A few things, I'll try to be brief. For readers just now getting to this, I had two very different ideas for season 3 and I liked them both but the idea below didn't feel as much like Lane as the one I ultimately went with in the actual story. That being said I did really like this idea so I'm going to continue it and make it it's own story.

With Sweet Pea and his summer fling, I decided to break up Lane and Sweet Pea (which, I originally planned to break them up during the season 2 finale but I wasn't ready) My plan is to have them grow as people separately, and then by the end come back together stronger. So really, they'll get to fall in love all over again, and this time it won't be super rushed.

That being said, I did wanna give Lane another experience at love that wasn't Sweet Pea. I wanted it to be different, I wanted it to be softer, more like a shy first love (which Lane and Sweet Pea never were). So I created an OC named Angie, she's really gonna help Lane grow and heal and become a more rounded character. So when she and Sweet Pea do get back together she knows who she is and what she wants, she won't be as dependent on him (because remember, this girl at this point has CRIPPLING abandonment issues).
While at the same time, Lane's going to be stepping more into her role as a Serpent. So badass Lane is coming too. And, as I go through the story Angie's pretty badass on her own in different ways - so they're gonna be boss ass babes and I'm excited for it.

All that to say (sorry for rambling), this is just a random mockup introduction of Angie with like zero context to the actual story. It's just a feel for Angie, and a feel for how Lane is with her.


IX. I can't recall the last time I opened my eyes to see the world as beautiful

The house that'd once felt small and cluttered now seemed so impossibly big, big enough to swallow Lane whole. An air freshener had been sprayed in every corner, the couch and the table had been traded with ones at Cheryl's, and Lane was currently in the bedroom tossing the old sheets aside and pulling on the new ones she'd just washed. She'd hung on as long as she could, trying to convince herself it was impractical to completely rearrange the house just because of a breakup, but home had started feeling like a prison and she was constantly stuck between not wanting to come home and never wanting to get out of bed when she was here. So she caved, and now there wasn't a speck or whiff of Sweet Pea left.

"You're really just gonna throw them away?" Fangs asked helping her pull the fitted sheet down over the corners of the mattress.

With a brow cocked Lane looked up at him. "Would you want them?" she asked instead.

Fangs had lived with them for about a month, he knew how often they were together. "On second thought maybe you wanna burn them," he suggested seeing her roll her eyes, hearing what might've been a laugh even though it sounded more like a scoff. She'd be okay, it'd take awhile and she needed to relearn how to live alone but she'd get there.

That night Fangs climbed into the bed beside her and stretched out with a content sigh. "They're softer," he mumbled gathering the sheets to his nose to breathe in the smell of the softener she used.

Her mouth might not have been ready to smile but her eyes were soft as she looked at the shape of him in the dark, honestly so glad for having him. Now she was gonna have to figure out how to sleep without him, but she could deal with that later.

"Hey Lane," Fangs called from the living room as he stood by the window holding a bowl of cereal. "Lane," he yelled louder. She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel with her dark hair strung wet down her back. "Are you getting new neighbors?"

Feeling water dripping down every part of her Lane moved to the window beside him to see the moving van parked in the driveway next door. "Clearly," was her answer, the only part of her that was dry.

From around the back of the truck came a small blonde girl their age with a box in her arms. Her gaze happened to pass over the window and she paused noticeably at the sight of the barely dressed boy and the girl in the towel watching her.

Looking at where Lane stood beside him Fangs offered a cheeky, "maybe you should drop the towel."

"Oh my god," Lane grumbled shoving her way past him to finish showering. Ten minutes later her hair was thrown up and she was looking around her empty house before she knowingly moved to the window to catch sight of Fangs carrying a clearly heavy box as he walked beside the girl moving in. Rolling her eyes Lane pulled on her shoes and headed over, meeting her parents first.

"You two seem young to be living together," Mr Harper said with a brisk honesty Lane appreciated.

