Deadly || Sweet Pea [2]

12

Chapter 12 || Mother Dearest

"What the hell, Katarina." Reggie snapped at me through the phone.

"I'm sorry, Reg." I sighed, leaning against the wall of the payphone booth. "I just needed to get away from everything."

"You could've stayed with me, Katarina." Reggie huffed. "But you ran off with Andrews instead."

"No, I couldn't have stayed with you." I stated. "You know that he would've gone to your place first."

"Yeah." He sighed into the receiver. "He showed up the night you left. Nearly broke my front door and would've broken my jaw had I not ducked out of the way."

"I'm so sorry, Reg." I sniffed, feeling tears fill my eyes. "I didn't want that to happen."

"Are you okay, Kit-Kat?" Reggie asked. "Like, really okay?"

"No." I shook my head, wiping my tears away with my free hand. "I shouldn't be running from my problems in the first place, but now I'm royally screwed."

"Talk to me, Kitty." Reggie pleaded.

"If I go back to Riverdale, I have to deal with Sweet Pea." I started. "But if I keep going on this trip, I have to deal with my mother."

"What?"

"Jughead wants us to go see our mother." I sniffed. "I don't know what to do, Reg."

"Where are you?" He questioned. "I'll come pick you up. You can stay with me and you won't have to go to school and I'll keep you away from that Serpent."

"Kitty!" Jughead's voice called as he hit the phone booth. "We have to go."

"I, uh, need to go, Reg." I sighed.

"Where are you, Kitty?" Reggie asked.

"I'll call you when I can." I sniffed. "I love you, Reg."

"Kitty, don't hang u-" I hung up the phone and leaned against the booth. I took a deep breath and then ducked out of the phone booth.

"Are you o-" Archie started.

"I'm fine." I cut him off. "Let's just go to my mom's before I call Reggie back and take him up on his offer."

"What offer?" Jughead questioned.

"His offer to come pick me up and take me home." I responded, picking up my backpack again.

"Ready to go?" The man in the truck asked. He'd seen us walking a couple miles back and offered us a ride. First, to a payphone, and now, to my mother's place. Apparently, he knew exactly who we were talking about, and had no hesitation in agreeing to take us.

"Yes, sir." I nodded, fixing my sweatshirt and climbing into the bed of his truck. Archie and Jughead followed suit, sitting on either side of me before we started moving again. I leaned my head on Jughead's shoulders and sighed. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

"You've got nothing to worry about, Kitty." Jughead stated, resting his head on mine. "We're in the same boat here."

"Except I disappointed our mother, and you became our father." I sniffed, closing my eyes.

"You have us, Kat." Archie spoke, grabbing my hand. "We're here for you."

The rest of the ride was silent, save for the winds that blew past us. Archie still held my hand, and Jughead still rested his head on mine. The truck pulled into a broken up driveway, turning around and parking. I lifted my head and saw a junkyard with makeshift lettering tangled in the chain link fence that read 'The Jones Yard'. Archie helped me out of the back of the truck, and while he hit the back of the truck to signal we were out, I stood frozen in front of the gate.