"Since when do you sing?" - Fangs asked, a smile spread across his face.
Harley had just walked off the stage, indicating the end of a, very successful night.
"Since Toni burst through my door and begged for my help." - she chuckled.
"I wasn't that dramatic!" - Toni rolled her eyes, while smiling.
"You were great." - Sweet Pea smiled, hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Thank you, Sweets." - she hugged him back.
"And I thought my girlfriend could sing." - Jughead joked.
"What do we do now?" - Sweet Pea asked, resting his arm on Harley's shoulders.
"We go home." - Harley said.
"Boo! You're boring!" - Toni playfully shoved her.
"Guys, I'm tired." - she sighed.
"Okay then, we go home." - Fangs shrugged.
"We do?" - Sweet Pea asked surprised.
"Yes." - Fangs nodded. - "Harley's home." - he grinned.
"That's not what I meant!" - she said surprised. - "When I said home I meant our homes, each of us, in our own ones, away, in bed, sleeping! Separately."
"Oh, c'mon, Harls!" - Fangs grabbed her arms and started dragging her outside. - "Don't be a party pooper."
"Who does even still say party pooper?"
"It was your day, a big break. You deserve a private party with your buddies." - he grinned.
They were in the heart of the Wyrm, in the very center of the bar, when Harley finally rolled her eyes and agreed. - "Okay, alright, fine." - she sighed. - "We can go, only if you stop dragging me. Everyone's staring at us."
"Everyone's staring at you, babe. They want to congratulate you." - Sweet Pea winked at her.
Harley looked around and it was true, everyone was smiling at her, giving her thumbs up, waiting for her friends to step back so that they could tell her face to face that they, very much, enjoyed her performance.
Harley smiled and started thanking everyone. She hadn't felt that much alive in quite some time. It might have been a little dumb, for her, to admit to herself, that this very thing might be her true calling. Just because she was a tough girl, didn't mean that she had to join the gang... that door would always be open for her, but the time to have fun, was limited and she knew that very well.
Amongst the crowds of people, Harley caught a glimpse of FP. He discretely nodded and semi smiled at her before disappearing behind the doors of his office.
"My dad seemed to really like you." - Jughead said.
"Huh?" - Harley asked, confused, as she had zoned out.
"Well, he's usually pretty picky about choosing his staff."
"Ah." - Harley nodded.
"Shall we go?" - Toni asked?
"Yeah, let's." - Harley said and intertwined her fingers with Sweet Pea's.
The sudden action of hers, made Sweet Pea smile. He squeezed her hand with his and led her out of the bar.
"So what do you guys wanna do now?" - Harley asked once the gang entered her apartment.
"Do you have any beer?" - Fangs asked.
"We were just at the Wyrm. Did you not have enough beers there?" - Harley asked.
"You can never have enough beer, Harls." - Fangs teased.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. - "Yeah, sure. My fridge is your fridge."
"Hey, how come your parents named you Harley?" - he asked, while taking a beer from the fridge.
"That's a dumb question." - Sweet Pea mumbled.
"Nah, it's cool." - Harley chuckled. - "My mum planned on naming me Katherine, but dad thought it was too common and not unique enough."
"So he named you after his bike?" - Jughead joked.
Her friends laughed.
"Pretty much." - she shrugged. - "Plus, Harley Quinn was one of his most favourite female comic characters."
"And I thought naming your kid after a bike was funny." - Toni chuckled.
"Hey, when I found out I was pretty psyched." - Harley said, while getting snacks. - "But then when the kids in class started making fun of me for having geek parents, it made me feel pretty self conscious."
"When have you ever been insecure?"
"In second grade." - she shrugged.
She spoke up again after a couple short seconds of silence. - "Dad always thought that maybe I'd become a doctor, myself." - she mumbled. - "Too bad I disappointed him." - she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"That's impossible." - Sweet Pea said. - "You could never ever disappoint anyone." - he wrapped his arm around her, gently hugging her. - "He's definitely proud of everything you've accomplished, so far, wherever he is." - he smiled.
"Aw.." - she smiled back. - "Thank you, Sweets."
"Well aren't you two just adorable." - Toni and Fangs echoed each other.
Harley rolled her eyes and smiled. - "Shut up and drink your beers."
"Thank you for saying all those things." - Harley whispered in Sweet Pea's ear. - "It means a lot." - she smiled, as she looked into his eyes.
"I only spoke the truth, Harls." - he smiled.
"Hey do you guys wanna play a game, or something? Do you have any games here, Harley?" - Jughead asked.
"Of course I do, Jug. There's twister and monopoly in the cupboard above the fridge."
"Really?" - he smiled excitedly.
"No." - she shook her head. - "I don't have any board games."
