Lexy walked through the front doors of Riverdale High with Cheryl and Toni following on either side. Like she expected, people from all directions stared at the girl who had just disappeared for weeks. She blew a loose strand of hair out her face and grinned.
"I'm gonna take all this staring as a compliment," she said, still looking ahead of her, "it means they missed me."
The girls walked down the hallway, ignoring but also embracing the stares. Most people were still confused about Lexy's sudden appearance at the opening of La Bonne Nuit. Her goal today was to show them that it wasn't a one time thing. She was back now. And it was going to take a lot more than her brother/best friend getting dragged to a prison where they beat him in riots to knock her down.
Cheryl and Toni had plenty of questions themselves for Lexy, but whenever they so much as mentioned anything about the past few weeks, she would distract them or find an excuse to leave.
Cheryl knew from experience, this wouldn't be over until Lexy confronted it head on.
Not her strong suit.
Just as the main stairway came into the girls' view, Lexy's eyes widened and she was quick to grab her friends' wrists and force them into the student lounge, which was luckily right next to them.
Cheryl and Toni regained their balance and turned to face Lexy with confused faces. Cheryl's however quickly turned from a confused look to a mischievous one as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Who are you avoiding? I know when someone's avoiding someone else. Usually I'm said someone else." She grinned and Toni chuckled at her very true comment.
"I'm not avoiding anyone." Lexy said, casually twirling her hair.
Cheryl rolled her eyes and decided to take matters into her own hands. She went to the doorway of the lounge and peaked into the hallway, trying to notice anyone who Lexy might have a reason to be hiding from. When she didn't she looked at Lexy with an arched brow.
"The only person you know out here is Sweetpea-" she cut herself off with a large gasp causing Lexy to sigh and yank her back into the room. "Ms. Andrews may I ask why you are a avoiding your own boyfriend?"
"No, you may not ask, now let's take the side stairway." She brushed through them but they pulled her back by each wrist.
"Why are you avoiding Sweetpea? You'd think you'd want to be spending the most time with him since you've been gone the last few weeks-"
"I'm avoiding him because of the stuff that went down on Friday night at the speakeasy's opening." Lexy cut off Toni.
The couple eyed each other curiously before looking back to Lexy for more details.
"He beat up like five guys in the back room of the place according to Reggie. He thought they were all coming on to me. I was lucky when I walked in on him and Reggie almost killing this one guy. I forced them to bring him to the hospital and haven't spoken to either one since."
"Why?" Toni asked.
"Because I'm mad. They were stupid! And dangerous! And yeah, maybe one of them spiked my drink but I could've taken it." She let out a sigh. "I've seen them both riled up but never like that!"
"Yeah, crazy Sweetpea can be a bit scary." Toni said.
"Besides, I wouldn't know what to say. Actually I probably wouldn't say anything, I'd slap them before I could even get one word out."
"You do know that you're gonna have to talk to them eventually, Lex?"
"I know," she glanced out the doorway but quickly hid behind the wall as Sweetpea walked by the lounge, "but not today."
***
Toni and Lexy sat on the bleachers in the gymnasium together, knowing Sweetpea wouldn't be in there during lunch. The smell wasn't exactly appealing, especially considering they were trying to eat, but it would do.
"What about Reggie? It doesn't seem to be as much of a struggle to avoid him." Toni asked.
"Yeah, I was thinking that too. In fact, now that you say it, it's been months since Reg and I actually hung out together."
"Any reason why?"
"No. I tried to text and call him over the summer but he was always busy. Probably doing some random Greendale girls or something."
"You saw him down the hallway and then ran in the other direction!?" Cheryl swung open the doors and made her way over to the girls, as her heels tapping on the ground echoed around the gym.
"It wasn't my fault, I didn't expect to see him in that hallway!" Lexy defended herself. "I was caught off guard. How'd you know anyway?"
"Your boyfriend interrogated me about it during French class."
"Did he interrogate you in French?" Lexy asked.
"No, we were speaking English." The red head rolled her eyes.
"Less impressive."
"The point, Lexy, back to the point." Toni snapped in her face, not falling for her use of humour to lead the situation astray.
"Okay! Look, I promise I won't be caught off guard again. I'll take the long way to each class. And I'll stay late after school so I can't run into him outside."
"You're being stupid Lexy." Toni said.
"You know, after a person hears that over and over again, it starts to lose it's affect after a while."
***
It was weird being in school when the hallways were completely empty. Like one of those horror movies where the masked killer jumps out of the janitor's closet and then slices the virgin's throat in the classroom.
Lexy shook those thoughts out of her head. It would only make her paranoid. She stuffed the last of her books into her bag before swinging it over her shoulder and making her way down the stairs.
For some reason, her stomach felt weird. A gut feeling. Like something was about to happen. And considering this felt like a scene from a slasher movie, it more than likely wouldn't be good.
When the front doors came into view she picked up her pace, never wanting to be out of school more. But just when she was almost free, she felt herself being dragged inside the janitor's closet.
Before she even had a chance to defend herself, she realized who it was.
"Avoiding me?" Sweetpea asked.
Lexy hesitated for a moment. "I never avoid anyone."
This made her boyfriend scoff. "You saw me down the hall and then ran in the other direction. What do you call that?"
"Punctuality?"
"Hilarious."
