#By the way newest OC is named Cora. I don’t know what her last name is yet.

[claymoresofinfamy23]

Does anyone else go through the internal struggle of creating a whole new character from scratch every time you fall for someone? Just me? Okay. Let me shut up.

[emma-ofnormandy]

Set It Up: Chapter 3 (SP x OC)

Pairing: Sweet Pea x OC

Summary: Isabelle has gone out of her way to be obstinate when it comes to high school culture, making sure everyone knows she could care less about what they think about her. All Cora wants is a night out, but she’s going to have to find someone brave enough to tango with her hostile older sibling to get it. This was just supposed to be a business deal for Sweet Pea, he never thought it could turn into something more.

Word Count: 3k+

Warning: Language

AN: This fic was loosely inspired by “10 Things I Hate About You”. Updates are on Fridays. I promise there will be more Sweet Pea interactions as we get deeper in- bear with me! My worst fear is rushing these chapters so I know it has been a little slow starting. Chapter 2 seemed to kind of be a flop, but I am committed to finishing this fic so thank you to the loyal readers. Appreciate all you guys reading this and an extra shout out to the folks that reblog and recommend it!

Canon is totally ignored… don’t even try to find it. Sweet Pea, Fangs, Chuck and Reggie are Seniors. All the others are juniors.

This story will always be tagged with fic: set it up if you want to track it that way. Request to be added to the tag list!

Chapter 1 :: Chapter 2 

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Leaning against her hockey stick, Tara stared wide eyed as Izzy updated her on her father’s newest dating rule. “You’ve got to be kidding me”.

“I wish I was.” The sound of her stick scraping the ice as Izzy shot another puck at the net echoed through the rink, the rest of the team lingering around the ice waiting for coach to call in the final huddle of the morning.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Tara knew Izzy’s opinions on dating and knew her younger sister’s opinions as well. With their father’s new rule in place it wouldn’t take long for Cora to start hounding her sister.

“Why would I have to do anything about it?” Another echo of stick on ice sounded as Izzy did her best to work out the irritation that had been stirring since last night. Her dad had dropped a giant bomb on her and it wasn’t something that she had appreciated. She didn’t know if he realized it, but he had put her in a shitty situation with Cora. The two sisters struggled on a good day to get along, adding a condition like this was only going to stress the already strained relationship. Dating had never been on her radar and after a few bad runs with more casual agreements, Izzy had made it a point to stay away from the dating scene. Could some of her resistance be blamed on mom issues after she had walked out the door? Sure thing, but more importantly Izzy was concerned about school and getting the hell out of this town. If she was to get involved with someone they could make her lose focus and all this work would be for nothing.

Shaking her head, Tara just gave her friend a sympathetic look as Coach Morgan whistled for the team to gather around center ice. If Tara knew Izzy as well as she thought she did, her friend would do everything that she could to avoid the conversation with her sister which meant she’d be spending more hours in the rink than ever.

“Alright ladies, bring it in!” Coach Morgan was a big man, towering over his players at six foot three, he demanded excellence and expected his team to work just as hard on the ice as they did off. Izzy had always liked him, his skill with a puck was admirable and his coaching style fit her well; Coach was known for being a straight shooter, he didn’t care what your last name was or what side of town you were on, just what your skill was. In a town like Riverdale where your name and where you lived seemed to matter more to a person than what you had to offer, Morgan provided a refreshing change from the rest of the school.

Grabbing a seat on the ice, Izzy and Tara sat towards the back of the group while coach laid out strategy for the upcoming game. The two of them had worked with coach first thing this morning about the game line up and what the girls thought was a good strategy for defense to combat the speed that they were going to come up against. Centerville was a good team and they had speed at the wings, but their defense was inconsistent, and the team was fresh in comparison to Riverdale. Tara, Izzy plus one other senior on the team were considered all state in their position and there were a handful of juniors that were in contention for the titles as well. Even with potential concerns on the third line, Izzy was confident going into next week’s game.

“Has Cora started bugging you yet?” Izzy chanced a glance towards Tara at her hushed question.

“I haven’t given her a chance. I feigned exhaustion and hid in my room the rest of the night. And she’s not so desperate that she was up at five this morning to hound me out of the door.”

