With everyone at school knowing Lilith's biggest secret she felt gravely on edge when she entered Riverdale high. Her whole body ached in pain at her wounds- even having to force herself into a loose black dress so fabric wouldn't be against her gauze.
Lilith had barely been able to sleep and the second Archie Andrews spotted her he could see how much she was truly struggling. Her body moved stiffly with her arms wrapped around herself, but her eyes were the worst part. She looked utterly demolished- as if all hope had left her.
"Hey, Lilith." Archie made sure to greet her- to try to give her some sort of normalcy. Everyone was staring at the newly outed Ghoulie. As if they hadn't been attending the same school with her for over two years.
Lilith gave Andrews a nod but avoided his eyes. They hadn't ever been friends but Archie felt unrelentingly bad for the girl. She had lost everything in a long weekend.
Sweet Pea and the rest of her Serpent friends were shunning her and Jughead had informed him of her fathers murderous attempt on her.
And had implied she was living in a less than amicable situation.
Her life was falling apart- and her eyes screamed it as she stared at the tile beneath her feet.
"How are you doing?" He pressed at her silence as he walked besides her.
"Please," The girl blinked, "Stop."
Archie stopped walking at the request- watched her continue on by herself as if she was cloaked in a cloud of darkness. And that's how Lilith felt.
Archie couldn't help but frown, she seemed like the definition of heartbreak. It's then he realized that Lilith truly loved that Serpent.
She tried not to think but it seemed impossible.
Lilith stared off blankly in all of her classes, she couldn't focus and she didn't have any of her books. Her skin seemed to prickle as if it too was going through turmoil. She wanted to contact Sweet Pea desperately but knew there was no more Sweet Pea. He wasn't her escape anymore.
Lilith was truly alone in this world now. Her mother long dead, Caliban murdered the same way. Sweet Pea had learned who she truly was, and hated her for who she was raised up as.
Lilith hadn't ever wished she had died more in her whole life. Her suffering felt endless.
Rrrinnggg
The sudden noise made the girl flinch which made multiple students glance to her as they stood from their desks. Lilith sighed out as the room cleared of students. Instead of standing she placed her head into her own hands- begging herself to not breakdown into hysterics.
"Lilith?" The teachers aid called out.
"I just- I just need a second." She mumbled out on the verge of tears.
"Lil-"
"Please!" Her hands pulled away from her face for a moment.
"I'm not rushing you, Honey." The woman cooed.
"Take all the time you need." She said with pity filled eyes as a shake crossed the girls shoulders.
It was extremely rare for the girl to act in such a way, she was always active in class. The teacher and the aid hadn't ever seen her so silent much less stare off for the whole class. Usually she was all correct answers and smug smiles.
She hadn't been turning in her work and the teacher didn't even think she'd heard a single word she'd said the whole class much less looked at the chalk board.
It's then the PA system crackled, a red light flicking on besides the speaker above the door.
Southside High is closed. The Serpents will be here next week.
As the news sunk into Lilith's skull it's like her body burst- all the water she had kept at bay came pouring out of her. A sob passed Lilith's pretty mouth as she put her head into her hands, not being capable of trying to silence herself. She broke down in hysterics over the news shocking the facility members.
A hand came down on her back as Mrs. Jacobks leaned into the girls still sitting figure.
"It's okay, Honey." She cooed as her own empathetic heart surged.
"Whatever it is," She spoke, "I promise it'll be okay."
Lilith only shook her head in her hands as she cried.
The two woman held her as she shook, in that moment she desperately wished her mother was still alive. She tried to pretend that one of the woman were her, that her mother was here comforting her through her first heartbreak.
"I love him." Is all Lilith can manage to hiccup out to the women who share a small knowing glance to each other. They remembered the pain she was feeling.
At Southside High the reaction of the news was handled much better, Sweet Pea and Fangs cheered at the news. The second they came barreling down the front steps and shared it with Jughead he seemed to somber.
"Can you handle that?" He had asked Sweet Pea, who had dark circles under his eyes and bruised knuckles.
"What are you talking about?" He laughed as Toni glanced to him with pity.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" He glared as the amusement drained from him.
"Lilith?" Jughead asked with a raised brow before it stuck him.
"You don't know." He spoke out in realization as Sweet Pea froze up besides Fangs. Lilith hadn't ever been able to tell him the whole truth, he hadn't given her the chance.
"Lilith goes to Northside High, Pea." Toni said quietly.
"Can't fucking get away from that bitch." Sweet Pea spoke with anger but couldn't pull the frown from his lips.
"Don't call her that." Toni shook her head.
Jughead pulled out his suddenly vibrating device in confusion until he saw the caller ID.
"Archie?"
"Dude, you gotta keep the Serpents away from Lilith." Archie's tone was a desperate beg as he rushed down the halls.
"What are you talking about?" Jughead asked, he didn't have a doubt the Serpents would keep their distance on their own. Lilith was a traitor in all forms.
"She got in a fist fight as soon as she heard the news." Archie huffed at the memory of Lilith throwing a teenage boy against a locker. He had made the mistake of looking at her tear stained face.
He remembered that crazed look in her eyes as her hand wrapped around that delicate cord in the boys throat. He remembered her teeth being bared as she threatened him.
"She's going crazy, Jug."
"It's her own fault." Jughead glared to the ground, he had been worried about her. No matter what time he called, how many times he called Lilith never picked up. It was clear to him she didn't want to reconcile.
"C'mon Jug, don't do this to her." Archie almost begged.
Jughead glanced up to his friends who all watched him wearily, Toni holding a brow up in suspicion.
"You didn't see the look in her eyes."
"She's ready to kill." Archie said in fear which made Jughead pale lightly, she was a Ghoulie. He was sure she wouldn't hesitate to hurt someone if pushed far enough.
"I'll try my best." Jughead agreed quietly before hanging up on his friend.
"We're going to stay away from her." Jughead declared to the small group only for Sweet Pea to immediately scoff.
"She's acting worse than you are." Jughead glared to him.
"I'm not acting like anything!" Sweet Pea snapped, "I don't care about her."
"I wish you'd just admit that you love her too." Toni frowned up at him.
"We're your friends, Pea."
"We won't judge you, Man." Fangs added in. "Lilith had us all fooled."
"I don't give a shit about the Ghoulie!" Sweet Pea yelled before storming past his friends.
Sweet Pea didn't want to think about Lilith, he didn't want to let himself accept that he loved her and that she had broken his heart.