CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MONSTERS AND DEMONS
"her parents hated who she loved"
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚

Harley couldn't wait to get to work, but with good reason.

It felt like the rest of the school day took forever to end, kinda like those days when they were younger and couldn't wait to rush home so they could all hangout. When the school day finally did end, Harley almost ran out. She barely managed to say goodbye to any of her friends, including Midge who was kind of bummed out they didn't get to walk together some of the way, something they rarely ever did anymore but still.

When she entered her house, she didn't even greet her parents as she instead rushed up the stairs to her room, slamming the door shut. Though she wouldn't be able to chose any outfit seeing as this was work, she could still try to make an effort to not look like a complete mess. So she touched up on her makeup, fixed her curls which had turned into a mess throughout the day and sprayed some perfume on the uniform and herself to make sure she was all good.

It felt weird, doing such an effort when she was simply hanging out with him while she was working. She never did this kind of effort around Reggie, or any other guy for that sake. And it all felt even weirder when Harley remember how the two seemed to loath each other at the very beginning. Yet here they were, both equally as excited for the night.

Sweet Pea had rushed out of the school building just as fast she had. Toni and Fangs barely managed to keep up with the fast pace to his long legs. When they had questioned why he was in such a rush, he dismissed it quickly, simply saying he was tired and wanted to get some sleep.

     It wasn't the least believable lie, the tall Serpent usually was more into his bed than anything else. But judging by the speed he was going down the road, that was not the case.

     When he finally reached his trailer, he threw open the door, starting his hunt for one of his favorite tees. It wasn't anything special, just some random band shirt Fangs and Toni had gotten him, but he liked the fit on it. He made sure to get the god awful outfit he had worn to school off, before jumping into the shower. When he was done, he went to get dressed, but a loud knock on the door interrupted him. So, with damp hair and a white towel hanging loosely on his hip bones, he opened the door.

     Jughead Jones peered past Sweet Pea and into the trailer that was now a mess due to Sweet Pea having thrown a bunch of clothes all around while searching for his tee. Jughead arched a brow, and without asking, brushed past Sweet Pea and into the trailer, slumping down in one of the chairs.

     "What are you doing here Jones, I'm kind of in a rush." Sweet Pea asked, annoyance laced in his words. It wasn't like he didn't like Jughead. That was how it had started out between the two, but now Sweet Pea was actually starting respected him. But the fact that Jughead was ridiculously close to Harley irked him. He had no problem with the two being friends or anything, but it just seemed like the Jones boy wanted it to be more. The way he always came to her rescue, and the fact that he once returned with swollen lips after she chased him down the hall. . . Sweet Pea didn't like the thought.

     "I can see that. Where you going?" Jughead questioned, a brow arched. Sweet Pea sent him an annoyed look, pulling him from his seat and starting to shove him out of the trailer.

     "Out. Which is where you're going too. Bye." The door smacked close and locked behind Jughead, leaving the beanie wearing boy confused.

     Finally, Sweet Pea could refocus his attention on to getting ready.

˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚

     Harley's feet tapped against the ground nervously, her eyes slipping to the entrance of the Chocklit Shoppe every third seconds. Her fingers repeatedly tapped the counter top, so much so that a few customers were growing annoyed.

     When the bell chimed, she excitedly looked that way, but to her disappointment, it wasn't Sweet Pea, but instead some old man she didn't remember who even was. She greeted him with a friendly smile still, taking his order. The man slowly edged towards a booth after ordering, sliding in quite smoothly despite his slow movements. Harley smiled at him once again when he glanced over, appreacing his cuteness. He had tipped her.

     The familiar rumble of a motorcycle interrupted the chatter and soft music playing in the background. Harley's eyes immediately locked with the see through door, a grin spreading across her face when his familiar tall self got off the motorcycle. Harley could feel excitement bubble inside of her. She couldn't recall ever feeling this excited to see one single person before.

Sweet Pea felt the same way. He almost tripped on his way into the Chocklit Shoppe, clumsily regaining balance, praying that no one had seen it. The bell chimed loudly when he entered, but no one other than Harley seemed to notice his presence. She shot him a smirk, waiting for him to come over.

He looked around, silently hoping that the customers would leave so that he could have her all to himself. "When're you getting off?" He questioned, letting his eyes slip back to her. She shrugged, checking the clock on the wall.

"Usually these types of shifts lasts all night, but Pop's told me to close up at eleven thirty pm.¨ Harley informed lazily pulling a damp rag over the counter top, wiping away some whipped cream she had spilled previously.

Sweet Pea nodded, awkwardly letting his gaze slip over the nearly empty diner. The only ones there was some teenagers he could actually recall having seen before, probably from school, and an elderly couple that was happily conversing, sharing a tray of fries and a beaming pink strawberry milkshake topped with fluffy whipped cream and a small strawberry.

     Sweet Pea couldn't fight the small smile slipping across his usually grumpy face at the sight of the pair. They smiled at each other, and the look in their eyes when they talked to one another resembled the ones of newly wed, or someone absolutely stupidly crazy in love with someone.

     Though he would probably never admit it, one of his biggest goals and dreams in life was just that. Falling inlove, marrying, maybe having children ( he wasn't too sure yet, they could be annoying little creatures ) and eventually growing old together. Sure, it all sounded cliche and cheesy, but it also sounded like an happy ending. And Sweet Pea really wanted one.

Growing up wasn't exactly a walk in the park for him. Both his parents were absent most of his life. When he was six, his mother packed up and left, never looking back. His father was a good man, and he had an important role as FP's right hand man in the Southside Serpents, but he went down the wrong path eventually, and it finally ended with him leaving too, but of course made sure that Sweet Pea was taken care of.

