Chapter 9 - Reunions
"This is ridiculous," Sweet snapped under his breath.
They were walking down the corridor of Riverdale High, Toni and Fangs close behind him. They had all left their leathers at home.
"I feel naked," grunted Fangs with a curled lip.
"It's not so bad. Trading a few hours skinless for going to a better school is a good trade off for me," Toni said.
"At least you don't have to wear a turtleneck," replied Sweet Pea, pulling his tight high collar away from his throat with his finger. He never wore clothes like this. Liking having his allegiance tattoo'd where everyone could see it.
Toni glanced at him as she got her books out of her locker. He looked uncomfortable yanking at his collar, but gave a stern look to any who stared at him as they passed by.
"We shouldn't even be here today," he said under is breath to them as they walked to one of the common rooms.
"You heard FP," Toni said.
The boys took a seat on the few remaining chairs, Toni glanced over to the jocks who were sat on the comfy sofas. Laughing at their own stupid jokes, casting looks their way every so often. She gripped her bag tighter on her shoulder.
"I don't care about some truancy charge," Sweet Pea pulled a face.
"I don't think she was really up for visitors last night, anyway," Toni said with a worried face.
"What do you mean?" Fangs asked.
"You saw her when she laid into the Sheriff," Toni said. "She was broken. Angry."
Toni looked down and shuffled her feet.
"And I can't say I blame her," she reluctantly admitted. "Coming home to see her old house boarded up. Like no one cared-"
"People cared, Toni," Fangs said warningly, casting a glance to Sweet Pea who's left leg was twitching irritatedly.
"I know," Toni placated. "I'm just saying, it can't have been easy coming home to that. And to what ever piece of shit attacked her when she got into town."
"Don't worry," Sweet Pea threatened quietly, "They'll get theirs."
"Too right," Fangs agreed.
"I couldn't get her face out of my mind last night. She is so different," Toni admitted.
"We've all changed. But she's wasn't so different. She was always that fierce, she just never showed it," Sweet Pea said quietly.
Fangs and Toni shared a look.
"It will be good to see her again," Fangs added, leaning forwards.
"Do you think she'll want to see us?" Toni asked concerned.
Sweet Pea looked up at her with a frown. This was a familiar thought that kept running through his mind in the late hours as he failed to sleep last night.
"Two years is a long time," Fangs said. "But she was our friend."
"Yeah," smiled Toni.
The two years has changed them all completely. They have all had relationships that have changed and shaped them. Sweet Pea himself wasn't a saint when she never came back. There was other girls. But he never forgot his first. The only one he never really got over. If it was like that for him, would it be the same for her? Was their other people in her life? People she cared for, or even loved? Sweet Pea frowned to himself. A dark bubble rose in his chest. He didn't think he wanted to hear the answers to those questions.
Just in that moment Jughead entered the common room. They all turned to see him swagger in. Wearing his Serpent leathers. The smile slowly feel off Toni's face.
"Oh, hey guys," Jughead said as he walked over to the vending machine. "What's up?"
They all looked at each other in surprise.
"Take it off."
They looked over to Reggie staring at Jughead's jacket. Reggie stood up, dropping his basket ball on the floor. Mirroring his movements, Sweet Pea and Fangs slowly moved closer.
"Take off that jacket, Rat Boy," Reggie threatened.
The way Sweet Pea and Fangs were feeling after last night, they both had a lot of pent up aggression to find a home for. Seeing all the jocks back up their man Reggie, a calm swept over Sweet Pea. It looked like he was going to get his wish.
Tobin woke up and it took him a few seconds before he remembered where he was. He was expecting his cold, dank cloister room back at The Sisters, but instead he was on the very uncomfortable out-dated carpeted floor of Winnie. As he sat up, he turned his head to see his sister had shuffled to the edge of the bed. Her hand had fallen off the side of the bed, and he got a close up look at the damage that Ghoulie did to her face. The bruising has come out and her lip was swollen. But even in sleep she managed to look annoyed. He gently pulled the thin blanket back over as he quietly got up.
The rest of the 'bago was empty when he walked up the narrow walkway. There was noises and shouts from outside. Peeling back the curtains he was surprised he could sleep through all the noise that was going on.
