Sweet Pea texted Andy immediately, asking her to let him know when she got home, and they texted through most of night from there. Andy saved his contact as 'Skyscraper', since she called him that in her head when she first saw him.
She learned more about him and he about her. They both liked gaming and had similar senses of humor. He told stories of him, Toni, and Fangs while Andy revealed her childhood with Archie, Betty, and Jughead. He made her laugh and vice versa, until Andy passed out on her couch and woke up with a really good feeling.
Later, Andy joyously helped Archie and Fred Andrews carry a Christmas tree in for Pop, while wearing the first of her many Christmas sweaters. He thanked them and Archie and Andy spotted Jughead, sat in a close booth.
"Merry Christmas, Jug!" She slid into the bench opposite him with Archie.
"It's not even Christmas yet, Andy," he replied. She rolled her eyes, her giant smile never leaving her face.
"Fine. Merry-almost-Christmas!"
Jug sighed in amusement. No one could quench Andy's holiday spirit. Things might've ended in her friends' relationships but her own was just beginning.
"You guys staying in town for break?"
"Yeah, we were gonna stay with our mom but she booked a singles cruise, so . . ." Archie answered. Andy was happy she was staying in Riverdale for Christmas, despite the absence of her mom.
The boys had a short conversation about their individual relationship drama, and then turned the conversation to Kevin's little Secret Santa get together, which Andy was insanely excited for.
Christmas was always a favorite holiday for Andy because she'd get to buy presents for all her friends and family, and she'd get to receive some great things too. But she mostly loved the atmosphere. Everyone was excited for school break. Every place in Riverdale was decorated with Christmas trees or mistletoe and some had Hanukkah decorations. It was just a nice time of year, for everyone to celebrate family and friends and be nice to each other. She loved it.
-
When they got home, Fred Andrews opened a letter from the mail, staring at it with a grim look.
"What is that? Is it from the Black Hood?" Archie was quick to jump to conclusions.
"Worse. Riverdale General. My hospital bill," their father replied grimly.
It came to a total of $86,000.
"What? That's insane." Andy picked up the letter to read it herself. "I don't think anyone had a treatment even close to this expensive when I interned."
"That must've been a mistake," Archie hoped.
Reading it over, Andy knew she had to help her dad pay it off. "I'm applying for a job at Pop's. There's no way we can pay this with your salary right now," she cut off her dad before he protested. "I've been wanting a job anyways. And I know Pop still needs some employees after the whole protest. I'm doing it whether you want me to or not." She jogged upstairs before her dad or Archie could say anything more.
Not even this news could stop Andy's excitement.
-
After Kevin's little gift exchange, Andy added a leather jacket to her wardrobe. When handing her the gift, Kevin told her she'd look "hot as hell".
After school, Andy was helping out her dad and Archie selling Christmas trees to the people of Riverdale, when Archie left halfway through, leaving Andy to deal with Cheryl Blossom. Andy wasn't exactly up for the job after Cheryl left her at the street race, so she handed her off to Vic and decided it was time to ask Pop for a job.
She waltzed up to the counter. "Hey, Pop."
"Andy! Can I get you something?" He was such a happy man. Always so nice to everyone in Riverdale.
"You can, but it's a little different from my usual order. I'd like a job application." His head pulled back in surprise but he had a smile on his face. "Dad's hospital bill is through the roof so I'm trying to help out."
"Oh, you don't need an application, Miranda. You've been coming here since you were a baby. I have no doubt that you know the menu, and you're a real sweet girl. You've got the job. C'mon, you can start now if you want."
In just thirty minutes, Andy found herself dressed in an adorable, yellow Pop's uniform taking orders from the citizens of Riverdale. She was helping out her family for Christmas and that was the best present she could receive.
--
Sweet Pea had also started helping his family. His Serpent family, that is. FP Jones had him start delivering for Penelope. He didn't want the job, but he was a part of the Serpents and they came first. He needed to keep up their deal with Penelope so she wouldn't show the cops that the Serpents had started dealing.
He'd also been helped by Penny before. She might be a drug smuggling bitch, but she definitely knew how to pull strings.
Jughead's speech about rioting against Penny had an extra effect on him as they sat around the fire.
If he was going to pursue a relationship with a Northside girl, he didn't want to drag her down with his loyalties to a drug dealer. He'd always wanted a better life and Andy had only awakened that need within him once again.
Jughead proposed taking Penny out. Releasing the Serpents from her grasp.
"I'm in."
--
Andy finished her first shift at Pop's late that night, picking up her phone to see a plethora of calls from Archie and Betty, which she immediately tried to return as she panicked in the middle of Pop's.
Little did she know, her brother was being pushed into a grave to be buried alive during those very moments.
When she received no answer, Andy looked up Betty's location, which was still shared with her from the time she went to meet the Black Hood, and called Sheriff Keller, making her way out of Pop's and sprinting towards her car.
Sheriff Keller revealed that he was already on his way since Archie and Betty called him earlier. He told her not to come, but Andy was already flooring it towards her friends' location.
-
She almost crashed into him, but she spun the wheel of her car, slamming on the brakes, making a hard, screeching stop as she watched the Black Hood dive out of the way.
She should've just run him over.
She got out of the car as Betty and Archie ran over and the Black Hood climbed up the fence, trying to jump into the river.
"Hey! Stop! Stop, right the hell now! Get down or I'll shoot you! I swear to got I'll do it! You tried to kill my father. And my friends. You're going to pay for your crimes. You're not escaping. This ends tonight. I said stop!" Archie yelled.
Andy screamed and backed up into the hood of her car as a bullet went through the man in the hood.
But it hadn't come from Archie.
"Archie, put the gun down! It's okay," Sheriff Keller ordered.
"Sheriff Keller--"
"Stay back, Betty."
Andy made her way towards Betty, and they grabbed onto each other, still in shock. He was dead. "I'm sorry I turned my phone off while I was at work. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known," Betty reassured the girl. "Who is he?"
Andy swallowed as they both returned their attention to Sheriff Keller. "Who shot my dad?"
Sheriff Keller pulled the hood off of the man's head to reveal . . . Mr. Svenson.
The group responded with silence. It suddenly made sense from the evidence they'd discovered previously.
Andy pulled Archie into a hug after Keller took the gun from him. "He's dead, Arch," she whispered.
Betty joined their embrace as they reeled from the previous moments. The guy who shot Fred Andrews and blackmailed Betty Cooper was finally dead.
Andy hoped that the death of the Black Hood would bring a new beginning to the town of Riverdale. That everything would soon get better.
She was right in a few ways.
Andy chose to return home as Betty and Archie went back to Pop's to talk with Veronica and Jughead about the night's events. When she got there, she discovered a bike parked out front and a Southside Serpent sitting on her front steps.
He embraced her immediately as she got out of the car. "Jones texted me. It's over." He meant it in more ways than one. His shady dealings with Penny were done and her fears of the Black Hood coming back were dead, along with Svenson himself.
He held her for a while on the steps, even when Archie came home.
When Archie saw how Andy looked at Sweet Pea and how he looked back at her, the boy merely nodded to them and made his way towards the house, deciding that there had been enough to deal with for the day, and they'd talk about it in the morning.
Sweet Pea would've stayed with her the whole night, but he reluctantly left soon after, deciding that Andy needed a good night's sleep and she'd finally be able to have one now that the Black Hood was dead.
The day the Black Hood died was an ending, and tomorrow they would start fresh, and new, and begin to create better lives for themselves, and hopefully redeem the town of Riverdale.
(I'm so happy to see more comments!! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for the support!!!)