Sin bin { Sweet pea}

S E V E N

Back and forth down the narrow listing corridor Estrella paces, wringing her hands through her raven locks sharp nails scraping her scalp. Her face a  plum, and yellow/green mess, accenting her soft black knee length skater dress. Leather jacket groaning as she frets about the initiation at the Wyrm. Jughead facing off against tall boy, a screaming match of code followed by shoving your hand in the rattle snake tank.

Estrella kept tabs on how Toni was teaching Jughead throughout the week, while she couldn't be there herself but now this was happening and that was destroying Estrella.

With no more time to waste Estrella fluffs her hair takes a deep breath and marches out the door with her keys.

"I'm really glad you came Stella, I know this isn't your thing." Jughead smiles as the duo walk inside the Smokey, over crowded serpent infested bar.

"I'm proud Jughead, you're like my baby brother and even though I'm not a serpent I'm family with most of these guys."

"You're only a year older than me, Estrella, don't call me younger." Jughead shakes his head, adjusting his beanie.

"I'm a year and a half actually so shut up," she shoves him jokingly. The two continue to shove each other until Jughead is dragged off by the crowds eager to watch the second part of the first test, the first part being hot dog, currently asleep under Sweet pea's trailer after Jughead failed miserably at watching him. Estrella took the heat, claiming she 'borrowed' the dog but he got loose and she couldn't get him back into the Jones trailer.

Estrella rises onto her tip toes craning her neck in search of her serpent friends. She spots Toni at the bar, all by her lonesome watching some hiss twirl around the chrome pole to some song she's routined a thousand times. Neither of the boys In sight something in Estrella sinks but she slides through the crowd towards the bar without hesitation.

Toni grins raising her voice to summon Estrella over with some juvenile pet name recently given to her. She calls out another name with a gesture towards Sweet pea, brooding in the darkest corner of the bar, sporting a new black eye. Estrella rolls her eyes, Fogarty lounges behind him, looking a little rough too. This makes Estrella trip up slightly, her stomach growing tight.

"Hey!" Estrella trot across the room giving Toni a quick fist bump.

"The usual, Stella?" Hog eye calls across the bar.

"Not tonight, Hog eye. Sticking to the soft stuff tonight," the bartender slides a bottle towards the girl. Estrella slaps a hand down, catching it quickly and swiftly twists off the top, as cold agonizing fingers drive into Estrella's temple building pressure against her skull.  The room darkens just a bit, hazing around the edges of her vision.

Toni's gaze darts past Estrella, warning sweet pea and Fangs who are attempting to get close enough to Estrella to have a conversation.

"Ester," Sweet pea greets dully, giving her a side glance that makes Estrella almost heart broken.

Estrella gives him a sweet smile before turning from him, the reverberating thump of music around them making her headache double.

Toni wraps an arm around Estrella's shoulders to the best of her abilities given her short physical appearance. "This is about to get exciting, spent all night with Jughead practicing." She whispers in Estrella's ear as the duo leans back against the custom green felt pool table.

Estrella take Toni's drink, shooting back a good swig despite the mental scolding that She drove her car here and is still deliriously high on some serious pain meds. She shrugs off her own nonsense, settling back watching tall boy cut through the crowd like a knife.

The crowd quiets watching their leaders second stop in the center of the room. "It's time! For the first test!" He declares.

Jughead prepares himself, head high, stupid beanie hanging off his fluffy black hair. He slides out from between a few older serpents stopping in front of tall boy. The two square off, taking a few deep breaths before the screaming begins.

"WHAT IS THE FIRST LAW?!"

"NO SERPENT STANDS ALONE!" Jughead gets in tall boys face, spitting each word without hesitation. Toni nods her respect, watching the same gleam reflect in Estrella's eyes.

"WHAT IS THE SECOND LAW?!" Tall boy towers over Jughead, threatening to shove him into the alcohol stained floors.

"IF A SERPENT IS KILLED OR IMPRISONED HIS FAMILY WILL BE LOOKED AFTER!"

The white wyrm seems to close in around Estrella, her brain fogging and her jacket making her skin crawl. Is it always this warm? Her ears begin to ring, the screaming match between tall boy and Jughead drowned by the overwhelming noise that presses down on Estrella's skulls She scoots away from Toni quickly sliding out the back exit of the wyrm.

Estrella groans sliding to the damp concrete. Placing her head between her knees to settle herself in the frigid January air.

The back door screams on its hinges as Sweet pea slides out the back door, having seen his best friend on the sidewalk behind the building make her hasty exit.

"Hey. You okay?" He asks squatting down at her feet, hand braced against the cement for support.

"Perfecto," She moans, the flourishing hint of her Spanish history rolling off her tongue.
"Im fine. Leave me alone." She dismisses, cheeks tinting a deeper shade of red as she looks up at the six foot four beast of a man in front of her, a weak fire in her eyes.

"Estrella, please." Sweet pea begs under his breath, a million curses ready to fall from his mouth in a well worded foul display of annoyance to prove his own actions were the biggest mistake he had ever made even if he would do it again to keep her safe.

Estrella pulls her feet under herself. "I'm not doing this with you right now sweet pea." She dusts off her skirt as sweet pea rises.

"Yes we are. I can't go another day without you beside me. It's driving me crazy Ester, avoiding me, dodging me in school. Spending nights away from your house." He catches her arm only for her to shake it off.

"I'm not avoiding you! I'm busy, you could never be bothered to take the initiative to ask me if we were okay or if we could hang out!" She whips around to spit, the world around her spins. "Mierda." Estrella curses herself, stepping away from sweet pea to catch the wall.

"Are you-" sweet pea reaches foreword to steady Estrella. Dark Eyes full of concern.

"Don't touch me. I'm done fighting sweet pea. Go back inside." Estrella backs away from him. She pinches the bridge of her nose.

"That northsider put a gun in your face, he threatened us. He marked the southside because like every other prissy northsider he believes the black hood is from our side of the tracks. I put him back in his place." Sweet pea spits, his chest puffing and heaving.

"No! You put one of those northsiders in the hospital! That's what you did sweet pea and I had to pull you out of another mess. I will not stand by as you destroy yourself over stupid serpent territorial bullshit! I told you I would handle it but that would have damaged your ego, and your precious image in front of the serpents," Estrella sneers. "Now leave. Me. Alone." And with that she storms away. Still dizzy and unsteady but her head high she sits in her car for over an hour until it passes and she can drive home. Alone, again.