Author's Notes
So I've been asked if I make a habit of not finishing stories, and I'll answer: Yes. If I try to write one story knowing it's going to be long I know I'll get bored and tired and it'll be months maybe years to finish if I decide to stop writing it and not start anything new. I don't continue it right away because the chapters will not be as good if I write that when I am not really feeling the fic anymore. Sometimes I start new fics to keep things exciting with myself. But I always come back to some old fics when I feel inspired. Expect that from my page. Thanks!
3
The pool wasn't super eventful as I had hoped, but I expected it because I was the new girl. I didn't know what Toni was expecting to happen between Sweat Pea and I, but we walked casually down the sidewalk. I cut my eyes to him every now and then as a sign of precaution. His hands held onto his towel that was draped over his neck. He glanced at me with a smirk.
"What, I make you nervous or something?" he asked. I scoffed some.
"I'm always cautious of people I do not know." I replied honestly.
"Right. It's okay you can admit it, everyone else does, no one likes a serpent being this close to them." he said with pride. I shook my head.
"The serpents are in my blood, I refuse to ever fear them." I stated looking up at him. He looked down at me stunned.
"Your parents?" he asked. I looked away some.
"My father." I merely replied.
"And he married a northsider." he said and I could hear the mild disdain in his voice. I nodded.
"Yes. My mother was very beautiful in her youth, still is, but she had many people running after her. The rich, the poor, the northsiders and the southsiders. My dad lived on the southside and he fell head over heels for her." I explained remembering the story of when they met. My mother was stern then like she was stern now.
"I knew I loved your father, but I loved myself and my safety first. I was pregnant with Darius when we were in high school. I told him "I love you and I am having this child. But you run in a gang and I will not put myself or my child's life at risk for you. So you can stay in the gang and live your serpent life and I will leave, or you can put them beside and put us first. I would hold no bitterness toward you, but this is what I am choosing" And he picked us."
Sweet Pea was stunned as I told him the conversation between my folks.
"Wow, I won't say he chose wrong or anything. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't choose some girl over my family." he said. I listened as my home came into view and I noticed my father's truck in the driveway. I wasn't expecting that.
"Even if that girl was meant to be with you, to create a new family with?" I asked looking up at him. He inhaled some.
"If she cared about me, then she would understand and join the gang. She would be protected by all of us… and loved by me." he said. I thought his way of thinking was twisted, but I would not voice my thoughts and nodded instead. My dad was sitting on the rocking chair on the front porch in big yellow pants and a navy-blue shirt. He was sipping water when he saw us. His head lifting some as he saw us. Behind the rocking chair was his favorite axe that used to take to work and he used to scare any potential dates. I finally stopped walking and looked up at Sweet Pea.
"Thanks for walking me home, Sweet Pea… you know I'm curious, is that your real name?" I asked. He smirked.
"Nope. But only one person knows my real name aside from my parents." he said.
"Fangs?" I asked. His head jerked to the side.
"How'd you know?" he asked. I shrugged.
"You two are good friends, I can imagine you'd confide him." I said. Dad was starting to stand up now.
"Leyna." He called. I looked at Dad.
"Be right in." I replied looking at Sweet Pea. "Well see you at school tomorrow… sorry for getting soda on you." He looked at me with playful suspicion.
"No you're not." he laughed. I smiled a bit.
"You're right I'm not. Anyways, see ya." I replied and walked around him and over to the front porch. Dad was crossing his arms and giving Sweat Pea a noticeable glare as if letting him know, he is fully aware of him and whatever intentions he may have. I couldn't help but smile as he stood tall as the protector of the house. My father was a muscular man himself, his shirt's sleeves tight around his arms as if they could rip. Even though it was faded, the serpent tattoo was still there. No one got through Anton "The Backbreaker" Summerstone. I glanced over at Sweat Pea to see him retreating the direction we came from.
"New friend?" Dad asked and I watched him for a second before looking at Dad.
"No." I replied coolly before going inside.
I slept better than I thought I would. I read my notifications on my phone. Mom and Dad were already gone to work and I just sent them both a text letting them know I was staying an hour or two after school to review class work. I had a bowl of cereal and moved out to my car. I noticed a white piece of paper beneath my wind shield wiper. Odd. I moved over to the car and removed the piece of paper turned it over. It was a short letter.
Finally back where you belong. I look forward to seeing you again. Signed, your one true love
I stiffened at the words and shoved the note in my backpack before looking around the area. Obviously it was some kind of joke, maybe from someone who saw me back at school and recognized me but didn't come and talk to me. I looked at my fitbit versa and saw that I was going to be late for school if I didn't leave now. I quickly threw my backpack in the back and took off. School started as usual. I don't know what it was about the second day, but I noticed some things I didn't know before. Cheryl Blossom was in my world history class. A lot of teenagers dressed as if they weren't at school. Was there no dress code here?
Cliques definitely existed and I didn't notice it until I was in lunch sitting with Betty and Veronica.
"So Leyna, heard you have a study date with Reggie after class." Veronica started. And gossip definitely spread like the plague around here. I shrugged.
"Our teacher asked Reggie to catch me up on some of the material." I replied as if it weren't a big deal. Because it wasn't.
