"Are you clear on how you feel about Jughead?"
✿
"Girls," Hermione's voice carries from the hall, "do you have a minute?" Her and Hiram walk into Veronica's bedroom.
"Just checking in. See how you're feeling about things," Hiram tells them.
Veronica stops looking in her full-length mirror and puts her hand on her hip when she faces their parents. "Checking in to make sure we're still on board with the quote unquote plan? Don't worry, I am."
Hiram looks at his other daughter. "Mickey?"
Mickey has sat next to Veronica and kept her mouth shut. They've watched their parents have meetings with Mayor McCoy every few days to iron out their deal in regards to Southside High. She doesn't plan on opposing now. "You guys worry too much," Mickey says as she pulls the strap of her bag on to her shoulder.
"I still feel like Mickey would've made the transition easier. The Serpents like her," Veronica comments.
Neither of adults say anything and the feeling s of ease slips out of the room.
Mickey breaks the silence. "Oh, Veronica, don't you know? They're trying to keep me as far away from the Serpents as possible."
"Well then shutting down Southside High wasn't the way to do it," she chuckles.
Hiram clears his throat. "They are your classmates now. That's all it should be."
"Is that hostility I'm hearing?" Mickey folds her arms over her chest. "I thought we were over that."
"You're gonna be at ground-zero," Hermione puts the conversation back on track.
"Yeah, 'in the eye of the potential hurricane,'" Mickey mimics her father's words from last night.
"That's what you said when I wanted to go shopping in SoHo during Occupy Wall Street, and I was fine." If Veronica's skills match her confidence right now, this transition will be smooth. "Dad. Mom. Trust us to keep our classmates from revolting when the news breaks. And they'll be none the wiser," she assures.
✿
Mickey just stepped into the hallway when she sees Veronica and Archie. She catches up to them and their conversation stops. "What are we talking about?"
Veronica wraps an arm around Mickey's as the three of them walk down the hall. "Mr. Andrews isn't happy about the donation."
"I didn't say that," Archie sighs. "It's...complicated."
Mickey raises an eyebrow at him. "Your Dad's mad at us? It wasn't easy convincing our parents to—"
"It's nothing," he insists. "Thank you. Both of you."
"He's lying," Mickey proclaims.
"Buck up, Andrews," Veronica stops in the middle of the hall. "Are you upset?"
"Upset? I'm crazy about you," he stops walking as well.
Veronica unlinks her arm from her sister's and starts kissing Archie.
"Ugh," Mickey scrunches up her nose. She slips into the student lounge and joins Kevin, who is reading one of the books she gave him. "How are you liking the plots?"
Kevin folds the edge of the page he's on and closes the book. "You have great taste.
"Don't say it like you're surprised."
Archie and Veronica walk into the lounge with Betty.
"Students of Riverdale High," Weatherbee's voice rings through the speakers, "this is your principal speaking. E-mails have been sent to your parents, but effective immediately, Southside High School is shut down."
Everyone in the student lounge gasps and Mickey can even hear students in the hallway doing the same thing.
Weatherbee continues, "And its students will be transferred to other schools in the district—including this one."
Kevin mouths, "Oh, my God."
"I believe the statement we're releasing—"
"Okay, guys, let's not overreact," Veronica talks over the announcement.
"You should be receiving it shortly. I'm sure you have many questions. But it goes without saying, we are welcoming these students with open minds, hearts and arms."
Everyone begins chattering, drowning out Weatherbee's voice.
"Be quiet!" Mickey says loudly, trying to get everyone in the lounge to shut up.
"Thank you. That is all."
She rolls her eyes. "Did anyone catch the end?"
Archie leans on the back of her chair, "Wait, what does that-what does that mean?"
"It means Jughead's coming back," Betty says with uncertainty.
"Betty, are you ready for that?" Kevin asks.
"Of course." When Kevin gives her a questioning look, she says, "We're fine."
"But why is this happening now?" Archie questions.
"Who knows," Mickey lies. She knows and Veronica knows. It's not their job to spread that information though. "It's probably some bizarre, Byzantine town ordinance we couldn't possibly understand." Actually, Hermione and Hiram want the land Southside High is on. With the help of the Mayor, due to a generous donation, it was easy sailing. She deemed Southside High a public health hazard due to the meth lab in their basement.
