𝖛𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 ↠ sweet pea [2]

|| SIX ||

"Hopefully this will be the last time we're piling into that courthouse," Lauryn sighed while she brushed through her hair with a comb. "There must be something to prove Archie didn't do anything. I hope Veronica figured it out."

"Hopefully, he is as innocent as everyone's been trying to convince them all," Sweet Pea replied, and Lauryn gave a frown.

"Why wouldn't he be?" she asked. "I thought you'd be familiar with Hiram Lodge's knack to manipulate the whole town by now."

"He held a gun in my face last year, did you forget that?"

"Of course, not. But, remember what was going on at the time. He was looking for the Blackhood, who shot his dad. Hiram Lodge was also behind that whole Red Circle thing, too, I'm pretty sure."

Sweet Pea didn't reply for a moment. "I guess you're right. I don't know. It's hard to defend someone who I don't exactly have great memories with."

"I get that but I trust Veronica's judgment. I mean, she's going against her own family here," Lauryn concluded, before a sickening reminder of Josie McCoy found its way back into her mind. "Are we gonna sit with Josie today?"

Sweet Pea shot a blank look at Lauryn, even though he was drowning in guilt when he remembered what happened at the pool party. "No, not that I know of. Lauryn, why are we still talking about her?"

"No, I just," she paused, swallowing. "I'm just struggling to really understand where we're at right now."

Though they had discussed it what felt like millions of time, Lauryn still didn't feel any better about it. It was almost as though she was trying to convince him to put her out of her misery.

Sweet Pea found her waist from behind her as she stared herself down in the mirror, her eyes piercing into his soul so hard it almost burned. "I'm with you."

"But--"

"Lauryn, I basically told her to fuck off that night at Pop's, you know that right?" he explained, his hands tracing over the belt around her jeans. "She can try as much as she wants."

He had made his decision, but he couldn't change what he had done. Telling Lauryn that would surely shatter her heart to pieces, but he knew who he wanted, and so he felt it didn't matter anymore.

"I can't feed Courtney," Lauryn confessed. "I've tried so many times."

"It's fine, keep her on the formula."

"I spoke to FP," she added. "I didn't want to break Serpent tradition. I know it's unorthodox--"

"Who gives a shit?" Sweet Pea chuckled. "You got a kid to feed. I don't think it matters how you do it. That old testament should've been tossed away years ago."

"I guess," she tilted her head. "I don't know, I guess it's more of me feeling like I'm not taking care of her properly. I mean, I've been working a lot, and now I'm second-in-command and I feel like I have even less time with Courtney."

"Tell Jones you don't want to do it then," Sweet Pea shrugged. "Simple. He should understand. If he doesn't, well that's just proof that he's insecure about his leadership."

"His shaky leadership skills don't make me less nervous about the fact that our rival gangs are still out for blood. Just when I thought the Ghoulies were annoying enough, we get the Red Skulls just to top it all off."

"We don't know that," Sweet Pea shook his head. "They could be using the town as a way-station, a place to stack up before they go to the next town they wanna traumatise."

"I mean, I hope that's the case," she sighed. "I really wanted this year to be uneventful, like we talked about, where nothing happens."

"It's Riverdale," Sweet Pea scoffed. "I don't think there's ever been a year which is slightly uneventful. It's just our turn to feel the wrath of the curse which circles it's way through every year."