"What's the Serpent Dance?" - Harley asked, standing behind Sweet Pea.
"Harls.." - he looked up at her. - "I, uh... Nothing..." - he mumbled.
"It's what you gotta do, to join the Serpents." - one of the guys said.
Sweet Pea glared at him and the boy shifted further away from him, slightly scared of how the tall serpent might react.
"I thought you gotta learn the laws and retrieve a knife from a snake?" - Harley said, sitting next to Sweet Pea. - "At least that's what Jughead mentioned once."
"Yeah, but this one is like the most sexist thing the old serpents thought of." - a girl, with darker skin and lilac hair, rolled her brown eyes.
"What're you complaining about?" - a boy with bleached hair spoke up. - "At least you don't have to get beaten half to death, by your friends!"
"I'd rather be beaten up, than strip in front of old men!" - she hissed back at him. - "I just wish I joined after FP became king." - she mumbled.
"Why?" - Harley asked.
"Because," - she continued. - "he was the one who banned it."
"He didn't ban it." - another guy said, rolling his eyes.
might not have, but he gave us a choice!" - the girl slammed her fist on the table. - "He gave us equality! Something that didn't exist before."
"Can you stop romanticising him and everything he does, already?" - the boy glared at her. - "He doesn't even know you exist, Xio! There are so many boys who are head over heels for you and you're in love with a man that is old enough to be your father!" - he raised his voice and they started arguing.
"That's Troy and he's really into Xio." - Sweet Pea whispered to Harley, explaining the fight that was happening in front of them. - "But she's into FP."
"Really?" - Harley raised her eyebrows.
Sweet Pea nodded. - "Honestly, I don't blame her. I wish I look that good when I'm in my forties." - he shrugged.
Harley chuckled at his comment.
"You coming with us to the Wyrm tonight?" - he asked.
"Is that even a question, Pea?" - she smirked. - "Of course I am!" - she said and leaned her head on his shoulder.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful for Harley. After lunch, she had only two more classes left and she went home straight away.
As soon as she walked in her apartment, she took out her phone and dialled in her mother's number.
"Hey mum," - she smiled. - "how have you been?"
"Hello, sweetheart!" - her mother said over the phone. Even tho she couldn't see her, Harley could feel the grin that was spread across her mum's face. - "Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice, baby! I miss you so much!"
"Awh, I miss you too, mum." - Harley sighed and sat down on the sofa.
"Well come back home, honey."
"I don't know mum, I kind of like it here."
"Don't tell me that you're permanently moving there..."
"I don't know..." - Harley shrugged.
"You really are you father's daughter."
Harley laughed. - "You know how much I dislike that saying. It's dumb."
"And it's also quite accurate." - her mother sighed. - "Man, I knew that I shouldn't have let you go there. Riverdale has its ways of taking the people I love away from me." - she mumbled and stayed quiet.
"Oh, c'mon mum..." - Harley rolled her eyes. - "Don't say that."
"Well, it's true!" - she spoke up. - "Your father was practically married to his job and it was like both the serpents and Riverdale were his mistresses."
"Oh, mum!" - Harley cringed. - "That's gross!"
"Well, I'm sorry, honey. That's the truth. He stayed longer there, than he did with us."
"What's this grudge you're holding against him after all this time?"
"It's not that I'm holding a grudge. It's just that I want you back home. I don't want you messing around in their serpent business. It can be really dangerous. I've been through that already with your dad."
Harley sighed. You have no idea what danger I've encountered. - Harley thought to herself.
"Promise me that you'll be safe."
"I'll try, mum."
"Do you want me to come over there?"
"Do you want to?" - Harley asked surprised.
"Well, I obviously couldn't stay for a long time, but I'll try to get a couple of days off work next month." - she said. - "I'll even bring the dog."
"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!" - Harley grinned.
To Harley's surprise, there was a knock at the door.
"Hey, mum, someone's at the door. I'll talk to you later, okay? Love you, bye." - she said and hung up.
"I'm coming!" - she yelled and walked towards the door, opening it. - "Toni, hey! Didn't expect to see you so early."
"Yeah, well. I just got off work." - she said and threw herself on the couch.
"Why are you so grumpy?" - Harley asked, handing her a bottle of water.
