author's note // so i know it's a little weird update since i already have chapter four & five published but i will explain, i wanted this book to at least try to follow season two plot and i wanted to input this chapter to follow up the storyline.
love yall lots❣️
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❥ARIA'S POV
" Shit shit shit oh come on! What the hell Aria?!" Archie cursed at the television screen as I laughed at him.
" Just admit I finally beat you at your own game!" I teased at him.
" I'm always win at Rainbow Road every since we got this game! How the hell did you win?!"
" I play the game whenever you're at Ronnie's place." I giggled.
" You little shit!" Archie tickles my sides, making me fall out of the couch onto the wood floor of the garage.
" Say I'm the superior of Mario Cart! Say it!" He tickles my ribs as tear form out of my eyes.
" I'm more Superior than Archie in Mario Cart!" I yelled while laughing my life out.
" That's not what I meant!" His fingers jab onto my ribs, tickling my even more.
" Oww ow ow my ribs!" I cried out as Dad finally opens the door to know what the hell his kids are doing."
" Hey hey hey. The whole block can hear you guys! Keep it down." said Fred.
" Sorry dad." We both said as Archie helps me up.
" I'm off to work. You guys will be fine on your own?" He asks.
" Of course we'll be fine dad." said Archie, knowing he's worried to leave his kids alone when there's a killer on the loose.
" We'll call the cop if there's any suspension around here." I said to him as he sighs.
" Alright alright I know I can trust you both." He says as the both of us walk him out to his car.
" How about we have a family dinner tonight. It's been a while we done one of those." He suggested before entering his car.
" That's perfect dad." smiled Archie.
" Chinese?" I questioned as Fred nods.
The both of us watched as Fred pulled out of the driveway and until the car disappeared down the road.
" We should start heading out." said Archie as I nodded. We grabbed our bags, Archie locked the door and we walked to Riverdale High.
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I walked with Archie to the lounge seeing Betty, Jughead, and Veronica there.
Veronica went to give him a peck on the lips and gave me a hug. I smile at her while walked towards everyone else.
Also not to really point out, I'm kinda the fifth wheel here..maybe this is what Kevin feels like sometimes..I have to ask him...
" What's going on?" asked Archie.
Betty gleams at Jughead as she turns to him.
" My dad's getting out of jail." He said as Betty wrapped her arm around his.
Veronica, Archie and I are indeed surprised.
" Jug...that's.. That's great." Archie say.
" Yeah, what heralded this miracle?" asked Veronica.
" Uhh, overcrowding at the jail. I guess the judge reviewed my dad's case and after Cheryl's testimony it was.... A perfect storm."
" What can we do, Jug?" I asked.
" Both of us. We have a new lead on the Black Hood case. And Jughead and I were wondering if you guys would follow up on it for us." said Betty.
" We can give you all the details, the articles..." She trailed off.
" It's just that I have to be there for my dad to help with his re-entry, so.." Jughead lead on.
" Uh, yeah and I'm just...I'm taking a break from the Black Hood." Betty continued.
" Wait, so, you want us to be...you guys?" Veronica questioned.
" Essentially, yes...well only you two because Aria can't be a Betty or Jughead."
I let out a sarcastic laugh and showed him the middle finger.
I noticed that Ronnie and Archie gave each other a look of concern.
" Why, is there a problem with that?" He teased.
Then they changed their faces, taking the new lead of the Black Hood case ...and being the new Betty and Jughead..
As Veronica and Archie left the room, making me the third wheel to Betty and Jughead.
" Mind if I come over after school for a bit? I don't want be home alone, knowing my dad's at work and Archie is with.."
" It's no problem Ari, just meet me at the steps after school." she smiles at me. I smile in return as I take my leave.
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It's been a while since I visited the Cooper's residence. The nice clean house kinda makes me feel a bit homey in the inside.
Betty and I were in her room with textbooks and laptops opened as Alice made her way in.
" Hi honey and hi Aria. It's been a while since I seen you. How are you and your father doing?" She smiles at me.
" He's doing well Mrs. Cooper, thanks for asking." I smile back.
" Aria you can call me Alice, I've known you almost your entire life, no need for formalities." She said as she almost left the room.
" Wait, uh, Mom." Betty called to her.
" Before you leave, I wanted to ask if I could borrow that station wagon tomorrow?" She asked her mom.
" Why?" asked Alice with a concern look on her face.
" FP's getting released from jail. So Jughead, Aria, and I, we're gonna pick him up and treat him to Pop's."
