little talks [ sweet pea ]

━ FIVE

( 005 ) leather boy

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

JACKSON WAS VERY PISSED OFF. he ran his fingers through his long hair and let out a stressed sigh, tugging at the ends. he heard his mother apologise on the phone that was held by his other hand, and shook his head even though Layne couldn't see.

"you're staying in London for a year, abandoning your son for some guy you met who cant leave his town because he somehow got out of jail for god knows what."

"he's a nice guy, Jackson." his mother defended the man, making Jackson scoff and shake his head.

"you've known him for a week." Jackson rolled his eyes. "how could you know he wasn't in for domestic violence? or- or worse."

"because i trust him."

"whatever, mum." Jackson scoffed, again, and ran his fingers through his hair. a habit he gained when he was stressed and worried. "i'm hanging up. bye." and quickly, he hung up the phone. the boy shoved the phone into his hoodie pocket, hands intertwining and resting them on his head.

"didn't know Northsiders had family issues."

Jackson let out an embarrassing squeal and jumped around to face whoever the voice had come from. he calmed slightly, not much, at the sight of the Serpent from Pops.

"not a Northsider." Jackson sighed and turned back around, falling to his ass and hugging his knees to his chest. he heard footsteps beside him, Sweetpea plopping down beside him.

"well, you're definitely not a Southsider."

Jackson glanced at Sweetpea for a small second, raising an eyebrow at the Serpent. he took in the taller boys outfit. faded black jeans, green t-shirt, red and black flannel and a jean jacket. hanging loosely around his neck were three or four dog tags.

"i'm neither, actually." Jackson shrugged, ripping out the green-ish grass. "i'm a fucking idiot. thats what i am."

"aren't we all?" Sweetpea asked rhetorically. everything went silent between the two boys. Jackson was ripping the grass out from below him whilst Sweetpea played with his dog tags. "you okay?" Sweetpea asked after at least two minutes of contemplating what he should say.

Jackson nodded with his lips pressed tightly together, "yeah. i'm good." he muttered just loud enough for Sweetpea to hear. Sweetpea only nodded in response before jumping up and getting all the grass off of his ass. he extended his arm out to Jackson, chuckling at Jacksons confusion.

"c'mon, Jack. i'm walking you home." Sweetpea said and hoisted Jackson up once the Doherty boy realised what he was doing. it was a few minutes into the walk when Jackson asked.

"be honest with me, did my dad put you up to this?"

Sweetpea shrugged simply, "maybe, maybe not."

"are we suddenly playing heads down thumbs up, Leather Boy?" Jackson asked, his voice cracking slightly as he said 'playing.'

"who?"

"do you not know what heads down thumbs up is?"

"no?"

when they reached Jacksons house, he was reluctant to go inside. he didn't want to go home yet. he felt trapped inside that flat. instead, he turned around to Sweetpea and clapped his hands together awkwardly.

"can you skate?"

"yeah...?" Sweet Pea replied with furrowed eyebrows. Jackson smiled and told the taller boy to wait there before running into his flat and grabbing his skateboard and backup skateboard from the corner of his bedroom.

he chucked his backup skateboard to Sweet Pea once he got to the boy, "catch" Sweet Pea, not expecting the sudden skateboard being thrown at him, missed it making the board clatter to the bitchumen. Jackson stared at the board before slowly looking back up at Sweets, "bro... my grandma got me that board."

"oh shit, i'm sorry." Sweet Pea immediately apologised and grabbed the board. he dusted it off as if it actually had dirt on it making Jackson laugh.

"i was joking. both my grandmas have been dead for years and my dad got me that," Jackson flipped the board over to show the brand new grip, "its new."

"i can already tell you're going to shit me off."

Jackson smiled at the Serpent, showing all his teeth before dropping his board and quickly riding off, "try to keep up slow ass!"

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Jackson walked into the blue and gold with a bruised eye and a cut on his cheek. Jughead frowned at the boy, Betty gasping and quickly moving towards him.

"what happened?" she asked concerned, running her thumb over the cut.

"I fell off my board." he shrugged, leaving out the part where it was Sweetpea who 'accidently' rode in front of him and they both went tumbling down into the road which led to Jackson headbutting the Serpents knee. 

"Jackson! where the fuck- what the fuck happened to your eye?" Jackson sighed and pressed his hands against Kaydens chest and pushed him out of the office, Kayden immediately interrogating Jackson as they walked down the hall, "where in the flying fuck did you disappear to last night? and what happened to your eye?"

"my house." Jackson replied. if he told Kayden that he had a small argument with his mum and then went out skating until three in the morning with a southside Serpent, he'd get yelled at. he then pointed to his eye, "fell off my board and head butted my knee on the way down. no biggie."

"sure, sure. anyways... my mum and dad wanted me to invite you and your father over to our family lunch this weekend. my grandma and cousin will be joining as well as my two siblings."

"why do they want us there?"

Kayden shrugged with a frown, "i actually don't know... but my cousin is a Southside Serpent and hates my guts because when we were eleven i accidentally dislocated his jaw with a pipe and my grandma is very full on but super sweet. so just a pre warning."

"noted." Jackson nodded as he stopped at his locker to put his skateboard and other stuff in there.