"Thanks." - she smiled. - "Well, there's this new thing at the Wyrm." - she started explaining. - "Ever since those Northsiders," - she cringed and rolled her eyes. - "came that one night and sang on stage, some of the serpents thought that it would be a good idea to have live music every night, or every weekend. And you have no idea how hard it is to find a decent singer that wants to do gigs at a bar filled with gang members."
"I can imagine." - Harley chucked.
"Yeah, well, I finally found this girl from Greendale and she was supposed to come tonight and she canceled on me." - Toni sighed. - "The boss isn't going to be happy to hear that."
"Oh, nonsense. FP, wouldn't give you a hard time, if he knew that you really were trying your best to do your job."
"But like, it's been months and he gave me a deadline, because as dumb as it sounds, for these big bad serpents, they are really pressuring him into doing this. Partly because they think that a hot chick might show up on that stage."
"Okay, so if you have a deadline, why don't you just ask those Pussycats to perform?"
"They aren't together anymore."
"Okay, then ask Josie, was it? Or Betty, she has a good voice."
"They don't want Northsiders." - Toni rolled her eyes and sighed. - "And Northsiders don't particularly like Southsiders."
"Why don't you sing?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"What? You have a great voice, Toni."
"I can't perform and bartend. That would be exhausting!"
"Then do only one."
"Harley.." - she glared at her.
"Okay, okay, sorry!" - she chuckled. - "Then, you give me no other choice, but to shamelessly propose... myself?"
"You can sing?!" - Toni grinned.
"I mean, a little. I have a decent voice." - Harley shrugged. - "I could help you out until you find an all time performer."
"We'll pay you, you won't waste your time for nothing!" - Toni grinned.
"I didn't even ask for money, but thank you!" - Harley chucked. - "It's not wasting time, it's helping out a friend in need."
Toni jumped from the sofa. - "You know, I still need to hear you sing." - she mumbled, while hugging her. - "Nothing personal, just to make sure."
"Understandable." - Harley nodded. - "What do you want me to sing?"
"I dunno, anything."
"Old McDonald had a farm, eya eya yooo!"
"Stop it!" - Toni laughed.
"Alright, alright.." - Harley chucked. - "Just know that I'm not a professional and that I haven't warmed up and please don't laugh at me."
"I won't! I promise." - Toni smiled.
Harley nodded and straightened up. She cleared her throat and started singing the first lyrics that came into her head.
She left Toni with widened eyes and a dropped jaw. - "Novak... Is there anything you can't do?"
"I can't dance." - she shrugged. - "So you, uhm, liked it?"
"Liked it?! I freaking loved it!" - Toni grinned. - "No one I interviewed sang anything that was remotely close to what you just did!"
"Awh, shucks." - Harley blushed.
"Oh my God! Everyone is gonna flip when they see you on that stage with that amazing voice of yours!" - Toni couldn't calm herself down. - "I'm such an amazing talent scout."
"Now, now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves." - Harley chuckled.
"Be at the Wyrm at 8! Ok?" - she said while heading towards the door.
"Okay, but where are you going?"
"I gotta get the stage set up." - she winked and left.
Harley looked at the clock and she realized that she didn't have much time. She had lots to do, now that she realized that tonight wasn't going to be just hanging out with friends.
She put some music on and started getting ready.
It was 7pm when she left her place and headed towards the Wyrm.
"Harley!" - the girl with lilac hair, from school earlier, called her.
"Xio." - she smiled.
"You're here early. Your friends haven't arrived, yet." - she said. - "Toni finished her shift earlier today."
"Yeah, I know." - Harley nodded and sat down on a stool at the bar. - "She told me to get here early."
"Yeah? How so?" - she asked, while polishing some glasses.
"Well, I'm going to be that performer everyone wanted." - she chuckled.
"No way!" - Xio grinned. - "Well, congrats, girl." - she playfully nudged Harley. - "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Thank you!" - Harley smiled back. - "A glass of water would be just fine."
"Hey, we never really got to, you know, properly introduce ourselves." - the girl said, as she handed Harley a tall glass of water. - "I'm Xio, as you know."