" They're letting FP out?"
" And you're gonna hear it eventually, so, it might as well be from me. Don't freak out, Jughead is a Serpent now, officially."
" Betty..." Alice looked down before looking back to her daughter.
" I wish I could say I'm surprised." Alice crosses her arms.
" Jughead is important to me. FP is important to Jughead. So I'm asking, Mom, will you give him the benefit of the doubt, for me?"
Alice stood there in silence before leaving without any word. I hear Betty sigh before dropping to her bed. I rubbed her back for comfort as we both sit in silence for a while.
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The next day, standing in front of gates at the prison alongside with Jughead and Betty.
A loud buzzer was heard as the three of us see FP walking out in his regular clothing of a red plaid shirt and jeans with an officer walking behind him. He chuckles at the sight of the three of us while the gated door was opened for him to indicate his freedom.
Fp went straight to Jughead to hug him which was the most sweetest moment I've ever seen a father and son share.
" Hey Alice." he said
" Hi Mr. Jones." She said giving him a side hug.
" Hey Aria, you don't look that short since the last time I saw you." He said giving me a hug.
" Hi FP. I never missed your short jokes and it's the heels.." I laughed as he nudge me before walking ahead.
" Alice!" He looks a bit surprise to see Mrs. Alice Cooper in front of him.
" Is it true what they say about men who just been released from prison, FP?" She said to him with her arms crossed.
" What do they say?" He asked.
" That they're incredibly sexually frustrated." She responds back.
" Mom! What?"
" Wow.."
" Oh my..god."
Every one was in silence and kinda in shocked by her words as we entered her station wagon.
As we all arrived at Pop's the five of us sitting at a booth with Jughead and his dad on one side as I sat along with Betty and her mom on her other side. It was all nice small talk until Alice brought up about the Serpents and FP revealed the surprising news that he was quitting being a Serpent and mocked Alice with drink his coffee with his pinky up.
But my adventures of today didn't end there..
Betty had an idea to throw FP an retirement party to honor him during his time in the Serpents.
I got dragged along by Betty to the White Wyrm, telling me that we're gonna plan a retirement party fit for FP.
I looked around the area which was filled of Serpents as Betty talks to Toni, the pink haired Serpent working the bar.
" You have a stage. Would you be open to me bringing in a karaoke machine?" Betty asked her.
" For FP's retirement? Sure, why not?" responded Toni.
" Also, Toni, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, beyond the party planning is..
As I continue observing the room, I noticed the tall Serpent who threatened my brother on my door step, playing pool in one corner of the room.
As he knows someone was staring at him, he look up with a smirk forming his face, winks at me, making me turn my attention away from him and back to the girls.
'..I've been walking the razor's edge since Jughead joined the Serpents and all I've been thinking is.. You know, as soon as FP gets home, everything will get better because he'll be there to protect Jughead and make sure he doesn't get hurt."
" Yeah, I'm following you. I mean, with FP out of the picture."
" But that's my point. I do worry. So, I wanna keep an eye on Jughead, myself. Make sure that as deep into these snake-infested waters as he goes, he doesn't do something that... you know, puts him in danger."
" So, what? You wanna be a Serpent?" she asks her.
" Betty... Think of what you're doing here.." I warned her.
Before she could respond, we heard someone's laughter nearby us.
" Shut it, Byrdie." Toni told her.
" Sorry, Sweet Valley High, if you wanna join the club, you gotta do the dance..the Serpent dance.." The lady said turning our attention to a young Serpent girl with a bra and shorts on, dancing on the steel pole.
" Excuse me, Serpent dance?"
" It's an outdated, sexist Serpent tradition. Tried to get it outlawed, but misogyny dies hard. You don't wanna know.."
" Uh, yeah I do." She nods.
" Betty don't even think about it-"
" I wanna know everything."
As Betty continues looking at the dancing Serpent girl, I sighed as Toni looks at me.
" Can I have a free drink during the party, I have a feeling I'm gonna need it.."
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The night of FP's retirement party is here. Archie and I are going to meet up with Veronica and the others there as I wait for him to finish getting ready.
I take one last look at my outfit for the night at my standing mirror, noticing I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb, surrounding by leather jackets.
My light blue demin jacket is worn proud, covering my bare shoulders as I am wearing a white crop top, Veronica lend to me for the occasion. I fix my demin skirt to match the jacket.
I text Betty while hearing conversations from dad and Archie from his room, she replies back that she'll meet us there.
