I pull my helmet off after parking my bike in the Pop's parking lot and notice Sweet Pea and Fangs unloading kegs out of the bed of Sweet Pea's truck. I make my way over to them with my hands in my pockets, "Mornin', boys."
Fangs stands in the bed of the truck and hands a keg down to Sweet Pea then hops out, "Hey, Stevie. What are you doing here? Thought you had night shift."
"I do, but Toni asked me to meet her here before our meeting at school." I explain.
Sweet Pea grimaces, "School starts next week, doesn't it?"
"Hopefully." I say dejected. "If we find a budget by then."
"Well, I don't have any money but there is a crate of liquor in my truck that you can make yourself useful with by bringing it down to the Wyrm." Sweet Pea says with a devious smile. I roll my eyes and give him a flat look. "Please." He jokingly begs sticking his bottom lip out.
This time I roll my eyes with a laugh, "Whatever."
Fangs grabs the crate and hands it to me, "First comes love." He sing songs.
"I'll drop this and tell Toni you did it." I threaten.
"I was kidding." He defends as he grabs the other keg.
"Yeah, get to walking."
The three of us head into Pop's then down the steps into the Whyte Wyrm.
"What the hell is he doing here?" I hear Sweet Pea say before I see why, "No way, Toni, no way."
From behind Fangs I see Jughead sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand.
Both the boys sit the kegs down on the ground with a thud, "Gathering some research for your next book there, Jones?" Fangs asks passive aggressively.
I place the crate down on the bar and walk over to stand next to Sweet Pea on the opposite side of my brother.
Jughead looks around at us, "Hang on, are you guys actually upset about my novel?"
"You made the Serpents look like fools in it." Toni spits.
His forehead creases, "You mean the Vipers? The Vipers were the good guys." Fangs scoffs, "I didn't use your actual names." Jughead defends.
"You think people around here couldn't figure out who- what was the one characters name?" Fangs asks sarcastically, "Toothy was?"
"Or Pop Eye." Sweet Pea says in disgust.
"And lets not forget the main characters 'mind numbingly obnoxious', your words, sister Jazzy." I add, "I mean, seriously?"
"You mocked our Serpent traditions, codes and now you're asking for our help?" Toni says with a pointed look.
Jughead sighs, "Toni. Guys." He turns to me with a pleading look, "Stevie? You can't be mad at me too."
I shake my head slowly, "No, no I can."
"Okay, I'll help." Toni says, "Watch your back, Jones. You've made a lot of enemies in this town."
Sweet Pea tosses his empty peanut shells down on the bar in front of Jughead and he looks to me offended.
My eyebrows pull together, "What?"
He tosses the shells onto the ground, "I don't know, maybe handle your boy toy."
Sweet Pea tries to get in his face and let him have it I'm sure but I grab the back of his jacket and pull him back. I scoff a fake laugh, "Are you serious? This just shows out of touch you are, you don't even know we broke up. A while ago. And you'd know that if you'd ever answer my fucking phone calls." I shake my head, "Whatever, good luck with your book, bro." I push away from the bar and storm out.
I'm halfway up the stairs when someone grabs ahold of my arm stopping me. I take in a breath before turning around to see Sweet Pea standing on the step below me. "Don't look at me like that." He gestures to my face.
"Like what?" I question.
"All pouty and pissed off." He answers.
"Well, I am pouty and pissed off." I say matter-of-factly.
He steps up onto the step with me and looks down at me, "Are you okay?"
I wrap my arms around myself and shrug, "I will be. And you don't have to worry about me."
He smiles at me softly, "I like worrying about you."
The way he's looking at me makes butterflies swarm my stomach. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the way we were together. Being with him was some of the happiest times of my life. We're in a good place in our friendship now and I wouldn't want to ruin that.
"I don't mean to interrupt," Toni says as she walks up the steps, "But we've got a meeting to get to."
"Right. I'll see you later, Pea." He nods to me and I turn back up the stairs.
Once Toni catches up with me she gives me a pointed look. I roll my eyes and push the doors of Pop's open. "Don't even start."
"I didn't even say anything." She says defensively. Now I'm the one giving a pointed look, "Okay, okay. But maybe you two should stop eye fucking each other when I'm around."
I shake my head as I sit on my bike, "What is wrong with you?"
She looks at me shocked, "Me? What's wrong with you?" I give her a confused look and she scoffs, "There is a guy in there who is completely in love with you, who would do anything for you and you refuse to even entertain the idea of being with him. And for what? Seriously, you never even told me why exactly you broke up."
"Yes, I did."
She shakes her head, "No, you said the long distance wasn't working out but, because I know you, I know that's bullshit."
