CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
SERPENT SLUT
"baby, am i your little secret?"
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After the drama of the previous night, morning rolled by like nothing had ever happened, and followed by it was school and the news of yet another murder. According to Kevin Keller, someone had found the dead body in a motel room at the outskirt of town. A single bullet to the brains, blood splattered everywhere. Unbeknownst to Harley, Archie, Veronica and Betty were all equally as distraught over the revelation, all for different reasons. While Veronica was worried her father was responsible, Archie was worried for much different reasons. You see, just the previous night he had handed Hiram Lodge a vital piece of information that may or may not have been the motive behind the murder. Betty? Well, she was relieved to find out the body was found at a motel and not the old sewer pipes in the woods. . .
Harley found the news deeply unsettling, the murder reminding her of the Black Hood which in turn reminded her of the threatening messages she had received when it all had gone down. She tried settling her anxiety over it with the comfort of not having received any more, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling that she hadn't heard the last of the mystery person texting her. As well as that, the previous night was haunting her mind. The words Sweet Pea had uttered at her had stung deeply, mostly because she was afraid they were true. What if she was no better than her very own mother? The thought sent a chill down her spine.
The weather outside was grey and somber, matching Harley's mood. With the residents of sunny side trailer park risking eviction, Jughead was more agitated than ever. Understandably so, of course. And after the Pickens day protests that Hiram Lodge had swiftly shut down, Jughead had quite the axe to grind with the man.
With earbuds shoved in her ears with loud music blasting, Harley entered the school. Thoughts were clouding her minds, so much so that she barely even noticed the crowd gathered in the hallway. Coincidentally enough just by her locker. With confusion written on her face, Harley pulled out her earbuds, pushing gently through the crowd to reach the locker. "What's going on?" The girl questioned as he made her way towards her locker.
A hand fell on her shoulder, tugging her back. "Har, I wouldn't. . ." Midge attempted to stop her friend, but Harley pulled away from her grip. She finally made it through the crowd, eyes falling on the scene before her.
The eerily similar scene that had happened once before with Betty Cooper was now scarring Harley's own locker. Written in thick blood, the writing on her locker wrote 'Serpent slut'. Harley's breath hitched in her throat at the sight, her eyes falling on the object just underneath the writing. A heart, cold bloody heart, with a knife piercing it. The knife not only held up the heart, but a printed black and white picture of Harley in Sweet Pea's arms that day in the gym. "Oh my god." Harley choked, the back of her hand pressed against her mouth.
"What's going on? Harley?" The voice of which belonged to Jughead Jones boomed over the whispers of the crowd, Jughead breaking the crowd apart to investigate what was going on. Follow close behind him was several serpents, some which included both Toni and Sweet Pea. "Hey! Who did this?" Jughead yelled in anger upon seeing the scene infront of him. He quickly approached his thunderstruck friend. "Harley, hey. Harley it's okay."
The girl blinked rapidly, snapping out of the shock. "It's just some stupid jerk with a can of spray paint." Harley stated, going to wipe it away.
"Harley, stop. Okay, I don't think that's spray paint." Jughead said, the rotten metallic smell giving him the tip off. And if the blood was real. . .
"That's what you get, serpent slut!" A voice suddenly yelled out, a splash following. Harley gasped at the cold sensation of the thick, red liquid now covering her.
Silence fell over the crowd of students, everyone shocked by the unraveling of events. For a moment, no one said anything, as if to wait for a reaction. And a reaction they got. In one simple yet impulsive move, Harley pulled the knife piercing the heart out ( making sure to rip the picture down at the same time ), the heart falling to the floor. She turned around glaring wildly around herself. "Is this what you want? A reaction? A fucking show! How about who did this come and say it to my fucking face!" The girl yelled, the past few months finally getting to her. The tons of emotions and anxiety she had been bottled up over the longest of time was finally coming out. "You want to see some real blood? Here!" Harley raised her arm, nicking her the skin on her wrist with the knife, her very own fresh, warm blood trickling down. Everyone simply stood and stared in silence.
Harley threw the knife aside, pushing past Jughead. "Move." The girl growled at the tall serpent before her. He obliged, letting her storm past him and out of sight.