“Is there something the captains would like to add to the game plan?” Coach Morgan’s cold stare had the two seniors straightening, heat radiating across their cheeks as the whole team turned to stare at them.

“Nope, we’re good sir”, Tara’s cheery response had Izzy stifling a smile as Morgan pinned them with one of his signature looks. The majority of the team had a healthy fear of their coach, but Tara never seemed to be flustered by him.

“So what are you going to tell her?” Tara didn’t miss a beat, picking up the conversation right where they’d left it as Morgan continued on with his game plan. Watching Izzy out of the corner of her eye, Tara continued to half listen to what was being said up front.

A couple of young freshman chanced a glance behind them at Tara’s question, the young girls quickly turning around when met with Izzy’s perturbed look.

“I’m going to tell her that she is up shit creek. I’m not wasting my free time hanging around someone I don’t like just so Cora can flounce around in front of Chuck. If she wants to do that she can do it at school.” Stretching her arms above her head, Izzy tried to work out the tension that had settled along her muscles; she told herself it was from a good practice, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it tied to the inevitable conversation she’s going to have to have with Cora on the way to school.

“That’s all I’ve got for you guys. Good practice today, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dismissing the team for the morning Coach Morgan began to make his way towards the bench, tall frame halting in front of the boards to face Tara and Izzy. “Decker, Shultz.” The two girls turned their attention from their spot still sitting on the ice. “Since the two of you can’t seem to keep your traps closed, you can do two rounds of the Michigan mile before you leave practice today.”

Hushed giggling from her team mates as they left the ice had Izzy falling back to lay on the cold surface, green eyes rolling in annoyance, “Fuck me.”

Besides the subtle beat of ACDC’s Highway to Hell coming from the speaker, the Jeep was silent on the way to school. Izzy ached head to toe, her legs stiff and arms throbbing from her incurred punishment after practice. She could tell there was something on Cora’s mind, the blonde all but vibrated in her seat as she watched the passing trees but chose not to say anything. The less said on the subject that Izzy guessed plagued her younger sibling, the better.

“I need to ask you a favor… as my sister.” Izzy tensed at Cora’s words, a stream of curses muttered under her breath as she pulled the jeep into a spot. She was so close, so close to evading a conversation that would most likely end in an argument.

“What is it Cora?”

“One date. Please. Can you please find someone to take you on one date, so I can go to the damn movies?”

“No.” Grabbing her bag from the back seat, Izzy focused back on her sister.

“What do you mean no?” Temper flashed in Cora’s blue eyes as she looked over at Izzy, the color in her cheeks rising as her frustration about the situation built.

“I mean that I am not going to go find someone to sit in a movie theater with just so you can mess around with Chuck Clayton.” Snatching the keys from the ignition Izzy let herself out of the jeep, green eyes scanning the parking lot in search of Tara. A large collection of students still lingered around their cars and bikes despite the chill that hung in the air; hopefully Cora would think twice about making a scene for everyone to see.

Cora slammed the passenger side door, her blonde curls dancing in the fall breeze as she turned her heated gaze on her sister. “Why can’t you just do this one thing for me!”

Not to miss out on a good argument, the students in close proximity turned their attention towards the jeep at Cora’s exclamation. Trying her best to ignore their curious glances, Izzy hit her sister with a cold stare. “Because I am not going to lower myself just to make you happy Cora. Despite what you think, the whole world doesn’t revolve around you.” Since her sister was insistent on making this a public scene, Izzy didn’t feel the need to hold back the venom in her words.

A frustrated screech came from the blue-eyed girl as she grabbed her bag and stomped her way towards the group of vixens watching the scene. “Why do you have to be such a bitch, Izzy. You are ruining my life!”

Izzy ran a hand through her hair as she watched Cora disappear into the group of cheerleaders, irritation at her sister evident as she turned to head towards the school. Leave it to Cora to air all their dirty laundry out for the whole student body to hear. It seemed like every day Cora was becoming more like their mother, one day soon maybe she’d just up and leave too.

“Already ruining people’s lives before first period? Seems like a bit of an over achievement this early in the day” Sweet Pea’s baritone voice startled Izzy out of her brooding, his towering frame keeping pace with her as she made her way up the stairs of Riverdale High.

