*Trigger warning: slight abuse, drugs, self harm, language use*

Toni gasped at the news and began to sprint away from her grandfather's home. She reached the trailer she was familiar going to and banged on the door, praying that her best friend was home. She almost fell over when the door opened, and she saw the tall ten year old boy looking down at her.

"Toni?" He said, rubbing his eyes a little,
"What time is it and why now?" He asked her sleepily. Toni grabbed onto his dirty and ripped shirt.

"PEA! PICKENS DAY IS A LIE!!" She yelled, finding it hard for her to control her breathing. He shushed her quietly and pulled her inside with him, he turned around quickly and faced her.

"What do you mean Pickens day is a lie?" He asked her softly, while she hyperventilated.

"General Pickens killed my family!!!" She shrieked, while he tried to quiet her down as much as he could, the last thing he needed was the police finding out about his home life. Toni started crying,

"M-my grandpa told me his whole family was slaughtered by men led my general Pickens..." She sobbed, he pulled her into a hug and looked down at her. She thought about how tomorrow, the man who murdered her ancestors was being celebrated, instead of her culture. He asked her how she knew about this. She told him her grandpa had told her just now and that he was babysitting her for the night, because her parents hadn't had the right mental state. He pulled away from her and cupped her face in his hands.

"Toni- it's gonna be alright. What are we gonna do about it though?"

She hesitated, deep in thought. A couple minutes later she jumped and suggested they made signs saying the truth about Pickens day. He smiled at her, saying that was a great idea and that he had some paper and some broken crayons and markers. They spent the next two hours talking and making little posters protesting about a horrific past and the truth. Sweetpea shared a pack of his gummy bears with her while they colored.

He asked her if her grandpa would be upset that she left, she said that he wouldn't because he normally forgets about her. He nodded and didn't mention any more of it. A few minutes later, when he was almost finished with the letter 'P' he heard heavy breathing coming from Toni. He looked down to see Toni had her head leaned against his back, and had fallen asleep on him. He chuckled a little and turned around so that her back was against him.

The next morning both kids woke up on the floor, Toni laying against Sweetpea's chest and Sweetpea himself turned on his side with his arm wrapped around Toni.

Toni woke up first, screaming. Sweetpea jumped a little, moving his arm away from Toni and trying to process what was happening, since it was early in the morning. Toni was trying to calm her breathing down, she explained that she had a nightmare and was scared. He comforted her in the only way he knew how, from tv, he hugged her and didn't let go. Toni calmed down and thanked him for that and said she was going to take her posters to show her mum and dad, and see if they would help them too.

"See you at the festival!" She said, waving and making her way towards her trailer.

She walked inside her trailer and examined the scene. Her mother, making something in a pot on the stove that smelled nasty in the kitchen, and her dad, drunk and watching game shows, screaming at the contestants who were 'stupid and dumb'. Toni walked up to her dad,

"Daddy! Daddy look!" Toni yelled excitedly, holding up the many posters her and Sweetpea made together. Her father glared at her,

"ANTIONETTE, Im watching TV!" He hissed at the small girl. She held up her posters again, she watched his face get contorted with rage and he grabbed a belt that was lying on the floor and whipped Toni with it. She whimpered and collected her posters and ran to her mum, who was stirring a pot and look very concentrated.

"Mummy, daddy hit me again..." Toni said sadly, tugging a little at her mothers ripped cardigan. Her mother looked down and swatted her away, but Toni remained still and she held up her posters for her mom to see.

"Get those the hell out of here Antionette! What has gotten into you!?" Her mother yelled, ripping the posters out of her hands. Toni yelped, claiming she and her friend worked hard on those. Her mother showed no signs of caring and pulled out her lighter, and with a click Toni's little campaign posters were ashes on the floor, and her little heart sunk to the ground.

She dragged herself slowly to the bathroom, both neglected by her parents and began to cry. She used her step stool and looked at herself in their parents' cracked mirror and picked out a piece that was easily pop-able back into place, she took the shard and squeezed her eyes shut, recalling the words her parents had said to her and made a small cut in her arm.

She put the piece of glass back and clicked the lock on the bathroom door, the only lock that worked. She pulled out her pillow and blanket from under the shelf and made herself comfortable on the floor.

The next day at school, Toni wasn't herself. Fangs and Joaquin were the first to notice on the bus, when Toni wouldn't talk to them and would just stare out the window, and then Sweetpea. Who noticed she was just picking at her food during lunchtime.

"Toni, Aren't you gonna eat?" He asked her, looking at her clothes. She wore a Riverdale sweatshirt, not her normal attire. She didn't sit up straight either and her hood was up. Toni shook her head and slid her tray over to Sweetpea, who reluctantly took it and started eating slowly. Toni sat there and put her head down into the table, this time she got weird looks from everyone. Sweetpea tapped her shoulder.