Pulling on his boots and jacket, he silently left the Winnie. All around the street was parked motorcycles and trucks. Several people nodded a hello and clapped him on the back as they brought tools and equipment back and forth across the lawn to the house.
"Take it through, Chuck," FP shouted to a man carrying a pile of wooden flooring.
FP was wearing a plain white t-shirt with his checked shirt tucked into his tool belt. He took the pencil from behind his ear and drew his measurements. He was going to put a piece of wood onto the cutting table when he saw Tobin stood in the middle of the lawn, with a confused look on his sleepy face.
"Tobin," FP summoned.
As he walked closer he cast a questioning look around him.
"The Sheriff's department got finished a couple of hours ago. So I called in a few favours. It might take a couple of days, but we'll have the place back up to scratch. Here, gimme a hand with this."
So for next couple of hours they worked together in synch and FP taught him the intricacies of the building trade. By the time it reached 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after they did a walk through and saw the flooring nearly all replaced with newer, darker wooden floors and not a single patch of stain that reminded them of the past, FP sat outside on the wooden porch stairs eating a sandwich that one of the Serpents wives made for them all.
"We made good progress today," FP said, taking a bite. "Might even be finished tomorrow. Hopefully by then we can get the water and power turned back on."
Tobin was happily tired from the hard days work, as he nodded in reply. He had drank most of his soda in one gulp.
"You're a good worker. Might make a foreman out of you yet, son," FP clapped him on the back.
He smiled in return and hungrily ate his sandwich. The last thing he enjoyed this much was the burger at Pop's yesterday. A small chime sounded in FP's pocket. Pulling out his mobile, he sighed when he read the message.
"Damn it, Jug," he muttered.
He put his phone away and stood up.
"I've got a short shift at Pop's. I just need to pop to the Whyte Wyrm first. Don't work to hard okay, pace yourself."
He watched FP tell one of the main builders what was happening. He pointed in Tobin's direction and went to his bike. The builder beckoned Tobin over. Finishing his drink, he got back to work. Helping out moving furniture and equipment and holding down flooring pushed out every other thought from his mind. He never spoke, he didn't really need too. They asked him to do something and he went where they needed him.
By the time he realised that people was packing up for the day, it was already reaching five in the evening. He managed to spend the whole day helping rebuild his home. Standing outside he looked up at the building. The boards were now all off and it didn't look quite as forbidding as it did yesterday. Hearing the roars of motorbikes on the street didn't make him start until he heard someone call his name. Amid the leavers, a group of people were just arriving.
Toni jumped off the back of Fangs bike and smiled at him as he walked over. Fangs and Sweet Pea pulled on their leathers. Sweet Pea had pulled off her high neck top off as soon as he left detention.
"Tobin," Fangs cheered, rushing to give him a tackle hug. Tobin smirked as his feet left the ground.
"What's been going on?" Toni asked, looking at all the tools.
Clearing his throat, Tobin said, "FP's crew has been doing the house up today."
"Didn't the Sheriffs department come?" Sweet Pea frowned, crossing his arms.
"This morning, apparently. Did what they needed to do and left early," shrugged Tobin.
"So we could have been here," Sweet Pea grunted.
Toni looked at Sweet Pea, "And miss all the fun of the day?"
Fangs smiled and Sweet Pea shook his head.
"What happened?" Tobin asked. He never thought he would say it but he missed school. They did independent study at the Home, but the school life is what he wanted. Now that Southside high was closed, he would need to find out where they were going to be sent.
"Oh a little rumble between Serpents and Bulldogs," Fangs smirked, punching Sweet Pea in the shoulder.
"And detention," Toni replied giving the boys a look.
"Which is why it's took so long to get here," Sweet Pea added.
Tobin saw the three of them glance around.
"She's still asleep," Tobin said, nodding to the 'bago.
"Really?" Toni asked, concerned.
"Yeah, she's hasn't slept in days. Even before that she didn't sleep well," Tobin explained some what, looking away.
"Come we go in?" asked Sweet Pea. He had barely waited all day, now it was finally here. He found that he was nervous.