As dad passes my room, he stops for a second.
" Just be careful with drinks and stuff Ari." He tells me, for the hundredth time.
" I will dad, don't worry." I reassured him.
Then by perfect timing, Archie rushes towards us with his car keys in his hands.
" Ready to go?" He asks me as I nodded and close my bedroom door.
" Bye dad! I'll text you when we get there!" I kissed his cheek goodbye and followed Archie outside.
--
As the both of were waiting for any of our friends to show up, loud music blaring from the system as everyone around us were enjoying themselves with music and drinks.
Jughead walks in and sees the both of us and headed towards us.
" Archie, Aria. Hey." He said to us as we replied back.
" I just did a sweep around the perimeter. You guys are good?"
" Yeah, yeah yeah. Ronnie's almost here. We're gonna clear the air, it's gonna be a good night."
" Here's hoping. I'll catch you later okay?" He said as he heads off. I take a sip from my water off a red solo cup.
" You good?" Archie asks me. I nodded as I put my cup down.
" It's a lot of Serpents here. They must like coming here at night more than the daytime."
Then as we heard more people entering the White Wyrm, we were both shocked.
Betty alongside with Alice, dressed as she is a Serpent, strunt into the building like they own the place.
" No way.." I was speechless on how incredible Alice looked, heading my way towards them as Archie was about to protest but gotten a message that Veronica was here.
Being unaware going through the crowd of people, I bumped into one by mistake.
" Oh sorry. Sorry,sorry." I make my way away from them, but my wrist got caught by a firm hand.
" Oh, no apologizes needed princess but be careful where you're going. You could bump into the wrong guy." He turns me around, colliding our bodies together, my hands were the only thing separating the both of us.
" Oh you would love saving a damsel in distress wouldn't you."
" If the damsel in distress were you princess, I wouldn't mind being you knight in..shining leather." He smirks at me, causing me to roll my eyes.
" I'll remember that." I tried making my leave, but by his quick actions, his hand caught my waist, keeping me from leaving.
" Oh slow down princess, what's the rush?"
" I came here to support my friend's dad, not for some Serpent to show me a good time." I said, removing his hands from me.
He cocks an eyebrow at my response.
" Oh sweetheart, I can definitely show you a better time than those privileged Northsiders you hang out with so much."
Typical Serpent, thinking a Northsider like me will be easy to get..
" Keep dreaming sweetheart, I don't think that's ever gonna happen." I smile at him before leaving him in the dust.
I sat at a bar stool, deciding to hang at the bar with Toni while looking at the stage where Archie and Veronica are on stage together, singing It's a very very Mad World together as a duet.
"♫ All around me are familiar faces ♫Worn out places and worn out faces♫Bright and early For the daily races ♫Going nowhere Going nowhere ♫" Archie sang his verse, waiting for Veronica to continue.
" ♫Their tears are filling Up their glasses ♫No expression No expression ♫Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow ♫No tomorrow No tomorrow ♫"
The both of them continued the duet, as the tension between them was clear in the air, making Veronica storm out of the stage as Archie followed her, calling her name.
Everyone in the crowed, starting booing as the performance was cut short as I looked around to see the reaction. Then as I feared what to happen next, Betty went on stage to continue the show.
She starts singing, staring straight at Jughead as she starts slowly unbuttoning her shirt and removing the article of clothing and continuing as she standing on stage in her lingerie.
She continued on to twirl around the steel pole, her own version of the Serpent dance while finishing the karaoke song.
The crowd was silent until FP broke the ice and gave her his jacket to cover herself as she left the stage.
He went on to make a speech on how he thought about retiring and it wasn't happening and as far as I know, this retirement party turned into a possible FP returning to the Serpents..kind of party??
" That was some show huh?" Toni walked up to me as I agreed with her.
" That was..Is Betty a Serpent now?" I questioned Toni.
" By Serpent law, she is but I don't think Jughead will go against it."
" I think I'm gonna check on my brother, to see if he's alright." I hugged Toni goodbye as I head out the door, looking back to see the familiar pair of eyes watching me leave the building.
As I made it outside, I see Archie standing alone, no Veronica in sight, knowing the worst had happened between them.
" You okay?" I softly touch his arm, a small comfort for my brother.
He looks at me with no answer, clearly stating how he felt by the expression on his face.
" You want to go home?" I asked, he nods yes as we walked to the car together as I started the engine for the long quiet drive home.
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