     The Southside Serpents were family to him. They cared for him, they supported him in most ways possible and they taught him most everything he knew. They taught him how to fend for himself, and Fangs and Toni had been there with him since the beginning. He owed his life to them and the Serpents.

He was grateful that Harley didn't hold the same resentment against them like many other Northsiders. Sweet Pea assumed he had Jughead Jones to thank for that, but he wouldn't be doing any thanking any time soon. At least not to Jughead. Sweet Pea liked to think Harley was special anyways, which probably actually was the case. She never really did believe all the toxic thoughts her parents and almost everyone else tried to fill her head with about the Southsiders. She liked to believe there was good in almost everyone, if you only gave them a chance to be.

So maybe Harley was a bit. . . naive. She liked to see the good in everyone. More times then one this had caused her trouble, but she wasn't about to change into a pessimist. Even if both her parents thought she was ridiculous for it. And a handful of her friends too.

     "Why'd you ask?" Sweet Pea's face snapped back over to Harley, his brows quirked up in confusion.

     "Huh?"

     Harley chuckled at the cute, yes cute, look on his face. "Do you wanna do something after I get off of work?" Harley asked. Sweet Pea awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck, sweet smile on display.

"I'd love to."

˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚

"Get in the car." Addison Byers was glaring at her daughter.

Sweet Pea was beyond terrified, the Byers mom was terrifying, and she was currently hosting a murderous look in her eyes as she stared her daughter down. The tall boy tried cowering behind Harley, making a weak attempt at hiding from her mother. Shockingly enough Harley wasn't terrifying. In fact, she was staring back and her mother with a glare just as scary.

"I'm busy right now." Harley responded in a sarcastic yet sickly sweet tone. She had just gotten off work and was more than ready to spend the rest of her evening hanging out with Sweet Pea, ignoring her everyday problems. But for some reasons one of her life's greatest obstacle was standing in front of her, demanding that she got in the car.

"Harleen Alexia Byers I swear to god don't test me in this. Get in the car. Right. Now." Her teeth were gritted as she spoke. You'd think Harley would be shitting her pants right about now. Honestly, Harley herself was shocked that she wasn't. A year ago she'd be crying just by a raised voice, and she would definitely be scared to death by the glare she was receiving. She kind of was, but she was doing her best at masking the feeling.

"I should probably go. . ." Sweet Pea said awkwardly, fishing his motorcycle keys up from his pocket.

"Splendid idea."

"Stay."

Sweet Pea was caught in the middle of a mother daughter fight, one that he surely was the reason for. The reason Addison Byers had left work early for the first time in fourteen years was because of him. A little birdie had chirped in her ears, whispering all about how her perfect little girl was running around town with a Southsider. And to make matters worse, Sweet Pea wasn't only from the wrong side of the tracks, but he was a Southside Serpent.

"Leave, now." Addison growled, making a chill run down Sweet Pea's back. Guess mothers didn't really like him. The leather jacket and neck tattoo wasn't exactly inviting.

"I'll text you." Harley said, biding the boy goodbye.

"Oh no you will not. Give me your phone." Addison yelled.

Harley snorted in disbelief. "Can I ask why you suddenly woke up and decided that you wanted to act like a mother? Are you trying out for acting classes? Cause you might need a little more practice."

"Who even are you? I can't recognize my own daughter." The two Byers women were in the car, Addison's rage affecting her driving. Her knuckles were turning white because of how hard she was gripping the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry mom, but you've kind of been gone for the last few years. I'm not the same little girl you sent off to school in first grade and didn't have time to pick up!" Harley snapped.

Addison took a deep breath. "You listen to me, young lady. You're never going to see that boy again, ever."

"What!? You can't control who my friend are! I suppose you don't want me seeing Jughead anymore either."

"Actually, yes. I don't want to hanging around anyone that's not Betty Cooper, Midge Klump or Archie Andrews. Which you won't be seeing at all for the next two weeks because you're grounded." Addison was not going to let her daughter ruin her future or her reputation over something as stupid as this. "Those serpents are monsters, and I'm not letting them ruin you." Venom was laced in her voice.

"Monsters? Well, then I guess we have two completely different views of what that is. You know, I never had monsters hiding under my bed, or waiting in the closet. My monster is sitting passed out in our living room with an empty beer bottle!" Harley yelled, tears whelling up in her eyes.

"You're father is a good man!" Her mom yelled back. "He just has his demons to fight."

"He is a good man, and he is trying his best. But so am I! Because when things get hard at home you can run away to work. I don't have that luxury. I try my best to distract myself with school, but when I'm sitting in class all I can think about is the mess I have to clean up when I come home. When I'm at a party, I'm dreading coming home because what if he's lifeless on the ground covered in his own puke? God, how out of touch with reality are you? You're so freaking afraid of tainting your reputation you don't even give a shit about me! I'm not failing my classes because I'm hanging out with Jughead or Sweet Pea, I'm failing my classes because you're not around!"

Addison was rendered speechless. What was she suppose to say back to that? Fortunately, or unfortunately, for her, she didn't get the chance to respond before the screeching tires and loud crash pulled the both of them out of consciousness.

At least they went out with a bang, right?

word count; 2452
a/n

don't shoot me, i'm sorry i haven't updated in forever, but this book had been so far in the back of my mind there has literally been no motivation for me to write and update it ! i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter at least ? feel like it was about time addison found out abt harley and sweet pea and that she and harley finally had a real interaction. feel like daddy issues are very normalized ( in some type of way ) in the media today, but mommy issues aren't ? let alone both. anyways, stay tuned for more !

Follow|Vote|Comment