"Why we broke up doesn't matter, it's been five years." I pull my helmet on, "And if we don't leave we're gonna be late."
Toni just gives me a skeptical look before walking to her bike.
________________________________
The last few remaining bones of Riverdale High, and Archie who is wanting to take over and restart the RROTC program, have gathered in Toni's office to discuss what to do about the upcoming school year and Hiram's plans to see this city vanish.
"Alice, you're on the PTA. Any word on which way the board is leaning?" Toni asks from behind her desk.
"The board has some serious doubts. We're a skeleton crew here." Alice turns around in her seat, "Kevin, you're teaching what? Five classes?"
He nods next to me, "Drama, debate, biology, gym, and sex ed."
Alice looks to me, "Stevie, you've got a handful as well don't you?"
"Yeah. Art, economics, and history."
"So are we dead in the water?" Toni asks.
"Not yet. There are some members of the board who would like to see the school stay open." Alice says reassuringly. "If we can prove we have the personnel and resources required, which is questionable."
"Well, the board will hear arguments for the vote, right?" Toni asks and Alice hums in response, "We should all be there, I'll speak and in the meantime lets work on the board members who are waffling and work on them." Toni stands, "If we lose this vote, we lose this school."
Archie steps up, "And that's another nail in Riverdale's coffin."
I shake my head, "Archie, always the positive words of encouragement." The sarcasm falls off my tongue so easily it almost feels like our high school days again.
He gives me a lopsided smile, "I'm not gonna let Hiram Lodge take this town to it's knee's. Not without a fight."
I give him a pat on the shoulder, "I know and I love you for it but it'd also be nice if you stopped reminding us of the impending doom okay?"
Toni laughs lightly, "Okay, that's enough. I'll see you all at the school board hearing." She dismisses us.
________________________________________________
After I got some things settled in my classroom for the, hopefully, coming up school year I headed back to the Wyrm with Toni. I love when we can work the bar together, it takes me back to when I first joined the Serpents and Toni and I became friends. I'd hang out with her all night while she tended the bar. We'd gossip and laugh talking about whatever, not much has changed. Only difference now is that I'm behind the bar too and Toni is about to be a mother. Crazy how seven years can feel like a lifetime ago and yesterday all at the same time.
I'm helping Toni clean up the glasses on the bar when Hiram Lodge's voice suddenly fills my ears, "Toni Topaz." I try my best to suppress the groan growing in my chest.
Fangs and Sweet Pea walk up behind him, "You lost, old man?" Sweet Pea asks threateningly.
"It's okay, guys." Toni dismisses them, "I got this." The boys give Hiram on last stare down before begrudgedly going back to their table. "Look, you can save your breath. If you're here to threaten me or bribe me into giving up the fight to save Riverdale High-"
Hiram takes a seat and puts his hands up cutting Toni off, "How many students do you have?" He asks.
"A hundred or so." She answers.
"What if," He starts, "I offered them all a scholarship to Stonewall. They'd be getting a world-class education at zero cost."
"Except for the fact that you're on the board at Stonewall Prep, which means at some level the school must reflect your morals. Which I'm not okay with." Toni fires back.
I lean forward on the bar, "So I suggest you take your blood money elsewhere because you're not stealing our students, you leach."
Hiram looks at me with disdain before looking back to Toni, "What if I told you there was an open counselor position with a corner office and a big fat pay check." His eyes flick to me, "And I think the school board would love to start up a photography program. I'm sure we could create a dark room better than any you've ever seen."
"Thanks but no thanks." Toni declines.
He looks at me again waiting for an answer, "Oh, I'm not as polite as her so my answer is suck it." I say with a sarcastic smile.
Hiram stares us both down for a moment, "So we're playing hard ball."
Toni shrugs, "I guess so."
He gives us both a fake smile before standing up and walking out.
I blow air through my lips before straightening up, "Man, we really gotta come up with a good plan and fast."
"I know," Toni sighs, "I'm not gonna let someone like Hiram Lodge win."
Sweet Pea and Fangs walk over to the bar, "You good?" Sweet Pea asks as they sit.
"Yeah, Hiram Lodge is nothing we can't handle." I answer. "I just wish he'd fuck off already. I mean, what is his vendetta with this town anyway?"
Fangs shakes his head, "Who knows."
Toni glances down at her watch, "Oh, I have a doctors appointment."
Fangs stands, "I'll walk you out." He offers as Toni walks out from behind the bar.
"Thank you." She says happily and the both of them head up the steps.
I look to Sweet Pea skeptically, "You think they did that on purpose?"
"Probably." He nods.
