Season 2: Episode 1 -A Kiss Before Dyeing- {part 2}
We were all still in the hospital waiting for Fred to get out of surgery and Tim seemed to be stopped. No one was talking and everyone seemed to have a fear of the so called killer. The sheriff soon walked into the room and we all stood up walking towards him.
"Sheriff." We all say.
"Hey. How is your dad doing, Archie?" Keller asks.
"Mr. Andrews is still in surgery." Betty says rubbing her hands together.
The sheriff sighs. "Archie, i know that this is a hell of a time for you." The sheriff says. "But perhaps we could go have a talk some-where, about what happened this morning."
"Is it cool that i tag along?" My boy-friend asks.
"Actually, if you don't mind-" the sheriff started but was soon cut of by Archie. "That would be great, Jug." And with that the three man walk off to talk.
The rest of us sit there in the waiting room hoping to hear some-thing about Mr. Andrews and his surgery.
then Veronica speaks up. "There are things that no one does better than Veronica lodge. Make-overs, party planning, dance-offs, dropping visage bon mots as if they were bon-bons." She says as we chuckle a bit. "But, conversely, there are some things that i am not so good at. Grif, bedside vigils, comforting boyfriends."
"That is the old veronica talking." Betty says cutting her off.
"Yeah, the old Veronica would have bolted and run away but now, the new veronica doesn't want to let Archie down." Veronica says looking down at her shoes.
"And you won't." I tell her. "Every thing is going to work out. You just hit a rough stop that you will have to work through."
"And speaking of..." veronica says as we look over to see Archie, Jug and the sheriff walking of of a room.
Jughead walked up to me and grabbed my arm pulling me out of th waiting room.
"Okay, spill. What is wrong now?" I ask as i crossed my arms.
"Archie, thinks a serpent did it, or had something to do with it." Jughead said sighing.
I looked at him confused the serpents have no grudges on the Andrews. "What? No, that doesn't sound right. They would have no reason to. Plus, i told them that the Andrews family was off limits." I say trying to relax.
"Okay, but Fred fired them the other day." Jughead said as we started to walk outside "Some of them could be pissed and go off on their own? Maybe gone Rogue and went against orders." Jughead said, giving suggestions.
"Pissed off enough to shoot a man? It doesn't sound right." I say. "We are not that stupid."
"But we dont know that, y/n/n." Jughead sighed. "I just want to talk to a coupe of the guys that gave me the jacket, to ask a coupe to questions. Please?"
"Are you sure?" I ask. "If I call there is no going back." Jug nodded. "Jug, i know that you are a serpent by blood but the serpents protect there own and you aren't a serpent." I tell him.
"Look, y/n/n, they said he had my back." Jughead said. "Please, just call them."
"Okay, i'll call them." I frown, knowing i couldn't talk him out of this. He smiled and kissed my forehead. I walk of a little and pulled out my phone and after a quick conversation they agreed to come by.
"They're coming." I say waking over to jug.
"They're?" Jughead asked confused.
"Yes, because we are on the Northside and they are serpents they dont come over here unless they have a couple friends. It is just for protection." i explain to him. Jughead nodded slowly and then looked to me again.
"Everything is going to work out. Okay? I just wanna talk to them, see if they know anything about what happened." He said softly. Then my phone started to go off.
"That would be the serpents." I say. "Lets go." I say grabbing his hand and dragging him along. We made our way through the hospital and walk outside to see my serpent friends and tall-boy.
"I got nervous when you said that you needed us to meet you at the hospital." Tall Boy says.
"I was wondering about when you said that the serpents had my back." Jughead said. "Does that courtesy extend to a guy who is like my brother? And a man who is like a second father to me?"
Tall-Boy looked to me seeing me holding a strait face and then back to Jughead.
"What do you need?" He asked.
"Fred Andrews, my buddy's dad was just shot." Jughead explained. "Durning a robbery at pops. The guy was in a black hood." Jughead finished.
"The Serpents don't wear masks." James said glaring at the boy. "Also, Queenie over here said that the Andrew were off limits and if we wanted to get to them we would have to go through her. Lets just say don't get on her bad said."
"Yeah, I get that, but some of the serpents were working for Fred Andrews and he let them go. Maybe someone took it personally, and i dont know, went rogue. You guys know every hidey-hole, every nook and crany of this town someone had to hear something about what went down at pops." Jughead said hopeful.
