Poison | Jughead Jones

Chapter Five

Venom

"So you threatened a varsity football player?" Wetherbee asked the girl who was slouched in the chair opposite him within the office.

"In my defence he called me, and I quote sir, 'a serpent slut'. Which I am not if you were wondering." She smiled innocently, resting her hands on his desk like she had seen on a business type programme.

"Yes but ms Rhodes, you can not go threatening kids on school property." The principle sighed, dragging his wrinkled hands down his chapped lips.

"Note taken." She nodded, attempting to mask her agitation through a softer tone.

"You were allowed in Northside high with leniency, ms Rhodes. That leniency can be taken away if I see fit." His voice was bored and monotonous, bella could see he wasn't bothered if she stayed or went.

"Don't worry, mr wetherbee." She grinned as she rose from her seat and slid to the doorway.
"I will only threaten kids, outside of school property."

And before he could protest, she disappeared into the hallway.

*****

Jessebelle glided through the aisles of tables, dropping food into each unavailable booth with a fake smile and a quick utterance of 'your welcomes'.

She had chosen to skip the pep rally, like she always had, because of the insane atmosphere that surrounded each one.

It had gone 10pm and she was still working, no familiar faces in sight. Pops had offered for her to go, but she needed the money.

A serpent may shed its skin, but the way they earn money always stays the same; and bella didn't want that for her or her brother.

She sat at the counter, drawing in the spilt salt that was splashed against the tabletop and was lost in thought. it wasn't until she heard the familiar voices that she turned around, furrowing her eyebrows slightly as she saw Betty and Veronica already sat in a booth with the two boys contemplating joining them.

Jessebelle quickly got to work in the order she knew from memory, and quietly hid behind the counter top. She wasn't in the mood for pep rally catch up, or to fifth wheel what looked like a double date. Once the order was ready she begged her boss to take it over.

"C'mon pop, do a girl a solid." She whined as she was handed the tray of food, eyes wide and doe like. The man chuckled as he spun the girl around and pushed her back out of the kitchen.

"I'm sure you'll thank me later." He called as she begrudgingly strolled toward the booth. Bella slid the tray onto the table with a fake smirk, and waited for the group to take what their usual was.

"Join us Pea." Archie offered as he quickly nabbed the French fries and began to scoff them down like a hawk.

"I'm working." She argued, taking one of his chips when he offered.

"The place is dead." Jughead observed, nodding to the otherwise desolate diner.

"Im still on the clo-" bella protested, grabbing the tray in an attempt to signal she wasn't going to join.

"Just sit down." Jughead cut her off, stealing the tray from her hands and chucking it to the booth behind. She sighed and sat opposite Veronica, biting her lip in nerves.

"So-" the lodge girl began, a small grin on her face.

"What does PB exactly stand for?"

*****

The sun barely flitted through the dirt stained windows as Bella readied for her next shot. Her eyes narrowed down as she let the stick slip and watched with a smug smile as the colourful balls tumbled on the table.

"I've told you everything I know." She muttered as she chucked the stick to her brother and glanced at the man watching in hesitance.

"Somehow Pea, I don't believe you." The gruff voice boomed through the bar as he shot her a menacing glare, which she gleefully returned.

"That's funny Tall boy, because I don't remember caring what you think." She argued with a sly smirk, and eagerly waited for a heated response.

Sweetpea chuckled from behind her, twiddling with the pool cube which stained his rough fingers blue.

"What shocked me, was the red heads confession. That doesn't add up." Tall boy continued, ignoring her little jabs as she played the next round of the game.

"You calling me a liar, TB? Do you need reminding of what I'm doing for this family, what I've been through." She narrowed her gaze as the final black ball slotted into one of the baskets, chucking the pool stick on the table.

Sweetpea grabbed his sisters arm, pulling her back in warning of her temper.

"I forget too, I mean of course I would deceive the serpents. Hey, maybe I even pulled that trigger. You've always said I'm full of venom, maybe it's time I bite." She shrugged off her brothers grip and marched toward the man questioning her trust.

She understood that after two years the gang would take time warming up to her again, making sure she hadn't change. But if FP was allowed to sneak off to the army, she was allowed to run away from death.

"Jessabelle Rhodes." A voice boomed down from the balcony, all gazes flickering up to bare witness. The girl stopped a few metres short from her target and snapped towards the sound.

FP had his hands wrapped around the balcony with his glare floating through the air. Bella groaned as her head flung back in annoyance, before sending a fleeting glare to Tall boy and trudging up the staircase to FP. Her stomps echoing through the silence as she left.

•••

Quick note!!

Pebbles has been changed to periwinkle, shortened to PB or Pea.
This will make sense later on.

Thank you for reading guys!

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