fierce ↠ sweet pea [1] [✔]

|| THIRTY-EIGHT ||

After the rule was rebuked and the Serpents were finally allowed to dress the way they felt comfortable with a few minor restrictions in terms of short-length and shirt transparency, days passed by, and they were finally starting to settle in.

Weatherbee soon stopped caring for the inevitable visibility of particular Serpents' tattoos, like Sweet Pea's, and even Lauryn's. 

Reggie was so disapproving of the gang that he was unrestingly attempting to get them kicked out of school. But now because they were being accepted, he found it hard.

Some students were joining clubs, like Sweet Pea and Fangs who took up basketball. Lauryn would go to the gym daily to watch her boyfriend wreck Reggie Mantle, just for the look on his face. Even Archie was getting along with them, even though he hadn't much to say to them.

The only downside was the fact that a little rumour surrounding Lauryn's pregnancy had gotten out, which was expected eventually. Lauryn assumed that it was Skye's doing, and knew that reacting to it would only give the girl what she wanted, and so she brushed it off.

At school, that was. At home, she'd wake up every day with an aching anxiousness begging her not to go to school. She never expected to feel like so many people, strangers especially, knew so much about her personal life.

Cheryl Blossom inevitably fed off of the rumour and added it to the pile of gossip she'd dish out on the Serpents at any first chance she got, sending her cheerleaders like minions to spread remark after remark around the school.

Pickens' Day rolled closer and closer, the one day that Toni and her family cursed. Everything thought it was all about a hero who saved Riverdale, but in fact, he slaughtered the gang that eventually evolved into the Serpents they knew today.

"Hey, Toni," Lauryn called out from her locker as Toni was heading to the lounge to get Jughead. "Are you heading out?"

"Yeah, Jughead wants to hack information out of my grandfather," Toni replied before letting out a sigh, seemingly unexcited to see Jughead. "He's so worked up about this Pickens' Day shit that I'm starting to think he hates it more than I do."

"Well, it is bullshit, us Serpents all know the story. The Uktena got wiped out."

"That's right. But, people obviously don't want to see the bigger picture, they don't care about how their town was founded, only when and by who," They began walking side by side. "Oh, I meant to ask. Have you heard from your mom yet?"

"Nope," Lauryn said. "I stopped calling her a while ago. She's clearly busy. I'm sure she is."

Toni was convinced Lauryn was just trying to reassure herself, and so she went about the situation as delicately as she could manage. "Lauryn, do you think, maybe, she's trying to ditch you again?"

"What?" Lauryn frowned, thinking the whole idea was outrageous, at least, her heart did. "Of course not. She wouldn't have given me all of her info if she wasn't planning on sticking around."

Toni narrowed her eyes. "You mentioned that she was wound up in some... farm? Maybe--"

"No," Lauryn cut her off, flattening the thoughts being born in her head. "She wouldn't go back there. Not now."

"How can you be sure?" Toni asked her as they stopped. "I'm sorry for seeming so... I don't know, weird about this. I just don't want to see you hurt. I know this is really bothering you deep down. It's okay to talk about it."

"I get it, Toni. I guess I'm just trying to tick one thing off my list at a time. Telling FP seems to be at the top of my list, for my protection as well as the baby's, but I can't seem to get the words out of my mouth."