There was a moment of silence between them before Lexy made a break for the door, but was lifted up by Sweetpea and put at the back of the room. He was now blocking her escape route.
"Are you mad at-"
Lexy cut him off with a hard slap across his left cheek. He raised his brows in surprise.
"I guess that answers my question."
She raised her hand to slap him on the other cheek but he was quick to restrain both of her hands. She attempted to wriggle out of his grip but failed.
"Just say it, Princess." He whispered.
She sucked in one deep breath.
"You're such an idiot! I wanted to kill you for what you did on Friday. I wanted to kill you, Sweetpea." Lexy exploded. "You were stupid and reckless and insane and senseless."
"You know what those guys tried to do to you, Lexy-"
"I don't care! I don't give a crap about them or what they tried to do."
"Well I do! You have no idea what could've happened if I didn't step in!"
"There's a big difference between stepping in and beating someone until you break every bone in their body you asshole!"
Sweetpea didn't know where all of this was coming from. He knew she would be angry but not this much. But he was going to find out why.
"They deserved it." He said plainly.
"It's assault! It's against the law! And you didn't only think with your fist instead of your brain once but five times!? That's stupid."
"Maybe but-"
"And they could all still press charges. All five of them. They could easily go to the cops. And then you'd go to trial and because your not innocent then you would end up..." Lexy's voice cracked slightly.
A look of realisation crossed Sweetpea's face. Now he knew where this was coming from.
"Then I would end up doing time. In juvenile detention."
Lexy stared at the floor. This was why she was avoiding him. He was the only person who had ever figured her out. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he forced her problems out of her.
"That's why you were so freaked out. It wasn't about me beating people up or guys spiking your drink. You didn't want me to end up like..." Sweetpea trailed off, not wanting to be too blunt.
"Like Archie." Lexy finally finished, but her eyes stayed glued to the floor. "I know you mean well, but last year it was my dad. Now it's Archie. If I were to loose you or Reggie or anyone else, I don't know what I'd do."
He wrapped his arms around her as she finished that last sentence. This girl was loosing everything she held close to her, and he chose that exact moment to go on a rampage. How could it have taken him so long to realize that? He should've listened to Reggie, as much as that thought grossed him out. But then another thought suddenly emerged...
"Had Reggie known all along?" Sweetpea thought. "Did Reggie know what was going through Lexy's mind and I didn't?"
He didn't want to think too much about that, Lexy was more important.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should've thought before I did anything. I guess I was just feeling protective. I didn't want anything to happen to you the first time you left the house in weeks."
Lexy released herself from the hug and coughed nervously.
"Come on, Princess. You have to talk about it eventually." He said.
"I will, I promise... but not yet." She brushed past him and left the janitor's closet, picking up her bag which she had dropped on the floor when Sweetpea kidnapped her. She then turned around and stretched out her arm, allowing Sweetpea to take her hand and walk her home.
He knew things weren't completely okay. She was still hiding something. But for now he would appreciate what he could get. It was nice finally walking Lexy home again, and talking about their shared thoughts on the hilarious River Vixen dances, which probably were not supposed to be comedic.
And little did he know, Lexy never had any intention of telling him what he wanted to know.
It was just a matter of keeping him waiting until he forgot.
***
Tap.
Tap, tap, tap.
Reggie was caught off guard by the sudden yet familiar sound of tapping on the door of his balcony.
He entered his bedroom from the en-suite to see a silhouette standing behind the clear glass of the door. She waved. The whole point of avoiding somebody is to not have any contact with them at all costs, but he couldn't leave her standing out there.
They made a rule about that when they were ten years old.
He unlocked the door. "Hey Little A-"
The impact of Lexy's arms being thrown around his neck cut him off, and he quickly supported her weight by holding her waist.
"I've seen and talked to all of my friends since Friday. Except one." She whispered, still clinging to his shoulders.
"Let me guess, that's me?"
"Wow, sharp as always." Lexy shot back. "One of the first things I thought about once I started getting better was being able to hug you. I haven't done that in a long time."
She heard her friend sigh and felt his breath on the back of her neck.
"For some reason we haven't talked in months. Even before what happened to me. But now that I'm here, I just want you to know how much I miss you."
"Even after what happened on Friday?" Reggie wondered.
"That was stupid and dangerous but unfortunately you've done worse. And that's never stopped me from being your best friend before." And although she didn't want to excuse what he did, she had to say something else. "Thank you for still caring about me, even after we lost contact."
"I always will, Lex. I hope you'll always remember that." The emotions that were rarely heard in his voice caused it to become shaky.
When someone's voice is shaky, it either means they are lying to save themselves or telling a truth so meaningful it even scares the person saying it.
This was the latter.
The two pulled away from each other at the sound of an engine followed by a door slamming and then footsteps walking towards the house.
"It's my dad." Reggie said in a dangerous tone. He turned away from her and began picking up all of the clothes on the floor.
"Why do you say it like that?" Lexy watched him pace around the room shoving everything that looked out of place into his wardrobe. This was familiar.
Reggie visibly stiffened but tried to cover it up.
"Don't start this again, Lex."
"I won't but... I'm guessing I have to leave now?"
Reggie's silence was enough for her to know she had to climb back down the tree leading to his balcony very quietly. She had seen this exact scenario since she was a kid.
Reggie's dad.