𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚

chapter eleven

✴︎°༄

CHRISTMAS WAS AROUND the corner and the Serpents were busy with charity work. Kiara had decorated Sweet Pea's trailer inside and out with lovely, bright Christmas lights. She was currently helping Sweet Pea sort the donations for 'Toys for Tots' and talking with him about going home for a couple of days.

"I dunno, Sweets, what if I get stuck there?" She sighed.

"I promise you won't," He smiled sadly. "I could come with you if you want?"

"I'd like that, tough guy," She replied and leaned over the toys to give him a peck on the lips. FP came into the room to talk to Jughead and they started arguing.

"We do need an extra set of hands, boss," Tall Boy shrugged.

"There you go," Jughead continued. "Let me pull my weight."

Kiara didn't care enough to listen because she was so nervous about going home.

"It'll be okay," Sweet Pea hummed and reached his hand over the donations to place it on her thigh. "I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

"Sweet Pea, you're with us!" FP exclaimed coldly. Kiara stood up and let Sweet Pea kiss her before he ran off with the other two Serpents.

***

Jughead walked Kiara to Sweet Pea's trailer, claiming he had something very important to tell her.

"Penny Peabody got my dad out of jail so she had me take a crate of drugs to Greendale. She said it was going to be a one-and-done job but she blackmailed me, turning me into her drug-delivery-boy. My dad found out and now he's taking care of it, so technically I'm off the hook," Jughead said. "I'm telling you all this because Sweet Pea has been dragged into this mess. I know how much he means to you, and how much this kind of work triggers you-"

"Why would he let this happen?" She sighed and sat on the couch, resting her head in her hands. "Why would FP even ask Sweet Pea to get involved?"

"I'm so sorry, Kiara," Jughead cooed and sat beside her.

"It's all gonna happen again, isn't it?" She whispered, more to herself than the boy beside her. Jughead comforted her for the next few minutes, then he had to go. When Sweet Pea got home that afternoon Kiara was so mad at him she couldn't control herself.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Drugs Sweet Pea?"

"I didn't have a choice, Kiara," He replied in a raised voice. "It's not a big deal!"

"It's a huge deal to me!" She screamed. "It's all happening over again and you seem to be okay with that!"

"What? What do you mean?" He asked, his voice toning down.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Sweet Pea. I don't care anymore," She shouted. "You're just like every other man I've met! You're no different, getting yourself involved with what Peabody has you doing was the worst thing you could've done to me Sweet Pea."

"I didn't have a choice!" He screamed. "I had to help FP! You think I want to be helping the snake charmer? You think I don't hate myself after what I just did!?" He sighed then calmed himself down, "what do you want me to do, Kiara?"

"Get rid of her! I don't care how the fuck you do it but get her out of the Southside, please!"

"I can't, she'll get FP, me, and Jones thrown into prison for life," He replied, his tone hardening slightly.

"Well if you can't I'm leaving! I'm going home and I hope I get stuck there and never have to see you again!"

"What?" He asked, hurt to the core. Angry Kiara was an unforgiving and rash young woman, and she didn't care if she was hurting even the ones closest to her.

"I don't care about this anymore, whatever it is that we are, it's done. Over."

She grabbed her purse and phone then walked out the door, ignoring Sweet Pea's desperate pleas. He slammed the door once she was out of sight and collapsed onto the floor. He sobbed into his hands and his whole body shook. He lost her. The one thing he cared about was gone.

Kiara pulled her Serpent jacket tighter as she walked down the street sobbing. It was dark by the time she got to the Northside. She tried to process what had happened. She lost him. The only person she felt happy and safe around was gone. And it was all her fault. She let her past get between her and the one thing she loved the most.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone buzzing in her back pocket. She answered, seeing it wasn't coming from Sweet Pea.

"Nat?" She whispered into the phone.

"Bestie! Guess what?" The girl on the other side squealed. "My family's visiting Riverdale for Christmas! We won't be there Christmas day cause daddy has some business, but we'll be down there very, very soon!"

"S-Sounds great, Natalia," Kiara replied, faking enthusiasm.

"What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything. Is it Veronica? I knew she'd be a bitch when Uncle Hiram wasn't looking."

"No, it's not V. I- I think I just broke up with a guy who wasn't even my boyfriend yet, Nat," Kiara said and began to cry again. "He was so good to me but I let everything that happened in New York mess it up."

"Aww, it'll be okay, K! If he really is the one he'll come back to you," Natalia tried to be supportive.

"It's just," Kiara took a deep breath. "He was helping someone deal, Nat."

"Oh my god! Are you kidding? Girl, you deserve much better than that!"

"But that's the thing, Nat, I don't want anyone but Sweet Pea. And I've changed a lot since New York. I'm not the same girl who used to spend tons of her daddy's money on the latest and most expensive fashion all summer with her bestie."

Kiara stopped in her tracks when she saw Betty talking to someone and digging in the darkness ahead of her.

"Uh, Nat I gotta go, I'll call you later," She said then hung up.

Kiara looked closer and saw there was a man holding a gun to her head. The Black Hood. Kiara knew she had to do something to help so she texted her dad, but he was already on his way. She took a taser out of her purse and tiptoed right up to him and jabbed it into his side. He winced and shot several times, just as they heard police sirens. He missed them and ran off in an attempt to escape the police.

"Betty are you okay?" Kiara asked and she nodded.

The blonde jumped into the grave and gasped, "Archie's in here!"

Kiara jumped right in after her and helped her lift the heavy wood off the coffin. Archie instantly asked where the Black Hood had gone and Kiara motioned to the bridge not far off. Archie hurried out of the grave, followed by Betty then Kiara. Archie grabbed the gun off the ground and sprinted toward the bridge. Betty ran after him and Kiara started but fell instantly. A sharp pain ran through her entire body. She rolled into her back and touched her stomach. She winced before looking at her hand. Even in the darkness of the night she could tell the wet, glossy substance was her own blood.

He hadn't missed.