Veronica moves to the center of the lounge and says, "And in the meantime, let's receive these exiles as if they were our own flesh and blood. Who's in?"
✿
"Mickey, what brings you by?" Fred puts a glass of milk and a piece of pie in front of her. "Archie is having dinner at your house."
"Well, it's a good thing I didn't come here to see Archie," Mickey says. "You aren't keen with my parents' donation."
He sits across from her at his dinner table and takes his time coming up with a response. "I'm not mad."
"Good because when Archie told me, I couldn't just sit back. You've been really nice to my sister and my mother. You've been more than nice to me. It felt like the right thing to do."
"Well, I horse-traded twenty percent of my company and that covered what your parents paid."
She almost choked on the pie. "That's—why would you sell them a piece of Andrews Construction? That's yours."
"Don't worry. It's a good deal."
It's not.
"Your parents said I could buy it back piece by piece," he continues. "Thanks to you guys, I'm bailed out of the biggest jam. It's all good."
Mickey feels a pit form in her stomach. It's not all good and she can't say anything of that degree.
✿
As the Southside transfers walk through the hallways of Riverdale High, all eyes are on them and their leather jackets. Some are scared of the "big, bad kids from across the tracks" and some are mad that they have to share their school with a bunch of Southsiders.
The Southsiders stop in front of Veronica's registration desk. Surprisingly, Kevin, Josie, and Archie stand behind her supportively.
"Lucky us," Mickey places her hands on her hip. "We got the best of the Southside."
Toni's poker face doesn't fade at the comment, but she snickers, "You know it."
"Friends," Veronica smiles, "on behalf of the students and faculty here at Riverdale High, welcome to your new school! To ease this transition, I've set up a registration desk where you can get your locker assignments, class schedules, and a list of sports and extracurriculars."
Jughead and Toni's amused expressions are front and center.
"We encourage each and every one of you to drink deeply from the cup that is fair Riverdale."
"Stand down, Eva Peron!" Cheryl's angry tone rings in their ears. She stands at the top of the staircase with Reggie and other Bulldogs.
"There's the school spirit I so fondly remember," Jughead says with a hint of annoyance, but no surprise.
"Cheryl, no one invited Fascist Barbie to the party," Veronica hisses.
"Wrong, Veronica," Cheryl crosses her arms over her chest when she and her followers reach the registration desk. "No one invited Southside scum to our school. Listen up, Ragamuffins. I will not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers."
Kevin's hands grip Mickey's shoulders as he watches the showdown intensely. "I can't believe this," he whispers.
"So please," she continues, "do us all a favor, and find some other school to debase with your hardscrabble ways."
"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" Toni steps forward angrily.
Cheryl takes a step too. "Happily, Queen of the Buskers."
"Okay, guys," Archie stands between the two girls, being the barrier between the two sides.
Mickey asks, "Everyone, can we just put our Northside-Southside differences apart and start over?"
"A new slate," Archie offers.
Reggie furrows his brows, "You two don't speak for the Bulldogs. And need I remind you, Arch, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass."
Sweet Pea pushes Toni aside to get closer to Reggie, "Happy to finish what was started." Jughead and Fangs hold him back by his jacket.
Veronica steps beside her boyfriend, "God, I am so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now."
"All right," Weatherbee appears. "That's enough pomp and circumstance. Everyone, let's get to class. Now."
"You traitors picked the wrong side," Reggie snaps at Veronica and Mickey.
✿
Mickey is standing in the empty hallways, peeking through the glass window on the music room's door. Cheryl and Archie seem to be having a very important conversation. Mickey's only here because Veronica voiced her concerns about Archie after this morning with the Serpents. Veronica said that during dinner with our parents, Archie was asking all sorts of questions about Nick St. Clair and the SoDale project.
When Archie exits the music room, he sees Mickey stands off to the side. "Mick, what're you doing out here?"
"What were you talking to Cheryl about?" Veronica told her to stay out of it, but she can't help herself. The situation needs to be handled.
