The first day of school no matter how far in to my school career I get still makes me extremely nervous. So as I tie my laces the fact I'm the only kid leaving the Andrews house was very present.
"I'm leaving Bye Fred!" I call as I run out the door. As I get to my car I dump my things into my truck. Archie and I would drive to school together about as much as Jug and I would. The three of us always together. It's a weird feeling thinking of your best friend sitting in a jail cell. Especially Archie out of all of them. Out of the corner of my eye I see some on the sign for the parking space beside mine. "There are those fucking symbols again!" As I get out of my car I see them closer. They look runic in nature but obviously more sloppy than that of any actual worth.
"You okay Y/n?" I hear someone ask. As I turn I see Reggie watching me carefully. "You're staring at that sign the same why you look at me."
"How do I look at you?" I ask him carefully and he laughs.
"With hatred and disgust," He says to me, "now what did that sign do to deserve that?"
"I just- why are these symbols popping up everywhere?" I ask him completely confused, "like they all have just been popping up everywhere it's crazy."
"Really?" Reggie asks looking at them closer, "Huh? I didn't even notice but yeah they are all over aren't they."
"Yeah," I say to him, "it's weird."
"Fairly," he says to me as he looks to the door, "hey do you know anything about Josie and Sweet Pea." I scoff loudly.
"Because I keep track of my exes love life," I sigh, "but apparently they were a fling or something." He sighs. "I don't think she's looking for anything serious."
"I'm not either!" He says loudly and I snort loudly as I adjust my backpack.
"Maybe you should move on," I suggest to him, "preferably to someone who I can't help you with." He looks at my figure and smirks as he moves to place an arm around me.
"Oh I see," He says, "you finally over Donnie Darko huh?" I push his arm off of me.
"I still very much so love my boyfriend," I say to him, "and you aren't my type." He pulls back respectfully and I nod.
"I see," He says, "fine L/n I'll move on from Josie. But just know I don't like it."
"You don't like anything but getting high and football," I huff, "you are like every single football stereotype but worse."
"Whatever miss 'serpent queen'" he says harshly, "talk about stereotypes."
"Bite me," I say to him as we walk into the school together.
"If that's what your in to," he says winking at me as he breaks off to his team and I go to the serpents. The other snakes were all resting in the lounge chatting happily.
"Well if it isn't our queen," Toni teases playfully. I roll my eyes.
"I hate that by the way," I say to them as I sit down, "where is jug?"
"No clue," Fangs says as I throw my legs over him, "you didn't stay over?"
"Nah," I say to them, "FP is cool and all but even he has some problems with me staying over all the time."
"Miss how sweet it was with Lily huh?" Sweet Pea asks and I nod.
"Yeah," I say to him, "she literally let you live in my room when we were dating. And Fred doesn't like Jug staying in my room and FP doesn't like me staying on school days. I mean fuck Lily bought condoms for us this is a weird switch."
"I can imagine," Toni says as she laughs slightly, "see I don't have to worry. Cheryl's guardian is her Nana Rose who loves me and let's me stay over whenever."
"Yeah that's because you can't get Cheryl pregnant," Sweet Pea huffs.
"Just another perk of being gay," Toni chuckles.
"What are the others?" Sweet Pea asks and Toni smirks.
"That we all are fucking glamours," She says and looks to Sweet Pea, "And you aren't." He looks to me for a come back.
"I'm gonna have to agree with her there," I say to him, "sucks to suck man."
"Oh come on that's not fair it's not like I can choose if I'm gay or not," He says backing himself out of this metaphorical corner, "you can't just base this off of a sexuality. People have different personalities - Oh."
"Yeah," Toni says.
"Yeah," I say re-emphasising the point she was trying to make. As we laugh at Sweet Pea's baffledness at the mess he's in Jughead and Betty March towards me in the most hectic fashion. "Oh my god we had a normal life for fucking ten seconds!"
"Save it for later," Jug says, "come on this is urgent." I sigh and stand waving to the serpents as I follow Jug and Betty to, hopefully, my doom.
"So?" I ask once we stop in the old Blue and Gold office.
"I have to tell you something," He says, "both of you."
"Okay?" I ask worried on what the hell could be going on. He sighs then goes on to fill us in on the story of Ben and Dilton in the woods. And Diltion's death.
"Oh, my God, Dilton is dead?" Betty asks.
"Jesus fucking Christ," I say to him, "that's fucking crazy."
"Yeah," He says, "And Ben from the drive-in, he's barely hanging on. Doctors don't know when or if he's even gonna wake up."
"Wow," I say softly. I literally saw Dilton yesterday and from then he died?
"Sheriff Minetta asked me to keep the whole thing hush-hush for the family's sake. But, what I saw was-"
"What, Jug?" Betty asks. I look to her harshly as I wrap my arms around my boyfriend comfortingly.
