Girls Your Age 》fp jones

27

Lydia strangely fit right in with the kids at Southside High. For a few split moments, she forgot who she was, and she believed to be just a normal high school student. 

She sauntered through the metal detectors, knowing she didn't need to worry about setting them off and walked towards her locker. 

Southside High was considerably a lot less welcoming than Riverdale had been, her locker was dented and graffitied on, the library books were tattered and full of cobwebs, most classrooms were left unused and most of the steps on the bleachers caved in on themselves, the school was an entire safety disaster waiting to happen. But so was Lydia. In the most poetic way possible. 

Southside High didn't have Veronica Lodge awaiting her arrival, it did, however, have Toni Topaz. She was talking to a taller boy of the same age when Lydia walked up to her. She had briefly met the pink haired girl before, FP had introduced her at the Wyrm. She ended up having a lot of questions which resulted in the teenager being the only other person outside the couple that knew about them. 

She turned around and smiled, now ignoring the words that were coming out of Sweet Pea's mouth. She linked her arms with Lydia and pulled her away from the tall serpent as he tried his best to flirt with the newcomer. He had lent on his locker, forgetting that he hadn't closed it, and his hand fell right through the open space and his tall frame nearly tumbled over. Lydia laughed at it. Toni just rolled her eyes. 

"So now you go to Southside High, are you actually going to make an effort and go to classes?" Toni giggled, she had heard from Jughead of the rare times that the girl turned up to the classes they had together. He was worried at first but then realised Veronica never turned up either. "WIth no Veronica Lodge to distract you and all." She elbowed the girl lightly in her side as they walked into their literature class together. 

Lydia's reply was a weak smile. 

"Oh. Is that a touchy subject?" They sat down and Toni looked worried, she didn't want to have already upset the first potential girl friend she had had in years. 

"No." Lydia tried to make her smile look all the more real. "Just Veronica Lodge isn't that much of a distraction anymore."

Toni gasped. "So are the rumours true? You and FP are legit? And by rumours I mean he told me." She giggled. 

FP Jones had always had a soft spot for Toni Topaz, firstly he was the one who welcomed her into the serpents when she had no else to turn to, but also he always pictured Jelly Bean being like her when she got older. 

Lydia's face turned a deep shade of pink. Her and FP were legit. She'd missed that feeling. Of security. Of confidence. 

"There's rumours?" Lydia groaned. 

"Well yeah." Toni laughed. "We can all tell Jones is in love." She carried on laughing. Lydia didn't. 

"Love?" Lydia whispered. She stood up from her desk but Toni grabbed her arm before she could make anymore movements. 

"Lydia, you don't need to run from this." She looked down at Toni. "Love isn't a bad thing, definitely not in this town." 

The more Lydia stayed in Riverdale the more felt herself deteriorate, or maybe it was her facade finally falling off to reveal the real person she was inside. Altogether, she didn't like it, she came to realise she was a very nervous person, paranoid, and she defiantly felt nervous as she stood in the courtyard of south side high. Here is was obvious, if it hadn't been already, that South Side High was very different to the school on the other side of Riverdale. 

Through the mountains of dirty leather and ripped denim she could see Toni smiling at her from a table where she was surrounded by other serpents, some looking a little too old to still be in High School. She waved a little thinking Lydia hadn't seen her, but Lydia had and she wanted so desperately to go over to her, to her friend. But she turned the other way, with so much reluctance. Over to the wire fence where boys were clad in muddy denim jackets and chains. 

She hadn't realised she was holding her breath until she stood in front of the group who seemed a lot bigger now she was there. 

She felt Toni's eyes on her from across the yard. She felt all the Serpent's eyes on her and she could hear FP screaming at her inside her head. 

The tallest, most muscular Ghoulie squared up to her, obviously the leader of the High School pack. His jacket sleeves were ripped off and his muscles rippled as he folded his arms.

"Speak up, Blondie." He sneered his yellow teeth as he looked down at her, like a wolf taunting his prey. 

There were a few howls from around the pair before she managed to swallow the dread and spoke. 

"I heard some news that Penny Peabody is back in town." 

Yellowed teeth scoffed. "And what's it to you." He dared place a finger on her. Only gently. His fingertip grazed her jawline and rested under her chin to lift up her head to look him deeper in the eyes. Lydia didn't resist. She was telling herself she allowed it to happen because she wasn't scared to look the Ghoulie in the eyes, but really she was just saying that because the old Lydia would of kicked his ass for even looking at her the way he did. 

"I work for Hiram Lodge." She stood up straight, hoping this information would please them. 

Slight laughter from the Ghoulies that surrounded them was all she heard. "We want no trouble with Lodge. No one in Riverdale does. So why don't you just run along, little one, before you cause anymore trouble." 

"You might not want to." She stood in her spot like her feet were part of the concrete. "But Penny certainly wants it. Tell her he's willing to meet. Tonight. And don't worry we'll come to you." She winked and when she turned away from the group of boys her heart finally began to race, overthinking the small action. 

She looked over at Toni, smiling as she made her way over to hear. But the smile soon dropped as she saw the subtle shake of the head and her body turn around to face the rest of the Serpents at the table.