The panic on his face is clear. "I...I—"
"Why are you so concerned about Nick St. Clair?" When he gives her a blank look, she continues, "Archie, you need to stop asking questions or fess up to whatever you're hiding because it's going to bite you in the ass."
"What does that mean? Are you threatening me?"
She takes a step back from him to give him his space. "You're my friend, Arch. I would never threaten you. I'm just...telling you to stop whatever you're trying to do."
"Nick tried to hurt Veronica. You should be just as pissed as I am." He storms off.
✿
"They're not that bad," Mickey whispers to Kevin once they enter the lounge. "Come on."
Jughead and the Serpents have wasted no time taking over the student lounge—making Kevin very wary.
Kevin follows behind her over to the Serpents and they take the available seats. Mickey sits between Sweet Pea and Kevin on the couch. Fangs and Toni are sitting across from them and Jughead is sitting adjacent to all of them.
Mickey gestures to the pack of licorice on Fangs lap and he throws the pack into her hands. She takes one and hands the pack off to Sweet Pea.
"Here comes Almighty," Sweet Pea jokes when Josie and Veronica walk into the lounge.
"Cool it. She's my sister," Mickey warns.
"I don't think we've properly met," Veronica stands next to Jughead's chair. "Veronica Lodge."
"Of the Park Avenue Lodges," Jughead raises his pinky mockingly.
"Toni," she sticks out her hand, "Topaz."
"Oh, like the purple-colored gemstone. Love it," Veronica compliments.
"I'm Sweet Pea, but I think you already knew that," he says to Veronica.
Veronica smacks on a smile, "The one who spent most of break with my sister."
"I'm Josie McCoy," Josie introduces. "Formerly of the Pussycats, now just Josie," she says sadly.
"And this is Kevin," she points to their sweater-wearing friend.
Kevin looks at Fangs and asks, "What's your name?"
"Fogarty," he says cooly. "Or you can call me Fangs. Your last name's Keller, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"Joaquin and I used to hang out. He talked about you all the time."
Mickey thinks she's the only one to catch the little strange look between Kevin and Fangs. It's a mix of curiosity and flirtation.
"You guys!" Weatherbee's shouting makes them all turn their heads. "Yes, you, come with me. Now!"
Everyone gets up to follow him into the hallway until they're next to Reggie. Weatherbee gazes at the new students, "Which of you defaced our school seal with this graffiti?"
Mickey's eyes fall on to the snake painted over the seal on the hallway floor. Then her eyes dart to Reggie, who is wearing this menacing look on his face.
"This is what they do, Principal Weatherbee," Reggie says innocently. "They tag their turf."
"My God, Reggie, could you be anymore transparent?" Mickey points.
He nods with no remorse
Weatherbee holds his hand up to make the students shut up. "Effective immediately, no gang behavior of any kind will be tolerated at my school. As of this moment, no more Serpent jackets."
"What?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"No more Serpent jackets!" Weatherbee repeats. "All tattoos are gonna be covered. Possession of any gang paraphernalia whatsoever will lead to immediate suspension. Are we clear?"
Everyone sighs. There's no arguing with the rules Principal Weatherbee sets.
"That's all."
✿
The next day, Fangs, Toni, and Sweet Pea all stop talking when Mickey approaches them. Fangs is the first to say what they're all thinking. "You need to talk to your boy."
Toni nods in agreement, "Jughead's acting like some crazy conspiracy nut. He's convinced that Weatherbee is after us and is going to end up putting tracking devices in our brains."
"How far down the hole is he?" Mickey poses the question without a doubt of what Toni's saying. It sounds like something Jughead would do.
"Our school closed down—"
"A crappy school," Sweet Pea adds. "Jones didn't have to be there as long as we did."
"Yeah," Toni concurs, "and now we're at a better one. The computer lab and text books—"
"And toilets that flush."
"Getting transferred to Riverdale High is the best thing that could have happened."
"Maybe ever."
"So, if I have to take off my jacket during school hours, so be it."
Mickey is pleasantly surprised by their passion. "I didn't know you guys cared that much about school."
Sweet Pea scoffs, "Why? You think we're underachievers too?"
"No at all," Mickey answers genuinely. "I think it's cool."
