[In The Way Of] Life and Death • Sweet Pea [1]

Picken's Day

"We need to talk." Sweet Pea demanded rather than asked while I traded my textbooks out of my locker. I tucked my hair behind my ear, slightly glancing at him but focusing on my locker. The right side of his body was leaned against the locker neck to mine while his arms were crossed.

"There's nothing to talk about, Sweet Pea." I shrugged, zipping up my backpack. "You can screw whoever you want." I attempted to remain calm but got bitter towards the end of my sentence, remembering the scene I walked into a few days ago.

Sweet Pea and I haven't talked since that day. I admit I had missed the ritual of him sneaking into my bedroom at night but it ended abruptly after then. In awkward times avoiding each other was impossible such as when I had become closer with Toni and Fogarty, Sweet Pea was always there.

"Friends, Bird. That's what you told me over and over again." He spoke lowly in an angry tone sending chills down my spine. "You can't be mad at me for moving on when you're the one who didn't want anything more than that."

"It's not that I didn't want it, Pea!" I finally turned to him. A loose strand of hair hung in front of his face while he stared down at me. I couldn't tell if he was angry or sad.

"Then what is it, Bird?" He asked, shaking his head in confusion, "Please, help me understand because all your excuses are the same. If we would just try-"

"And then what, Pea?" I crossed my arms, "I start hanging with the Southside, they take me in as one of their own, I lose my friends and ruin my relationship with my father completely?"

I stepped forward when he looked away with his jaw clenched, "What happens when we break up?" I rose my eyebrows as I questioned him, "Then I lose you, too." I whispered capturing his attention as his head turned back to me.

"Is that all you see when you think about a future with me?" He asked with his eyebrows furrowed, "You only see what could go wrong?"

I sighed knowing new conflicts would arise if I wasn't careful with my next words, "I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want to lose you, Sweets." I frowned reaching for his hands but he stepped back.

"I need some time." He mumbled before walking away.

...

"Birdie, sweetheart.." My dad called out before allowing his knuckles to the let out two soft knocks on my open door.

I broke my focus away from my homework to look up at him standing in the door frame; not that I was focusing in the first place. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about Sweet Pea. "Hey, dad." I removed my textbook from my lap and began to fiddle with the zipper on my jacket.

It's not that my dad and I haven't talked since our big fallout- we have. It was just different from the way things used to be. My father and I had gone from being best friends to acquaintances that live in the same house.

"I signed us up for a booth for Pickens Day. I know it doesn't sound super exciting but maybe this will give us a chance to.. heal." He offered with a crooked smile.

I wasn't completely over the fact that he had lied to me about my mother my whole life but without Sweet Pea and my dad, I was in a lonely place. And I appreciated the effort my father was making to repair what had been damaged.

I nodded with a smile, "Sure, dad. Sounds great." I agreed.

...

"I hate this day." Toni pouted with her arms crossed on the couch in the student lounge.

I sat across from her with my back on the arm of the couch and my legs rested on top of Jughead's. Fangs sat in the chair placed next to me. Sweet Pea was sitting on the arm of the couch Toni was on.