“Up yours.” Pushing through the double doors, Izzy beelined it down the senior hall intent on losing the lingering Serpent. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was their morning routine of ticking each other off, between a bad end to hockey practice and Cora’s parking lot scene Izzy’s patience for the day were toast.

“This much hostility this early in the day cannot be healthy for you”, leaning up against Fang’s locker Sweet Pea could only smirk at the glowering female as she wrenched open her locker.

“Piss off, Sweet Pea. Seriously. As much as I enjoy our morning harassment routine, I am not in the mood today.” Slipping out of her coat and shoving it into her locker, Izzy turned to face the tall boy, arms crossed against her chest in annoyance.

Sweet Pea’s gaze softened a bit as he looked down at Izzy, his signature smirk faltering a bit at the anger in her eyes. Getting a rise out of Isabelle could be the highlight of his day, but it took all the fun out of it when she was already pissed about something else. The two of them were suspended in silence for a moment, their looks locked on each other. Opening his mouth to say something, he stopped suddenly as Fangs appeared at his side and opened his locker. “What’s this? No bickering?”

Giving Fang’s the middle finger Izzy pulled her eyes from Sweet Pea and turned towards her own locker as heat pooled in her cheeks. The tall serpent shifted his stance closer to her, dark eyes still watching her as he lifted his towering frame off the locker.

Slamming the door, Fangs nudged Sweet Pea’s arm. “Come on dude, we’ll be late for class.” Without another word, Fangs sent Tara a wave as she slipped up next to Izzy before filing into the body of students making their way through the hall.

“See you around, Decker.” Passing one more look over the brunette Sweet Pea followed his friend down the hall and out of site.

Tara’s hazel eyes shifted between her friend and where Sweet Pea had disappeared for a beat before pinning Izzy with a questioning look.

“Fuck today.” Slamming her locker door Izzy turned towards her first period class, Tara left to scramble after her to find out what the hell that was all about.

Cora slid into a chair across from Archie, the thud of her backpack hitting the floor the only sound in the empty library. Her temper had settled after the argument with Izzy, Veronica and Cheryl stepping in to smooth her feathers down and promising they’d think up some sort of plan to help her out. “Alright, I’m here. Tell me what we’re doing.”

“Ok. Well… I was thinking that we would look at the war from the humanitarian side of the coin for the US. We always focus on the economical side of war, so I thought this would be a good change from what everyone else will probably write.” Running a hand through his hair, Archie looked over at Cora anxiously. There was just something about the blonde that made him nervous, she sent his blood rushing and seemed to make it impossible for him to make logical thought.

“Yeah, that works for me. I can’t say that I know much about it, so I think your plan sounds great.”

“Awesome.” Tapping his pencil against the open notebook, Archie studied the pages of their history book before bringing his eyes to Cora’s apprehensively. “So, I was doing a little preliminary research and I found a museum a few towns over that has an exhibit running at the moment about the sugar plantations in the Caribbean… I was thinking maybe we could go. Do some research and stuff about working conditions and all that.”

Tilting her head to the side, Cora studied the red head for a moment as she thought about what he just asked; giggling softly she could help but smile at him. “Are you asking me out on a date, Archie?”

The color of his face started to match the color of his hair as he tried to work around a good excuse, “Well… I just…. I know you aren’t allowed to date, but I figured if we were just going out for a school thing it’d be ok.”

“Well aren’t you clever, Andrews. You’ll be happy to know that my dad has changed the rules. I am allowed to start dating when my sister does.”

“That’s awesome. I got tickets to go to a….”

“Hold your horses Archie.” Cutting him off before he could get any wild ideas, Cora slouched back in her seat. “I don’t think you understand. In order for me to go out I would have to find someone willing to take Isabelle out.”

Scratching at his head, Archie took a similar posture in his chair as the blonde across from him. “She’s kind of a rip, isn’t she?”

“She’s a bitch, Archie. You don’t have to sugar coat it.” Cora never understood why her sister was the way she was, but apparently something went down that made her act the way she did.

“There must be someone out there that would be willing to go out on a few dates with her, right?” Archie searched his brain for anyone that might fit the bill. He wasn’t saying someone would have to be desperate, but they’d have to have a certain taste in to want to brave the waters of Isabelle Decker.

“You know of someone?” Cora shot the boy a skeptical look. Izzy was not the type of girl that Archie’s friends would even brave interacting with, let alone dating.

