it? My childhood best friend was just arrested for the murder of some kid called Cassidy, not only is that weird enough but Hiram Lodge was standing in the gym watching the entire ordeal. Now his daughter won't even go to the crime scene because daddy tells her not too? It was him. Hiram had to have killed that kid or hired someone to do it just so he could pin it on Archie. Hiram is a mobster and I bet you his daughter is too." I sighed as I leant my head against the window of the car staring out into the Northside.

"Princess I know you're upset and I know all of your emotions are kind of out of swing with being pregnant and all but you can't blame Veronica for her father's actions. You of all people know that." I sighed as I looked over at Sweet Pea knowing he was right. His hand rested on my thigh as he drove through the streets.

"I know you're right, and I know I have to apologise to Veronica. However can we please just go home for now? I need a nap after all that's happened." 

"Of course beautiful. You take a nap and I'll head out and grab Pop's for dinner, how does that sound?" Sweet Pea's smile widened as he saw my eyes light up.

"You know exactly what I'm craving and I love that so much. It makes this whole pregnancy thing a lot easier." I winked at Sweet Pea as he started laughing, pulling up at the campgrounds we live at.

"Let me guess a beef burger with nothing but cheese and a vanilla thick shake?" I laughed at Sweet Pea before leaning over and kissing him on the lips as an answer. "You're so predictable and I love it." 

"Hey at least I'm not one of those girls who pretends she doesn't know what she wants to eat when in reality she knows exactly where and what she wants." I spoke as I jumped out of the truck gently.

"Not anymore at least. When we first started dating you used to always say you didn't mind where we went and then I'd take us to anywhere but Pop's and you would get so sad but pretend you enjoyed it. Trust me I'm so glad we've past that stage now otherwise who knows what you would do without your vanilla thick shakes." Before I could answer Sweet Pea kissed me on the lips to stop me from arguing back even though I knew it was true.

"God I love you Sweet Pea." I smiled as I walked into our tent.

"I love you too Danica." Turning around I saw the look in Sweet Pea's eyes as he stared at me, as if I was the only girl in the world. He stared at me like Flynn Rider stared at Rapunzel or like the Beast stared at Belle, as if I was his everything.