I do not own Riverdale. The CW does. Sorry in advance for not proofreading.
Biology class had ended and Sweet Pea and Toni made a beeline for their lockers.
"I can't believe we have to take care of baby dolls," Sweet Pea said, as he spun the code for his locker.
"I know," Toni huffed. "I thought they only did that in TV shows."
She opened her locker quickly and stuffed her textbook inside.
"He said we get them tomorrow, right?" Sweet Pea asked her.
"Yeah, and I know what you're thinking. You are not cutting, Sweet Pea."
"Dammit, you know me so well, Topaz," Sweet Pea said. "It's not fair that he's just going to pair us up randomly. The real world doesn't work like that."
"Yeah true," Toni said. "He said we can't switch either."
"Would you have wanted-" Sweet Pea was going to ask, but she had her notebook in hand and said,"Anyway I'll see you later. I have to meet Jughead."
Sweet Pea finally got his locker opened, and was going to put his textbook inside when a piece of paper had fallen out. Bending down, he picked it up and unfolded it. In capital letters it said, I REALLY, REALLY LIKE YOU. He looked around, but everyone was headed to their classes. He placed the paper in his messenger bag and headed towards the cafeteria. He looked around, trying to notice if any girl looked at him with a gleam in her eye. Anyway, he was used to people looking at him when he entered a room. His height had that affect on people. He'd come to the conclusion that the whole thing had been a prank probably from the stupid jock Reggie and he wasn't going to act differently. He spotted Toni and Jughead talking animatedly (probably about some crime story) as he received his lunch tray and headed towards them. They looked up as he sat down.
"So, who do you hope to get paired up with tomorrow?" Jones asked him. He bit into his burger with relish as he waited for Sweet Pea's answer.
Sweet Pea quickly glanced at Toni, who at that moment popped a French Fry in her mouth.
"I honestly don't want to even do this," he said, opening his chocolate milk.
"All of us don't want to do it," Jughead replied, "but if you had to pick someone?"
"Stop it, Jones," Sweet Pea said, with a baleful glare that made Jughead's stomach twist and turn.
Jughead looked over at Toni who nodded. Jughead felt that all too familiar tension he had with Sweet Pea and he remembered those brass knuckles hitting him in the face.
"Fine," he said. "I hope to get paired with Betty." Or Toni he thought to himself.
"You?" Jughead asked Toni.
Shrugging her shoulders, Toni said, "Any of the Serpents would be fine with me."
Sweet Pea had hoped she would've said him specifically but he would take that.
It was 3:30 and Sweet Pea was gathering his books he needed for homework. Toni and Fangs were waiting for him outside. He was about to shut his locker when he noticed another piece of paper tucked in one of his textbooks. He took it out and this time it said, I LIKE YOU IN A TURTLENECK. YOU LOOK SO CUTE.
Again he looked around but no one was around this time. Gathering his belongings he made his way to Toni and Fangs who were laughing hysterically. He knew it had to be them. This whole thing was a prank.
"Very funny," he said, as he approached them.
"What?" Fangs said. "You don't even know what we were laughing about.
"Yeah I do," Sweet Pea, getting on his motorcycle.
"Then you must have some supersonic hearing," Toni, said, getting on her own motorcycle.
Sweet Pea looked confused now. "We were laughing about Jones as his latest conspiracy theory. He said that soon we are all going to be able to hear everyone's thoughts and that no one will be able to think something privately. He said it might even happen in a couple of months. We were also laughing about Weatherbee's favorite words: Effective Immediately."
"Did you hear that?" Fangs asked him. "That was my eyeballs rolling." He and Toni laughed as Sweet Pea shook his head.
The three of them rode off, looking like badasses as they headed for the Wyte Wyrm.
Sweet Pea tried not thinking about the notes he had found but they made him feel so uncomfortable. He was eating his breakfast when Toni sat across from him.
"I thought you were going to skip class today?"
"I rather be here," he said and sipped his milk.
Toni picked at her blueberry muffin and began eating. "The food here is awesome," she said.
"We got really lucky," Sweet Pea agreed. He finished the last of his pancakes just as the bell rang.
Mr. Lowman, their biology teacher greeted everyone as they entered. Everyone noticed the two bowls on his desk and they all sighed as they saw the baby dolls in boxes.
"Good morning class," he said.
"Good morning," everyone said lowly.
"Now your assignment is to take care of your dolls to the best of your ability. This will be graded. Your babies are top of the line, high tech. Now I will pair you off. Decisions are final. You will take care of your baby so that it may live and thrive. When it cries you pick it up. When it needs to be fed you feed it. Now let's begin." Everyone in class could tell that he was the only one really enjoying this."
"Yes Alision," he said pointing to a girl in the back.
"May I be a single mom?"
"No you will be paired off. Now let's begin."
Everyone was silent as they watched Mr. Lowman pick a paper from the bowl.
"Jughead Jones."
Jughead looked up brightly, hoping to hear Betty or Toni's name on the next paper. Cheryl crossed her fingers. Please don't let me get picked with that filth. Please.
Archie looked intently as Mr. Lowman picked out a name from the next bowl.
Jughead's heart was beating fast as he waited to hear. Not Cheryl, not Cheryl.
Mr. Lowman smiled as he read the name. "Veronica. Jughead and Veronica."
