Family || Sweet Pea [1]

17

Chapter 17 || The Return of FP Jones

Days later, Toni, Fangs, Sweet Pea, and I were gathered at Pop's for the umpteenth time. I poked at my onion rings, smiling happily as I listened to my friends talk animatedly and sipped on a vanilla milkshake.

"Why are you so quiet over there?" Toni asked from across the table.

"I'm just happy we're all here together." I shrugged, taking a bite out of my burger.

"You're so sweet." Fangs cooed, reaching for an onion ring.

"Too sweet." Toni narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's going on with you?"

"I'm just happy." I told them plainly.

"Elaborate." Sweet Pea said, throwing his arm over the booth behind me.

"I have great friends that I consider my family, I have a sweet boyfriend, I'm a Serpent now. I'm just happy." I smiled.

"You were right about Penny!" Jughead announced, appearing at the end of the table.

"I know." I scoffed.

"She said that dad broke a promise he made to her and now the debt falls on me." Jughead huffed, looking down at me. I took a second to try and control my laughter but I failed. I failed hard.

"Jughead!" I squeaked, trying to breathe through my laughter. "Karma is on my side!"

"Be serious, Katarina!" Jughead snapped.

"Oh, I am. I warned you about Peabody. I made you promise me you wouldn't go see her. You broke that promise. And now? Now you're stuck doing her dirty work because of a broken promise between her and dad." I wiped a tear from my eye. "This is great!"

Jughead shook his head at me before he stormed out of Pop's.

"That was rude." Toni laughed.

"He deserves it." I retaliated, finishing off my milkshake.

"But you know how Penny is." Fangs tried.

"And he knew how much promises meant to me. Whatever cosmic power is controlling the universe is on my side, and it is awesome!"

--------

I was sitting on Sweet Pea's lap at the Wyrm when Jughead walked in, a huge smile on his face.

"I have an announcement to make." He called, gaining the attention from all of the Serpents. "My dad's getting out."

I smiled wide, clapping along with Sweet Pea and the other Serpents.

"And when he does, I'll bring him up to speed about our plans with Mayor McCoy." Jughead continued. I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled again when Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around my waist.

"That's brilliant." Tall Boy laughed sarcastically.

"Do you have a problem with that, Tall Boy?" Jughead asked.

"Your old man? No." Tall Boy started. "I got no problem with him. But you want us to sit down with the Mayor."

"I do." Jughead nodded. "He's right. I think we can bring the Southside back. But it's going to take work and it's going to take compromise."

"'Bring the Southside back.'" Tall Boy laughed. "You've been here all of five minutes."

"Tall Boy, I am sick of you acting like a little bitch." Jughead stated. "Whispering behind my back that I'm half a Serpent, or that I don't belong here. Why don't we put it to a vote? If you guys think what I'm doing is wrong, I'll step aside."