The Other Serpent - Book 2 (Riverdale Season 2)

A Kiss Before Dying - Part 1

Jughead and Aminity sat side by side on the couch as he continued working on his manuscript while Aminity worked on homework. Jughead's phone ringing interrupted the silence of the morning.

"Hey, Betty," Jughead said as he answered the phone. He was silent as Betty talked and his face morphed from a smile to disbelief. "Yeah. We'll be right there," he said, hanging up and putting his laptop down on the table, moving to get his coat.

"Jug, what's wrong. What's going on?"

"Archie's at the hospital," he said as he rushed about the small trailer, looking for something.

"Oh my God. Is he okay?" Aminity asked, standing.

"He's fine, but his dad is in surgery. He was shot. We're gonna meet him, Betty, and Veronica at the hospital if I could find my..."

"Looking for this?" Aminity asked, holding up his bike keys and his helmet.

"Yeah," he said, taking the keys and helmet from her. She grabbed her own helmet before following him outside as he pulled the tarp off of their dad's motorcycle, quickly getting on and riding to the hospital. They walked inside and saw Betty and Veronica walking down the hallway adjacent to them. They all glanced at each other before looking in front of them to see Archie, covered in blood, pacing back and forth in front of the chairs in the waiting room.

"Arch?" Betty got his attention and he stopped pacing.

"God," Veronica breathed out as she rushed forwards, reaching him in a hug first, followed by the other three.

***

"I came out of the bathroom and there was this man... thief... wearing this hood with a gun on Pop Tate and then he pointed it at my dad and he fired," Archie told them as they all sat in the chairs, Jughead next to Archie with Aminity beside her brother while Veronica and Betty sat across from them.

"Oh my God, Archie," Veronica said quietly.

"And then he..." Archie stopped and everyone looked at him, waiting for him to finish.

"And then he what?" Veronica prodded.

"And then he bolted. Then I was holding my dad, Pop Tate called an ambulance and it didn't come so I drove here and..." he let out a sigh. "And, I don't know, maybe I should've waited. Maybe I made it worse..."

"No, dude, are you kidding me?" Jughead asked as he put a hand on his back. "You saved your dad's life. First Cheryl and now your dad. If you keep this up, you're gonna need a superhero name," Jughead teased, trying to cheer his friend up. "Like, Pureheart the Powerful."

"There isn't any new information," Alice said, coming over to the teens. "Your dad's in surgery. He's gonna be there for a while."

"Uh, Archie," Hermione said, squatting down beside him. "Have you spoken to your mother about any of this yet?"

"No. No, I haven't called her. I'll be right back," he said, standing up and walking into the hallway. Hermione stood back up as Alice sighed before her gaze drifted to Jughead, Aminity noticing it first before subtly nudging her brother in the arm.He turned to her with a confused face and she tilted her head towards Alice.

Jughead turned his head again to see her glaring at him. "What?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"Mom," Betty said, shaking her head, but Alice didn't look at her. "Do not start this."

"Start what?" Jughead asked, still trying to understand.

"Well, of course, I can't help but wonder if your Southside associates had anything to do with what happened to Fred."