XX

CLOMP. CLOMP. CLOMP.

I paced restlessly to and fro, through the kitchen, into the lounge, and then back into the kitchen again. My chin was settled firmly in between my fingers which were propped up by my upright elbow. My other arm was wrapped tightly around my waist. My phone was in my back pocket and my muscles were tense and rigid, waiting for the vibration of a text or the sound of a call.

Nothing.

I groaned and flopped face first onto my pull-out bed. I had tried ringing him, Jelly had tried ringing him, heck, even Toni had tried ringing him! But Jughead just wouldn't pick up the phone.

Dad had had a turn for the worst and, as Jelly, Toni and I had sat by, watching him, we were forced to ring up the nearest doctor's clinic. We had described Dad's symptoms to the medic and his condition was affirmed: he had alcohol poisoning.

With great difficulty, Toni and I had loaded a limp and weighty Dad into the back of his car before driving him off to the clinic. Fortunately, we got there mere minutes before closing time. The physician took one look at Dad and rang for an ambulance.

Dad was transported to the Riverdale hospital, since the uncivilised SouthSide didn't have such a luxury. Jelly and I stayed with him for a few hours but were later told that we could do nothing for him and that we should go home.

Toni was a lifesaver. She went out to Pops and got us all something to eat while we were sitting in the waiting room. When the doctor told us that he'd inform us if anything changed at all, Jelly and I were finally persuaded to leave.

Once the three of us reached the trailer, Toni took her motorbike back to her house and Jelly and I, thoroughly exhausted, crawled into bed.

But, even after the berating that I'd given him, Jughead hadn't turned up, last night or this morning. It was enough to really get on my case.

The sound of someone knocking on the trailer door resounded throughout the room, jerking me from my stupor. Hurriedly, I rushed over to open the door, nearly tripping over the doormat on the way there.

Sliding the lock from its place, I fumbled with the doorknob before flinging it open and glancing up into the face of our visitor.

I nearly fell over when I saw who it was.

"S-sweet Pea?" I spluttered, stepping back in shock. "Uh ... w-what are you doing here?"

Sweet Pea's brow furrowed and a smirk tugged at the edges of his lips. Lifting his fingers, graced with an array of rings, he removed a smoking cigarette from the corner of his mouth before speaking in a low tone, "I came to give Jelly a ride."

"A - a ride?" I repeated, confused. "What are you talking about? It's like eight o'clock in the morning!"

"I know what time it is, babe," he returned dryly, sending me a weird look. "I'm here cos Jelly rang me. She asked if I could take her back to the hospital on my bike. It's - er - a thing we do."

"What? Going to the hospital?" I scoffed.

Sweet Pea bit down on his lower lip, a spark of amusement flickering in his eyes. "No, sweetie, not going to the hospital, riding the motorbike. Hey, you all set to go?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see Jelly, clothed in tight-skin leather jeggings, making her way out of her room. A row of bobby-pins were in her mouth and her hands were full tying up her long, dark hair. She looked over at Sweet Pea and I and nodded, her eyes dancing with eagerness. She quickened her pace and was just brushing past me when I stopped her mid-stride.

"Wait!" I hissed as I grabbed her shoulder. "Did the doctor call?"

Jelly frowned and shook her head, but she was unable to give me a full answer because of the bobby pins in her mouth.

I huffed, annoyed, as I glanced questioningly over at Sweet Pea who was lazily resting his arm up against the doorframe like he owned the place.

Sweet Pea took another drag from his cigarette, purposefully blowing the fumes into the caravan before replying, "Jughead's over at the hospital. Has been all night. He wants to see Jelly and make sure she's okay after yesterday."

"That son of a bitch!" I exploded. "I'm gonna kill him! Jelly and I were so worried when he didn't answer our calls!"

"You mean you were worried?" Sweet Pea arched his eyebrows knowingly as his dark eyes trailed over my face.

I bit down hard on my tongue, my temper suddenly flaring. "You, shut-up. Jelly, you're not riding with Sweet Pea, you're coming in the car with me. The last thing I need is to attend your funeral because someone went around a corner too fast. Excuse me!" I shoved past Sweet Pea and stomped over towards the car that was parked around the other side of the trailer.

"Mackenzie!" Jelly wailed after me. "C'mon! I do it all the time! Sweet Pea is always extra careful when I'm with him!"

"I don't care!" I shouted back. "Get in the car!"

"You think you're overreacting just a little bit?" Sweet Pea queried as he walked down the trailer steps and started after me.

"No!" I yelled as I whirled around to face him. "No I'm not! Ten years ago, Riverdale was a decent town with decent people who led simple, no-nonscenical lives! Now guess what? I've come back to see that it's crawling with vagabonds, gangs and bikers who think they're cool just because they wear jackets and ride motorcycles! Grow up, Sweet Pea! This isn't the eighties! Just because you think you can do anything you want, it doesn't mean that you can! Now get outta the way so Jelly can get into the car! I wouldn't trust you with her in a hundred years!"

Sweet Pea's jaw tightened as he glared down at me. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and heaved a deep breath. He didn't say anything but he didn't have too. His face said enough.

Swallowing hard, I leaned forward and seized Jelly's hand. Then I spun around and stalked over towards the car. As I tried to locate the central locking on the keys, Jelly whispered, "Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

I sent her an irritated look as I snapped, "I don't know what to think anymore! Riverdale's crap. Dad's crap. Jughead's crap and ..." I lifted my head to glance once more at Sweet Pea. My eyes shot daggers at him as I stated, "He's crap too."

As I bundled myself into the car, I sat back in the seat for a moment and inwardly swore at myself. The tension had been running high between me and Jughead for a while now and, when Sweet Pea showed up at my door, offering to help, I had completely lost it ... at him.

Tears stung my eyes as I slammed the keys into the ignition. Of course I hadn't meant to say all that to him but I had and that was that. Best case scenario: he would never talk to me again.

I groaned as the realisation hit me. Any hopes of liking it here in Riverdale were draining away faster than I could keep track of.

And it was all my fault.

Gif: Mackenzie as she talks to Sweet Pea at the door.

*PLEASE REMEMBER to give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed and I'd love to hear any feedback from my readers; so pepper me with questions. If you're confused, I'll try and clarify it for you. If you want more information on a certain point, I'll do my best not to give you spoilers. If you just wanna chat 'bout random stuff, then I'm in *

Q: What would you have done if Sweet Pea had just showed up at YOUR door?