Sin bin { Sweet pea}

S I X

"They're inside." Toni stands on the small porch of Estrella's trailer her pink hair damp from the mist like rain that now dusted Riverdale.

Estrella looks over the roof of her car at Toni, her dark hair dripping in her face, unbruised cheek blotchy and red from the cold.

"Kick them out." She answers flatly, surprising Toni.

The small pink haired girl descends the stairs, sitting against the wet hood of Estrella's car curiously. "Is everything okay?"

Estrella shakes her head. "No, it's not. I'm sick of all this territorial serpent shit! I told him yesturday. We don't say anything, and I would talk to Fred Andrews, but instead he goes behind my back and starts a rumble with the bulldogs, I told him someone was going to get hurt and I hate it when I'm right!" Estrella slumps down onto the wet ground, her fingers shaking as she runs them through her hair.

Toni drops down, wrapping her arms around Estrella to comfort her. Estrella watches Toni, quivering when her small hands brush her wet skin but the only feeling in an empty tingling.

"Deep breath, I'll send them home. Just take deep breathes for a minute." Toni guides Estrella towards the hood of her car but Estrella stops her. She strips off the sodden denim jacket that's been soaking through her favorite leather jacket. A burning cold setting into her fingers. "Give this back to him. I don't need it anymore." Toni takes the jacket, her eyes burning with tears at the look of emptiness in Estrella's eyes.

A few minutes later Fangs and sweet pea creep out of the trailer, stopping to try and apologize to her. She ignores them and Toni pushes the pair away.

"Baby cakes. Can you stay tonight? Like old times." Estrella pulls Toni back, she quickly wraps her arms around Estrella. "Of course."

The two walk inside the trailer, arms around the others waist, while sweet pea stands at the road, watching the girls head inside with his fists around the jacket he had given Estrella. She had looked right through him, because she was right. She was always right. He broke her trust again and again. He pushed her over the edge and she might not be coming back.

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Toni and Estrella spent the night talking. Talking and avoiding the elephant that was pressing down on Estrella to the point it was hard for her to breathe but Toni stayed, playing with Estrella's hair and cuddling with her until she fell asleep and then snuck out to go to school. Estrella didn't.

Estrella's worst hours were the ones alone her mind could become a dark place, she even considered going to school to avoid being alone but that meant facing sweet pea and she couldn't do that. So she sat alone. The Tv on, the alarm radio in the back ground. It didn't help.

Shortly after the end of the school day Kailyn called.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Not so great Kailyn. sweet pea went on a bender behind my back last night and started a rumble with some Northsiders..." Estrella croaks. Her spine turning to rubber.

"Was it that bad?"

"I slapped him... I slapped him because- well I don't know why. I told him it wouldn't end well now one of the bulldogs are in the hospital because he wouldn't leave it alone. Baby cake's on damage control right now." Estrella sighs heavily, pacing into the living room.

"I got something that will cheer you up. A game tomorrow night. Some little league from upstate."

Estrella missed the door popping open and Jughead coming inside.

"Sounds great! I'm just glad It isn't the Midvale maidens. I can't wait to bash in Maddie mayhems face for fracturing my cheek. The bruise is still ugly."

"Well lady Ester I gotta go. Zen baby and I are opening the high roller."

Estrella pauses. "Why didn't you tell me? I'll come right over. Id rather I was at the rink than zen baby. No offense."

Zen baby chirps something like 'none taken' from the background.

"You're an hour away. Stay home, Toni might need you. And quit doubling my pay!" Kailyn teases.

"I'll quit doubling your pay when you quit opening the rink without me."

"Alright. Bye Estrella."

"Bye Kailyn." Estrella drops her phone onto the coffee table turning around to head to her room. She jumps in surprise seeing Jughead behind her. "Mierda! Juggie, I didn't hear you come in." Estrella puts a hand on her chest.

"Another game tonight?" He asks sitting against her small dining table.

"Tomorrow. Small league trying to earn a big rank title." Estrella leans against the table beside him. "I can always get you a ticket." She nudges him.

"I'd say yes, but I've come to you to ask for some help. I want to join the serpents. I heard about the rumble from Archie. I want to keep the younger serpents under control." Jughead leans foreword looking down at his feet.

"Really? Initiation is brutal. I've witnessed sweet pea's. Toni's. And Fangs' plus a handful of others. Some of the older serpents too when I was a kid... Because I'm not a serpent you'd have to talk to Toni, or one of the others but I will be there if you need me. For anything."  She sets a hand on his shoulder, perfectly unfazed by his decision to join. She knew it would come one day, no matter how hard he fought it. There was no escaping the serpent life.

"Thanks Stella." He looks up at her through his bangs. She leans against his shoulder.

"No problem Jughead. What are your plans tonight?"

"Veronica invited Archie and Betty to some party with an old friend of hers for New York, so nothing." He shakes his head.

"Well then why don't I call Toni over and we work on your serpent initiation." She sweeps off the table giving him a comforting smile. Seeing Jughead's uneasy smile she pats him on the shoulder. "First parts easy. And personally. I think the second task is harder than the final."

This doesn't ease jughead's uneasiness but he agree's anyway. The sooner he's a serpent the sooner he can silence the half serpent leers being thrown by a very bitter sweet pea and the sooner he can vouch for the serpents against the black hood beliefs.

Estrella disappears and moments later emerges from her room wearing an oversized flannel shirt that distinctly smells of cologne. A pang of sadness jabs jugead. He witnessed sweet pea's longing looks. Watched as Estrella actively avoided them. She was a person that thrived off trust and communication. Sweet pea had gone against her so he didn't blame Estrella for being made but it was destroying both of them.

When Toni entered Estella's trailer a minute after she was phoned the same look crossed Toni's face. The same sad look that was actively hidden when Estrella could see it. Jughead slides up beside Toni when Estrella disappears to find something.

"We need to get them to talk." Toni mutters

Jughead nods. "Any idea's?"

Toni shakes her head. "Nope."

And that's how it went for the rest of the night.