"Man, you guys just love messing with me, don't you?" - he frowned.
"You make it too easy, man." - Sweet Pea laughed.
"Sometimes I think that you don't even want to hang out with me."
"Oh no, what gave us away?" - Sweet Pea rolled his eyes.
"Don't be too mean, Sweets." - Harley shoved him playfully with her shoulder.
The night went on and the sun's bright rays were slowly starting to peek through the darkness.
"Maybe we should go?" - Toni asked, half asleep.
"Yeah, my dad's probably worried..." - Jughead yawned and shoved Fangs awake.
"I didn't do it!" - he blurted out. - "Huh?" - he asked confused.
"We passed out at Harley's." - Toni mumbled. - "Let's go home."
"No, you guys go, I'll sleep." - he mumbled and nuzzled the pillow he was hugging.
"What about Sweet Pea?" - Jughead asked.
There, on the sofa across from them, Sweet Pea was still sitting next to Harley, with his arm around her and her head resting on his shoulder. They were both deeply asleep.
"They're so cute." - Toni smiled.
"Do you think they might actually like each other?" - Jughead asked, while putting his boots on.
"While that would be amazing, I highly doubt it." - she shrugged. - "I'm almost certain that she has a thing for another guy, even tho she won't admit it."
"What about Sweet Pea?"
"What about him?" - she whispered, while covering them with a blanket.
"Do you think he likes her?"
"Why?" - Toni chuckled.
"I don't know. He seems different around her." - he shrugged.
"Nah, I just think that they're really good friends." - Toni said, as she put her jacket on. - "Quite to think of it, I don't think that Sweet Pea has ever liked anyone. Or if he did, he never told us."
"But, I've seen him hang out with girls."
"Yeah, but those were like flings, nothing more." - Toni shrugged. - "I just hope he starts opening his heart up more." - she sighed.
"You got everything?" - Jughead asked.
Toni nodded. - "Also, don't ever ask me questions like this at 5 am ever again."
"Why not?"
"Because, I'm all honest and vulnerable. I might confess to killing a person."
"You haven't actually done such a thing, tho." - he said, while opening the door.
"You'll never know." - she winked and walked away.
Later that day, Harley was digging through her closet, searching for an outfit to wear, for yet another gig at the Wyrm.
"Hey, Harley?" - Fangs called out from the kitchen. - "Can I make something for me and Sweets to eat?"
"You two are still here?" - she asked, while peeking her head through the door of her bedroom.
"We're gonna go." - Sweet Pea said.
"I mean, you don't have to." - she shrugged. - "I just thought that you had left."
"We haven't." - Fangs shrugged.
"Well, there isn't much to eat, actually." - Harley said, as she walked towards them. - "You can go pick something up from Pop's, tho."
"Are you going somewhere?" - Sweet Pea asked.
"I'm just getting ready for tonight."
"But it's 3 pm." - Fangs said confused.
"Well, yeah, but I gotta get there at around 7." - she sat on the kitchen counter. - "And I'm figuring out what to wear. Gotta take a shower, do my hair and makeup."
"Well then, we really should leave." - Sweet Pea chuckled. - "We'll see you tonight, either way."
"Yeah, we'll be the ones cheering you on." - Fangs grinned.
"Ah," - Harley smiled. - "I finally have my own groupies." - she chuckled.
"Is that all we are to you?" - Fangs gasped dramatically. - "I'm very offended Harley."
She rolled her eyes and smiled. - "I'll go get food." - she said, while grabbing her wallet and keys.
"We'll come with." - Sweet Pea said.
"Nah, you two sit here." - she pointed towards the living room. - "And clean up after yourselves." - she motioned towards the bags of chips and the cans of beer the two boys had the night before.
"Aye, aye, chief."
She smiled and took her new Serpent jacket with her. She put it on and sudden happiness washed over her, as she looked herself in the mirror. It was the first time she had put it on, since she got it.
For the first time in a long time she felt like she belonged, she felt like she was a part of something big, something important. She was giving something back to the community her father lived in. Sweet Pea's words echoed in her head and she believed that he was right, her dad would've been proud of her and he probably was. She was continuing his legacy in her own way. She missed him, but now she had something of his to hold on to. Not just something from their life together, but something from his, as well.
"Hey, Pop." - she smiled at the old man behind the counter.
"Hello, Harley." - he greeted her with a smile, as he usually did.
"Can I have 3 burgers with 3 large fries to go, please? And some dessert?"
"Of course, dear." - he nodded and disappeared in the kitchen.
Once her order was done and she payed, she was fast on her way back home.
"Harley?" - she heard a voice behind her. - "Harley Novak, is that really you?"
She turned around, confused. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't put a face to it. - "Trish?" - her eyes widened, once they landed on the girl's face.