“I don’t know of someone off the top of my head, but I’d be willing to help find someone for you.”

“Really, you’d do that?” Selfish excitement shone in Cora’s eyes at the thought of Izzy going out. If Archie really could pull this off, she would owe him big time.

“For you, I would.”

“Oh, you’re the best Archie.” Jumping from her seat Cora grabbed her bag and gave Archie one last bright smile. “I’ll do some research for the paper tonight. Meet up tomorrow to get started?”

“Sounds great, Cora.” Grinning like an idiot, Archie watched her blonde curls bounce against her shoulders as she headed out of the library. He had no idea who the hell would be a suitable date for Isabelle, but Kevin and Josie sure as hell would.

“You are asking the impossible, Archie.” Taking a bite of his burger, Kevin looked across the booth at his speculating friend. Pop’s was quiet, the dinner rush had come and gone and only a few students lingered waiting on a late dinner and catching up on gossip.

“Come on Kev, you must have some idea of who we could try and set Isabelle up wither. There has to be someone in all of Riverdale High that can handle a cranky hockey player.”

Stealing a fry from Archie’s plate, Betty gave her friend a sympathetic look. “She is more than cranky, Archie. She is downright hostile.”

“And don’t forget, even if you find someone who is willing to ask her out Isabelle still has to say yes.” Pointing her spoon at Archie as if to drive home the point, Josie went back to stirring her milkshake. This whole idea didn’t sit well with her, setting someone up like this was almost guaranteed to end in disaster. While she had no personal interest in the whole thing, a part of her admired Isabell for her brash ways  and this whole thing was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

Sighing in defeat, Archie slumped against the vinyl booth. Mind reeling through the groups at school he tried to find someone that could fit the bill. “Football players would be out of the question.”

“It would be safe to say that most sports guys wouldn’t mesh well,” Kevin added.

Taking a bite of his burger, Archie scanned the dinner at the last of the lingering students. “The art and drama guys probably wouldn’t be the best fit, either. We need someone who can hold their own and isn’t afraid to go toe to toe with her.”

The jingling of the bell had the table turning their attention on the incoming customers, the black leather and two headed serpent across their back leaving no question of who it was.

Kevin’s eyes lit up as he turned back to the table, “We need a Serpent, Archie.”

Archie looked towards the counter where Sweet Pea and Fangs were lingering, the waitress making up their order to go. He didn’t know Sweet Pea or Fangs all that well, but he knew of their reputations. Jughead and Toni were good friends with them and based on the stories he’d heard he knew both the guys could hold their own. “Are you sure? Would she even go for one?”

“Her locker is right next to Fang’s in the senior hall, and I’ve seen her argue with Sweet Pea before so at least she knows them.” Betty studied the two seniors, of the two Sweet Pea would be the more believable candidate; Fang’s locker was right next to Isabelle’s, so if he had wanted to ask her out ever, he could have done it already. And there was just something about Sweet Pea’s tall, dark and contrary motif that would compliment Isabelle if Archie was able to pull this charade off.

“Of the two, it would have to be Sweet Pea”, mirroring Betty’s thoughts Josie murmured to the table, dark eyes watching the two boys at the counter before turning her attention back on Archie and Kevin. “And if you’re going to do this you better do it now before they head out.”

Sliding out of the booth, Archie made it up to the register just as Sweet Pea dropped some cash on the counter for the meal. “Got a second, Sweet Pea?”

“What do you want Andrews”, tucking his wallet into his back pocket the tall Serpent squared his stance as Fangs gathered the two full bags of food behind him.

Archie ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. Part of him couldn’t believe he was stooping to this level just to get a date with a girl, but the other part of him couldn’t not go through with it. “Would you consider taking Isabelle Decker out?”

Brows furrowing, Sweet Pea looked at Archie in confusion. “What kind of question is that?”

“Well, it’s not really a question actually. It’s more like a request.”

“You’re requesting that I take out Decker?” Looking back at Fangs for a moment, all Sweet Pea could do was shake his head at the red head. “This has got to be a first.” Grabbing a bag from Fangs, Sweet Pea turned towards the exit. “I think you’ve taken one to many helmets to the head Andrews.” Without another word, Sweet Pea and Fangs disappeared from site leaving Archie standing at the counter feeling like an idiot.

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