"Be careful. He could be using that as an excuse to get into your pants." Betty said. We all glanced over at the table in the back where a group of boys in Bulldogs were sitting. Reggie was among them. He looked over at us and did that nod up at us as if saying sup? He winked and everything. Veronica and Betty looked away shaking their heads and groaning with disgust.
"Is he that much of a man whore?" I asked.
"Yes." Veronica said flat out. "He and most of the Bulldogs think they are entitled to girls and believe they run the place, except for Archie." I nodded at her words wondering if she had an intimate run in with Reggie in the past.
"Just be careful, Leyna." Betty replied. I nodded at her.
"Thanks for the warning girls." I replied. They both nodded with smiles.
"So, Leyna how does it feel to be back in Riverdale?" Veronica asked. I shrugged.
"Fine I guess. Um trying to find my place here too. I was so young when I moved, I don't really remember many people here." I replied. As I spoke, Veronica slid a piece of paper to me.
"Well here's my number. You should hang with us at Pop's chock'lit shoppe with us over the weekend. It's a great place for us to get away from the stresses of the world." she said. I took the piece of paper and glanced at it before looking up at her and then Betty.
"Why are you two so nice to me?" I asked with a smirk, but my tone was serious. The girls looked at each other confused and then back at me with smiles.
"We're just being friendly." Betty said, and I was still unsure of them both but I nodded at them both.
"Thanks." I said warmly. "You know I was never really close with anyone growing up, except my brother. With him gone, I feel so… alone."
"You said he went off to chase the rush of life… what did you mean by that?" Betty asked. I sighed gently feeling my mind drift back to the memories of my childhood.
"My parents sort of kicked him out a few years back, because they thought we were too close. They couldn't trust him alone with me. Even though he never did anything to hurt me." I said. The girls looked mildly taken back by this but they nodded.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Veronica said lowly. I shook my head.
"It's okay. It was for the best." I replied feeling already like I said too much. They must think I'm weird now.
"Well now you just need to make new friends and surround yourself with fun people." Betty said.
"And lucky for you, we are fun." Veronica said in a matter of fact tone. I smiled at them and nodded.
"Good. I need fun in my life." I replied. Once lunch was over, I moved to my next class which was intro to media. Fangs was in that class. How did I not notice him? He sat way in the back. The seat I sat in yesterday was taken so I moved over to the back and sat beside him.
"May I sit?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yeah sure." he replied as he leaned over onto the long black desk that fit two. Ms. Cage wasn't here yet so some students were talking in the meantime.
"So how you liking the school?" Fangs asked and I looked up at him. I shrugged.
"It's fine. No complaints." I said and he nodded.
"Heard you have a study date with Reggie tonight." he said. I gave a gentle frown.
"How is everyone hearing about this?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Reggie." he said. I looked down at the desk before shaking my head.
"Yes he is going to help me in class. What is the whole school worried he's going to try and fuck me or something?" I asked. His eyes popped at my question and he cleared his throat.
"No. Of course not. I mean I was just wondering." he said and looked back at his text book.
"Well I just plan to review with him. That's it." I replied.
"Oh okay. Cool. Cool." he said. Now it was quiet between us and I just pulled out my text book. "So you seeing anyone around here?" My head slowly lifted and I looked up at him.
"I've only been here for like two days." I said. He raised his hands.
"No need to bite my head off. Just wondering if you were crushing on someone or if you have a long-distance boyfriend or something." he defended and I arched a brow looking him over.
"You got something to say to me?" I asked. Surely this guy wasn't crushing on me right? Was he the one who left me the note on my car? No, I've never met him a day in my life.
"Nope… I mean maybe someone I know MAY have a little crush on you." he muttered and rubbed the back of his head. I arched a brow. I can tell he wasn't supposed to say anything, but whoever he was doing it for, he was trying to help out.
"I'm not trying to date anyone." I replied feeling it was best to shut this down all together. His eyes popped.
"What? Like at all?" he asked.
"Yes, like at all." I replied. "I've never dated anyone and I don't want to take the risk of dating and feeling things that could potentially be used to hurt me." He squinted at me.
"Woah, never met a teen who doesn't dream of boys and dating." he said and I scoffed.
"Maybe I dream of just fucking and using men like they could use me." I said. He looked away stunned but shrugged.
"Well this guy would never hurt you." he said.
"You said he had a crush on me… well crushes fade and disappear. He'll get over me." I said. That was the end of this discussion. Did this mystery person be the same person who left the note on my car? "But out of curiosity who is it?"
"Oh no I am not saying anything else." he said. I huffed and finally Ms. Cage came in and class got started. Once the bell rang, I was on my way to my locker. Finally classes were over and I could just get this little review session over with. I began putting things in my locker when suddenly Reggie himself approached me.
"Hello Madam Summerstone are you ready to review?" he asked in a very uptight tone and I smiled politely.
"Sure let's do this." I replied and grabbed my algebra book and we headed off to the library. Now I was worried something would happen at this session. I mean Reggie already told everyone we were studying like something was going to happen. I definitely didn't need any rumors spreading on my third day at school. Maybe I should cancel, make an excuse to leave early or something. I was sure no matter what happened he was going to tell his boys something happened between us. No. Control yourself. Do what you got to do to leave. I was sure he wasn't a major pig right?