We both laugh and I shake my head, "They're never gonna stop are they?"
He laughs again, "No, not until we're married."
I roll my eyes, "Well then it's never gonna stop."
"Never say never." He says jokingly as he takes a sip from his drink. "You know, they might understand a little more if you told them why we actually broke up."
I shake my head, "No, they don't need to know."
"They're our friends- our family. They'd understand." He says in a comforting tone.
I run my hands through my hair letting out a frustrated groan, "I know but there's just some things I'd rather them not know, okay? It's bad enough that you know. You're always worrying about me and I don't need them worrying too."
He nods, "I got it."
"Thank you." I sigh, "Are you gonna come to the school board hearing?"
"'Course, you know I always wanna support you. Want me to give you a ride?" He asks like the pervious conversation didn't just happen.
"Sure." I agree with a shrug.
He slides me his empty glass and stands, "I gotta go, I'll see you, Princess." He leans across the bar and kisses my forehead.
"Later, String Bean." I say with a smirk and he flips me off as he heads up the stairs.
________________________________________________________________________________
A Serpent meeting got called down at Archie's gym tonight. Apparently he discovered that the Ghoulies that are squatting in his house are using it to make, sell and distribute jingle jangle. He called Sheriff Keller to check the place out, hoping that they'd get caught and arrested but Reggie tipped them off so they could clean the place up. So now Archie want's our help getting them out.
"Thanks to Reggie Mantle I have enough info to sweep and clear the sight." Archie says.
"How many Ghoulies are in your house?" Fangs asks.
Archie sets out the blue prints of his house with red x's all over on the table we're surrounding, "I counted a dozen in these zones. We hit 'em hard, we hit 'em fast."
"Nice." Sweet Pea says excitedly, "It's been too long since the Serpents rumbled with the Ghoulies."
"I know, it's about damn time." I say with just as much enthusiasm and Sweet Pea high fives me.
"Calm down, you two." Kevin says, "I don't want anyone dying today. Especially not my boyfriend."
"Sorry, Mom." I say under my breath and Sweet Pea snickers.
Betty stands next to Kevin in her FBI jacket looking very not undercover, "Hopefully they've let their guard down enough so we can find some narcotics in the house."
"And like Kev said," Archie looks at us all pointedly, "No one gets killed. None of us and none of them. Wouldn't mind breaking a few bones though."
"Hell yeah!" Sweet Pea claps with excitement. As he starts hand weapons out. I grab the crow bar from him with a smile and we head out to Archie's house.
Sheriff Keller meets us outside the house. He, Archie, Betty and Kevin handle the front entrance while Fangs, Sweet Pea and I go in through the patio entrance. Once we hear the front door bust open Sweet Pea and I knock the glass out of the patio doors. And almost as soon as we step through there are Ghoulies coming at us from all directions.
I send my crow bar through a guy's chin knocking him to the ground and step over him into the living room. Someone grabs the collar of my jacket and pulls me back, I shove my elbows back into their stomach before turning around and kicking their feet out from under them.
Sweet Pea walks over to me and looks at the guy lying on the ground then gives me a fist bump. "Duck." He instructs me and I follow. He swings his bat over my head connecting it to a guy's face sending him to the ground.
I straighten up, "Thanks."
"No problem."
Once all the Ghoulies are successfully rounded up and cuffed, Kevin and Sheriff Keller do a sweep of the house. Kevin comes downstairs with a box, "Jingle Jangle." He tosses a bagful to Archie, "Just like the old days. They've got a lab set up in the bathroom. Will that be enough to put 'em behind bars, Agent Cooper?"
"Yeah, Kev." Betty nods, "That should do it."
--------
I walk down the hall to my apartment and lean against the wall by my door. "Thanks for bringing me home."
Sweet Pea shrugs, "I'll always bring you home."
"Tonight was fun, it's been awhile since I knocked some heads." I say as I look up at him.
He laughs softly, "You're still pretty good at it too."
"You weren't half bad yourself." I smirk.
He shakes his head at me, "Well, I need to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"You see me everyday." I say and he pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around his waist as he squeezes me and I don't want to let go. We've hugged since breaking up but, I don't know, lately everything between us has felt different.
We pull back slightly still holding on to one another. His eyes are locked on mine and I don't dare to move them as he holds me so closely. I wonder if he can hear how hard my heart is beating in my chest.
Suddenly he drops his arms and takes a step back. He clears his throat, "See ya, Princess."
"Later, String Bean." I lean against the wall with a sigh as I watch him walk away.
______________________________________________________________________________
AN
Oh my god I'm so tired right now.
BIG LOVES
VOTE
COMMENT