Dark Secrets, Big Lies |Toni Topaz|

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １６ （Ｐａｒｔ ２）】

I couldn't believe what I just did to my brother as soon as he made it back onto his feet. I dropped my brass knuckles, no longer able to hold in my tears. I take off running to the bathroom locking the door behind me.

"Babe open the door." I hear Toni knocking "you did what you had to babe don't beat yourself up over it." I couldn't open the door I couldn't let Toni see me cry. "Toni just get him cleaned up."

I say trying to calm myself down. "Babe open the door please." "No Toni just get him cleaned up don't worry about me right now."

It wasn't the fact that I hit my brother it gave me flash backs to when I was little finding my uncle Frankie. My dad's little brother beaten to death outside of our house. Something I blocked out of my mind but seeing my brother bloodied and bruised brought it all back again.

After about 20 minutes I compose myself the redness from eyes gone. I take a deep breath and walk out of the bathroom where all of the Serpents are sitting around drinking. Waiting for me to finish initiation, I find Jug sitting with Sweet Pea. 

Redbeard cleaned up his face and hair from the blood, stitched up his cheek, his eye swollen badly but I can finally look at him without wanting to cry. "Can you give us a second Pea." He looks at me and taps my shoulder "yeah I'll go grab their jackets."

He says as he walks off. "Sorry about that Juggy." I say in a somber tone. He grabs my hand "you thought about uncle Frankie huh?" "Yeah that image is forever burned into my brain. But I'm fucking proud of you Juggy, I know Dad is fucking proud of you. Let's go get your jacket baby bro."

 Toni walks up to me and grabs me "what happened babe, are you ok?" 

"Yeah I'm ok now, sorry for raising my voice at you." She gives me a kiss "it's ok baby. Proud of you for seeing your first initiation through all by yourself." I give her another kiss "thanks babe, let's go finish this."

I walk on stage and whistle to get everyone's attention "Kato, Duke, Heathen, Ashland, Ronin, Jughead come up here." They all make their way to the stage clearly battered and bruised from the beating they all just endured. 

"You guys are the only 6 out of a group of 21 that deemed yourselves worthy of having these jackets draped on your backs. You guys know this is a forever thing welcome to the family, welcome to the Serpents." I say handing each of them a leather Serpent jacket and giving them a hug. The bar erupts in cheers for the new Serpents. 

"Now our seven newest Serpents enjoy yourselves, everything on us tonight."

I go outside for a minute to be alone, it's been a quick 2 years since I got my jacket. I didn't think I would get here so fast handling my own initiations. I wish my dad could have been here to see it, but I know he'll be proud. I know he's proud that his two oldest children are carrying on our families legacy. It might not be a legacy most people would be proud of passing on generation to generation but the Serpents were ours.

"Yo J, aren't you gonna come and celebrate?" Sweet Pea says as he sits down next to me. "Yeah I'm gonna have a few and then I'm outtie, I'm drained. Thanks for having my back and helping me through everything Pea, I couldn't have done it without you." I say leaning on his shoulder "you're welcome J, you know I have your back through thick and thin forever." He says wrapping his arm around my shoulder he gives me a kiss on the head "now let's go get us a drink." He says pulling me up off the ground.

Seeing our young Serpent group grow today makes me proud. I know I have the best of the best, it makes me confident that no matter what is thrown the Serpents way we will get through it. Any doubts I had about the Serpents turning a new leaf were all in the past. Today I seen what we were truly capable of, what I was capable of.