Sweet Pea turned his attention over to the Jones boy.
"Show's over everyone!"
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Harley sighed deeply as she stood underneath the hot stream of water from the showers, the warmth relaxing her otherwise tense muscles. The red liquid had been hard to wash off, especially in her thick curls. The Byers girl had rubbed her skin raw to get every last drop off. Leaning against the shower in the girk locker rooms, Harley took a moment to let the reality of the situation. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that someone had been there that day, watching her. Watching them. The memories of the texts she had received resurfaced and Harley couldn't help but to wonder if the same person who had sent them had done this too. And if so, who the hell was following her, snapping pictures, torturing her?
The girl quickly shut of the shower, pulling the towel she had found in her gym locker around her body tightly. Fortunately for Harley, she always kept a spare cheer uniform in her locker. She had never imagined it would come in handy for a moment like this one, but she was grateful nontheless. Once the Byers girl was dry and dressed, the doors to the locker rooms creaked open, signaling someone's arrival. Harley looked up, her eyes falling on the girls infront of her. Midge and Betty smiled gently at the girl, approaching softly.
"Hey, Har. How are feeling?" Midge questioned her best friend, sitting down next to her.
"Better now that I'm not covered in. . . Whatever that was." Harley answered.
"Pigs blood. It was pigs blood." Betty cleared.
Harley couldn't help but to snort. "That's just. . . peachy. Someone wrote on my locker with pigs blood, before dunking it on me. Just great." The girl ran a hand over her face.
"Where does one get pigs blood and a heart anyways?" Midge wondered out loud.
"The same— well, almost the same thing happened to me when I posted that article in the blue and gold defending FP. I'm sure it's just some idiot who has some vendetta against the Southside who did it." Betty tried reassuring.
Harley sucked in a deep breath. "No offense, Betty, but why are you here? Last I checked, we aren't really friends. Last night didn't change anything. If anything, it only furthermore enfored the fact. The only thing we have in common is Jug. And pigsblood apparently."
"I know, okay. I know I've been. . . hostile. And I'm sorry. But with everything that's going on, and everything that has happened, I figured we all need to check up on each other." Betty explained.
"You're right, I'm sorry. Thank you guys for checking up on me, I appreciate it. But I'm fine, I really am." Harley lied, once again pushing everything down. Betty nodded, taking it as a cue to leave the two best friend's to themselves.
"So. . ." Midge began. "You and that serpent. . ."
Harley groaned loudly, burrying her face in her hands. Her fleeting moment Sweet Pea had been captured and displayed for the entire school to see. A fleeting moment that was very obviously over with after last night's actions. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with the inevitable rumours and questions that would without a doubt circle. "Me and that serpent nothing. You saw what happened last night. Consider it a temporary lapse of sanity. I obviously wasn't thinking straight."
Midge nodded slowly, eyes glued to the blood smudged picture resting on the floor next to Harley's blood ridden clothes. "That picture says otherwise." Midge softly pulled the photo from the floor, wiping the remaining pigs blood off with a tissue paper.
"As far as I'm concerned, this photo doesn't exsist." Harley swiped the photo from Midge's hands, ripping it to pieces. "I appreciate the concern, M, I really do. Now if you'll excuse me I have some damage control to do."
Midge nodded. "Just before you go, you might want to put a bandaid on." The Klump girl pointed to the small cut visible on Harley's wrist. Midge dug through her bag, pulling out a bandaid for Harley to use. With a small 'thanks', the brunette let the raven haired girl patch the small cut up. Then she got up, having bigger fish to fry. Fish meaning Reggie Mantle, and the no doubt idiotic plan he was setting in motion if he had seen or heard of the picture.
If he had gotten that riled up at Harley's mere attempt at ending whatever had been going on between them, she couldn't imagine what this picture and the words 'serpent slut' was making him do.
Her phone chimed as she exited the lockeroom, her heart dropping at the text.
Don't tell me you've forgotten about me, H? Did you think stopping the janitor would stop me? Careful, or the next heart pierced with a knife won't belong to a pig.