"All right." Tall-Boy said. "We will knock some heads, see what we can find out and the let you know."
"Queenie want to come?" James calls out.
"As much as I would love to join you... i have to stay here" i say. "Maybe i will come out later with you."
And with that the boys road off to go find some, well, i don't really know what they are out to find.
I walk back into the hospital to see my dear friend Cheryl walk in as well, will a white dress on that seems... burned. What the hell did she do now?
I walk down the hall to see Cheryl. I laugh dryly as i watched Cheryl take a seat on one of the hospital chairs.
"Wow, so, are you going to tell me the story or am a going to hear a lie like everyone else?" I said with a smirk leaning on the side of the door.
"How great to see you again, y/n/n." Cheryl smiled.
"How believable is the story this time?" I questioned walking over to the hospital bed.
"A lit candle set fire to a curtain while i was sleeping after... well, you know what happened. Mother came home from the Jubilee to see the house ablaze, she ran straight into the flames to save me, she couldn't bear the thought of losing her only child. Now she's covered in third degree burns and her skin will be scared for life." Cheryl smirked.
"Okay, i know that is the story you are telling every-one so, cut the crap. What really did happen that night?" I say looking down to Penelope.
"Here is the real reason, bestie. I'm telling everyone my mother ran back into the inferno to save me, not that hideous family portrait she loves oh some much. And that what happened at Thorn-Hill was terrible, tragic accident. But what really happened that night... i took a candle, lit a curtain and then it caught fire to the rest of the house." Cheryl says happily. "If you tell anyone the truth about what happened the night of the fire, i will kill you."
"Your secrets safe, obviously. But you are one crazy bitch." I say, smirking. Cheryl smiled as i walked out of the room. "But next time if you do that... invite me." I say.
I walked out of the room to go meet up with jughead. The thought of Cheryl burning down the house kept creeping into my mind, drawing a smirk onto my face.
"Can you two do me a favor?" Veronica asked, turning towards me and jug. "Mr. Andrew's wallet is missing, i'm thinking it could be at pop's or the guy who shot Mr. Andrews might have it."
"Well, if it was random robbery, he would've just taken the money but left the wallet." I stated.
"Unless it wasn't random and it was premeditated." Jughead stated.
"Honestly, with everything that's been going on in this town, that's not too far fetched." I said sighing.
"Is that an actual theory?" Veronica asked frowning.
"According to Sheriff Keller, no. But if you asks me, people do have grudges and enemies. I mean look at where we live, Fathers kill sons." Jughead said shaking his head.
"Now the question is, why Fred?" I asked. "He's so under the radar that going after him doesn't make sense. Plus, not a lot of people have a problem with him."
"Could you and jug go and check if the wallet is at pops? Betty would you mind going with them?" V asked us. We all nodded as we walked out of the hospital.
"So, Copper. Who do you want to ride with? Me or jug?" I ask making my way over to my bike.
"uhh, i will go with you." She said as i handed her a helmet and got on the bike. "Go slow would you."
i laugh. "It is dangerous going slow so, we must go fast. Now hold on." I say as i started to drive.
We arrived at pop's after a short ride, i slid off my bike and ruffled out my hair and turned to see Jughead grinning at me. The three of us walked up to pops as i let out a breath and pulled the door open. The bell above the door chimed and the three of us gasped.
"Oh my god." Jug says
"Holy crap." Betty says.
"I think you mean holly shit." I said.
We stood there looking at a large puddle of blood.
The kitchen door opened and Pop walked out with a frown. "Sorry kids, we're uh... We're closed. There's been a uh, a-"
"We know what happened. We actually came here looking for Fred's wallet." I said looking anywhere but the puddle of blood on the floor which was surprisingly hard.
"Is he-"
"He's out of surgery, we'll know more once he's awake." Jughead said. Pop nodded with a sigh and walked back behind the counter.
"The police already took a look around, but you kids can double check if you want. He was in that booth over there." He said pointing towards the booth were we would usually sit in.
"So what happened, in your point of view, Pop?" Jughead asked, betty and i leaned over the booth to look around the booth and the floor.
"I wish i knew." Pop sighed. "As soon as the gun was away from me , I... lord help me, i ducked and got out of the way. I don't even remember calling to police, i guess i did though."
