Veronica forced everyone to play board games for the remainder of the day. Sweet Pea wasn't too fond of the idea. For starters, he didn't really like Jughead or Archie and Betty he disliked. As for my sister, he's beginning to tolerate her, even though she's dating the guy that he almost tried to kill. Leave it to Sweet Pea to get into fights of course.
The six of us were in the middle of playing a game of Monopoly. I had owned the majority of the properties, making everyone else annoyed that every single time they landed on my pieces they had to pay. I sat comfortably in between Sweet Pea's legs as he was leaning against the couch. He had his hands resting on my thighs and would occasionally sneak kisses onto my neck, making the boys grimace at the sight and the girls gush over the affection that he showed in front of everyone.
"I must say Sweet Pea. I'd never take you as the affectionate kind of guy," my sister rolled the dice.
Sweet Pea moved his hands to rest on the couch as he gave a cold stare to her, "What can I say Andy brings out the best in me."
Betty scooted closer to Jug, head on his shoulder, "Aw you two are just so cute," she lifted her head at her boyfriend, "Why can't you be like that?"
Sweet Pea shook his head with a chuckle as I leaned further against him. Heat radiating off of him making me feel tired. He pulled down a throw blanket from the couch and put it around me as he noticed I was slightly shivering against him.
Betty's phone began to ring, "Ew it's my mom. Should I answer it?"
No's filled the room.
"What if it's about Chick? Let me just.." She left the table and walked away.
"Who's Chic?" I asked because this is the first I've heard of this person.
Ronnie glanced over at me, "Chic is Betty's half brother. By the way, when are we ever gonna get to meet Chic," my sister continued.
Jughead took a peak at Betty before looking back at us, "I actually did before we left."
"And how is he?"
"Honestly, he's kinda creepy."
Betty walked into the room hesitantly, "Guys.." Archie asked her if everything was okay, "No, actually. My mom is freaking out because Hiram Lodge just bought the Riverdale Register."
Eyes landed on both Veronica and I. Both of our mouths fell open in shock.
"My mom is losing her mind. My dad's not answering her calls. Veronica, Andy, did you know your dad was buying the Register," Betty accusingly asked. We all stood up from our sitting positions.
I shook my head truthfully blinded by my father's actions. My sister was offended by the accusation, "What? No, Betty, of course not."
"See, this is what I'm talking about," Jughead looked at Ronnie and I shaking his head. Both Archie and Sweet Pea stood in front of my sister and I.
"I suggest that you change that tone Jones before things it ugly," Sweet Pea menacingly told him.
"Relax Jughead," Archie was angered.
"Don't tell me to relax-"
"Is that why you brought us up here," Betty focused her attention onto V, "Obviously Andy isn't a fan of your father so she couldn't have known that he was gonna buy the Register and all the Serpents' debt. Did you just bring her up here so that not all the blame would be on you?"
"Yes," Jug backed the blonde.
"To get us out of town while your dad was doing these things?"
My sister's breathing quickened, "Okay now who sounds crazy?" I grabbed onto my sister's hand, squeezing it, telling her that I'm here for her.
"Lodge Industries has been buying properties all over the Southside. Now he buys the one newspaper in town, so people can't report on what he's doing. It's a classic gambit of mobsters and criminals," Jughead spewed out like acid.
I pushed past Pea, "Hey! I know my father doesn't have a clean slate, but look at you. The Serpents aren't all that much better. We both have made some stupid mistakes in our past but give it a break Jughead. Instead of pinning your problems onto my family, why don't you try to do something about. Yelling at Ronnie and I isn't gonna fix anything," I screamed at him as I was now in his face. Pea pulled me back by my waist and held me near him.
"How many times have I defended you," Betty's eyes laid on Ronnie, "And now you turn and stab my family in the back?"
"It sounds to me," Ronnie's voice broke, "like you should be mad at your dad for selling the newspaper, not mine."
Archie stepped forward, "Yeah, there's nothing, like evil about buying a newspaper."
"He's trying to silence the free press Archie," Jug pointed. "He's trying to keep Mrs. Cooper from coming after him."
Veronica ran a hand through her raven hair, "I am so sick of your vendetta against my dad. He's done plenty of good things."
"Oh, like w-what? Name one thing," the blonde yelled.
"He's-"
"He paid my dad's medical bills," Archie reasoned.
"Boy, Archie, Veronica's got you wrapped around her little finger," Jug turned from looking at my sister and I.
Betty continued to glare at her, "And other parts of her body."
I gasped at Betty's low blow at my sister.
"Oh," Veronica wasn't talking this shit,"I'm sorry. I'm sorry we don't spend our time being tragic and moping and holding hands while watching serial killer documentaries. Oh, and wearing costumes to role-play to get our rocks off-"
The sound of breaking glass filled the room.
Sweet Pea guarded me with his body, "Someone's breaking in," he grumbled.
"Who else knows we're here," Archie rambled.
A scared, wide eyed Betty glanced at the ginger, "Why'd you say it like that?"