"His trailer burned down," Lane told him with her own vague honesty.

Seeing that was all he'd get out of the girl he nodded and handed her a box waving her inside. The house had two bedrooms, but other than the extra room it wasn't much bigger than Lane's. "In here," came a sweet feminine voice.

Lane followed it into the second room realizing the label on the box, A.T.H, was her initials. She was pretty, that was no surprise considering how close Fangs had been following behind her. But she had delicate doll-like features and a wide easy smile as she took the box from Lane and waved her in, that had Lane needing to swallow and collect herself. "I'm Angie," she greeted, setting the box down and extending a small hand.

"Lane," she answered simply, without elaboration.

Angie didn't seem to notice or mind, still smiling she brushed her hair behind her ear. "Fangs was explaining the two of you in the window," she said motioning to the faintly grinning boy in the corner. "It's nice you guys are so close."

"I didn't really give him a choice," Lane said following her back outside, feeling Fangs at her back who was no longer grinning as he watched them.

As they continued carrying boxes in the three teens talked amongst each other, idly, the getting to know each other's that always felt a little too probing. Angie was an army brat, this was her third high school, she was a senior like Lane, and Angie was very obviously into her. Fangs added that last one in his head as he made sure the conversation stayed going, noticing that Lane though still short lacked her normal bite.

"So the Serpents are a gang in the Southside, we go to Riverdale High on the 'good part of town,' and they're very prejudice towards the Southside. Is that right?" Angie asked looking from Fangs, who'd explained it all, to Lane who was arranging the boxes in a way she might consider anal. She came across very distant but Angie could see something in her wanted, for what Angie didn't know yet.

At Fangs' elbow digging into her back Lane answered, "there's a few minor details but we can fill those in as they come up."

Angie turned away smiling to herself, hearing in Lane's bland-toned answer that she wasn't gonna leave her to figure things out herself. There were little hints of something soft that Lane occasionally let slip, and it made Angie pause and watch her just a little closer trying to find that softness in her pretty stony face. All of this Fangs noticed.

There was a quiet knock on Angie's door and they turned to see Mrs Harper standing with a small smile as she looked between them. "We're thinking about pizza for dinner, you two are more than welcome," she said looking to the kids that lived next door.

"Oh man, we've got a meeting tonight," Fangs answered, wishing it was something they could skip.

"Another night then," she told them and turned to her daughter, who sat on the bed with Lane beside her helping her unpack. "I guess I'm gonna pick it up, you wanna ride?"

Before Angie could answer Fangs piped in with, "we can pick it up." All three women turned to him with mirrored inquisitive expressions. "We can drive Angie and bring it back."

"That'd be nice," Angie agreed, seeing the way her mother smiled. She hadn't made many friends at the last school.

It was settled then, and Mrs Harper went to help her husband continue unpacking while the three left. Fangs insisted on him being the one to run inside to grab Lane's purse with her keys, and he came back out with his own keys. "You know I forgot I told Toni I'd show up early, so I have to head out. But it was nice meeting you," he held out a hand to shake Angie's, "and I'm sure I'll see you around."

With her eyes narrowed Lane watched him hop on his bike and drive off. He was playing something, she'd get it out of him later. "If it wasn't a meeting I'd bring you by," Lane told her, even though that wasn't entirely true. She didn't think a gang was the best place for a Major's daughter, and she was almost positive they wouldn't want her anywhere near Angie if they knew.
And Lane was thinking Angie was someone she could find herself liking. She was unassuming and open in a way that made her seem sweet, at no point did Lane feel like she needed to be in control. She was just nice, and Lane was feeling vulnerable enough those days she really appreciated that.

Lane showed up a little after Fangs, and the thought of staying behind and having dinner with a family she didn't know slowly left her as she remembered how much she cared for these people. Glasses were raised in greeting, hands clapped her back or gently squeezed her arm, welcoming her back because she hadn't been coming around much lately unless it was mandatory.

