𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚

chapter nine

✴︎°༄

KIARA HOPPED OFF Sweet Pea's bike before he did the same. She stood in front of him and he rested his arms around her as they leaned on the seat of the motorcycle. Kiara looked toward the group of Northsiders and noticed every one of them was staring straight at her. Reggie and Archie had pure anger in their eyes but Kevin, Betty, and the others had sadness and confusion. Cheryl walked up to her with an uneasy smile.

"Mind if I borrow Kiki for a hot minute?" She asked Sweet Pea. He looked down at Kiara before nodding and letting her run off.

"Cheryl! God, how I've missed you!" Kiara exclaimed and gave her a tight, loving hug. Cheryl had been the only one there for her, apart from Jughead, during her toughest years and they had grown a connection unlike any other.

"I've missed you too," The pretty redhead replied. "I see you got yourself a man though."

"Sweet Pea? Yuh, I think we're together? Like I don't really know what we are."

"Guys these days can be pretty stupid when it comes to making things official," Cheryl giggled and Kiara did the same.

"What brings you to a Southside street race, though? I'm assuming none of those tweeps are lucky enough to have you as a date?"

"I just had to get away from momsie. She's been the devil incarnate these past few days I just," Cheryl sighed and rolled her eyes. "You met Veronica, right?" Kiara nodded. "Well she had a family friend at one of her parties, Nick St Clair, and-" Cheryl inhaled sharply. "Well, let's just say it was a nightmare I'll never forget."

"Cheryl, he didn't?" Kiara asked and Cheryl nodded.

"He roofied me, and tried to rape me, Kiki," She let tears stream down her cheeks.

"I swear on my life, that asshole will pay," Kiara mumbled then pulled her into a tight hug.

A few minutes later Tall Boy shouted that the race was about to start. Cheryl went over to the cars while Kiara walked back to Sweet Pea. He had a sense of coldness and Kiara's smile faded. He would ignore her until Tall Boy was gone. She felt tears sting her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"Sweets?" She mumbled nervously. "Are you mad at me?"

His stern look didn't fade but he shook his head. "Just nervous about this race," He lied.

"Let me support you, Sweets, you constantly calm me down, so maybe I could do the same for you?"

"'Constantly calm you down'? What do you mean?" He asked, his eyes softening ever so slightly as he turned toward her.

"Everything I see that I saw with him, everywhere I go that I went with him, everything I do that I did with him; it all scares me, Pitbull scares me. The memories are horrible, Sweet Pea. I'm surprised I haven't collapsed yet, and I have you to thank." She smiled sadly at him. "When you hold me I forget about the hurt he and my parents caused me, the brutal way they treated me, and the things they forced me to do. I'm calm when I'm with you, Sweets. I'm happy."

His warm hand covered her cheek and he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. She grasped his wrist and turned her head to kiss his palm. He forgot about Tall Boy's judging eyes and pulled her into the tightest hug. She buried her face in his chest and felt it rise and fall with every breath he took. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the crown of her head. They heard the race start and the crowd cheer, but neither cared enough to break the perfect moment. Heavy footsteps approached before a hand gripped Sweet Pea's shoulder and swung him around.

"What the hell, Tall Boy?" Sweet Pea exclaimed and pushed his hand away.

"I told you to stay the hell away from her, boy. She'll be the death of us, you'll be the death of us." Tall Boy stomped off angrily then shouted back, "you owe me twenty bucks, I won the bet." Kiara frowned with confusion.

"What's he talking about?" She whispered but received no reply. "Sweet Pea, talk to me," She begged and placed a hand on his cheek. "If you don't want me in your life I can go you don't have to-" He cut her off with a kiss and she smiled. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him.

"The bet has nothing to do with you, Kiara, I've wanted you for a long time."

"Then why do you let what Tall Boy says get between us? I know about the fight you had and what he said to you that night."

"I'm sorry," He mumbled.

She rested her head on his shoulder and kissed his jawline. Her breath tickled his neck and it calmed his nerves instantly.

"Kiara!" She lifted her head and was met with the angry stare of Reggie Mantle.

"Sweet Pea-" She whispered but he cut her off.

"I'm staying with you."

He let her stand up but slipped his arm around her and gripped her waist as they walked toward the Northsider.

"So, not only are you a Serpent but you're fucking one too?" He exclaimed, rage burning through his eyes.

"Hey man, don't talk to her like that!" Sweet Pea let go of Kiara and stepped in front of her.

"Oh, you wanna go, Serpent scum?" Reggie squared up as an attempt to be intimidating. "Or are your hands sore from touching her?"

A heavy fist was slammed into the side of Reggie's face and he was swept to the ground. Sweet Pea continued to punch him, filled with such anger and hate that he couldn't hear the desperate begging for him to stop, coming from Kiara. Fangs pulled him off and Kevin hurried to Reggie to make sure he was okay. His ego was hurt more than anything. Kiara wiped away her tears and inhaled sharply. Fangs kept Sweet Pea held back as Jughead and Archie returned.

"Everyone scatter!" One Ghoulie shouted and swung his arm in the air. "The cops are rounding up Ghoulies!"

Cops. If Kiara's father saw her here what would he think? Would he even want her to come home any more?

"I called Keller!" Archie shouted, which snapped Kiara out of her thoughts. Jughead yelled back at him angrily and Archie tried to explain his action.

"You know what they'll want on the other side? Your head on a stake! All of ours!" Jughead screamed then stormed off.

Archie jogged over to Kiara, seeing her tear-stained cheeks.

"What's wrong? Who hurt you?" He asked, lifting her chin up to face him. "Kiara?"

"It- There was a fight and Sweet-" She started but the red-haired boy had heard enough.

"Sweet Pea caused this?" He clenched his jaw and went over to Fangs, who was still between Sweet Pea and the Northsiders. "What the fuck, man! What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Red," Sweet Pea pushed passed his best friend and faced Archie. "But hey, you wanna start something, go ahead, I'll pummel you just like I did your friend."

"You hurt her, didn't you?" Archie gritted his teeth but Sweet Pea just scoffed with a slight smile. Archie's fist landed right between Sweet Pea's jawline and cheekbone; causing the tall Serpent to fall to the ground.

"Son of a bitch! What'd you do!" Archie screamed as he kicked him repeatedly.

"Archie, stop!" Veronica pulled him away. "The cops are headed this way, we have to go now!"

Kiara hurried over to Sweet Pea as he stood up and reached her hands up to his face. Her eyes were filled with tears and laced with fear.

"Sweet Pea," She whispered.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop myself," He replied. "I hate seeing the Northside still being complete assholes toward you. You don't deserve it, Kiara."