Archie shook his head, but he turned to look at Betty. If he got Betty's name that wouldn't be so bad.
"Okay, let's continue," Mr. Lowman said as Veronica and Jughead sat next to each other with their baby doll between them.
"Archie," Mr. Lowman said. Not Cheryl. Not Cheryl. Archie prayed.
Mr. Lowman picked out a paper. "Toni. Archie and Toni."
Archie looked over at Toni, trying to read her expression but she just looked serious. He got up and got the baby doll and sat down next to her. He didn't miss the glare that Sweet Pea had sent his way and ignored it. Toni acknowledged him and nodded.
"Fogarty," Mr. Lowman said, "And Betty." The two sat next to each other and smiled.
"Kevin and Josie." The two were beaming as they got their doll. "I'm just so glad it wasn't Cheryl," Kevin whispered to Josie.
"Reggie and Valerie."
"Chuck and Alison."
"Moose and Melody."
Sweet Pea was even wondering if his name was even in the bowl when Mr. Lowman said, "Sweet Pea," Mr. Lowman said. He stared at the teacher as if the man was getting ready for the gauntlet. The man stopped smiling as he retrieved a paper. "Cheryl."
Everyone's eyes bugged out as they heard the name. "Sweet Pea and Cheryl."
"Nope, nope. Absolutely not," Cheryl said, crossing her arms in front of her. Her red lips set in a scowl. "He and his Queen of the Buskers, Cheryl said, looking at Toni, "can be together. Archie and I can be together.
Archie closed his eyes in frustration.
"Ms. Blossom," Mr. Lowman said, surprised at her attitude.
"Look," Cheryl said turning to Sweet Pea, "you can try to pay the child support now, but we all know all you're going to be is a deadbeat dad. I will not let my grade suffer because this greaser decided to bail because let's face it, that's all he knows how to do."
Everyone's jaw dropped and what Cheryl said. They knew Cheryl's one liners usually stung but this was just unacceptable. They looked forward to Sweet Pea's reaction and all eyes were on them as Cheryl looked satisfied with herself and the attention. The Serpents looked on angrily at Cheryl as Reggie snickered with his buddies.
Sweet Pea's wheels were turning. What should he do? What could he do? She was a girl and that factor played on in his mind before anything else. Did he want to hurt her like she had obviously done to him. Did he want to be the better man? Or come at her with a quip that would wipe that smug smile from her face. He could tell her, "Oh that's right. You're used to sleeping with your twin brother that the thought of another guy repulses you. Or maybe I'll be like your dad."
Sweet Pea came up with a decision and walked up to Mr. Lowman and got the baby doll, leaving everyone astonished and shocked.
"Ms. Blossom I think you owe Sweet Pea an apology."
"Never," Cheryl said, gazing at the baby doll with disgust.
The bell rang and Veronica approached Sweet Pea and Cheryl. "You should apologize."
"What are you going to do about it, Kahlo without the unibrow?" Cheryl said, putting her hand on her hip.
Toni took Sweet Pea aside. "I'm sorry. She's such a bitch." Toni said. "Just ask Mr. Lowman if he can switch you. I'll gladly be your partner. If you want I can ask him right now."
Sweet Pea was forcing Cheryl's words out his mind but they had done their damage. He watched as Toni attempted to switch and saw Mr. Lowman shake his head.
"That was mean," some people whispered to Cheryl as they walked out of class.
"A real low blow," someone had spoken softly.
Veronica tapped her foot, waiting for Cheryl to say sorry. The Serpents were banded on the other side of class. "We only have to do this for two weeks. This whole week and then the week we have off and that's it." Fangs offered Sweet Pea.
"Why did you say that to him?" Veronica questioned Cheryl.
"I don't like guys in turtlenecks," Cheryl said quickly.
"I'm going over there and I'm going to give her a piece of my mind," Toni said, but Sweet Pea held her back.
"You don't have to do that, Topaz."
"She humiliated you in front of the whole class," Toni said outraged.
"She humiliated herself," Jughead said and that made Sweet Pea feel a little better. Toni fumed and ran her hand through her pink hair. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked Sweet Pea.
"It was something you said."
"Oh, you finally decided to listen to me."
"I'm turning over a new leaf. I would've reacted before or said something I would surely regret but not anymore." The sight of another red-head made him stop talking.
He looked fixedly at Andrews behind Toni. She turned around noticing Sweet Pea looking above her head.
"Archie Andrews," Archie said extending a hand. Toni looked down and shook it. "Toni Topaz."
"Listen we're all not like that," he said, looking back at Cheryl.
Sweet Pea took in the twinkle the Andrews boy had as he talked to Toni and he didn't like it.
"Let's get an A on this assignment," Archie remarked as Toni nodded.
Everyone started to head out of class and Sweet Pea and Cheryl were the only ones left. He took the doll and Cheryl approached him tentatively.
"Can you even hear me all the way up there?" Sweet Pea shook his head at her lame joke. He had heard every tall joke there ever was. He could see that she was trying to make amends. He had seen the way she looked as her classmates had whispered how mean she was and now she was reflecting on her actions. Maybe the ice queen was melting.
"Come on, Lincoln. Let's get out of here. Watch out for the ceiling blade fans," she said, walking out triumphantly as Sweet Pea held that ridiculous doll in his hands.