Sweet Tooth (Sweet Pea)

Chapter 17

"How do they know you can sing, when I've been friends with you for 2 years?"

"It was for a party at the Wyrm. I got dragged into it." I looked back to V. "I'm sorry V, but I really can't."

"Please, Freya. You're my last hope." She begged me.

"V."

"Freya." She wined out.

"You're so stubborn." I groaned out.

She looked at me excited. "Does that mean you'll do it?" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Fine."

She clapped her hands excitedly and hugged me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I owe you one." She pulled away from me. She pecked my lips. "I love you, so much. I owe you one." She told me as she started to walk out of the lounge.

"Yeah, yeah. Just text me when we have to practice." She ran out and I slutched slumping onto the chair.

"You give in too easily." Sweet Pea chuckled at me.

"Shut up, Sweetums." I grabbed a pillow I was sitting on and threw it at him.

$$$

I'm walking around Pickens Park for Pickens Day with Dad and Archie eating a maple flavoured snow cone as I saw Mama Cooper, Betty and their new family member Chic. "I'll see you guys later." Dad nodded his head and I raced over to them.

"Freya dear." Mama Cooper pulled me into a hug while I looked to Betty suprised but she just smiled. "How's my favourite Goddaughter?"

"I'm your only Goddaughter, Mama Cooper."

"Chic this is my Goddaughter Freya."

"Hi, nice to finnaly meet you." I gave him a smile.

"Hi." He smiled back.

"So when do you go on stage?" Betty asked.

"What's the time?"

"1:27." Chic told me.

"In 3 minutes, so I better go and get ready." I gave B a hug and Mama Cooper while I gave Chic a handshake and I sped over to the stage where the Pussycats and V are standing on the side.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Have I told you I hate you?" I asked her as I threw my snow cone into a bin while she passed me the pussycat ears.

V chuckled. "Yeah, you have."

"Good." I saw my dad walk onto stage and stood in front of one of the microphones.

"Hello, Riverdale. Ahem. Happy Pickens Day." We all cheered and applauded. "On behalf of Lodge Industries and Andrews Construction, we are thrilled to kick things off with a new twist on an old favorite. So, my daughter, Freya, Veronica and the Pussycats." The crowd cheered as we walked onto stage going where we are supposed to be.

I looked to V worried but she nodded her head giving me a reassuring smile and she started to sing. "Nightshades on a warning
Give me strength or give me light"

I started to sing my part still nerves as hell. "Give me anything even sympathy
There's a chance you could be right
If I listen close I can hear them singers"

V and I sing together. "Oh, oh, oh"

V sung. "Voices in your body coming through on the radio"

V and I sing together. "The Union of the Snake
Is on the climb
Moving up, it's gonna race it's gonna break
Through the borderline" I saw the Serpents with signs and ducktaped mouths walking over to the stage and V and I shared a confused look.
"The Union of the Snake
Is on the climb
Moving up, its gonna race its gonna break
Through the borderline" We all stopped as they stood in front of the stage.

"Toni?" V asked as we both moved away from the mics confused.

"Fangs? Jughead? Sweet Pea?" I looked to the Serpent boys and back to Toni, who is the only one without tape.

"What the hell is going on?"

Toni ignored V and started to speak through a megaphone. "We're here representing the dead and the silenced. Pickens Day is a lie. General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, my grandfather's family, and this land, the land that we're standing on, the land that will soon give way to a new Southside, was stolen from them. And we can't bring them back. But we can and we must honour them." Hiram Lodge quickly came over and spoke into a mic to fix the situation.

"Hey, folks, hi. Uh..." The Serpents turned to look up at Hiram. "I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale, where young people stand up for justice. When a young woman can defend the honour and legacy of her grandfather. And where we can celebrate the living legacy of the Uktena, who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale, that is the Southside, and that will be SoDale. So let's hear a round of applause, for that, am I right?" Hiram finished and everyone cheered as I stood there upset for Toni and her family.

$$$

I'm stood in front of the hotdog van when and arm wrapped around my shoulder and I turned to see Sweet Pea. "You were amazing, Freya. I wish we didn't have to do what we did." I grabbed my food from the vender.

"No I get it Sweet Pea don't worry about it. Toni is right and people need to realise that." I smiled up at him to see him already smiling at me.

"Freya." I turned around to see Reggie walking towards us and I sighed out.

"Do you want me to take care of it?"

"No, Sweet Pea. Let's just go." We walked past Reggie hand in hand as he just looked at me with pleading eyes.