"It was like a ritual site. Their lips were blue," Jug tells us, "There were these chalices that were filled with poison or something. Animal bones were in a circle. The tree had markings on it. There was a winged totem with a skull and branches."
"So, was it a murder or a suicide-pact gone wrong?" Betty asks.
"More like a ritual gone wrong," I sigh, "this is crazy."
"I have no idea," Jug says, "I saw Ben and Dilton. They were playing this weird game at Pop's. Dilton was raving about someone called the Gargoyle King."
"Yeah he said something at the trailer," I say thinking back, "the Gargoyle King? Could that have something to do with it?"
"Possible," He says then looks to me, "I was also thinking that maybe you and I could investigate this together, for old times' sake.
Or at least until we catch a new lead with Archie's case.... then Betty offered to help." I smile at him.
"I like that idea," I say to him then look to Betty, "it'll be fun."
"I'll try to see if Dr. Curdle can get us into the coroner's office," Betty says and I nod. Then look to Jug and whisper.
"How much do you want to bet Curdle fucks dead bodies?" I ask he and his face covers in disgust.
"Romantic," He says sarcastically.
"I mean," I say to him, "could be worse."
"How?" He asks. And I lean closer to him and whisper quietly.
"Betty could fuck dead bodies," I say to him and he draws back.
"Ew Y/n stop," He says in disgust as Betty looks at us completely confused and I start laughing loudly.
"You two are weird," she says looking at us and I smirk.
"You would be correct," I say softly.
~~~~~~~
"How did we get stuck together all day Keller?" I ask Kev as he, Jug, and I sit down together at lunch. Veronica was no where to be seen and Betty was on call with the coroner to get us in.
"The scheduling department wants me to suffer," He jokes looking at me, "then again if they really hated me they would put Fangs and I together."
"Hey Fangs is a sweetheart!" I say defending my follow serpent.
"Yes," He says, "but he still seems to want me to date me and Moose and I are doing pretty well."
"He knows," I say looking at Kev, "and that everyone is into me mentality doesn't fit you."
"Does He not like me?" Kev asks.
"Nope," Jug says, "sorry dude."
"Yeah," I say, "he's been hooking up with some of the Vixens."
"Wait why doesn't he like me?" Kevin asks, "I'm delightful!"
"Dear god," Jug huffs as he pulls his tray towards him. I push mine towards him too.
"Of course he doesn't like you!" I say laughing, "you were a dick to him!"
"Cheryl was a dick to Toni!"
"You have a boyfriend-"
"Not really," Kev says, "we are technically only friends."
"You are driving me nuts Keller," I laugh as I look to Jughead, "this is crazy isn't it?"
"Yeah," He says, "But I mean-"
"Nope Nope shut up," I say to him, "there is no point to defend him."
"Weren't you the one the would entertain Sweet Pea liking you right after you two broke up?" Kevin asks and I roll my eyes.
"I was single," I say to him, "not even kinda in a relationship, you are."
"Fine," Kev sighs, "tell me how AP Lit already assigned an essay?"
"American Education isn't made to the convince of the student but more to the preparation of the glorified and exaggerated version of college," Jug says and I smile, "you should know by now."
"Well yeah," Kev says.
"Everything this year is literally them just shoving colleges down our throat," I tell them, "junior year is literally just like the free trial of college and Senior year is free time." They laugh slightly and I sigh. "I'm being serious."
~~~~~
"Dr. Curdle?" Betty asks as we walk into the dark room. "Oh, you're not-"
"I'm his son," The creepy looking guy says as "We spoke over the phone earlier. I took over after my father passed away."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Betty says as the man looks over us. I lace my fingers around Jughead's. This man seriously is giving me the creeps.
"Do you have the money?" He asks. And Betty nods handing over the money to the man. He counts it quickly. "The toxicology report revealed lethal levels of cyanide in Mr.
Doiley's blood. I surmise the surviving boy didn't drink enough to finish the job."
"Dr. Curdle, if you had to guess, murder or suicide?" Betty asks him.
"Well, the body did show signs of stress," Dr. Curdle says pulling the sheet covering his back down. Revealing familiar symbols carved into Diltion's back. "Three symbols carved out on his back. Runic, I'd say."
"Would you mind if I got a shot of those?" Jug asks taking my camera from me. The guy waves to show he didn't care.
"I've seen these," I whisper to Jug, "or at least Seen some similar."
"What?" He asks me.
"What caused, uh, the blue lips?" Betty asks seeming slightly sickly.
"The cyanide was mixed into a sugary drink called Fresh-Aid. Blueberry flavored," Dr. Curdle says, "There's something dimly familiar about this... But you asked me before if I thought this was murder or suicide. I'm not sure what it is, but whatever it is, it's darker than what happened to Jason Blossom.
Or what the Black Hood did. No, what we're looking at here, I believe, is the true face of evil."
"I need to go," I say backing away from the body, "we need to go."