♡ 

Mr Peach didn't say a word as he drove his oldest daughter out of Riverdale, not even when they passed the Greendale town sign. Caroline smiled at the sign, with the saying 'let Greendale cast a spell on you' doodled in white under the town name. She found it cuter than the town of pep. "Are you mad at me, dad?" Caroline ran a hand through her hair as she glanced at her dad in the front seat. When he stayed quiet, she just turned her head to stare out of the window again.

Many of her classmates, like Jughead and Archie, said Greendale was definitely a mysterious town and filled with a creepy atmosphere. Caroline remembered their words as she realized how much gloomier this town was compared to Riverdale, which should seem impossible, but she didn't question it. With a thick blanket of warmth seeming to cover her as she set foot in Greendale, Caroline had the odd feeling like she was at home.

The Peach family didn't visit Johnny much anymore unless it was for Thanksgiving or Christmas, which was a shame for Caroline since she used to be close to her uncle in her youth. His house was just as she remembered it though, two large trees in the front, and a two-story house even if it was just for one guy.

"Give this to your uncle, your mother put it together," Mr Peach handed Caroline an envelope. Caroline took it a little less than eagerly and put it in her jacket pocket.

"Anything else?" she questioned, her little silver hoop earrings moving as she bobbed her head. Mr Peach couldn't seem to remove his gaze from the steering wheel. The words her mother yelled at her (which almost woke the neighbourhood) ringed in her ears. You're going to Johnny's to straighten up. "Alright, bye dad. Love you."

If she was going to uncle Johnny's for a boot camp treatment, she was sure to hate it. She opened the car door, taking her two smalls bags in her arms and closing the door shut behind her. Her dad only popped the trunk for her so she could grab the two other bags. Stumbling over her own feet, she made it to the front door, ringing the doorbell once and waiting. When uncle Johnny answered the door, she was staring at her dad, who was driving away in her mom's little Honda accord. She wished she could say she was disappointed.

"Hey girl," Johnny pulled open the screen door, a dark blue robe left untied hanging on his body. "I was just getting some ice cream, you want some?"

Caroline furrowed her brows. "What?"

Johnny chuckled. "Come on in, kid," he opened the door wider for her to squeeze through with all her bags. "Put your stuff in one of the guest rooms and meet me in the kitchen."

Caroline did what she was told, picking a room on the second floor with a window next to one of the trees in the front yard. It was the only room with a bed, and she figured it must've been the room where her cousin used to sleep. She placed her bags on the floor, not wanting to ruin the pretty sheets with wrinkles just yet.

Caroline bounced down the stairs unzipping her hoodie but leaving it on. "Greendale sure is cold, uncle Johnny," she noted as she walked into the kitchen, joining her uncle on the stools at the counter. She sat across from her uncle, who was digging his spoon into a fresh scoop of vanilla ice cream.

"Yeah, it sure is, kid. You want a little something?" he tapped his spoon on the carton of ice cream. Caroline thought about it.

"With the night I just had, I would love to. Are your bowls and silverware still in the same spot?" she took Johnny's humming as a yes and found herself sitting across from her uncle, now eating ice cream with him.

"So, speaking of the night you just had," Johnny chuckled. "What'd you do?"

Caroline dug her spoon deep into the soft dessert. "I talked back to my mom. She didn't like it."

"Yeah, what else?" Johnny pushed, filling his mouth with the sweet stuff. Caroline let her spoon fall down, a soft clicking noise satisfying her ears.

"Here's the rundown," she decided to just rip the band-aid off. "After cheering at one of the games, which we won by the way because we're undefeated, I switched clothes with one of my friends," she opened her jacket up for demonstration. "And went on a joy ride on one of her friends' friends motorcycle. Are you following?"

"Something tells me 'motorcycle' is just a code word for something else, but sure, I follow."

Caroline nodded. "You're right, uncle Johnny," she pushed her hair back to reveal the light hickey on her neck. "You're right."

Johnny momentarily stopped moving before he chuckled, swallowing the spoonful in his mouth. "Okay, continue."

Caroline was purposely trying to freak him out, and it didn't seem to be working. "Well, we lost track of time and by the time I came home, it was around three in the morning," she quickly swallowed a spoonful. "Our neighbours, the Coopers, were there and honestly, Alice is always in our business, but it wasn't any of hers this time. I told her to mind her own business before talking back to my own parents, and I guess after admitting the actions of my wild night, my mom decided I wasn't her picture perfect child anymore," she studied the look on his face. He was smiling, shaking his head as he fished around his bowl. "Are you disappointed in me?"

