#sweet-pea

“I promise you’ll love her. She’s a sweet girl, like the female incarnation of Mr Darcy, and I bet she’ll be more than happy to help you if you need it.” Veronica smiles reassuringly at the new transfer students sitting on the sofas in the recreation room. The Serpents look amongst themselves dubiously. It was a well known fact at Riverdale High that (Y/N) Mantle had the reputation of a girl who nobody messed with. Her GPA was a 4.0, her heels higher than Ghoulies on Jingle Jangle and her attitude rivalled that of Cheryl Blossom. But despite her love for fashion and fiery demeanour, the girl had a soft side. Her love for books and nature often confused even her brother, as did her soft-spoken tone. However, there are two sides to each coin, as a particular raven-haired boy would come to find out.

(Y/N) frowns down at the book in her hands, a mini copy of Lord of the Flies wanting her to yell out in frustration. How could those innocent boys do such horrendous things? She vaguely notices the door to the recreation room, almost passing it, before she makes a sharp left turn and slowly comes to a stop in the middle of the room. Skimming over the last few lines of the chapter, the girl puts her book into her purse, careful to not bend the cover, before looking up with a smile. But instead of finding her friends lounging around, she faces a group of leather-clad Southsiders. 

Her first thought is ‘what the hell’, however, as she takes in the almost-kind looks on the students faces, she things ‘ah, what the hell’. With a small smile, her heels carry her to one of the sofas that aren’t taken. As she sits, a purple-haired girl next to her, she glances around once again.

“So unless Principal Weatherbee issued out a new policy stating that leather is now mandatory to wear, I’m going to assume I missed something big.” (Y/N) raises her brow at the closest three people, all Serpents as far as she can see. They look at each other with a ‘how clueless is she’ look, before the girl with purple hair looks at (Y/N).

“Southside High closed, and despite the public outcry, here we are, the Southside scum among Riverdale royalty. I’m Toni, by the way.” She smirks, shaking her head as if still not believing this is her new reality.

A small ‘O’ forms on (Y/N) Mantle’s lips, now realising that her predictions were right. And with a sinking heart, she realises that her brother Reggie would possibly murder her if he seen her with the Southsiders. 

Across from (Y/N), a tall and intrigued guy looks at her with partial wonder, and partial hesitation. Despite her look, which makes her look like one of the Southsiders, her face is familiar. Not someone he’s seen before, but perhaps someone related to that someone. 

The girl smiles at the three, an innocent and welcoming one. “I’m (Y/N) Mantle, and welcome to Riverdale High.”

Sweet-Pea plays around with the straw to his milkshake, thoughts of (Y/N) brewing up a storm in his mind. How can someone so sweet, yet obviously capable of throwing a few punches, be related to that idiot Mantle? Is there even the slightest possibility that the mysterious girl would talk to him, knowing he’s a sworn enemy to her own blood? It’s thought’s like these that bring attention to him, as unwanted as it is. 

Toni quickly pinches one of his fries before the Serpent snaps out of his Mantle-induced coma and has the chance to moan at her. With a knowing smirk, Jughead exchanges a look with Fags and Toni before raising his brow at the tall raven-haired man in the booth opposite him.

“Penny for your thoughts, Sweet-Pea?” 

The sound of his name registers in Sweet-Pea’s head and he snaps out of the strange trance, blinking a few times before he comes to the conclusion that he probably looks like a deer caught in headlights. He looks at Jughead with raised brows, coaxing the boy to repeat what he clearly just missed.

Fangs fights to hold back him laugh as Toni sips on her milkshake to hide her smile.

Jughead shakes his head before repeating his question, his mind already working wonders, trying to come up with possible theories for the raven-haired mans absent minded ways.

Sweet-Pea looks at Fangs for help, but when he sees his best friend horribly failing to hide his laughing, he knows there’s no fooling anyone. Especially not the self-proclaimed detective in front of him. So, with a defeated sigh and a glare at the trio in front of him, he leans back and looks down at his hands.

“It’s that Mantle girl. Can’t put my finger on what the fuck it is though.” He grumbles, his tone bordering that of a petulant child. He hates how much he’s been thinking about the girl he only seen for a grand total of 10 minutes, but it’s like he can’t help it. And he’s not exactly sure he wants to. 

Toni gives Sweet-Pea a knowing look, naturally being the first one to catch on to her friends feelings. Jughead however, grins at the Serpent like mad, his cunning mind already having come up with a plan.

Jug pulls out his phone before scrolling down to find (Y/N)s number, still having it saved from that one time they worked together before he transferred schools, and he sends her a quick text, biting his bottom lip to stop the smile from spreading across his face.