The door opened, revealing people covered with black ski masks coming in, "Andy stay back," Pea screamed.
"You rich summer folks never learn. You just keep walking around town," I noticed that one of them had an axe, "flashing more cash than we see in a year. We're gonna take what we want, and then we're gonna go. If you guys behave yourselves, nobody gets their skulls knocked in."
"Wanna bet jackass," Pea spoke viciously.
"Pea what the fuck are you doing," I whispered at him as my gripped tightened around his biceps, pulling him further bach.
"Pea shut the fuck up," Archie yelled, "Fine, take what you want. We won't give you any trouble."
One of the covered men looked at Ronnie, "Where's your purse?"
She nervously looked away from him, "Um, it's...In my bedroom."
"Let's go to the bedroom."
"No," I screamed as I tried to get to my sister, but was held back by Pea.
"No," Archie stepped in front of V, "No way are you going with her up there alone. I'll go."
"Archie, it's fine. I'll be fine. We'll be right back. Everybody just needs to stay calm," she walked away with the intruder.
As she left, the rest of us didn't dare to move. Pea's body was illuminating anger. I knew that he wanted to fight his way out of this, but I'm not gonna risk him dying because these men came armed. If he were to fight with his bare hands, there was no way out of here alive for him.
Veronica came back down, not even five minutes later and went back to her spot next to Archie. One of the intruders was becoming anxious, "Can we go already?"
Another spoke, "You got the cash?"
"Yeah. I got the cash."
"Then you got what you wanted," Archie told them, hoping they would leave.
"Not everything, not yet. Why don't you all get down on your knees?"
"Come on, man, let's not do this," one of the intruders told the guy giving orders.
"Shut up. I said, on your knees. Hands behind your backs,"no one was moving, "DO IT!"
His booming voice made everyone jump. Everyone, but Sweet Pea, did so. "Pea get down," I said through gritted teeth.
"No. Somebody needs to teach them a lesson," he glared at them.
The intruder that seemed to be in charged grabbed a bat and walked in front of Pea, "Somebody wants to seem all high and might. Doesn't look like you belong here. You're just a piece of shit," the man swung the bat and hit Sweets on his side.
"NO!" I screamed.
Pea fell to the floor, groaning but got up on one knee. As he was about to push up, "If you get up one more time, she gets it," he pointed to me.
"Don't you fucking dare touch her," Pea told them.
"Then get on your knees and fucking stay!"
Pea's nose flared as he brought a hand to hold his side, but complied as he looked at me with his eyes telling me he was sorry.
"It's a nice cabin. I'm sorry we have to make such a mess in it," he held the bat up, about to strike up, but stopped as the phones rang
"The hell is that?"
Veronica, you smart bitch... she pressed the emergency button in the room. My eyes closed as I felt relief that help was on the way.
"That would be the security company," my sister said, "calling to check on the silent alarm I hit in my bedroom. I'd say you hillbillies have about 30 seconds to run for it before this place is swarming with guards who will shoot first and ask questions never."
All the intruder's except for the leader left, "Screw you, rich bitch," and ripped off my sister's necklace before following his friends tracks.
Archie and Sweet Pea got up and ran after them. Ronnie and I looked at each other before running after our impulsive boyfriends.
We ran through the foggy, cold night night. As we panted through the forest, following the boys tracks, fog came out of our mouths. Ronnie and I stopped at the sound of two gunshots carried through the air.
We went straight ahead and ran into Archie who was jogging back, "Where's Sweet Pea," I panted.
"I don't know we went separate wa-"
The sound of crunching leaves, got all of our attentions. We saw a shadow of a man walking towards us through the fog. "Andy," the man breathed out.
"Oh my god Pea," I ran to him and threw my arms around him. Finally looking up at him, I saw that he had a nose bleed and a busted lip. "What happened?"
"Andre," he wiped the blood that was dripping down onto his lips, "He killed the guy I was punching."
My eyes widen at that statement and slowly looked back at my sister. "We are leaving. Tonight," I yelled and grabbed onto Pea's hand, pulling him back to the cabin
- - -
I was curled up into a ball in Pea's side as we drove away from the cabin, even though I protested it because he was hurt, Pea wanted me close to him so he knows he could protect me. He felt uneasy with Andre.
Andre drove all six of us to Pop's, nobody dared talk inside the car as we all knew what he did to dispose of the intruders.
The core four sat in one booth, while Pea and I sat in another in the corner.
"What happened tonight Pea? Why did you go after them," I slurped my milkshake.
He was busy eating his burger, "I wanted to make sure that they paid for what they did to you."
"They didn't do anything to me."
"They made you scared. They took Veronica's money...She's your sister and I know she's one of the most important people in your lives so, I'm gonna fight for what they did to her because that means I'm fighting for you."
"But they had weapons that could've killed you if they tried."
He moved out of his booth to sit next to me, "I'd die for you Andy. I won't let anything harm or hurt you. Not as long as I'm alive," and kissed me.