The Whyte Wyrm smelled like cheap beer and cigarettes. You sat alone in a booth. Your mind was still stuck on the party. On him. Sweet Pea.

And Josie.

The way he had kissed her, his hands gripping her waist like she was something he couldn’t bear to lose. You weren’t supposed to care. You weren’t supposed to feel like this. But you did.

And last night, in a fit of jealousy, you did the stupidest thing.

You kissed Jughead.

Not a small kiss. Not a drunken mistake. No, you had made sure everyone saw—made sure he saw. You had wrapped your arms around Jughead’s neck, pressing yourself against him as your lips moved against his, trying to force Sweet Pea to feel even a fraction of what you felt watching him with Josie.

And maybe it had worked. Because when you finally pulled away, your eyes had flickered to Sweet Pea. His hands were clenched into fists, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with something dangerous.

Now, sitting in the Whyte Wyrm, skipping school just to avoid seeing him, you didn’t know whether to regret it or not.

You were so lost in thought that you didn’t notice someone walking up until a shadow fell over you.

"Skipped school to sulk?"

You looked up, already knowing who it was.

Sweet Pea stood there, arms crossed, looking down at you with an expression you couldn’t quite read. His usual cocky smirk was nowhere in sight.

You scoffed, trying to play it cool. "Didn’t feel like dealing with today."

"Yeah?" He slid into the booth across from you. "Or you just didn’t wanna see me?"

Your fingers twitched against the table, but you kept your face neutral. "Why would I care about seeing you?"

Sweet Pea let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because of what you pulled last night."

Your stomach tightened. "What I pulled?" You let out a bitter laugh. "Last I checked, you were too busy shoving your tongue down Josie’s throat to notice anything else."

His expression darkened. "So that’s what that was, huh? A game?"