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With the text confirming Harley's terrifying suspicion, she was more alert than ever. It was like very person around her was suddenly so obvious to her, and she couldn't help but to wonder if any one of her peers were the ones terrorizing her. A secret stalker texting her was the last thing she needed for her life to become a fully fledged real life horror movie. Harley wasn't sure what to think, but right now she was not only suspicious but paranoid about every one and everything around her. Anyone could be the culprit, she needed to be careful from here on out.
Damage control was being done as Harley patrolled the hallway for Reggie. He was without a doubt planning something stupid if he had heard about this morning, and Harley needed to put a stop to it. Fortunately, or not, for her, she found Reggie pretty fast. It so happened that he had already found Sweet Pea.
Harley wasn't sure what the chances of her stumbling upon both of them throwing hands was in the middle of the empty hallway was, but she was happy she did. Maybe it meant she had time to talk some sense into the Mantle boy. Of course sense and sanity was two words that didn't really coexist with the boy in question, but it was always worth a try.
"Reggie whatever it is you think your doing, don't." The two boy's switched their attention over at the girl approached, both equally as suprised to see her seemingly unscathed after the morning she had.
"Har, whatever bullshit you want to feed me, save it. I'm going to eat this serpent for lunch for touching you." Reggie practically barked, pointing at Sweet Pea.
Harley sighed deeply, stepping between the two. "You're acting like it happened against my will, it didn't. If you want to hate the Southside fine, but you have to hate me too then."
The brunette had considered several options as to how to approach the delicate situation, but she realized just how tired she was of lying. It only ever seemed to get her into trouble and she was sick of it. No more lying to Reggie, or Sweet Pea, or herself. From here on out, she would be honest. And that transparency started with the very two boys infront of her.
"You just chose the wrong side, Harley." Reggie stated. "The Bulldogs have had your back, you are a bulldog, born and bred. Are you really going to throw it all away for some Southside scum? Last time I recalled, you were the one calling them thugs, saying they weren't worth it. What happened to your loyalty?"
"Reg, enough. Enough with this hatred, I'm so sick of it. It's so draining to have everyone fighting this twisted war." Harley plead, exasperated. "You know as well as me that the only reason I did that was because you were throwing a hissy fit over me dumping you officially."
Sweet Pea watched intently, realization dawning on him. Harley really, truly hadn't meant those words. She didn't hate him, or the serpents. The girl had said it all to halt Reggie on his thrust for serpent blood. The serpent could feel regret filling him for the words he had spat at her only the previous night, regret for not letting her get a chance to explain. Once again his hot headed nature and bad temper had gotten the better of him.
"Guess whoever wrote that on your locker was right then? You're nothing but a serpent slut." The second the insult left his mouth, Sweet Pea threw the boy against the lockers behind him, his fists white from clenching the letterman jacket.
"What is this commotion about?" Mr. Wheatherbee's booming voice filled the hallways of the school as he approached the three. Sweet Pea dropped Reggie to the floor, taking a step back. "You two, get back to class. Ms. Byers, you're coming with me."
The two boys shockingly enough obeyed the order, disappearing out of sight. Harley huffed loudly as she follow the principal into his office, not in the mood for whatever it was he wanted to discuss.
"Take a seat." Mr. Wheatherbee sat down in his office chair, motioning for her to do the same in the chair infront of his desk. Reluctantly she did. "I heard what happened this morning. I want you to know that the sheriff and your parents has been notifie—"
"What? Why? It's obviously just someone trying to get to me, it's not that big of a deal." Harley interrupted, the thought of her mother finding out about Sweet Pea chilling her to the bone.
"Ms. Byers someone painted with pigs blood on your locker. They stuck a pigs heart on by a knife. For all we know this is a serious threat to you, and it will be handled as so. Now it's from my understanding that there was a photo attatched as well." He explained.
"Really? I didn't see any photos." Harley lied. It would be a cold day in hell before she admitted to that photo. Being labeled a 'serpent slut' was bad enough as it was. Her mother did not to know the reasoning behind the words.
