From: Sweet Pea 🐍😍
Can we FaceTime?
To: Sweet Pea 🐍😍
Yeah
I was just sitting in my room doing homework, so it wasn't a big deal to me to call him.
"Hey," he said, the second the FaceTime connected. He was with Fangs and someone else, but it was whatever.
"Hey guys," I said.
"I decided how I'm going to earn my Serpent stripes," Fangs said happily. I knew it was a criminal gang, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he had planned.
"How're you going to do that?" I asked.
"Well, I wanted to take out the Northsider from the Red Circle videos but I guess he's just some wanna be kid who's on the football team," Fangs said.
"Wait, what videos?" I asked.
"You haven't seen the Red Circle videos?" Sweet Pea asked.
"No, why?" I asked.
"Just look them up," he said. I grabbed my laptop and searched it, and sure enough a 44 second long video popped up. I started watching it, and much to my dismay, Archie Andrews was the one Fangs wanted to beat up.
"Don't, um, don't hurt him," I said, closing my laptop as the video ended. "He's a good kid, and he means well."
"I know," Fangs said. "Well, I mean that's basically what Jughead told us."
"Yeah, I'll talk to him," I said. "He'll take the video down."
"The original is already down," Sweet Pea said. "People just keep sharing it."
"Anyways, Fangs," I said.
"Hey, Mandy, can I talk to you?" Betty asked, walking into my bedroom.
"Yeah, I, hold on," I said, turning back to my phone screen.
"I've gotta go babe," I said, trying to avoid Betty catching on that I was actually FaceTime-ing a bunch of Serpents.
"Love you," he said.
"Love you too," I said, ending the FaceTime.
"What's up," I said, closing the book that I'd been doing homework out of.
"Um, Mom and I have both received letters from the Black Hood," she said, sitting down on the edge of my bed.
"I know. Well, I knew about Mom's and figured it'd only be a matter of time before he tried to get published in the Blue and Gold as well," I said.
"I received a crypto thing as well," she said, handing me the page. The symbols looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"Jug, Toni, and I tried for hours to solve this last night," she said. "We can not figure it out."
"It looks like that thing you used to read all the time. I don't remember what it was though," I said.
"Yeah, I should know it, but I don't," she said.
"Yeah," I said. "If it comes to me I'll let you know."
"Thank you so much," she said.
"Of course. Anything for my favorite sister," I said.
I was half asleep that night when I got a really weird text from Sweet Pea.
From: Sweet Pea 🐍😍
What the hell is up with the redhead? He just pulled a gun on us
To: Sweet Pea🐍😍
What do you mean? Archie? The kid from the Red Circle?
Immediately, I called Archie to see what was going on. I trusted Sweet Pea, but God only knows what's up with Archie if he's pulling a gun on Serpents.
"Now isn't a good time Mandy," Archie said as he answered.
"What the hell is this I here that you pulled a gun on a group of Serpents?" I asked.
"Solely for protection. One of them pulled a switchblade first," he said. "How the hell did you find out?"
"Sweet Pea, probably that one with the switch blade is my boyfriend Arch," I said.
"Look, I'm headed back home so you can calm down," he said.
"What were you doing over there anyways Arch?" I asked.
"Sending a message," he said.
"You were tagging on the Southside you moron," I said. "You're lucky Fangs wasn't there. You would've made the perfect target for him to earn his stripes."
"Mandy, just go to bed and stop worrying about me," Archie said.
"Goodnight Archie," I said. I hung up, and checked my text messages.
From: Sweet Pea🐍😍
Yeah, that's the kid. I pulled my blade and he pulled a gun.
To: Sweet Pea🐍😍
He was just defending himself. His dad is the one who was shot in Pop's. He's edgy.
It took a few minutes, but Sweet Pea did reply.
From: Sweet Pea 🐍😍
Shit. Didn't realize that was his dad. I'll keep the Serpents off him so long as he isn't out tagging around here anymore. Goodnight babe. I love you
To: Sweet Pea🐍😍
Night baby. I love you too. And thanks, Archie and his dad mean a lot to my family.
The next day, when I went to talk to Archie about being on the Southside, Betty told me that he had been barred from school property because he's a threat or some other, similar BS.
I tried to clear my mind as I headed home, but it wasn't working. The air was heavy with both the incoming storm and the impending emotional battle. I didn't know why, but I had a gut feeling that this storm was bringing a storm of bad things with it.
My parents had gone to the town hall meeting and Betty and Jug were off saving the world when there was a knock on the door. I contemplated calling Archie in case it was the Black Hood, but decided to just answer it.
"Sweet Pea, what the hell happened to you?" I asked.
"Rumble," he said. I ushered him inside and led him to the kitchen so I could clean out the cuts to his face.
"What were you thinking?" I asked softly as I dabbed at one of the cuts with some peroxide.
"That no Northsider is going to come into my home and hold a gun to my face without retaliation. That redhead had a great right hook. Don't mess with him," Sweet Pea said.
"Archie is a good fighter," I said, "but you need to be careful. Coming to the Northside to rumble probably wasn't your best idea babe."
"I know, but still. He needed to be dealt with," he said.
"I know how you feel babe," I said.
"Where is everybody?" He asked.
"Mom and Dad are at the town hall. Betty is off with Jug doing something either to save the world or destroy it," I said.
"So you have the house to yourself," he said, wiggling his eyebrows before leaning forward to kiss my lips deeply.
"Yes, I do, but we can't do anything because my parents will be home soon," I said.
"Please," he said.
"I love you Sweet Pea, but we can't," I said. He pressed his lips to mine again and sure enough the front door burst open.
"What the?" I asked, moving so I could see the door. Of course, Sweet Pea took a fighting stances in front of me until he realized it was just my family.
"What is going on here?" My father asked.
"Calm down. He was just in the neighborhood and stopped in to say hi," I said.
"Get the fuck out of my house and don't ever come back. And if I find out you laid your hands on my daughter, I will end you," my father said. Sweet Pea turned to me.
"Just go. I'll call you later," I said softly.
"I love you babe," he said.
"I love you too," I said. He left angrily, but he left without a fight.
"Now that you've run my boyfriend off. I'll be in my room if you need me," I said.