"Whatever," Sweet Pea rolls his eyes at the flattery. "You coming to the Wyrm after school?"
Jughead walks in to the lounge—with his Serpent jacket on. He looks upon the four of them, "Oh, hey, guys, what's up?" He's acting very nonchalant as he walks over to the vending machine
Sweet Pea looks at Toni and then Mickey with a look that says 'talk to him now.'
Mickey sees the exact moment Reggie notices Jughead, and she's sure Reggie stops breathing for a moment. "Here we go."
"Take it off," Reggie demands. When Jughead ignores him, he stands, "Take off that jacket, Rat Boy."
The four of them inch closer to the two. "Cool it, Reggie. You're not on patrol," Mickey tells him.
Jughead sighs, "Oh, Reggie. I don't think you know what this jacket means. Because you have no sense of honor. Or history. Or loyalty." Surprisingly, Jughead isn't backing down. He inches closer to Reggie with no sign of fear.
"That's it!" Reggie grabs up Jughead and then it's all a blur because Fangs, Sweet Pea, and a couple of Bulldogs get involved.
A few moments later, Veronica and Principal Weatherbee are in the lounge, stopping the fight. "All of you, follow me now!" Weatherbee shouts.
The Serpents and Reggie have to go into the Principal's office and Mickey stands by the door with Veronica, waiting for Weatherbee to say something.
"You all have a week's detention for fighting," he declares. "But I made myself clear to you, Mr.
Jones," he turns to the raven-haired boy. "Take off that jacket, right now, or you're suspended."
Veronica tries to reason with him, "Please, Jughead, just—"
"Then I guess I'm suspended," Jughead doesn't let her finish. He leaves.
Mickey goes after him when Veronica gives her a look. She catches up to him. "You're being dramatic. This is school. Your friends are here. All of them."
"Southside High was our place," he stops walking and faces her. "Now, we're here being looked down upon by Northsiders!"
Mickey scoffs. "The jacket doesn't make you a Serpent. And stop pretending like you never use to belong to this Northside school."
A wave of realization hits him, but he remains silent.
"Do you really want to be like Reggie? You're making this harder than it has to be. Just cool off. Take a day, but get your act together."
✿
"These are only for the Southsiders, right?" Mickey asks when she walks up to her favorite two Serpents, who are wearing blue and beige uniforms. When Veronica suggested their parents to make donations for uniforms so that Southsiders can "look the part," Mickey didn't expect the uniform rule to be executed the next day.
"We can hear you," Toni narrows her eyes at the sisters. "And it's not that bad."
"I just meant that Veronica and I suffered enough with uniforms in New York," Mickey covers her amusement. She wouldn't want to be caught dead in the tacky uniforms. She feels bad for them.
One corner of Sweet Pea's mouth turns up, "I would've loved to see that. I've got a thing for hot school girls."
"In your dreams." She can barely take his flirtation seriously because he doesn't look himself. His hair is slicked back and his neck tattoo is covered by a turtleneck.
"Every night."
When they walk away, Mickey notices the weird look on Veronica's face. "What's wrong?"
"Nick St. Clair texted me."
"And? What did he say? Does he know that Daddy got him—"
"No!" Veronica huffs, "But my stupid boyfriend went to his dorm room. In New York."
"I thought you talked to Archie? You need to get him off the path that is Nick St. Clair. It's dangerous and if Daddy figures out that Archie's snooping....I don't even want to think about what would happen."
✿
Mickey braces herself when she reaches the Coopers' front door. She raises her fist to knock.
The door swings open before she gets the chance and Betty stands there in shock. "Why are you outside of my house?"
"I wanted to talk to you and school has been so chaotic that I haven't had the chance."
"Now isn't a good time. I'm on my way out." She closes the door after stepping outside and begins to walk away from Mickey.
"Please, Betty. It took a lot of nerve for me to get here. All you have to do is hear me out."
"Fine," she calls over her shoulder. "Come with me. I didn't want to go alone anyway."
Mickey doesn't speak until they're in the car with their seat belts on and driving. "Where are we headed?"
"Centerville."
Betty's knuckles are turning white in lieu of the tight grip she has on the steering wheel.