Making her way to where Fangs was talking with Cheryl and Toni she gave him a look seeing he was biting back a grin. "I noticed you stopped flirting," she said in place of hello.

He shrugged. "She didn't seem to be into me," was his reply. "But she's really nice," he said looking from Lane to the girls – who he'd just finished telling about Angie, and that she and Lane seemed to be getting along.

"Well we look forward to meeting her," Toni said, planning to stop by their house one day to see for herself. She noticed the way Lane sighed looking away, but she didn't know her as well as Cheryl and Cheryl knew Lane was trying not to think about it.

But in looking away her eyes found Sweet Pea, who'd excused himself and left the group when she pulled up knowing Lane wouldn't approach them if he was there. Her thoughts had resembled something almost content, filled with something other than what was missing from her life, but they darkened once more at the sight of him and the reminder that nothing had changed.

This was something Toni, Fangs, and Cheryl were all able to notice, but where Fangs and Toni let Lane go thinking she just needed space Cheryl linked her arm with Lane's and stuck by her the rest of the night. Or at least the time Lane stayed because as soon as the meeting was over she excused herself and headed home, a place she didn't want to be. But it had to be better than there where everyone was tiptoeing around the distance that'd been carved between her and Sweet Pea.

Pulling into the driveway of a house that no longer felt like hers - and really never had been, it was only ever theirs – Lane sat in the dark car a moment having to convince herself to get out. And she did with a heavy, weary, sigh.

"Hey," came a soft voice to her left, and Lane followed it to see Angie sitting on her front step in the dark. "Wanna join me?" she asked scooting a little to make room.

Anything was better than going inside alone, but that wasn't the only thought Lane had as she sat on the step beside her. "Enjoying the quiet?" Lane asked hearing the loud thumping bass that couldn't be contained within someone's car, the squeal of tires, dogs barking. It was anything but quiet.

But Angie smiled nudging her lightly. "I was trying to look at the stars," she admitted. From the street lights out front and porch lights out back she could only see a few, not enough to tell the constellation. But she could almost see Lane's quiet as she sat next to her. "You wanna talk about it?"

Lane appreciated that Angie hadn't gone for the easy question and asked if something was wrong. She was conscious enough to recognize something was and she asked what she really wanted. The answer was still obviously no. "We don't know each other well enough for that yet."

"Yet," Angie repeated, the smile heard clearly in her voice. "So that means we will at some point." In the dim, streetlight yellow glow, she saw Lane's mouth purse around a smile and she nudged her again.

Releasing a breath of a laugh Lane ran a hand over her hair finding it increasingly difficult to not smile, and part of her was still trying to refuse to. But Lane stood and cut through their conjoined yards calling over her shoulder, "meet me around back."

Confused and unsure Angie slowly climbed to her feet and walked around to the backyard wondering what she was doing. Their light in the back was out and they didn't have bulbs to replace it, but Lane's shone bright enough Angie could just barely see. Lane swung the backdoor open and saw her standing on her side of the yard, and she reached back inside flicking the light off. Blinking at the sudden darkness Angie couldn't see anything, but she heard Lane come up beside her and she gently reached for Lane's hand.

It took a few seconds of blinking but a whole sky of stars appeared above them and Angie gave a surprised laugh as she turned looking at them. Still holding Lane's hand. "Do you know the constellations?" she asked quietly, as though afraid she might break this fragile moment.

"No."

Half an hour later when Fangs rolled in, noticing the house was unusually dark, the two girls laid side by side in the backyard with Lane following the thin point of Angie's finger to trace the shape of the stars.


I am faceclaiming Angie as Alice Kristiansen, who does beautiful covers of songs on YouTube. So the titles of the chapters will be a line from a song she's covered that kind of fits the mood of either the chapter or one part of it. This one is her cover of Warrior by Aurora.