Serpents ✔️

Chapter 11

"It's the pins in the hat" Jughead says as the metal detector beeps
"Take it off and go again" the cop says. Jughesd does as he's told while I'm waiting for him
"Forsythe Pendleton Jones third and his sister Ella Jones never thought I'd see you both in the same school, let alone walking into school together"
"Hey Toni" I walk over to her and hug her
"It's Jughead actually"
"Juggie this is Toni Topaz my best friend since forever"
"Yeah we know each other in passing remember" Jughead says
"Whatever"
"Ella and I are suppose to give you the full animatronic tour of Southside High but some robots went insane and starting killing the guests so we'll just wing it"

"So the classrooms don't have WiFi, bathroom stalls don't have doors" I says walking down the stairs
"What about the school paper. The red and black?"
"Yeah no longer exists" I sigh
"Censorship, budget cuts. Take your pick" Toni says
"To your right you'll find a glimpse of jingle jangle being consumed in its natural habitat" Toni points Jughead in the direction she's looking
"Jingle jangle?"
"The place is crawling with the JJ" she says
"A highly addictive total gutter drug so let's stay away from that shall we" I pull Jughead towards the cafeteria
"Ok here is the cafetorium Ghoulies sit over there" Toni points over to where they sit "rival gang, drug dealers, street racers, rumours of cannibalism" she continues
"And we sit over here with the Serpents" I point over to to where everyone is sitting. Toni and I walk over
"Wait your a Southside Serpent" Jug asks Toni
"Why do you think El and I volunteered to give you the tour?"
"Come on" I say pulling Jughead over, but he pulls away
"Actually I'm gonna sit alone. Just, you know finish my book and brood" Toni crosses her arms and I frown at my brother
"I'm confused aren't you like a Serpent by blood? I mean you and Ella are twins right? The son and daughter of FP Jones? El has always sat with us"
"Yeah well I self identify as a loner not a pack animal"
"Jug" I look at him cross "you know full well that it's not like that. We're a family"
"Look I appreciate all this Toni and El but I'm just gonna put my head down and try to get through this ok?" Jughead pats Toni on the arm
"Juggie if you wanna get through this you should sit with the Serpents" I fold my arms looking at him
"Ella's right if the Ghoulies get a whiff that your alone they'll make you their bitch faster than you can say American History X" I watch as Toni turns around and walks over to the table
"Jughead please"
"I'm sorry El" Jughead turns and finds a seat on his own. I follow Toni to the others. Fangs and Sweet Pea sat on the table, while I sit on the seat in between Sweet Peas legs
"I thought your warned him" he bends down picking up my hands and lacing his fingers in mine
"I did" I look back at him then at the Ghoulies "he's stubborn"
"Just like you and your old man" Fangs says laughing which makes me smile.

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"Fahrenheit 451 by one of my favourite authors Ray Bradbury" I'm sat with my feet up on the table pretending I care while Sweet Pea is sat on the end of my desk on his phone. Mr Phillips walks over to me and pushes my feet of the table "and this is why you have to see me at the end of the day, because your failing" I sit up folding my arms
"Now lets start with the title. Can anyone tell me it's significance?" I look at Sweet Pea and he looks angry
"What? Damn it" he yells and storms out, I grab my bag and follow him
"Miss Jones if you walk out that door you'll be seeing me after school" I just continue to walk out
"Sweet Pea wait" he punches a locker "what's wrong?"
"dads left my mum"
"What?"
"Yeah and he's taken my sister with him. Didn't want me" I stand on my tip toes and wrap my arms around his neck as he wraps his around my waist
"I'm sorry baby" He pulls back
"Baby?"
"Shit I meant Sweet Pea"
"No I like hearing that come out of you mouth" I blush "oh so now I've made her blush" I smile
"Stop it"
"El I really do like you" I sigh
"I like you too but..."
"No relationships. I got it"
"No. I think it's time you knew why. I'm willing to try for you" Sweet Pea pulls me in close and kisses me
"Let's go somewhere quiet to talk" he takes my hand and we find an empty room.

——
"You stay away from my daughter you hear" dad points his finger at Malachai while Tall Boy is holding me behind him
"You touch her again your dead you got it?" Tall Boy spits
"I got what I needed from her" dad hits him "next time I'll do more than that"

Wow" he looks at me shocked, I'm sat in front of him on a table while he's walking back and forth
"Please don't hate me"
"I could never El"
"Listen only dad, Tall Boy and now you know. Not Toni, not Fangs so please don't tell anyone"
"I won't Princess. Your secrets safe with me" he walks over and stand between my legs "god your so beautiful"
"Your not bad yourself" I smile as he kisses me
"So now will you be my girlfriend?" I roll my eyes and smile
"Yeah" he takes my face in his hands and kisses me. The kiss deepens "go lock the door" I say as I take off my jacket. He comes back over and picks me up laying me down on both our jackets on the floor.

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I walk over to the room Toni text me she was in with some of the other Serpents. Sweet Pea opens the door
"Topaz lets bounce" he says with an arm around me "Jones. You wanna come with?"
"Where going down to the quarry" I smile at my brother
"No thanks. I don't have my beach bod yet"
"What? You'll ask for help from the Serpents when you need it but won't hang with us"
"Babe" I sigh
"Babe? Your dating this guy?" Jughead says sounding annoyed
"What's it to you if I am?"
"Guys" Toni yells to try and stop the arguing
"You know what I tried to warn you Juggie. Just like normal you don't listen. Come on let's go"
"Don't come crawling to us hat in hand when some Ghoulie decides to earn his stripes by taking out one of FP Jones' kids"
"Duly noted. Thank you Sweet Pea. I appreciate what you and the Serpents have done for me, my dad and Ella. I do, but I'm done ok? No more favours coming your way"
"Jughead that's enough"
"Ella your just as bad I know what you've been doing just leave me alone" Sweet Pea gets angry and starts to move towards Jughead. Toni comes in between them
"Hey hey he's made up his mind ok? Take the hint Sweet Pea. Unlike his twin he's just not that into you. Let's motor" we all turn and leave Jughead alone in the room.

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"Jesus Jughead what happened?" I walk into our trailer to see my brother cut up
"Motorcycle accident" I dump my bag on the table and go over to Toni
"That wasn't a motorcycle accident. What happened" I whisper
"Ghoulie's jumped him" she whispers back
"Damn it" I say under my breath
"You promised me you we're going to wear a helmet" Betty says as she's tending to Jugheads wounds
"It was just around the corner. Don't blame me blame the pothole" he laughs
"I thought you were gonna say you got jumped by those creepies"
"Ghoulies, but no" Toni corrects her
"The Serpents won't allow that" I give Jughead a look to say 'I told you so'
"They got Jugheads back. Ain't that right Princess. Even through he's not a member, it's just family loyalty. He's Ella's brother so he's ours"
"I'll be back later Jug"
"Where are you going?"
"I have a job"