Jane pulled into her driveway, closely followed by Sweet Pea on his motorcycle. As she got out of her car, she noticed Sweet Pea observing her home. True, it was small and quaint for the Northside, but that's all she and her mother could ever need and afford.
"I'll be right back out, I'm going to change." Jane called to Sweet Pea, and he gave her a nod.
"Make it snappy, shortcake."
Jane rolled her eyes and ran up the stone steps to her house, noticing her mom was gone from work. She used this moment to run upstairs to her room and pull on a black long sleeved bodysuit with a low-ish neckline and a pair of high waisted ripped jeans. She completed her look with a pair of silver hooped earrings. As a last minute decision, Jane decided on some deep red lipstick. After spritzing herself with her vanilla scented perfume, Jane made her way back outside to Sweet Pea.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." she said, and his eyes flicked up to meet hers, traveling from her lips to her chest, then quickly back to meet her gaze.
"Dont you look spiffy," Sweet Pea commented, and Jane found herself blushing once again. He handed her his spare helmet and she tugged it on over her curls. "You better hold on, Princess." he scooted up to give her space to climb on behind him, and she swung a leg over and found herself holding the seat. "Hold onto me, you goon." Sweet Pea laughed.
Jane let out a nervous chuckle before gripping either side of Sweet Pea's denim vest.
The pair pulled out of her driveway and sped down the road, across the tracks and into the Southside. Jane loved the feeling of the wind on her face as Sweet Pea cruised along. It was a rush of adrenaline, really. She'd never been on the back of a boy's bike before.
Eventually, they stopped near a driveway of a house that was already crowded with some bikes and beater cars, there were people out on the lawn, red solo cups and cans in hands. Sweet Pea shut off the engine and pulled his helmet off, which encouraged Jane to do the same, but not before She caught a whiff of a strong scented shampoo. Damn he smelled good.
"Here we are," Sweet Pea swing himself off the bike and held the handle bars while Jane hobbled off, nearly losing her balance when her food got stuck on the seat, but the tall Serpent was quick to catch her. "Did I leave you weak in the knees, little girl?" he said with a grin, and she gave him a sour look before straightening herself and letting go of his arm. Sweet Pea kicked out the kick-stand and put both of the helmets back on his bike. The house was thrumming with the beat of a song that came from inside.
"Hope you're ready for a Southside party. Don't go getting too drunk, it's my ass that's watching out for your ass." Sweet Pea nudged her with his elbow as they made their way past the groups outside, and Jane watched as they all greeted Sweet Pea. She kept herself mostly behind him, trying not to attract much attention. The pair had barely made their way inside before Sweet Pea was engulfed in a hug.
"Pea! Man! There you are, you're my best friend. Did you know that?" A stocker boy said as he swung his arms around Sweet Pea. Jane recognized him to be boy he was always with, the classier one from the other night at Pop's. "Who's this bombshell?" he indicated Jane as he let go of the taller boy.
"Fangs, cool it. She's my plus one tonight. Meet Jane." Sweet Pea introduced her, and Jane found herself really enjoying the way her name sounded on his lips.
"Jane, I'm Fangs. Here on the Southside, we hug when we're drunk." Fangs then proceeded to give Jane a bear hug. "Here, have a beer new friend Jane!" he pulled a can from the inside of his leather jacket. Jane graciously accepted it, surprised to find it was cold.
"Thanks, new friend Fangs." Jane cracked the cam and took a sip, earning a raised brow from Sweet Pea. How could he tell she wasn't a beer drinker?
"There you guys are! We were just about to leave, Fangs hates being at parties without his Sweetie Pie." a rather short pink haired girl had joined them. "I'm Toni." she said when she caught Jane's gaze on her, and extended a hand. Jane shook it, returning the smile.
"Nice to meet you, I love your hair!" Jane exclaimed, then indicated to the purple in her own. That earned a grin from Toni.
"Purple, love it. You fit right in, it's about time too. Being the only girl in a group of guys gets boring sometime." Toni laughed and threw an arm around Jane.
Jane had never really be involved with a group of friends before. Just the odd friends and Freda. Shit, she forgot about Freda. Oh well, she'll love this story on Monday morning. She took a moment to observe the three who were deep in conversation about the goings on of Talon's party before Jane and Sweet Pea arrived.
After a couple moments, Sweet Pea took her by the sleeve when Toni and Fangs challenged each other to a game of beer pong. He led her into the kitchen where there was numerous bottles of alcohol and different mixes, and a whole cooler full of beer. "Let's get you something better than beer."
