VIPER • the serpent princess

17

After Jughead's, Fangs invited Sweets to the Wyrm for a drink. I made him go, telling him I'd stay with Jughead a bit more. Which I did, but then I went back to the trailer, to see Henry. I walk in, finding him on the couch.

"Casey-"

"What are you doing here? What do you really want? Cause if it's a place to stay I'll pay for you hotel room, just get the hell out" I demand.

"This is my house girl, not yours or Sweet Peas. I'm here because I can be here!" he shouts, standing up.

"No, you can't. You don't get to just waltz in and out of Sweet Peas life! He doesn't deserve that! He doesn't deserve to be reminded that his piece of shit father left him by himself! That he broke his arm for not doing the dishes!" I yell, getting mad at the devil who now stands in front of me.

"Do not raise your voice in my-"

"If you say this is your house one more time I'm going to knock your teeth out! You haven't been here in four years!"

Suddenly, he puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes me hard against the wall, holding me there. Moving his arm to my neck.

"I think, you need to learn a lesson!" he roars, his arm moving tighter to my neck.

"Get off of me!" I shout, trying to squirm out of his grip, gasping for breath as his arm dogged harder into my throat.

The trailer door bursts open, Sweet Peas eyes finding mine.

"Get the hell off of her!" he roars, running over and pulling Henry off of me, throwing him powerfully into the dinning table.

Sweets grabs hold of me in his arms, Henry's body breaking the dinning table behind us.

"You son of a bitch!" Henry hisses.

"Get the fuck out Dad! I'm done!" Sweet Pea yells.

"You fucking-"

"Leave Henry, or we'll make ya" Tall Boy demands, standing at the trailer door, a group of older Serpents behind him.

Henry scoffs, kicking at the dinning table before picking up his bag and storming out, Tall Boy nods to us before closing the door. Sweet Oea turns around fast to me, putting his hands on my cheeks and scanning me up and down.

"Did he hit you? God Casey I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry"

"Stop Sweets, I'm okay. You came in before anything got it of hand-"

"He was choking you when I walked in Casey, that's out of hand" he argues, I can see the tears filling up his eyes.

I put my hands on his, that remain on my cheeks.

"I, am okay Sweet Pea. I'm okay" I promise, "And it's okay, that you're not"

He shakes his head, then sniffles and moves his hands to wipe his nose.

"I just, god I hate him Case, does that make me a horrible person? That I fucking hate my own father?" he questions upset.

"No. Because you're father, isn't your father. He is a horrible person, it is okay to hate him Sweets. It's okay to wish he was a better person or wish he was dead! He's gone now, and you're going to be okay" I assure him.

My heart breaks as tears start to fall down his cheeks. I rush over, wrapping my arms tightly around him. He holds me back, resting his head on the top of mine.

"I don't know what I'd do without you" he states, "Thank you, Casey, for everything today. You're amazing"

"And you're amazing too, boyfriend" I smile, leaning back, then wiping the tears from Sweets' cheeks before kissing him softly.

I am sitting at the lunch table in the cafeteria, when I see Toni walk in with Jughead. I quickly get up and walk over to the two of them.

"Your friends a loner, with a death wish, apparently" Toni scoffs, walking away.

I turn my head to Jughead confused.

"What she on about?" I ask.

"I'm not sitting with the Serpents Casey, I'm not one of you-"

"No, Jughead. Look I spoke to your Dad the other day and I told him I'd protect you in this hell hole. If you sit by yourself, some Ghoulie is going to want to wane his stripes by taking our FP Jones' boy" I declare.

"I can take care of myself. I've already made up my mind Casey" he responds, clearly over this conversation.

"You're being stupid Jug, but whatever" I sigh annoyed, walking back to my table with the Serpents.

"He didn't listen to you?" Toni notes shocked.

"No, he's too strong headed" I scoff, "Stubborn"

"He's going to get his ass kicked" Fangs adds.

"I told FP I'd looked out for him. So that's what we are going to do. Now we've go Math, come on Sweets"

"Oh, but I'd much rather just stay here" he groans, spinning my hand and making me fall in to his lap.

He moves his hands up to my cheek and pulls me to his lips. We kiss passionately, the Serpents around us all howl and cheer stupidly. I lean back from Sweets and we both smile giddily. Then I stand up and take a bow dramatically, everyone still cheering.

After school, I ride my bike to the prison while the others go down to the quarry. After going through security, I sit in a booth, a glass wall between me and the other side. I pick up my phone as FP sits down in front of me.

"Hey kid" he smiles.

"Hey. Speaking of kid, yours moved to my school today. He sat by himself" I report.

"God, that kid is stubborn. Ghoulies we try take a shot at him" he sighs.

"Yeah, I told him that. Doesn't seem to care"

"How are you? What's been happening?"

"Henry decided to pay a visit, but he quickly left. Plus, Sweet Pea and I are, together now" I note.

A huge grin forms on FP's face and I laugh.

"Don't tell me you knew it too?"

"Everyone did. I'm happy for you Casey, the both of you" he smiles.

"Thanks. How are you? Anyone giving you a hard time in here?"

"No, it's all been good. I'm good" he assures.

"Good" I smile.

"But we have a bigger problem, that you aren't going to be happy about"