"How much cash did this guy take?" Jughead asked, looking over to me.
"Not a penny." Pop stated, i quirked an eyebrow and Jughead looked over at me with the same expiration.
"What kinda thief shoots up a place and doesn't take a single dollar?" Jughead asked again. I shrugged walking back over towards the two.
"This wasn't a thief." Pop frowned. "This place has been robbed, bricks thrown through windows, especially during the riots. I've looked plenty of thugs in the eye, But this guy? It was something much darker, like the angel of Death had come to Riverdale."
The group of us stayed silent. "Geez, pop. Lighten up." Jughead smiled. "You sound like the cranky old man from the Friday the 13th movies."
"Uh, Fred's wallet isn't here. The shooter had to of taken it." I say.
"You kids hungry?"
"Uh..." betty said.
"I am always hungry." Jug said smiling.
We all sat there at the table jug was eating, i was lost in thought as usual and betty was just staring down at her food. The two of them were having a conversation that i wasnt paying much attention to and didnt play on joining.
We drove back to the hospital.
"Who's hungry?" Jughead called out as we all walked back into the hospital for what felt like the hundredth time, with food.
"We've got burgers, fries, onion rings..." Jughead stated as he continued to hand out food.
"Nice, Jones." Reggie nodded, patting Jughead's back. Jughead cringed as Reggie touched him. We set the boxes of food down on the table and everyone sprung up to grab some. As soon as everyone had food, Archie had pulled the group of us out of the room and into another.
"You know he'll be proud of you." Betty said. Archie just frowned and Jughead sighed.
"She's right dude, you've amazing lately. You've been a champ getting through this." Jughead added in.
"Archie?" I asked, the redhead. "You know you can tell us anything, right? We're all here for you. Maybe we can help." I dying to get him to talk.
"There is something i haven't told you." He confessed. "I-i haven't said anything, b-because i'm so ashamed... After the guy pulled the trigger, i should've gone straight to my dad, or gone after the guy, but- but i was afraid, i was paralyzed. I couldn't move, not even when he came up to me and h-held the gun to my head, all i could do was close my eyes." Archie explained shakily. "I don't know how long, but long enough for him to take my dad's wallet. I still didn't open them, not until i heard the bell... he was gone."
"There was nothing you could of done." Betty said comfortingly.
"No, that's not true. I could've done literally anything, anything to help my dad, to get the gun away from him. But i was afraid." Archie said, "And now my dad and I, we're witnesses, pop too. He has my dad's wallet, all of his information, he could come back."
"Archie, do you understand that you did help your dad. You got him here before ambulance could come. If you even tried to get the gun out of his hand, you could be dead too, and no one wants that." I stated. Archie nodded slowly.
Then the group of us split up and went our separate ways.
"Do you think he's gonna wake up soon?" I asked still worried about Fred.
"Yeah, he is." Jughead said. "It's coming down pretty hard." Jughead said looking out to the rain.
"If we drive fast, we can make it to your trailer and i can stay there the night." I grabbing my helmet. Jug smiled at me.
"That works for me."
Jughead and i walked into his trailer, slipping off our wet jackets.
"What is i- What the hell?" Jughead said. Jug said looking at a group of serpents. It was Tall Boy and James, standing on either side of some guy tied to a chair who was badly beaten. "What the hell, guys? What is this?"
"We went out like you asked us to. They guy was holding up as the Whyte Wrym, talking about how if Freddy Andrews, was gonna let Hiram Lodge's bitch run his show, fire his guys it'd be a good shot." Tall Boy explained.
"You know, we thought we could beat it out of him." James said laughing. "See if he was all talk or not."
"And?" I asked trying to get to the point.
"And, after a long talk, we've come to the conclusion that he's just a loud mouth." Tall Boy said, leaning into the guy's ear.
"T-then what did you bring him here for?" Jughead stuttered out. "He didn't even do anything."
"They did is to prove that they did what we wanted." I stated, still glaring at the two serpents in front of me. "So we tell your dad that they listened to him and me. I maybe queen but they loveee to impress your father."
"That is important to us." Tall Boy nodded. "You know with or without that jacket, you are still a Serpent by blood."
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Never imagining to go to the angel of death was talking different streets tonight, in a small town of Greendale, just on the other side of Sweetwater River. That some unexpected things would be taken place.
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