"Are you joking? I love beer." Jane joked, taking a final sip, but failed in keeping a straight face and reacted to the bitterness.
Sweet Pea chuckled and pulled the can from her grasp and set it down for a hammered individual to finish. "How about some rum and coke? Vodka cran? Straight whiskey?" he grinned, pulling on the charade as bar tender.
"Vodka cran, kind sir." Sweet Pea obliged and filled the red solo cup a quarter of the way with vodka, then the rest with cranberry juice. Jane accepted the cup and stuck her pinky in instinctively, like she would at home, mixing the drink before popping her pinky into her mouth to suck the remains off.
"Are you trying to attract me right now?" Sweet Pea asked, leaning against the counter. "Because if so, it's working."
Jane grinned up at him. "Not really, I needed to mix." she shrugged, taking a gulp from her cup. "You do a good vodka to cran ratio."
Sweet Pea smiled, and suddenly the house was quiet and it was just Sweet Pea and Jane in the house, the two of them caught eye to eye, and Sweet Pea raised an arm to tuck a curl behind Jane's ear. Butterflies flew around her stomach and she found herself taking another drink from her cup.
"You're cute when you're nervous." He told her, and she was all of a sudden forced to put her drink on the counter before Sweet Pea cupped her cheek in his hand, pressing his lips to hers. Jane felt herself kiss back, half startled but half craving more of him.
"Excuse me?" came a shrill voice from the doorway of the kitchen. Jane and Sweet Pea quickly pulled apart to find Savannah standing in the door way, looking furious. "Pea, I told you about this party and you take a Northsider and kiss her? At the party? Where I told you to come?"
"Fuck off, Savannah. Go fuck Talon or some other sorry idiot." Sweet Pea shout back over the sound of the music, and Jane pulled back as he pushed back from the counter and towards Savannah. "You can't keep inserting yourself into my life whenever you damn well please."
With a scoff, Savannah spun on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.
"I'm sorry." Sweet Pea turned back to Jane, eyes apologetic. He extended a hand to her. "Let's go find Fang's and Toni."
Jane took another gulp from her drink and graciously put her hand in Sweet Pea's, which was big and warm and comforting. She allowed him to guide her through the body-crowded living room and to where Toni and Fangs were sprawled on the couch. Sweet Pea and Jane plopped down on the edge, dangerously close to one another. Instead of inserting herself into the conversation, Jane let the vodka clear her thoughts of Savannah. Soon her head lulled onto Sweet Pea's shoulder.
"Hey, are you okay?" came his deep voice as his hand gently shook your arm.
Jane lifted her head to meet her gaze and found him swimming around in her vision. "I'm ready for home." she told him. She should have remembered vodka made her sleepy.
Sweet Pea nodded and the two said their good byes to Toni and Fangs before he slipped her hand back into Jane's and he guided her back out and onto his bike. He fasted her helmet on before his and gave her head a tap.
"I'm sorry I cut your party short." Jane told him as they climbed back onto the bike.
"That's okay, just make sure you hold on to me tightly, Sleepy." Sweet Pea gave her a reassuring pat on the hand when she fisted her freezing hands into his denim vest pockets.
The two cruised back into the Northside soon enough and back up Jane's driveway. Jane noticed her mom still wasn't home from work, which would make it easier for her to go to bed quicker.
"Can I have your number?" Sweet Pea asked Jane as he helped her off his bike. "I think I'd like to take you out again."
"Yeah, uh, here." Jane took his phone and plugged her number in under the name 'Princess'. She handed it back with a wink. "Thank you for taking me tonight. I like your friends. And your lips." she let the vodka add, earning a chuckle from the raven haired boy.
He quickly dipped his head and caught her lips in his once again, finishing what he started at the party. This time the kiss grew deeper as he wrapped his arms around her waist and her arms twined around his neck.
It seemed as though sparks flew from between the both of them, Jane intoxicated by the taste of him instead of the vodka cran. Then her thoughts got to her. Flashbacks of the blond haired boy who took advantage of her previously. Quickly, she pulled back, and both pairs of arms dropped to their sides. "I'll see you at school." Jane gave him a smile, an extra kiss on the cheek and quickly ran into her house, leaving a confused but happy Sweet Pea staring after her.
A/N: The cutest moment you've all been waiting for. Thank you for reading this far and there will definitely be more to come!!