"Toni- what happened?" He asked her softy, when she tilted her head back up to look at him, he saw tears. She shook her head and tried to put her head back down. Sweetpea made her stand up instead, leading her out of the cafeteria with his lunch left behind.

She stopped crying by the time they reached the hallway.

"Toni..what happened?" He repeated.

"M-my mum and dad. I showed them our posters, and- and she burned them..." Toni made eye contact with the ground, then she felt a rush of pain and grabbed her stomach. He looked at her and grabbed her arm, holding her up. He walked her over to the doors,

"Come on, we're skipping"

"Now where do you think you two are going?"

The familiar voice of Betty Cooper echoed through the halls. Toni and Sweetpea both turned around, seeing the preppy girl crossing her arms and glaring at them both. Toni and Fangs called her a party pooper, Sweetpea heard them talking about her almost everyday.

"None if you're business Cooper!" Toni yelled, sticking her tongue out. Betty was the classic hall monitor of Riverdale elementary, the elementary and middle school were the only ones that combined the north and south side. Betty raised her eyebrows and told them her usual monologue.

"My mummy says that I shouldn't hang out with snakes like you guys." She sneered, Sweetpea scrunched up his face but said something that made Toni want to hit him.

"Do you wanna come?"

Betty's mood completely changed, instead of her scowl, her face lit up with joy.

"Oooh I've never skipped before!" She said excitedly, Toni scoffed.

"Yeah we can tell with your perfect record." Toni said while rolling her eyes.

"Is it fun?"

"It's alright.."

"I wanna come!" Betty skipped and stood by them. Sweetpea looked around the empty hallway, half holding Toni half leaning against the wall. He made sure the coast was clear and led both girls out the doors of the school, he showed them the small spot in the fence that the could fit through. He climbed over the fence after them. Betty was facing Toni.

"you smell weird...do you like live in a trash can? Betty asked the small pink haired girl.

"Shut up I do not! Leave me alone!" Toni yelled furiously, turning her back away from her. Betty muttered an apology while Sweetpea rolled his eyes, girl drama. He told them to stop bickering and to followed him, Toni standing right beside Sweetpea and Betty behind them both. Betty stared at them both.

"Please don't tell me you two are gonna hold hands now" she sighed in exasperation as if this happened before for her. They both stopped and turned around.

"No-?" They both responded, giving her weird looks. Sweetpea unlocked his trailer, pushing both girls inside.

"Woah! You live here?" Betty said, looking around at the empty trailer.

"Yeah.." he said sheepishly. He noticed Toni sulking a little, he tapped her gently and told her she could sit down if she wanted. Betty skipped around, exploring the trailer with her tight ponytail bouncing up and down.

"You live here alone?" She called through the kitchen, trying to turn on the water but nothing came out.

"No! No" he said, swallowing. Toni looked at him worriedly, Betty wasn't convinced.

"What do you parents do for a job?" She asked, facing him and crossing her arms.

"Um...my mum works at a place called Starbucks...and my dad works on the roads. Both have the early shifts and work most of the day." He lied, praying the Betty would buy it. Betty seemed to buy it.

"My mummy writes in the newspaper with my daddy." She told him. He sighed, nodding his head. Toni sat there silently, clearly still upset about what happened the night before for her, he wanted to hug her but he saw Betty eyeing them both.

"What Cooper?" Toni sneered, sniffing a little and then looking back down at the floor.

"What's wrong Antionette?" Betty asked her, sitting down next to Toni. Toni glared at her,

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, standing up again. She remembered how Betty was friends with Cheryl and Jason, and it was in fact the Blossom twin's great grandpa killed her family. Sweetpea reached for Toni's hand, Toni began to cry again. Betty frowned,

"Sorry Toni..." Betty looked at Sweetpea, who was trying to comfort Toni in any way he could, without giving too much away about her home life.

"He hit me again!" She sobbed, leaning her head on him. Betty looked at him in confusion,

"What do you mean, 'hit me'?" Betty asked. Sweetpea glared at her, quickly standing up and walking Betty outside.

"Betty...I need you to go back to school."

"What! Whyyy!" She whined.

"Because Toni's upset and your not making it any better!" He yelled softly at her, Betty just glared at him.

"I DONT WANT TO LEAVE!" Betty yelled, stomping her foot on the ground. Sweetpea felt his face get hot, he yelled at Betty to go home. Betty frowned and ran away, leaving Sweetpea mad and upset.

He stormed back into his trailer, watching Toni sob into her hands again. He calmed her down again and asked if she wanted to be his date at the festival, saying they didn't have to celebrate general Pickens, Toni agreed and eventually went with him. Both had lots of fun.