"Sure," Tobin said, "But I don't want to wake her up."
"That's fine," Toni nodded to them all. "We can be quiet."
Tobin led them all into the trailer. He winced at the creaking door and they all piled in. It was quieter outside now that people were leaving. He couldn't believe she managed to sleep through it all.
"Can I get any one a drink?" he asked.
"Sure," Fangs said, climbing into the booth. Toni got on the other side. Grabbing the sodas in the mini fridge he handed them out and took a seat next to Toni.
"Interesting material," Toni asked, picking up the book that FP was reading during the night.
"Ahh, Aunt Francie," nodded Tobin with a smile. He pointed to the stack of boxes behind the drivers seat. "They are full of them. Not really sure what we are going to do with them yet."
Toni raised an eyes brow and flicked through the book. Sweet Pea couldn't stand still long enough, he looked around the bago as the three sat at the table laughing at excerpts from the book. As he looked at the bat hanging from the shower wall, the curtain moved. The light from the kitchen lit up the dark room beyond through the small gap. He saw Cassie fast asleep on the bed, her long hair around her. She was still wearing the clothes from last night, as she curled onto her side. He saw the bruise forming around her eye. They laughed again behind him, and he walked away.
Cassie woke fully rested for the first time in ages. Laying on the bed, she slowly came around and stretched out. There was mumbling behind the curtain. Leaning across so she could see through the gap in the curtain she saw Tobin pour some chips into a bowl. He was smiling and talking with someone. It made her lighter seeing him less stressed. He moved away as she saw Sweet Pea sat on the counter. She quickly leaned away, feeling her heart in her throat. She couldn't believe he was here. Less than 10 feet away. Yet she couldn't help quietly leaning over again, peering through the curtain.
His long fingers wrapped around a can of soda. Bent awkwardly as his head narrowly avoided the cupboard. He was smiling lightly at something someone said. God, that smile. She had forgotten how his whole face just lit up when he did it. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling the strands behind his ear. The other side fell over his eyes. He glanced her way, the smile slowly slipping off his face when he realised that Cassie was watching him. She wanted to pull back, to hide away, but much like when they were younger she found she couldn't. They locked eyes for a second, yet it seemed like an age before Tobin came back into view. He grabbed another bag, and saw Sweet Pea try to look around him. Tobin turned to see Cassie watching.
He put the bag down on the table, Cassie caught Sweet Pea's eyes as he slid off the counter and stood up. His head inches from the ceiling that he unconsciously bent his neck.
"You coming out?" Tobin asked as he leaned on the bedroom door frame, blocking any sight into the next room.
"Yeah," Cassie replied, before really thinking about it. "I can't hide forever."
"Or sleep forever," she heard Fangs shout behind Tobin.
Cassie felt a weak smile pull at her mouth.
"Give me a minute?" Cassie nodded.
Tobin gave her a lingering look and nodded to himself, pulling the curtain closed behind him as he left. She heard them talking a bit louder now that she was awake. Pulling on the room light she looked into the large mirror that hung inside the built in wardrobe. Startled at the sight of her face. It was gaunt and dark rings around her eyes. A purplish bruise around the one the Ghoulie hit. At least the lip didn't look as bad as it felt. Grabbing her duffle, she pulled out a few pieces of clothes. In that moment nothing looked right.
She pulled off the dirty jumper quickly and checked to see if her white, long sleeved, fitted hooded pull over cardigan was clean. She had turned her back to the mirror and saw more bruises blossoming on her ribs. Turning around she saw bruises on her back, around an area of criss crossing scars. Her fingers lingered on the scars across her chest. How could anyone see them and not find them horrific. Pulling the sweater over her head, she wiped her face with a wet wipe, and let out a sigh as she closed the mirrored door in resignation.
Her hands reached the curtain before she remembered something. Rushing back to the dirty jumper she pulled off she felt the lump in her pocket and pulled out the black bag. She couldn't look through it all now, instead she pulled open the door to the deep cupboard. Seeing the stolen gun there, she added that to the growing list of things she needed to do. Now that both items where hidden she felt ready to face the ghosts of the past.