"Hi, stranger!" - the girl grinned.
"Hello." - she said confused.
The girl wrapped her arms around Harley, embracing her in a tight hug.
"What brings you here?" - Harley asked.
"Just travelling, you know?" - Trish smiled.
"You're far from home." - Harley smiled.
"Thought maybe I should live a little before starting college, ya know?" - she smiled back. - "What about you?"
"Yeah, me too. Something like that."
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages."
"Here and there." - Harley shrugged.
"How's your mum?"
"She's good."
"Is she here, too? I would love to see her."
"No, she's at home. I'm here on my own."
"Where is home, right now?" - the girl asked.
Harley looked at her and tilted her head. - "Wherever work brings her, I guess. And for me, here, for now."
"Cool, cool." - Trish nodded.
"What about you? Are you staying here?"
"For a while." - she said, nodding her head, once again.
"Well... It was great bumping into you," - Harley mumbled. - "but I gotta run." - she lifted the bags filled with food.
"Yeah, of course." - she smiled. - "Maybe we'll see each other again, taking we're both here."
"Yup." - Harley nodded.
"It's a small town." - she smiled.
"It's a small world." - Harley smiled and got on her bike. - "See you, around." - she said and drove off.
Harley was stunned to see that the boys, had indeed, cleaned up the apartment, once she walked through the door.
"Well, isn't this day full of surprises." - she said, putting the bags on the kitchen table.
"You thought we wouldn't tidy up, didn't you?" - Fangs chuckled and sat down on the chair, tearing up the bags to get to his food.
"Did something happen?" - Sweet Pea asked.
"Yeah, kind of." - Harley said. The idea had still left her feeling weird and confused. - "I saw a girl, earlier at Pop's. A girl from Marltown. We used to be friends."
"Okay, and?" - Fangs asked, while biting into his burger.
"Well, it was weird, you know? I haven't seen her since mum and I moved to Parksdale."
"Maybe she's going somewhere, so she stopped by here?" - Sweet Pea said. - "Riverdale is usually a pitstop for people who are travelling long distance."
"Yeah, I know." - Harley nodded, as she sat down. - "But it felt.."
"Weird?" - Fangs spoke up.
"Yes!" - she nodded. - "She started asking me all these questions about where I lived, where my mum is..."
"Well, you said it yourself," - Sweet Pea said. - "you haven't seen each other in years. And by the looks of it, you didn't keep in touch."
"Well, yeah. I moved. I left everyone and everything behind, you know? After the whole... Incident happened."
"Hey, it's normal to feel kind of freaked out. You kind of have PTSD from everything that happened there. But it's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"He is, now eat." - Fangs said.
Harley smiled and nodded. - "Bon appetit."
A while after, the boys left and Harley was getting ready for her gig at the Wyrm.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, she looked at the time and it was 6:45 pm already.
"Fuck." - she mumbled under her breath. - "Didn't we say that we're meeting there?!" - she called out, while walking towards the door. - "What're you guys d-" - she cut herself off, once she opened the door and saw who was standing behind it. - "What in God's name?" - she widened her eyes.
"Hey, Harley." - FP smiled.
"Hi.." - she said confused.
"W-what... I'm sorry, but, what the hell are you doing here, FP?" - she furrowed her eyebrows.
"Is that how you greet all your guests?" - he chuckled.
"Guests are people you invite over. I don't remember inviting you." - she crossed her arms.
"Well," - he chuckled. - "you didn't." - he said and leaned on the door frame.
"I don't have time for this, what do you want, Jones?" - she rolled her eyes.
"I want to talk."
"And you couldn't wait till after my gig tonight?"
He sighed. - "Can I come inside?"
"Oh, where are my manners." - she chuckled. - "No. Please, leave."
"Look, Harley, I really wanna get something off my chest." - he sighed.
Harley rolled her eyes. - "Fine." - she sighed. - "But, you better make this quick. My boss is a pain in the ass." - she said and stepped away, as she opened the door wider.
"Thank you." - he said. - "For letting me in, that is, not for calling me a pain in the ass." - he chuckled.
"Tick tock." - she said, looking at her watch.
"I wanted to apologize, Harley."
"Surprise, surprise. What else is new?" - she rolled her eyes, while walking back to her bedroom to finish getting ready.
"I really am sorry, Harley." - he said, following behind her.
"What are you sorry for, this time?" - she mumbled, while applying her mascara.
"Everything. The way I acted, all those things I said... I shouldn't have been so rude."
"No, you shouldn't have." - she turned around, facing him. - "But, then again, I'm not surprised."
"What do you mean?"