Mr. Wheatherbee pressed his lips into a thin line. "I can't force you to cooperate with us. But it would be in your best interest to do so. Now I'm sure sheriff Keller will have a few questions about everything, so I'd suggest you don't leave anything out when he comes here." Harley avoided eye contact as she stared at her shoes. "Now, I do want to let you know that you could benefit talking with the schools guidance counselor."
Harley tugged her sleeve down to hide the bandaid, hoping no one had informed the principal in her momentarily lapse in sanity. She just had to get through whatever this day was, and she'd be fine.
She would be just fine.
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With Jughead, Archie, Betty and Veronica going away for the weekend for to the Lodge cabin, Harley had more than enough time to focus in herself. The four teens desperately need the time away to escape ( Jughead wanted to use the opportunity to hopefully press Veronica for intell about the family business and most importantly, her father ). Harley did want to use the weekend to relax, but the second her mom had caught wind about what had happened to Harley at school, she had hauled her into her car, pulling her daughter home.
"Serpent slut?" Addison Byers repeated what the principal had informed her. "Blood? A pigs heart? You know, I'm glad Mr. Wheatherbee is considering the importance of this situation. Who knows what kind of Southside scum has decided to terrorize you! It's probably one of those snakes—"
"Mom, please!" Harley interrupted. "It's not a serpent? Why would a serpent, call me a serpent slut? It would be like insulting yourself?"
Addison shook her head, reason being the last thing she was going to resort to. The rational eluded her. "I wouldn't be too sure, Harleen. You never know with those thugs. They're unpredictable."
Much to Harley's relief, the conversation pretty much died out after that. Harley wasn't sure how long she'd be able to hold out listening to her mother holler on about the Southside. It was as if every word the mother and daughter utter to one another was either about school, Harley's future or the Southside, and just how much Addison despised it. Had it been up to the Byers woman, she'd see the entire Southside burn.
Much to Harley's suprise, Kevin Keller had shot her a text, practically begging her to audition for the school play he was putting on. Harley had yet to respond to the text, debating whether or not the play was a good idea. On one side, it didn't sound too bad. It would provide of a much needed distraction. On the other side, being on stage in the center of the spotlight wasn't really what Harley considered to be a good time. Even more so, she wasn't entirely certain if she wanted to take on more than she already had. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she had the capacity to do so. But, it was worth considering. At least for now.
And as circumstance had it, the perfect ( or just the opposite ) opportunity fell into Harley's lap as she stood at Pop's.
"I'm sorry I haven't had any more shifts to give you lately. With the new owner—"
"It's fine, Pop, really. With everything that's been going on in my life I haven't really had much time to kill anyways. Well, except for now I guess." Harley reassured the older man, simply grateful for the fact that she had even gotten a job at the place to begin with. She didn't mind receiving a phone call every now and then to come in to work. Harley was simply happy to know that she was able to help Pop out every now and then.
The familiar ringing of a bell sounded the arrival of a man. FP smiled warmly at the Byers girl. "Harley, hey. You're not up at the Lodge cabin with Jughead and the others this weekend?"
"No, I believe it was intended as a romantic getaway." Harley answered, a pretty smile playing on her lips. After seeing just how much FP had improved for Jughead, Harley found herself growing warm to the man. It gave her hope that maybe her father wasn't completely lost after all. . .
"Ah, I see." FP turned over to Pop, smiling warmly as the man handed him a ton of brown paper bags. "How about you help me get this back to my trailer, Har."
Harley chewed on her bottom lip. "You having a party?" FP nodded. "What for?"
"Lodge just bought the trailer park, waving the evictions and pardoning the depts. This is a night to celebrate." The overjoyed Jones man quickly rubbed off on the otherwise somber Byers girl. So she accept, with little to no idea what this invited entailed. . .
word count; 3502
a/n
there you guys go ! chapter twenty two ! don't know how long i'll be on this roll where i'm writing and updating, but hopefully i'll be able to finish the book off soon enough ! rereading it has been making me wonder if i should unpublish it and thoroughly edit it before republishing, because i really do feel like it could be so much better than it is right now. for now, i won't be doing anything of the sorts, but feel free to put your five cents in on what i should do ! anywho, hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more !
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