Fluorescent Adolescent~Jughead Jones

twelve

Jughead exited the Newspaper office, staring at his phone in confusion. What did Archie mean?

"Jug! Jug!" Archie ran to the boy, grabbing him by the shoulders, trying to tug him to the doors. Jughead grounded his feet, trying to break from Archie's grasp. "What? Did Betty send you here to throw more salt in the wound?"

Archie shook his head, his body shaking with anxiety. "No, no we gotta get you out of here. Mayor McCoy's about to raid Southside High. We need to leave now."

As if on cue the front doors bursted open, Mayor McCoy and Sheriff Keller leading a parade of police officers behind them. Jughead's blood ran cold. 

Poet.

"Wait, Archie. I need-where's-but Poet."

"There's no time," Archie stressed, pulling him down the hallway. 

"Poet!" Jughead yelled, watching as the boy was shoved against the lockers less than ten feet away from him, Poet's hands being forced behind his back. He looked feral.

Poet's eyes narrowed, his eyes almost black with rage. His hands curled into fists behind his back. He yelled curses at the cops who shoved him harder.

Poet reared his head back, slamming into one of the officer's noses, grinning wildly as a loud crack sounded from the movement.

The other cop yanked him onto the floor, punching him straight across the face, as Poet wiggled to get free. 

"Jug!" Archie pulled Jughead away from Poet and the unjust horrors that had befallen Southside High.

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Jughead yelled in anger, slamming his fist against the diner table. 

"Jughead, calm down." Jughead froze, glarring at the red head. 

"Calm down? Calm down! I just saw all my friends get arrested for no reason and there was nothing I could do to stop it! I think I'm aloud to be upset right now. Archie, Riverdale's become a police state. McCoy's convinced the serpents are the ones dealing Jingle Jangle. Serpents don't deal with that stuff. The Ghoulies do."

"So tell her Mayor McCoy that." Archie cut in, sitting way to calmly for Jughead's taste.

Jughead shook his head, sliding into the booth,"Oh Mayor McCoy. Do you mean the McCoy that just arrested my friends for no good reason? The one that arrested Toni and Sweet Pea and-" He cut himself off before quietly adding, "and Poet."

He crossed his arms in defense, "What do you care anyway, man? I thought you and Betty wanted nothing to do with me, right?"

Archie put his hands up in defense. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened and how it happened. And as for Betty, you should maybe talk to her."

Jughead narrowed his eyes. Who he wanted to talk to was Poet but that wasn't happening anytime soon. He looked towards his phone at Tall Boy's text.

"I gotta go. Tall Boy wants to parley." He stormed out leaving a distraught Archie Andrews at the booth by himself, wondering what the right next step was.

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Jughead walked into the dark house, checking to make sure it was the right address. He was still biter about the conversation with Archie and how Archie hd treated him. Once second he was his friend, the next he was yelling and fighting him and the cycle repeated. 

He shook his head of the thoughts, instead focusing on the task at hand and how the faint sent of weed surrounded him.

"Sit down, kid." Jughead looked at Tall Boy in confusion. "Business to discuss."

Jughead raised his eyebrow, "Tall Boy, what the hell is this? Where are we?" 

"You're in my house."

A tall figure walked past Jughead, his chest bare but covered in a skull like robe. His black curly hair reminded him of Poet's but nowhere close in the same comforting way. 

The man giggled, holding out his arms, "It's the House of the Dead!" He fell back into a chair, popping open a beer.

Jughead took a step forwards, "Well, I'm sorry but who the hell are you?"

"Take it easy, Jughead. Malachi speaks for the Ghoulies. With the heat on us and our ranks depleted, our tribes need to unite. And that's gonna be easier to do if you endorse this partnership." Tall Boy gave him a light glare.

"Me?"

"You're F.P.'s son." Tall Boy continued, "That carries weight, especially with our younger members."

Jughead rolled his eyes in disbelief, throwing his arm up, "Tall Boy, they're the reason Southside was even raided. Them and their Jingle Jangle."

Malachi threw his hand up in a lame toast, "Chaos is how we thrive. You better get used to it."

Jughead rolled his eyes once again. "Are you seriously going to do this to my dad? You're supposed to be his right-hand man." He pointed a finger at Tall Boy who looked off sadly.

"The Northside declared war today and your old man ain't here to call the shots." Tall Boy rose, squaring up to Jughead. "And, yeah, I'm his right-hand. That makes me de facto leader, here and now, so...things are changing, Jones. Either you change with them, or suffer the consequences."

Malachi laughed, "Evolve or die, baby. Evolve or die."

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Here's chapter twelve, I feel kinda weird about it cause there's a lot of time skips so I apologize about that. Don't worry though, Poet will be back soon and we'll figure out what's in that note. Do you guys have any ideas about what might be in it or who it's from?

Also, I don't know about you guys but I liked Malachi and Kurtz. Sure they were drug addicted weirdos but hot drug addicted weirdos  Or at least I think so. They kinda remind me of The Lost Boys, ngl.

Anyways, as always, read, vote, comment, follow! Thanks for your support!~underrated human

What's your guys's favorite 80's movie?