« Le coeur de témoin »
Once again, Clemintine walked up to Southside High. This time, FP was at her side. And a lone Serpent sat against the school.
"Last man standing." Clemintine smiled sadly at Jughead.
"What happened to no Serpent left behind?" FP joked.
"Ah, they were claimed by frostbite." Jughead answered. "They'll be back after some coffee. They'll warm up."
Clemintine set down the blanket in her arms, sitting atop it. "Too bad. We got a dozen burgers and blankets."
"Guess they're all yours now." FP set the bag down in front of Jughead, causing the beanie boy to sigh. "Come on, boy. It's just us three. We're not going to tell anyone you broke your hunger strike."
Jughead reached for the bag, and in under twenty minutes, finished ten of them. Clemintine smiled at her friend.
"So, uh..." FP sighed after some time of silence. "Just like clockwork, I got a call from Hiram."
"What's he offering this time?" Jughead asked. He wrapped one of Clemintine's blankets around himself.
"You know how they're saying SoDale will mostly be low income housing? Well, apparently, there'll be a few penthouses at the top. Would be more than enough space for all of us. Your mom, Jellybean... Just like you always wanted." FP took a bite from a burger. Clemintine had finished hers.
"Just imagine me, standing on that balcony and looking over a prison... Right in the same spot that all my friends and I used to go to school. And Jellybean, growing up in a town where... Best hope, or only hope aside from getting the hell out, is to work at a prison?" Jughead sighed.
Clemintine frowned. She hated seeing Jughead so upset. "It's not right."
"What'd you say to him?" Jughead looked to his dad.
"Nothing. I hung up on his ass and went to Pop's and got some burgers." FP slung an arm over Jughead's shoulder and gave him a side hug. "Get in here." FP commanded Clemintine. She smiled and awkwardly hugged the pair.
When the boys returned, and Clemintine was gone, each Serpent had a blanket wrapped around them, except for a shivering Sweet Pea.
Fangs was becoming annoyed at Sweet Pea's constant distaste for Clemintine. They had been inseparable at one point. "Can you just grow up? Sunny's been nothing but nice to you."
"I know." Sweet Pea spoke, his eyes still trained straight ahead.
Fangs rolled his eyes. "Then why do you hate her so much?"
"I don't hate her." Sweet Pea scoffed out. "I'm mad at you... And Reggie, and Jughead."
"What?" Fangs brows furrowed.
"You went out with her when I asked you not to. Reggie keeps trying to gedt back with her. I can never have a conversation with her, because he always butts in." Sweet Pea rushed out. Not once looking at Fangs. "Lately," He sighed. He glanced at Jughead. "She always takes his side. It's like they're a couple or something."
"Or something." Fangs responded. "Ever since you became a dumb ass, she turned to Jughead as her best friend. She would never date him, anyway. She likes you."
"She what?" Sweet Pea's head snapped to face Fangs, yet Fangs wasn't looking at him.
"I'm not saying it again."
"No, dude, really. How do you know that?" Sweet Pea's voice sounded urgent. His heart was beating quickly.
Fangs finally turned to Sweet Pea. "On our date... Every time I mentioned your name, her eyes lit up. Whenever she's around you, she's different. It's hard to explain."
Sweet Pea looked down. Slowly, a smile crawled across his face. "Zeke. Pass one of those blankets." He wrapped the cotton fabric tightly around himself, sighing deeply.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"Shut up." Fangs smirked.
🐍
Clemintine descended the stairs, her Serpent jacket across her arm. Julian sat at the table, Steven beside him.
"Are you going out?" Julian asked. Clemintine nodded. "Wearing that?"
"Go change." Steven instructed, sipping his coffee.
"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing." Clemintine looked down. She was wearing a black dress and thin black tights, with a pair of brown boots.
"At least change your tights." Steven looked back up at her. "Ones that don't show skin.... Please."
Clemintine didn't argue. She went upstairs and took off her tights. She dug through her drawers, finding a pair of ripped leggings. "Fight me." She spoke as she put them on and changed into a black top.
Clemintine was quick to exit the house. She tossed her jacket and phone into the passenger seat and drove in the direction of the Southside school.
As she parked, she looked at the crowd that had gathered. She put on her Serpent jacket and slid her phone into her pocket.
"Save our school!" The students chanted together. "Save our school!" She joined them.
Thunder began to rumble around them. Clemintine's eyes spotted Archie's red hair as he walked through the crowd. She also noticed the bolt cutters over his shoulder and the Bulldogs that followed behind him.
The chanting stopped as Archie reached Jughead, but Clemintine couldn't hear what was being said. She hoped her friends wouldn't be stupid.
Archie rose the cutters, releasing the metal around Jughead's wrists. Clemintine sighed in relief. This craziness was finally over and it didn't have to end in violence.
The crowd booed. Each Serpent walked off.
Sweet Pea scanned the crowd. His green eyes met her blue ones. He pushed past a few of his friends. Once he reached her, Sweet Pea put his arms around Clemintine. She was shocked by the action. "I'm so sorry." She didn't know what to say. Clemintine put her arms around Sweet Pea.
Rain began to fall. The teens pulled away. Sweet Pea placed a hand on Clemintine's cheek. The girls brows furrowed. "What's wrong, Sweets?"
"Nothing." Sweet Pea smiled. He pressed his forehead to hers. "Everything's fine." Clemintine smiled. "So, do you forgive me? After I've been such an idiot?"
"Yes." Clemintine answered. She didn't even need to think about it.
Sweet Pea's smile grew. Withing seconds, he pressed his lips to hers. He relaxed into the embrace as she kissed him back. He had wanted to do this for so long.
Clemintine felt as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest, due to how hard it was beating. Just like him, she had wanted this for so long.
"What just happened?" Jughead looked at Fangs, after watching the interaction.
Fangs put a hand on Jughead's shoulder. "Our boy just grew a pair."
"Should we stop them?" Toni rose a brow.
Fangs shook his head aggressively. "Hell no."
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𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 | ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ᵖᵉᵃ
Fanfiction« Book One of the Sunshine Series » Clemintine Bartholdy had lived across from Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper her entire life. Her father was one of Sheriff Keller's deputies and her mother taught at Riverdale High. Her life seemed perfect at first...