Johnny chuckled, looking up. "You're not my daughter, Caroline. I can't tell you how to act."

Caroline raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" she took the envelope out of her pocket and placed it on the counter. Johnny put his bowl aside and opened it up. His expression turned serious as he went through the things in it.

"Huh," he thought to himself. "Well, okay, maybe you are my daughter now," he chuckled, meaning that he wouldn't be officially adopting Caroline, but taking care of her as if she were his own child.

It was quiet for a moment."How long am I staying?" Caroline asked.

"As long as you want, I guess," he put the open envelope aside. There was money and sticky notes left poking out, but Caroline fought the urge to go through it herself and kept eating her ice cream.

"Lovely," she mumbled bitterly to herself before falling quiet again.

Johnny noticed how sad she was, not anything like the livid kid he used to know. "Hey," he placed a hand over her slightly shaking one. "My home is our home now."

There was a knock on the screen door, the sound echoing throughout the living room. "Is someone else here?" Caroline asked, not sure if she was just hearing things at this point. Greendale had that effect.

"For shit's sake," Johnny rolled his eyes and stood up from his stool.

A small part of Caroline wished that it was her parents, asking her for forgiveness. That they made the wrong mistake and wanted her back. They were just being overdramatic, that Caroline wouldn't have to transfer to Baxter High, that she could cheer Archie on alongside Veronica during more games, and that she could spend many more sleepovers with Cheryl. For her hopes and dreams being ruined a lot, Caroline sure had a wild imagination.

"What are you doing here, Olivia? It's like, really late," Johnny opened the screen door for a dirty blonde who walked right on in.

"I've got your tubberware, Mr Peach," the girl said. Caroline thanked her uncle for having decent lighting in his home that wasn't dim like the rest of the lights in the town seemed to be.

"Olivia, it's almost five in the morning," Johnny faced the girl. "What's really going on?"

"Well, mum and Jared are getting into it again," she scratched her neck. "I couldn't sleep, and I remembered I had your tubberware in my room from last night cause I was eating leftovers out of it in my room, and so I washed it quickly in the sink and climbed out my window — thank god we don't have a two story house — and yeah, I'm here now," she smiled at Johnny.

Caroline thought her life was rough.

Johnny nodded, walking into his kitchen, Olivia following suit. "Olivia, this is my niece, Caroline. She's gonna be staying with me for a while."

"If you're looking for happiness, you're not going to find it here," Olivia seriously told Caroline, who only furrowed her brows. Olivia smiled, giggling. "I'm totally messing with you, newbie. Greendale's a pretty rad place once you get settled," she stuck her hand out for Caroline to shake. "I'm Olivia Shell, and I run Greendale's only seashell bracelet business."

"A seashell bracelet business?" Caroline asked with raised brows. Everything about Olivia on the outside seemed so put together. "That's so cool."

"Once she's registered at Baxter High, maybe you can show her around, Liv," Johnny closed the cabin where he'd tucked away his tubberware. "But for now, you need to get back home and kiss your new friend goodbye."

Olivia seemed like a smartass. Taking Johnny's words seriously, she placed a kiss on the top of Caroline's head, making Caroline pause. "See ya around, peaches!" she skipped out the door, locking it behind her.

"She sounds like a trip," Caroline eventually took her gaze away from the front door.

"Olivia? Yeah. She's like the daughter I never had, honestly. She comes around all the time asking for stuff, bugging for things, but I don't mind," he shrugged, placing their bowls in the sink. "So I'm thinking we'll figure out some rules, but let's do that later. Get some sleep and whenever you wake, come and find me. I might be out back in the garden," he began walking to the living room, his room by the stairs. Caroline followed him out, turning the light off after her.

"You still have the garden?" Caroline smiled at the thought as she began walking up the stairs. "That's so cool."

"Hey, Caroline," Johnny said. She turned around expectantly, a hand placed on the stair railing. "Come here," he opened his arms. It took Caroline a second to register the fact that he wanted a hug, and when she realized, she flashed a toothy grin. She pranced into his welcoming arms, and at that moment, Caroline felt like nothing could hurt them.

♡ 

SWEET CAROLINE ;
i'm so SOFT for Johnny Peach