Sunshine (Sweet Pea Fanfic)

Chapter 1

Today was THE day. The day that the Southside merged with the Northside in Riverdale High. If I hadn't been so happy last shift when Pop gave me a 50 cent raise, maybe I wouldn't have agreed to pick up Marleen's 1AM-7AM shift. I couldn't help it though, Marleen was raving on and on about Lucy's first day of Kindergarten and how she was going to miss it because of work. I felt terrible that Pop didn't give her the day off that I offered to swap shifts. 

But now I am running late and Cheryl Blossom will have my head for sure. For the last week Cheryl has been going on and on about welcoming in the Southside. I knew that she didn't mean welcoming in a nice way when we would talk about it on my breaks at Pop's, but Pop didn't.

So here I was, running up the stairs of Riverdale High with four dozen assorted donuts that Pop insisted I bring to help welcome the newcomers to our high school. 

"What kind of donut do you think Southsiders like?" Pop asked me one night. That should have been my first clue that old man was up to no good. "I think a nutty donut. What about you Jess?"

"I don't know?" I told him absentmindedly as I skimmed Vogue. "Chocolate Peanut Butter or something?"

He couldn't decide on one flavor that Southsiders liked so he made four different kinds of donuts. My grandfather always insisted in welcoming everyone by stuffing them with food.

I know Cheryl was going to hate me for bringing these but I could deal with Cheryl anger, I could not deal with my grandpa looking at me like I insulted an ancestor. 

Once I open the thick oak front doors of Riverdale High, I immediately start running. Weaving through countless bodies, I barely register that Southsiders have already showed up. I quickly spot the registration table for the new students and beeline towards it. 

"Listen up, Ragamuffins!" Cheryl demands, stopping me dead in my tracks. "I will  not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA suffer because classrooms are overcrowded with underachievers."

I was on the outskirts of this Northside v. Southside confrontation. The registration table was just behind Cheryl. I could get these behind her without causing a scene right?

I scanned the Southsiders to see if anyone was paying attention, spotting Jughead Jones and his little posse soaking up every word that Cheryl was saying and filing it into their little brains. Good, we didn't need to repeat this to them again. 

Strategizing, I decide to walk around the perimeter near the stairs to place them on the table behind her. 

"So please, do us all a favor, and find some other school to debase with your hardscrabble ways." Cheryl boomed. I used this to step outside the perimeter to walk between Reggie and Archie. Reggie already spotted me, using his hand on my lower back to guide me back behind Archie. 

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" A girl with bright pink hair comes forward, standing face to face with Cheryl. Perfect. I use this time to weave through the people by the stairs, Reggie following me lazily like a puppy. I'm going to have to talk to him later about this. 

"Happily, Queen of the Buskers." Cheryl counters. I can tell Cheryl is eating this up right now, she thrives on controversy. 

As I drop the donuts on the table, Reggie grabs my ass and twirls me around to pull me closer. Perhaps that would have been cute if we were an actual couple and my boundaries included that with him, but it only resulted in me backing up and bumping into the table. The screech the table makes on the floor reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.

"Reginald Mantle!" I scream, fuming as I hit his chest. "We have been over for months!" 

Everyone stops arguing around us. It is eerily quiet as everyone hones in their attention on us. I don't know if I could possibly be more embarrassed, heat rising to my cheeks. 

"Jessica Tate." Jughead Jones starts, "I didn't know the Devil still went to Riverdale High."

"Oh you know, Jughead. The Devil's work is never done here in Riverdale." 

"Looking like that, vermin?" Cheryl argues, stepping between Jughead and I, "I would be the last person judging Jessica Tate."

The stare off between Cheryl Blossom and Jughead Jones might as well have been Captain America versus Iron Man in that moment. We were witnessing the Riverdale High version of a power face-off. 

"Okay guys, everyone, can we just put our Northside-Southside differences apart and start over?A new slate?" Archie Andrews suggests, cutting the tension. He looks like he does everyday, shaggy ginger hair and a fitted t shirt and jeans. I always wondered how he got all the girls he does, nothing is particularly unique or important about Archie Andrews. 

"You don't speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews." Reggie interjects from behind me. "And need I remind you, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass."

"Happy to finish what was started." A tall boy with black hair responds, standing up from leaning on the lockers. He has to be at least six feet tall. When he turns to look at the girl with pink hair, I spot the Serpent tattoo on his neck. When his eyes lock on mine, I feel Reggie pull me back into his chest. The Serpent boy's eyes focus in on Reggie's hand on my waist. 

"God, I am so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now." Veronica asserts, standing in the middle of everyone. 

"Yo, where did these donuts come from?" Some Southsider with the same leather jacket exclaims, opening the first box of donuts and taking a huge  bite of a nutty donut.

"Fangs, we don't know where those came from." Jughead warns, walking over and examining a chocolate donut.

"They're from Pop's." Betty perks up, looking at me with a slight smile like she caught me in some act. Knowing Betty Cooper, she probably did. Everyone follows her insinuation, once again landing on me. I felt Neck Tattoo boy staring intently on me, raking his eyes through my features. 

I almost give Betty a smile in response until Cheryl looks at me like she is scheming up the most wretched warm up for me for cheerleading practice. I quickly regain my composure.

"Trust me, Cooper." I snap back suddenly, "They're not from the kindness of my heart. They're from Pop."

I shove Reggie away from me and storm off to my first period. I hear somebody breaking it up and telling everyone to go to their first class. 

Cheryl catches up to me quickly, "Wanna tell me what the fuck that was all about, Jessie? What is wrong with you?"