Saved by the snakes

You wanna hear the truth

I spend the rest of the day in the studio. My painting is now completed and I take a deep breath staring at it.

To be honest I finished it about five hours ago, I just stayed in the studio listening to music and sewing. I'm making a jacket for Jughead. Our birthday is coming up and even though we both hate the day, we do something nice for each other. He bakes me a cake and I find something to lighten the day. This year I'm making him a gift.

We both hate our birthdays for different reasons, but they don't really matter.

I hear a faint sound of the door opening but I don't react. My headphones are still on, so it's not like he knows or doesn't know I can hear him.

A finger tap goes on my shoulder and I flinch away. Pulling off my headphones I continue to work, but allow him to speak.

"I've been thinking, what if we do something fun." Joaquin offers.

"Like what?" I ask putting down my needle.

"Play twenty questions." He says and sits down on the cot.

"Five questions." I ignore his request.

"Fine, I start." He agrees. "What are you making?"

"It's a gift for a friend. A jacket." I answer.

Slowly I put the jacket away in one of my bins and turn to face Joaquin.

"Why did you become a South Side Serpent?" I question.

His expression changes and he sits up. This can't be good.

"I've been watching them since I was young, maybe six. I always thought they were cool and wanted to be like them. So when I turned eleven I joined them." He shrugs.

Eleven? God that's so young! He could of had a life if he didn't join them. But than again gangs choose the young.

"Why are you afraid of them?" He wonders.

My heart skips a beat. No not today. Never. I will not talk about that allowed to him. He's a Serpent after all. He won't understand. It's my personal past and he is not finding out playing this stupid game. I'm not ready to tell anyone anymore.

Joaquin tilts his head as I don't answer. Almost like he's trying to figure me out.

"They're a gang. They're trouble and break the law. They hurt people." I tell him.

It's a true answer, just not my answer, well not all of it.

He shrugs but gives me a daring look. Probably saying 'if there's more so help you.'

"Do you love and care about Kevin?" I ask.

"Of course. He's the only person I've ever felt this sort of way towards. I'd do anything for him." He says.

"Even put up with his little sister?" I mutter and roll my eyes.

"Yea even put up with you." He sighs.

I hate this game. All it does is hurt others and make them say things they don't want to. I mean if that's what you want hook yourself up to a polygraph. God.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Joaquin pipes in.

"No, I'm not very social at school. Haven't really met any guy that stands out, or one that understands me." I whisper the last part.

"So you don't fancy that goth kid?" He asks.

Once again Jughead as a name. 

"Jughead and I, we're more family. Plus he has Betty and I'm a year younger then him so, it would never work." I sigh.