skin and bone ; riverdale ♡

forty seven ♡

"God. I've got the biggest headache." I groan to Toni. "I just want to go to bed."

"It's only two am."

"It's two am already? Jeez."

"Have you ever met someone so boring?" Sweet Pea asks, making me lightly elbow him in the side.

"I'm not boring!" I protest, pouting. "I just get tired easily."

"If you didn't look the way you do, I'd think you were secretly eighty years old."

I raise an eyebrow at the Serpent. What does that mean? "Look the way I do?"

Toni rolls her eyes playfully. "He thinks you're hot."

My stomach flips as I feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "Who doesn't?" I play it off.

"Way to fuel the ego, Topaz." Sweet Pea scoffs.

"You didn't deny it."

He rolls his eyes at her, getting up off of the chair. "I'm gonna go find Fangs."

"Okay, you do that." Toni says, as he walks away. Once he's out of earshot, she turns to me with a knowing smile. "He's so into you."

I scoff. "No, he's not. He hates me."

"No he doesn't. If he hated you, you'd know it."

I roll my eyes, sipping on my water. "Whatever."

There's just no way Sweet Pea could ever like me. Not in the way Toni is implying.

"And, as if tonight couldn't get anymore off track..." Toni mumbles, glancing at someone behind me.

"Let me guess. The so-called snake charmer decided to make an appearance?" I ask, not turning around. Life is getting way too damn predictable.

"Yep. I don't know how I didn't see this coming. After all, she was the one who got FP out of prison."

"I'm sorry... what?"

This is the first I've heard of this.

"Yeah." She plays with the camera in her hand. "It's no big deal. Don't worry about it."

If it wasn't a big deal, she probably wouldn't have said that, but, okay.

"Can I take a picture of you?" Toni asks after a moment of silence. "The lighting is too good right now."

"Sure." I shrug.

"Okay, great, just look into my camera."

I do as she says, leaning my cheek on my palm.

"Can we get a couple more? I'm sorry." She says, moving her stool back a little. "In case you can't tell, I love photography, and you're a great model."

"I try." I flick my hair over my shoulder jokingly, letting out a small laugh, as Toni's camera clicks.

"Damn, you could at least warn a girl."

"Still a poser, I see." An all too familiar voice speaks bitterly.

Why does it have to be her? Anyone but her. Please. 

"Ah, Aspen. Still as cruel and pathetic as always, I see." I turn my head, smiling at the woman that birthed me.

The evil smirk is wiped off her face. "I'm glad I got rid of you when I did. I take it your oh-so great father told you about that?"

"He did. And I couldn't be more relieved. You don't deserve to be in my life." I keep the smile on my face. I can't let her see that she's getting to me. Then she would win. "Don't you have a ditch to be laying face down in? Or, I don't know? A bridge to get under? I'm over your negativity, and you. Let's go, Smurfette." I look back at Toni who nods, standing up immediately.