Safety Net- SP 2 ✔️

Chapter 24- The Wrestler Pt1

One week after the Serpents joined Riverdale High thing had gone back to semi normal. Today is the basketball tryouts and Sweets and Fangs have decided they want to try out, so of course I've gone to support them both
"So Aurora ready to ditch the snake and go to Pops with me?" Reggie smirks walking over to me from the basketball court as I'm sat on the chairs watching them play
"Na I'm good" I fold my arms and lean back in my seat
"Seriously I mean come on" he groans throwing his hands in the air "your really saying no to this?" Reggie points to his 6 pack
"Yes I am" the doors open and the rest of the River Vixens walk in. Cheryl sits next to me and Reggie walks
"So are you and Reggie finally getting back together, because I'm waiting"
"God Cheryl go date Reggie yourself if your that bothered. I'm not leaving Sweet Pea. The sooner everyone realises that then the better" I decide to just ignore the vixens and their chatting while I watch Pea. At one point he pushes Reggie over which makes me giggle a little. Of course Archie gets the most points but at least they all managed to get on the team.

Later in the day I'm sat in class next to Sweet Pea
"Eyes up here Mr Jones" I turn to see Jug typing on his computer. Jug puts the lid of his laptop down and I turn back around to Cheryl who is stood at the front of the class with her arms crossed
"Thank you miss Haggly" Cheryl says annoyed, she sighs and then puts on a forced smile "as I was saying each year we honour the memory of General Pickens. Yet few know the truth" she uses a clicker to change the slide "that it was my great great great grandpappy Colonel Bararabas B Blossom who bankrolled General Pickens' settlement of an Eden along the river of Sweetwater where marble trees grow taller than the steeples of Europe's grandest cathedrals" she continues to click the clicker to change the slides of her PowerPoint "which is why every year I petition the mayor's office to rename Pickens Day" the bell rings thank god
"Saved by the bell" I mutter to Pea who chuckles
"Thank you for that Cheryl" miss Haggly says as we all rush to get out of the classroom.

That night I get back from a run with Archie when we hear dad talking about the Serpents
"Well FP told me" I look at Arch and put my finger to my lip. He closes the front door quietly while dad continues "the Serpents are looking for work. Figure we let them keep the peace. I'm sure you had your reasons for closing down Southside High, but this is an opportunity to let the Southside know that your both turning your back on them" Archie walks into the dining room with me following. Dad is sat with Mayor McCoy, Sheriff Keller, Hermione and Hiram Lodge and Veronica
"Hey dad" Archie says
"What's going on here?" I ask frowning
"Hey guys"
"Archie, Rory"
"Sorry to interrupt" Archie looks as confused as I am "mind if we join you guys?"
"Actually we were just finishing up" Hiram
"Oh how convenient" i scowl crossing my arms
"Err thanks Fred for having us"
"Yeah"
"Wait, if somethings going on with the Serpents I think I have a right to know"
"And why's that?" Mayor McCoy asks standing up
"Because I am one" I get a few shocked faces
"Well it's not bad but Madam Mayor you'll let us know in the morning"
"About what? you do realise I now have an obligation to tell my boyfriend that you were all talking about the Serpents"
"Rory calm down. It's ok, I'll tell you tomorrow" V says walking up to me and trying to hug me. I don't hug her back, something weird is going on and I don't like it.

The next day I'm sat in the student lounge with the usual people
"Well he is very fetching for someone who was living on skid row" Veronica says looking at Bettys phone. Betty has told us that she has a brother named Chic
"Yeah he's a hottie who looks incredibly familiar to me by the way" Kevin says
"Your adventures in the woods?" Jug  asks
"I dunno, maybe we were able to meet this hottie in person...." Betty cuts Kev off
"Chic is still acclimating and I'm trying to get him to trust me but my mom is treating him like a 10 year old and my dads acting like he's the devils spawn"
"Well I have an amazing idea. Bring the omen to Pickens Day and we can all meet him" Veronica says "everyone's coming right?"
"Nope" I say annoyed
"No. Because the Serpents weren't invited" Jughead says exactly what I'm thinking
"The Serpents were specifically asked to come"
"Yeah to provide security, if this is your way of trying to get the Serpents to fit in all you've done is single them out even more"
"Yeah it's like we're all on some snowpiercer train and the Serpents are eating the cockroaches" Veronica looks supper irritated, I don't know why because it should be us who are annoyed, I mean we are but she just thinks she's doing now wrong
"You don't have to work if you don't want to"
"Good because we're not"
"The damage as they say has already been done" Jughead gets up from his seat and grabs his bag "I'll talk to you guys later"
"Plans with Toni" I looks over to where Betty is looking, oooo she's jealous
"Uh yeah I'm interviewing her grandfather for my oral history report. Oldest living Serpent"
"Mind if I come with?" I ask
"Sure" I grab my things and say bye to the others before running over to Toni and giving her a hug.

"Thanks again for meeting with me"
"And thank you for having me over"
"No problem" Toni's grandfather says as Jug sets up his interviewing stuff
"Toni told me that you're one of the founding members of the Serpents"
"Yes. The snake, the laws all based on Uktena tradition" Jug starts writing in his notebook
"The Uktena?" I question
"Uktena is a serpent, a horned serpent or water serpent. Before there was Riverdale all this land belonged to the Uktena"
"How'd the Uktena evolve in to the Serpents?" Jug asks and Toni's grandfather laughs makign me frown with confusion
"The Uktena, we didn't evolve. We were all slaughtered" instantly my eyes widen and Toni loks at Jughead and a little upset "when my grandpa was a baby, there was a raid and it was lead by your hero General Pickens, in a battle, if you wanna call it that. Only lasted for 12 minuets, but the slaughter was total and savage"
"The General Pickens?" Jug asks
"Like the one we have Pickens day for?" I question
"Who's statue stands proudly at Pickens Park?"
"Yes, the one who the Northside honors, the man who massacred children. When my grandpa died, we formed the Serpents as a way to keep the family together"
"How do people not know about this?" Jug asks
"Ah some do, but..."
"It's called the whitewashing of history Jones" Toni says looking at Jughead as I continue to look shocked "what did you think Jason Blossom was the first person to murdered in Riverdale?" theres a knock on the door and then it opens
"Hi Mr T" Fangs says walking in with Sweet Pea and flopping on the couch next to Toni
"Good afternoon Fangs, Sweet Pea"
"Good afternoon Sir"
"Why aren't you both at school?" I ask looking at Sweets
"Why aren't you?" Pea gives me the same look
"Free period"
"Same"
"Hmmm" I hum in response half not believing him
"I think I have an idea for Pickens day" Jug says looking at me
"Whatever it is I'm in"