"Yeah," - she chuckled. - "I'm Harley, as you know." - she extended her hand for Xio to shake.
"I'm sorry about your dad. He was a good man and a great Serpent."
"Thank you, Xio. That means a lot." - Harley smiled.
"I'm really glad you want to follow in his footsteps." - Harley looked at her confused. - "You know, becoming a Serpent and all." - Xio explained herself.
"Ah," - Harley nodded. - "well, I'm not a Serpent, yet."
"But you are, by blood. The initiation would be something, ceremonial, to say."
"If you say so."
"Sure! You've really proved yourself and you've only been here a couple of months." - she leaned on the counter. - "I heard what you did with that snake charmer." - Xio said in a hushed tone. - "You took care of something that everyone wanted to for such a long time, but no one had the guts to finish the job. You're really ballsy."
"I just wanted to help all you guys out." - Harley shrugged.
"And you have no idea how much you did!" - Xio grinned. - "When my dad was young, he got thrown into jail for a crime he didn't even commit and he asked for her help. Problem was, he sentenced himself to an eternity of doom for the rest of his life. She didn't let anyone off her hook. She tormented people. That's why everyone was afraid of her."
"I'm sorry that all of you had to go through that." - Harley frowned.
"Eh," - Xio shrugged. - "It's all in the past now. Thanks to you." - she grinned. - "You have no idea how happy my dad has been lately. Because he hasn't got a call from her and rumour has it, among the other serpents, that she moved her shop in Greendale, or that someone killed her. But they don't really believe that that's the case, because it's pretty much similar to slaying a dragon." - she shrugged.
Harley sighed. "At least no one has any suspicions that it's me, or that she's really dead." - she thought to herself.
"Well, I'd better go in the back and warm up." - Harley tapped her hand on the bar. - "Could you make me a martini in the meantime?" - she asked.
"Of course!" - Xio smiled.
A little while passed and Toni walked in the girls bathroom, in search for Harley.
"Hey, it's time." - she smiled.
Harley exhaled deeply and nodded.
"You ready?"
"As ready, as I'll ever be." - Harley shrugged. - "Here's a CD of the instrumentals I'll sing tonight."
"And she came prepared." - Toni grinned. - "A true professional!"
Harley smiled. - "Okay, let's go."
Toni nodded and opened the door.
The lights dimmed down and everyone at the Wyrm looked around confused.
"Hey, what's going on?" - FP asked his son.
"Your guess is as good as ours." - Jughead shrugged.
"Where's Toni?" - Fangs asked.
"And Harley?" - Sweet Pea added.
"Beats me." - Jughead shrugged.
"Ladies and gentlemen," - Toni spoke up from the stage, as the spotlight landed on her. - "for the last couple of months, you've all wanted an entertainer and I've worked hard to find a person that's the most qualified for the job. And finally I did. I'm proud to present you, our newest member of our crew, please put your hands together, for someone we all know and love!" - she yelled into the microphone, with a grin splattered across her face.
Everyone looked at each other confused, but either way, the building erupted in a loud roar of applause.
The stage went dark again, which gave Harley time to enter.
Harley's heart was beating so fast, it almost escaped her body, pounding its way through her chest. Her mouth was dry. She never, ever, sang in front of so many people, before in her life. Or in front of anyone, for that matter.
The music started playing, an oldie by Alannah Myles, a song that was a favourite of her father's. Listening to the guitar, calmed her down.
She inhaled deeply and exhaled. The spotlight hit her, blinding her for a short second.
"Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell," - she started singing.
Everyone stared at her surprised.
"Jimmy Rodgers on the Victrola up high."
Everyone started clapping and whistling, cheering her on.
She grinned and felt way better than she did the moment she opened her mouth. - "Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder." - a warm wave washed over her. She felt like she belonged.
"You like her, boss?" - Toni grinned. Everyone's eyes were wide open
"I, uhm..." - FP stuttered.
"How did this happen?!" - the boys asked.
"Well, I needed a singer, she can sing." - Toni smiled.
"She's incredible." - Sweet Pea said, while looking at her in awe.
"Is she good enough for a while, till I find someone to do all time gigs, boss?"
FP nodded, while looking at Harley perform. - "If she has the time, she can stay." - he said and walked away.