Jughead- “Hey (Y/N), it’s Jughead. You busy right now?”

(Y/N) shuts the door of her car and quickly turns around to check her appearance in the reflection of her windows, just to make sure her hair is in place. Satisfied, she turns on her heel and marches up the steps to Pop’s.

After exchanging a few texts with Jughead, the guy she remembered by the hat he always seems to wear, she was now headed to tutor one of his friends. Coincidentally, the tall raven-haired guy she took a liking to earlier in the day. So instead of wearing her usual jeans and shirt, she opted for a summer dress and a pair or pumps, wanting to make a better impression on the cute guy. 

The bell above Pop’s door rings as (Y/N) enters, her stomach growling as she’s hit with the sudden smell of Pop’s famous fries and burgers. She makes a mental note to order some food later on. Instead, she focuses on finding Sweet-Pea. And she does find him, sulking in the very corner booth with a less than impressed look on his face. 

(Y/N) puts on her brightest smile, which doesn’t seem to come as hard as she’d have thought, and walks to the tall guy with a pep in her step. 

Sweet-Pea glares down at his hands, already plotting revenge against his friends for doing him so dirty and setting him up with (Y/N). Yes, he did want to talk to her, and yes he did want to get to know every little thing there is to know about her, but at the same time he’s rather die than make an attempt at conversation, because he knows he’d somehow mess up. 

These thoughts all vanish from his head when he hears the bell go off, and then the approaching footsteps of who must be the younger Mantle. With a small breath, he looks up, and he immediately wishes he didn’t.

Sweet-Peas breath gets caught in his throat as he sees the girl, as if for the first time, standing like a mirage in front of him. Instead of taking a seat opposite him, like he anticipated, (Y/N) takes a seat next to him, her smile brighter than the yellow car she arrived in.

“Nice to see you again, Sweet-Pea. I didn’t peg you as the type to ask for help when you need it, but I’m definitely glad you asked Jug to text me.” She smiles at him, beginning to take out her history work and a spare notepad once she notices Sweet-Pea doesn’t have anything with him. Which strikes her as odd.

Sweet-Pea’s face flushes bright red, so deep he feels his face heat up. Of course Jughead would find a way to set him up like this. 

“Don’t want to be failing on the first week now, do I?” He smirks a little, finding it strange that for once he wants to talk. He wants to get to know this girl, and he doesn’t want to mess up.

(Y/N) looks to her right, her eyes catching the Serpents, before she swiftly turns back to her book, not wanting the guy next to her to notice the faint red creeping up her neck and to her cheeks.

“Fair point. Okay, so how about we start with the immigrant restrictions imposed in the 1920s?” (Y/N) turns to the right page, before pushing the book over to Sweet-Pea with an encouraging smile.

Four hours, six shared milkshakes and three burgers later, Sweet-Pea could recite the major reasons for immigrant restrictions almost 100 years ago, and probably write an essay worthy of at least a B. Oh, and he could boast that (Y/N) admitted to him that Reggie Mantle sleeps with the night light on.

He watches with  admiration as the girl next to him laughs to the point tears threaten to spill from her eyes, all at some dumb joke he said. As both pride and a sudden, unexpected burst of affection wash over him, he fins himself grinning like an idiot. Why? Because he just made the most beautiful girl he’s ever met laugh.

“I swear that’s got to be the worst joke I’ve ever heard.” (Y/N) wheezes, her stomach cramping up. Who’d have thought the brooding Serpent could be so funny? And who’d have thought she’d ever be attracted to a gang member?

“What can I say, it’s a hidden talent.” He grins.

Before (Y/N) has a chance to respond, her phone goes off, flashing with her brothers name. Reality slowly starts to seep in, and as much as she’d love to stay in this moment with Sweet-Pea, she knows she can’t. So, with a groan, she pick up the phone and listens to Reggie ramble about how their mum wants them home to do chores and how unfair it is that she gets to stay out while he has to dust the photo albums.

With a sigh, she begins to pack up her books. “As lovely as this has been, I am wanted elsewhere. How about we do a repeat of this? Though maybe without the depressing topic of immigration restriction.”

Sweet-Pea immediately perks up at the thought of seeing (Y/N) again, and nods a bit too enthusiastically at her proposal.

She stands up, the smile once again adorning her face. “Okay, great. See you around, Sweets.” And with that, she walks out of Pop’s, and away from the starstruck Serpent who’s having to force himself to breathe after hearing that nickname come from her lips.