"We keep going in circles, here, FP. You screw up, lash out, we fight, then you come to me, apologizing and begging for my forgiveness. And the worst part is that you don't do these things with just me." - she frowned. - "I've seen you act the same way with your employees, the Serpents and with Jughead. It's a never-ending cycle with you. You never listen and you think that you know everything, that you're this genius who has all the answers, as if you can read minds and know what people are thinking. Well, newsflash, Einstein, you don't." - she crossed her arms. - "Yeah, you may be a good leader, but do you really think that true Kings do as they please? Not regarding their people's thoughts and opinions? Do you really think that a good father does that?"
"For fuck's sake, Harley!" - he ran his fingers through his dark hair, frustrated. - "Look, I never said that I'm perfect!"
"You're far from it." - she chuckled sarcastically.
"I am! And I know that! But, I'm slowly getting my shit back together, I'm trying to live a better life, I really am! I'm trying to improve as a person and as a father. I've done some pretty shitty things, that I'm not proud of, in the past and I'm trying to make amends for it now."
"And at this point I'm your top priority?!" - she raised her eyebrow.
"You're pretty important to me, yeah." - FP nodded.
Harley scoffed, while shaking her head. - "I can't believe you." - she frowned and crossed her arms.
"You are! I don't know what this is and I don't think I can quite explain it. It's like I'm addicted to you." - he said stepping closer to her.
"You have no idea how inappropriate this is, Forsythe!" - she said and walked passed him.
"You can't tell me that you don't feel this, like, magnetic power, pulling us together!"
"You're mad, you've officially lost it, man!" - she said, grabbing her backpack and putting her jacket on.
"Harley, I don't think that you understand me." - he said, running after her.
"I don't want to understand anything, right now. I just want to get away from you and go do my job, that I actually like!"
"Harley, I'm losing my mind here!" - he said, blocking her way to the door.
"I can clearly see that!" - she glared at him. - "Move! Get away from the door."
"Harley, I think I love you, damn it!"
Harley widened her eyes. - "This... This is too insane even for you! Can't you see how insane this is?!" - she yelled at him. - "You.. love me!? Are you crazy!? You don't even know me well enough, FP!"
"Oh and as if you know Sweet Pea that well!"
"Oh my God! Is that what this is all actually about!?" - she laughed. - "You being jealous?! You'll really do anything just to get it your way, won't you?!"
FP shook his head and with a swift move, he placed his palms on Harley's face, connecting his lips to hers.
After a couple of seconds, Harley came to her senses and shoved him away. - "Way, way, way out of line!" - she said, furiously. - "There's a key under the mat. Lock up when you leave." - she said and slammed the door behind her.
She was angry, confused and in shock. She couldn't believe what had just happened.
She ran down the stairs, she wanted to get as far away from him, as fast as she could.
"Insane!" - she said, while putting her helmet on. - "Crazy." - she mumbled and got on her bike.
"Hello, everyone!" - she smiled, after walking up to the microphone on her little stage. - "Tonight we'll start a bit later, than last night. Enjoy your drinks and I'll be with you in a couple of minutes."
"What happened to you?" - Toni asked, the same second Harley appeared in front of her. - "Where the hell were you?"
"There was... an unexpected turn of events." - Harley shook her head. - "I'm here now."
"Luckily for you, FP hasn't arrived, yet. So, unless you get ratted out, you won't be in any trouble. He really hates it when someone's late." - Toni explained.
"Don't worry about that." - Harley said, while walking behind the counter and taking a shot glass, filling it with tequila. - "Cheers!" - she said and downed the clear liquid in a swift move.
"Are you alright?" - Toni asked, worry lacing her words.
"Sure."
"Hey, what're you doing there?" - Fangs asked, pointing to where she was standing.
"Drinking."
"Aren't you performing tonight?" - Sweet Pea asked. - "And speaking of, you're half an hour late."
"I am performing and you have nothing to worry about."
"Babe, you don't seem like-"
"Toni, no offense, but back off." - Harley glared at her friend.
"You don't have to sing, if you don't feel well. I'm sure that FP will understand."
"Sweet Pea, I'm fine." - she rolled her eyes. - "I should go." - she sighed. - "Sorry for the attitude. I'm just a bit pissed." - with that, she disappeared in the crowds.
Once Harley walked on the stage again, all the lights went out, apart from a bright spotlight that landed on her. A slow version of Toxic, by Britney Spears started playing and she started singing.
The slow instrumental, her voice and the whole atmosphere made everyone stare at her in awe. Chills went down everyone's spines. It was hard to take your eyes off Harley at that moment. It was almost as if time had stopped and only she was moving.
At the very end of the song, FP walked through the doors of the bar. He stood there, staring at her.
"Don't you know that you're toxic?"
That line made FP freeze in his spot, especially the way she made direct eye contact with him.
He turned around and left, just as fast he arrived.