Just The Two Of Us <Sweet Pea FF>

63. October

Jug is visiting this new school, Stonewall Prep. Although I've never heard about it before it must be pretty snooty. Anyway he asked me to accompany him since I'm interested in literature as well.

School just ended and I'm making my way outside to meet him at his motorcycle.

"Julia!" Kevin appears to my right and grabs my upper arms.
"Kevin... what's going on? Your hurting me"
"You need to tell me if you are the mole? It's really important. Are you?" Kevin screams in my face, his eyes widened.

"What?" I have no idea what he is talking about.
"It's just pretty suspicious that you come back and then mysteriously someone let's information slip about the farm" his grip tightens.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm not-"
He pushes me back until I hit the hard steel of the lockers and the books I held in my arms fall to the ground. You can literally see the madness in his eyes.

Someone pushes Kevin away. He looks one more time at me before he walks away rubbing his arm.
My head turns to look at the guy who just helped me. He is handsome with his dark skin, black hair and eyes just as dark. He has broad shoulders and a muscular body. After picking up my books, he hands them to me.

"Ehm, thank you"
"No problem, I'm Munroe" his hand reaches out to me and I take it.
"Julia" I smile "And my last name is monroe, that's hah quite a coincidence"
"I guess" he starts chuckling with his deep voice.

"What was this about?" His hand goes up to his neck, rubbing it.
"Oh, don't worry. I know him-" a look at my watch and I realise that jughead must be waiting for me "I'm sorry but I really need to go. It was nice meeting you" and I rush off and hear a distant "you too" from behind me.

"Jug" I cough out of breath "I'm sorry... I..."
"Calm down. It's not like I expected you to be on time. Hop on and let's go"

Half an hour later we enter the giant hallway of this fancy school.
It's like an old university, build like a castle. Inside high ceilings and furniture made of mahogany.

"Hey, are you Forsythe?" A blonde guy in a sweater and tie approaches us.
"Yeah"
"Bret Weston Wallice. Mr. Chipping asked me to roll out the red carpet" they shake hands
"You can just call me Jughead"
"I prefer Forsythe" Bret replies and I can't help but giggle a little bit.

"Who's your friend?"
"Julia Monroe" I take his hand
"Cute. Very Sweet Valley High. Let me give you some stats"
And we start going. He shows us the entire school, talking about it's history until we somehow ended up in a salon talking about Moby-Dick.

"It's... a great opportunity for sure" I tell jug as we enter fistelhouse, music already blasting from the backyard.
"I wanted to know how you liked it but well" he chuckles rolling his eyes.

The garden is decorated with beautiful red lamps and people are dancing and chatting everywhere. Definitely cooler than the last student dance.

We are greeted by Archie and the guy who helped me this afternoon. Somebody pushes drinks into our hands.

"Hey Ju" Archie hugs me "do you know Mad dog?"
"Hey, yeah. Mad dog?" I ask, laughing.
"Just a nickname, I-" but he is interrupted by Cheryl tapping on her glass.

"My esteemed guests, may I have your attention please?" The music stops "Students of Riverdale, we have a new enemy in our midst. This kill joy is our new principle Mr. Honey"
The students start murmuring and booing.

"However, never fear" Cheryl continues cherishly "I, as your student body president, will make sure that he's beheaded by homecoming or my name isn't Cheryl Marjorie Blossom"

"Her second name is marjorie?" I giggle looking at Archie.
The music starts again and everybody cheers.

Archie then pulls me aside.
"So, what do you think about Munroe?"
"I, eh, he's nice and ehm not bad looking, I guess. Why?" My eyebrows pull together in a frown.
"He asked me about you. I think he might be interested..."
Archie continues talking but his words fade into the background as I spot sweet pea walking inside the house.
"I'm sorry, we'll talk later, i have to do something" I run after him.

I find him at the bar to get a drink, alone.

"Sweet pea, hey" it feels like my heart is beating in my throat, about to explode.
His face turns and he looks down at me. Eyebrows shooting up.
"Oh, Julia, hey"
My heart flutters at his voice, the sound of my name having a wonderfully familiar feeling, coming from his mouth but at the same time it is so weird.

"I was hoping to talk to you"
"Ehm, okay" he walks back outside and I hurry after him as I realise he wants me to follow him.

Now I stand right in front of him, beside this hedge, far away from the party so that the bass of the music can only be heard in the background.

"First of all, i wanted to apologise that I just left like that" I don't know why it's so hard for me to get these words out, hadn't I reenacted this scenario thousands of time in my head. The words planned and laid out right in front of me. Total black out. My mind is blank.

"And I wanted to talk about... you and me, since I'm back now"
"Yeah, me too"
"Really?" I breath, hope flowing through my veins
"Before you left we fought a lot and you were right, it was probably best to break up"

Every last bit of air has left my lungs and I feel like I can't breath.
His words make its way ever so slowly up to my heart, closing around it like an icy fist. I try to keep my guard up but I must be an open book instead.

"What did you want to say?" His head tilts. My eyes must have given it away.
Keep it together Julia, gain composure and control your face!
"Yeah, the same ehm thing"
"So we can stay friends if you want to" he says with such monotony I feel like I'm dreaming.
"Yeah, sure, great. I better get going then, archie wanted to talk to me about something. See you around, friend" a nervous laugh escapes my mouth, my hand flies through the air in a pathetic attempt to do some kind of gesture and I turn around to leave.

On my way back to the others I bump into toni.
"I saw you guys talking, are you trying again?" An excited smile spreads over her face just to fade away seconds later. I turn to look at what she is looking at.
Sweet pea making out with some girl.

"Yeah, well he wanted to stay like this" i croak
"But you wanted to get back together, didn't you?" She touches my arm sympathetically, a pitiful expression on her face.
"We are friends now, it is probably for the best to stay broken up. So anyways I think I need another drink"

I walk to the bar. There is only one person that can help me now and his name is Tequila. I pour some of it in my cup and walk back to Ronnie, Betty, Jug and Archie.

"Oh Ju, could you talk to Reggie? His father beats him and I thought... you would... you know?"
Am I the president of crappy lives now?
"Sure" I sigh and pour the liquor down when suddenly a police car pulls up and fp gets out. Tires screeching, sirens wailing.

"Party's over. Everybody go home. Go home. Move" stepping closer to us.
"Jughead, Julia you better not be drinking whatever is in that cup" he points his finger at us. Jug pours his drink on the grass and I spit mine back into my cup.

I guess it's over. Everything is over.