"Are you so tense because I'm in the car or because of our destination?"
"Both," she admits.
Mickey clears her throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry for...slapping you that night."
"Why did you slap me?"
"I was drinking," Mickey tells her. It's a half truth. Yes, Mickey was drinking and not thinking the clearest, but also she was mad at Jughead for not choosing.
Betty's forehead creases. "So you're drinking again?"
"Not since that night."
"How do I know you're telling the truth? No one could tell before."
"I'm sober. I want to be completely aware of myself and I can't do that if I'm drinking."
"How's that going?"
"What do you mean?"
Betty stops in front of a red light and turns her head to look at Mickey. She draws her eyebrows together and her nostrils flare as she takes a deep breathe. "Are you clear on how you feel about Jughead?"
Mickey is kind of startled that Betty knows anything about her and Jughead.
"I see the way you look at him," Betty admits with a very tranquile tone. "The way the two of you look at each other. I know."
"You know? Then why have you never said anything?"
"I trust Jughead," she says. "I just thought that he was where he wanted to be. I'm not so sure anymore. It's good that we're all taking a step back and figuring this out." The light turns green and her eyes dart to the road immediately.
They don't say anything for the next few minutes. Both of them didn't expect the conversation to go like that. They both care about Jughead. They both want him.
Betty starts the conversation again. "Charles—Chic, my brother, kicked my Mom and I out when we first met him. I know I meddle a lot, but after Polly decided to ditch us, I thought this could be the one thing that makes her feel better."
"How is Polly?"
"She's okay. She had her babies. Juniper and Dagwood."
Mickey tries to hide an expression of distaste.
Betty chuckles. "I know! Those names are awful!"
"Pretty damn awful," she snorts. "How did Chic end up in Centerville?"
"He was in the system his entire life because no one ever adopted him."
"That's rough. Foster kids don't have it easy." Mickey adds, "Then again, none of us do."
Betty's mouth twitches. "Are you talking about your parents?"
Mickey looks out the window for a few seconds before saying, "I admire your Mom's fierceness. I think everyone in my family could use it." When Betty pulls into the parking lot of the motel and turns off the ignition, Mickey looks at her. "Do you have any protection?"
Betty takes the mace out of her bag and holds it up. "Ready?" They walk up the stairs of the sketchy mother, holding hands because of how creepy it is. "He's in room two-thirty-seven," she tells me.
As soon as they make it to the second floor, they hear grunting. When they round the corner, they see a big guy beating up a smaller guy—Betty's brother.
"Hey!" Betty shouts. "Let go of him!"
The man has Chic's back pressed against a wall and Mickey notices the knife. "Betty! Spray him!"
Betty takes out her mace and hurries over to the two guys. She sprays her brother's attacker in the eyes. "I said let go of my brother!"
Chic takes his advantage and pushes the guy off of him.
"Come on!" Mickey tells Betty and Chic hurriedly.
✿
Chic's upper arm was sliced and Betty sat in the backseat with him to apply pressure to his wound while Mickey drives back. When the three of them arrived at the Coopers' home, Mickey helped as much as she could until she had to get home herself
"You will not believe what I just did!" Mickey practically skips into the dining room to disclose the events she just went through.
Instead Hiram and Hermione are eating and when they see the blood on their daughter's shirt, they both jump up. "What happened?!" Hiram asks. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"What? No. This isn't my blood," she tells him. "Long story short, I just helped Mrs. Cooper sew up a knife wound."
Hermione sighs in relief. "Don't do that. You scared us."
Hiram rubs his forehead. "You can't come in here covered in blood and—"
"I didn't know you guys cared that much," Mickey cuts him off. "I know we put our differences to the side, but I was convinced I was being casted out."
"We don't agree with your choices, the company you keep and what you...do, but we love and care about you."
Mickey glances at her mother. "I don't feel that. I don't feel at home anymore and I don't want to feel like that anymore."
"What do you want to do?" Hermione asks.
"I don't know. And I'm too tired to figure it out tonight. I'm going to bed. Night."
It's not until she's safely in her room and stripped out of her clothes that she looks into her mirror. One thing she's for certain about is that she feels different.