history. | SWEET PEA [2]

CHAPTER TWO

THE day of Cheryl's pool party was hot, the blistering heat scorching every inch of Becca's skin.

It didn't help the sunburn factor that her new swimsuit aimed to show off as much skin as possible. The dark-haired girl had decided to toss out her old middle school one and buy something a little more updated.

The blue one-piece was connected by a small strip of fabric stretching across her stomach, knotted into a bow just below the dip of her chest. A pair of dark sunglasses sat on her nose, her hair pulled up into a ponytail, and a sheer, white cover-up hung loosely on her shoulders.

Normally, Becca wouldn't have bothered with such an outfit, Cheryl would be wearing something far more extravagant anyway. But today was different. Maybe it was the fact that Sweet Pea would be there. Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't seen any of her friends in months.

Or maybe she just wanted to show people that after everything, she was still here, still fighting.

Rebecca Mantle was a survivor.

And today, everyone at Cheryl's pool party would see it.

True to his word, Elio met both her and Reggie at the burnt-down remains of Thornhill. The brown-haired boy was shirtless, a pair of dark swim trunks hung low across his hips. Despite her annoyance at him, Becca had to admit, the dude was ripped.

"You must be Reggie, I've heard a lot about you," Elio stuck his hand out to her brother.

Reggie looked at it in contempt, but reluctantly, gripped Elio's hand in his own.

A firm gaze was set on his face, "And I've heard nothing about you Grande. Let's hope it stays that way."

Becca rolled her eyes, linking her arm through Elio's as he merely raised an eyebrow at her brother's threat. Ever since Dilton, Reggie had been even more overprotective of her than usual. Thanks to him though, Dilton had stayed at the bottom of Riverdale High's social hierarchy, even lower than before. The Bulldogs under his command made sure things stayed that way.

It'd taken everything in him not to round up the guys and go give Dilton a piece of his mind, Dark Circle style. But Becca knew if he tried that, it would only look suspicious to their father. Reggie had reluctantly agreed, though there were other ways to make Doiley's life a miserable hell too.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Reg," Becca muttered sarcastically, pulling Elio away as they approached Cheryl's rather large backyard pool.

Even from a distance, she could hear music thumping. Now, it was practically deafening, and as the pair entered, followed closely by Reggie, Becca resisted the urge to cover her ears. A volleyball court had been set up in the backyard, and people milled about with various drinks and snacks in their hands. It was almost ironic, seeing the Serpents and the Bulldogs mingle together with smiles on their faces. A couple months ago, and they would have been at each other's throats.

As Becca walked by a couple of people, some of them stopped to do a double take. Most of them eyed Elio though, curious as to who he was. As much as she wanted to keep what happened at the hospital private between her and Sweet Pea, somehow the story had spread like wildfire. She had no doubt their muffled whispers were about just that.

Archie, who had been busy sucking Veronica's face near one of the other tents, spotted Reggie from across the pool. With grins as big as their faces, both her brother and the red-haired boy embraced, giving each other a clap on the backs. A mess of 'dude's and 'bro's was thrown around between the two.

Becca noticed, with faint surprise, the fresh Serpent tattoo on Archie's bicep. Although it wasn't too jarring once she thought about it. There were Serpents in juvie, and if the red-haired boy was convicted and sent to a correctional facility, he'd need people to look out for him. After all, the Serpent King was his best friend.