✓ 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 || 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐚

|F I V E|

[I care about you]

Hazel

"You seem to know the laws Hazel" Tallboy says after I recited all of the serpent laws. Toni and I asked Fangs to distract Sweet pea to make sure he wouldn't see me till after initiation. For my sake, he would have dragged me out by my french braids.

"Now retrieve the knife from the snake" he says in a stern voice. Toni warned me that this snake bit every person during initiation and even described the pain to me so I would be prepared. I walked up to the tank and looked at the snake eye to eye.

The snake was actually quite adorable. It looked at me and I could almost see the anger in it's eyes fade as it continued to stare at me. I smiled as it looked at me and I could have sworn it copied my smile.

I slowly reached my hand in the tank and the snake allowed me to take the knife, no harm done. All of the serpents in the bar were dumbfounded, letting out gasps as the snake crawled up my arm and rested around my neck as if it was a necklace.

I smiled and pat its head with my index finger, giving it a kiss after. Turning around I handed the knife to Tallboy, mouth agape as he took the blade from me. "What?" I ask innocently.

"Hazel how did you do that?" Toni questions. "I just looked at him and I guess he likes me" I smiled at the snake.

"You know what, take that snake home it obviously wants to be with you" Fp laughed. I smiled and put the snake back in the tank before looking at Toni, asking if I could have it.

She was just as excited as I was to be getting a pet. Jughead came and handed me my jacket. I smiled and took it from him, sliding my arms through the sleeves.

It fit me like a glove. Toni took the snake in the back where she could take it home with us. Tallboy offered me a shot but I turned it down. "Not a fan of drinking, sorry Tallboy" I apologized.

"What the hell is going on here" I hear an all too familiar voice come in. "Hazel?" Sweet pea asks.

"Hey Sweets" I wave with a nervous smile. He shakes his head disapprovingly and grabs my hand, leading me outside of the bar.

"What are you doing in that jacket Hazel" he demanded. "I joined the serpents" I reply confidently.

"Why, Hazel, do you even know the shit I have had to do as a serpent, drug running, harming people, you have no idea what you just signed up for" he spat. Tears well up in my eyes, he was actually upset with me.

"I know what I signed up for Sweets and I don't care what happens to me" I argue back to him. "Well I do Hazel!" he yells. I take a step back, upset that he yelled at me.

"Why do you even care Sweet Pea, we aren't family, you aren't my father, you-" "Because I care about you Hazel!" he yells. We stand in silence for a few seconds before he steps closer and whispers "because I like you, Hazel." in a soft tone.

I look into his eyes and they soften the longer we look into the other's eyes. He puts his hand on the left side of my face, our faces inches apart.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks. I nod slowly signaling a yes. He wastes no time crashing his lips into mine. The kiss is slow and sweet, almost desperate.

We pull away after a minute of passionate kissing. I look into his eyes and realize what just happened. I back away and apologize before running in the direction of Sunnyside.

The door to the trailer shuts and I scream into one of my pillows. Why did I run, what was I so afraid of?

An hour passes by of me crying on the couch before Toni walks in, tank in hand. She sees me crying on the couch and sets down the tank and walks over to me, slowly wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

I cry into her shoulder, starting to loose my breath. "Hey Hazel, look at me, breathe" Toni says soothingly. I finally calm down and pull away from the hug.

"So do you want to tell me what exactly happened, Sweet pea walked into the bar immediately asked for shots." she informed me. "We kissed and I ran away" I cry.

"Why?" she questions. "I think I'm scared of him leaving me. The only light in my life was my mother, and my father took that away, leaving me with nothing. I came here and there he was, arms open, and I walked into them. I don't want to loose him." I say as tears slowly fall down my face.

She simply holds me until I fall asleep.

"Sweet pea, I want to be with you but I need to know, do you see a future with me?" "I don't know Hazel all I know is that I want you now" "But in two years?" Nothing "That's what I thought" "It doesn't matter what happens in the future I just want you to be mine" "Someone once told me that if you aren't dating for marriage then you are dating for heartbreak, I don't want that to be us Sweets, I want you forever, but if you can't keep it in your pants for me then we can't do this" I walk away for the last time.

I wake up sweating and look at the time, 2:36 am, I quickly put some shoes on and walk out of the trailer. I know what and who I want now. I no longer care if we are forever, I want to enjoy the time we have together as much as possible.

I knock on his trailer door and he opens it, half naked. "Hazel, what are you doing here at this hour" he questions, panic in his voice. "I wanted to tell you-" "Babyyyy you left me alone in bed" a girl says from behind him.

Tears immediately sting my eyes. "Oh sorry for interrupting, Ill just go" I spat walking down the steps. "Hazel wait" he says. "I don't want to hear it Sweet Pea" I exclaim using his full name.

I grab my sketchbook and hop on Toni's motorcycle, driving to the first place I could think of, our spot. Even though I was mad at him I could only think about him.

I park the bike and sit under the stars, my tears falling on the paper as I was sketching.

He hurt me, the one person didn't want to hurt me. My first kiss, the first boy I wanted to date, the only person I wanted a hug from had just screwed another girl, not even a day after he confessed his fake feelings for me. I was done.