𝖛𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 ↠ sweet pea [2]

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"What's going on?" Lauryn asked after FP let her into the Jones' trailer. He locked the door behind her, but all she could focus on was her brother sitting guiltily on the couch, his entire build shaking. "Fangs?"

"Turns out the dealer moving swiftly in the night has been your brother all along. Care to contribute to this discussion?" Jughead spat, slumped in a chair in a displeased manner.

"I know, and don't think I approve of any of this, but there's something you don't understand--" Lauryn tried to explain, but Jughead cut her off sharply.

"If you guys were hard up, you could've talked to me." 

"The quarantine happened. We needed money. You were gone," Fangs defended, the desperation growing in his voice. Lauryn couldn't stand to look at FP, she could feel the disappointment from him.

"Then you could've talked to me!" FP then snapped, making his way over to them angrily. "And what do you need the money for so bad?!"

The Fogarty siblings looked at each other, trying to telepathically decide who was going to be the one to explain. Lauryn nodded as she took the lead, biting her tongue in order not to cry when she saw her brother starting to sniffle.

"It was for me," Lauryn admitted, her eyes fixated on the floor. "I had a miscarriage a couple of weeks ago."

"And she's got treatments that we can't pay for," Fangs admitted, his hand landing on top of his sister's. "Fourteen thousand dollars worth."

Jughead and FP exchanged looks, FP rubbing his chin pensively. Lauryn briefly glanced in his direction, noticing he had his back to her which made her worry even more. She felt her lip tremble.

"You're like brother and sister to me, guys, we could've helped you," Jughead said, a lot softer this time than before.

"I was ashamed," Lauryn's voice cracked. Hearing her, FP pulled her into a hug, gushing her. "I'm sorry."

"I just wanted to help her," Fangs said, his voice quivering. "I didn't know what else to do."

"So, you started dealing Fizzle Rocks?" FP questioned as he tried to comfort Lauryn. "Where'd you get it? The Gargoyle Gang?"

Fangs nodded guiltily. "I'm out now, Lauryn made me quit."

"The punishment for breaking this code is immediate exile," Jughead reminded them, but then he took a look at Lauryn whose cheeks were rosy and stained with tears, and felt he had to reconsider. "However, you've both had a rougher year than most."

FP let go of Angel Face, strolling off into the kitchen with a sharp huff to think. He hit the wall with his fist. Lauryn pursed her lips together, wondering what FP thought of her now he definitely couldn't look at her the same way.

"I'm willing to look the other way just this once, but this has to stay between us, okay?" Jughead pointed his index finger at Fangs who didn't hesitate to nod. "And if I catch you dealing drugs again--"

"You won't," Fangs confirmed. "I'm done."

"I'm sorry, Jug," Lauryn cried, FP handing her a tissue. "I never meant for things to get this bad."

"Why didn't you tell us that you were pregnant again?" Jughead leaped up from his seat. "It wouldn't make any difference from before."

"You can say that now, but it would've," Lauryn argued, and Fangs got up to hold her steady. "I couldn't come to terms with it, how could I expect you to? Sweet Pea didn't even know until it was too late."

"We're your family, though, we could've protected you!" FP shouted, letting out a growl afterward. "You could've called me, at least."

"I thought you'd be mad at me..." Lauryn hung her head, realizing how irrational it was for her to think that he would ever have been upset at her, when he'd never been before, no matter how badly she messed up. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do."