Vanessa woke up to a cold spot next to her. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and looked around. She heard some clinking of dishes and Reggie appeared in the doorway. He held a tray with breakfast for two. Vanessa smiled as he set the tray on the bed, Reggie kissing her.
"What's all this?" Vanessa asked in an intrigued voice.
"Breakfast in bed," Reggie responded casually. Then Reggie frowned and he said nothing but pulled out the newspaper. Vanessa read the latest letter from the Black Hood.
"Well." Vanessa looked up at Reggie. "Guess who you're stuck with for forty-eight hours?"
"How do you manage to make a bad thing even worse?" Reggie asked as Vanessa feigned hurt.
"I want to make sure you're not being stupid," Vanessa explained and Reggie nodded.
"Fair enough."
=+=+=+=
The next night, after a long day of dragging Reggie around with her, the couple sat in a booth at Pop's.
"I don't understand why you won't share a milkshake with me." Vanessa eyed Reggie's glass hatefully. "I mean, we order the exact same thing."
"You know how much I like my milkshakes," Reggie said and Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Apparently more than you like me," Vanessa mumbled.
"What?" Reggie asked.
"What?" Vanessa teased.
Just then Vanessa's brother, Chuck, walked in with Josie McCoy. Vanessa furrowed her eyebrows and Reggie followed her gaze.
"Huh, something I never thought I'd see," Reggie said, picking up a large amount of fries and shoving them in his mouth.
"That was really hot, Reg. Mind doing it again?" Vanessa asked sarcastically.
"No problem," Reggie then repeated his previous action, making Vanessa roll her eyes. He leaned forward trying to kiss her with his mouth full of food. She began throwing fries at him, giggling.
A few minutes later "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry was playing. Vanessa watched her brother stand from the booth and offer his hand to Josie. She took it and soon they were dancing to the 1958 song. Vanessa smiled seeing her brother happy.
"What are you smiling about?" Reggie asked.
"Look at him." Vanessa gestured to her brother and Reggie turned his head towards the two. "He looks happy. I haven't seen him like that in a while."
"You also didn't speak to him for a year."
She gave him that 'Really?' look.
"You don't have much room to talk," she said and Reggie grabbed her hand from across the table.
"Well, I have you now." He squeezed her hand. "Serpent or not, I love you."
"I love you too." She leaned forward and right as their lips were about to meet Mayor McCoy stormed in.
"Josie!" she snapped. "You're a damned fool."
"Mom, what are you doing here?" Josie asked genuinely confused. Vanessa and Reggie just watched awkwardly.
"Check your phone, young lady," McCoy shouted. "I've been texting you for hours. And you're in here doing the twist."
"Mom, relax."
"Mayor McCoy," Chuck cut in nervously. "I was just about to give Josie a ride home."
"You?" Mayor McCoy said distastefully. Vanessa stood up and was about to go over there when Reggie pulled her down next to him. "I don't want you within ten feet of my daughter!"
The mayor then grabbed her daughter and pulled her out of the diner. Chuck looked at the ground before looking to the door Josie just left out of.
Vanessa stood up and Reggie didn't stop her this time. She walked over to her brother, pulling him in for a hug. He squeezed her tightly and she rubbed her hands up and down his back. "Hey, calm down."
"That could've gone better, right?" Chuck asked, pulling away from the hug. Vanessa chuckled a little before nodding.
"It's okay though, people will always just want to rely on a first impression." Vanessa rubbed his shoulder soothingly. Reggie came up behind her, his letterman jacket laying over his arm.
"Hey, Reg," Chuck said.
"Hey, Chuck. It's good to see you," Reggie said as they hugged, patting each other on the back. "Wanna head out of here?" Reggie asked Vanessa. Before Vanessa could respond Chuck intervened.
"Wait, you two are back together?" Chuck asked his sister, looking between the two.
"Yeah, we worked things out." Vanessa smiled.
"Better treat her like a queen, Reggie," Chuck said sternly.
"I promise, Chuck," Reggie said. Vanessa hugged her brother goodbye and left the diner with Reggie.
=+=+=+=
They made their way to Reggie's house and watched movies on the couch. About halfway through the movie, Reggie pulled out a flask. He offered it to her and she raised an eyebrow.
"Baby, please," Reggie begged, pouting. She rolled her eyes sarcastically and took the flask from him, taking a big gulp. Reggie smirked and took the flask back, taking a swig himself.
"What is that?" Vanessa asked as her face scrunched up at the strong flavor.
"It's Dos Aquis." Reggie smirked and leaned in, kissing her neck.
"Reg, that's so expensive," Vanessa whispered as she got lost in pleasure.
"Stop talking." Reggie connected his lips with hers as he got on top of her on the couch.
=+=+=+=
The next day Vanessa tied one of Reggie's shirts around her waist and tied off some sweats she left over one night.
"You're going to freeze in just a sweatshirt," Reggie said as he took his letterman jacket off the floor. "Here," He offered her his jacket and she blushed while taking it. She slipped it around her shoulder and it fell over her hands, as it was far too big for her. He smiled and kissed her. "You're cute in my jacket."
"Only when I'm in your jacket?" Vanessa asked teasingly.
"All the time, baby. You know that." Reggie kissed her again before they left for school.
After second period Vanessa met up with Reggie. They walked to the student lounge and, before entering, they heard Cheryl being her same old self.
"Some people may be buying the snake oil you're peddling, but not me," Vanessa and Reggie walked in to see Cheryl reprimanding Chuck. "You're still the same Chuck that thinks women are playthings to possess and torture."
"Cheryl, what are you even talking about right now?" Chuck asked, genuinely confused.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Vanessa asked stepping to stand near her brother, Reggie following with a hand on her waist.
"Oh, look! Clayton squared, my favorite duo," Cheryl announced sarcastically.
"Stuffed animals are one thing," Josie stepped closer to Chuck's face, pointing a finger at him. "but a pig's heart?"
"Josie, he would never-"
"Save it, Tweedle Dee," Cheryl cut off Vanessa, stepping to stand next to Josie. "You're defending you're own brother who slut shamed you."
Reggie felt Vanessa tense.
Cheryl now directed her words at Chuck. "If the Black Hood weren't clearly an old white dude, I'd say you'd be a prime suspect."
The janitor, Mr. Svenson, who had been watching the whole thing came over.
"Hey," Mr. Svenson said after Chuck stood up, "what's going on here?"
"Oh, good. Mr. Svenson's here to clean up the trash," Cheryl replied rudely. "Chuck's been threatening Josie, sending her disturbing messages. The creep probably wants to cut her open and feel her organs."
"Hey," Chuck's word overlapped Cheryl's.
"That's not true, and you know it," Vanessa hissed at both Josie and Cheryl.
"Josie, is this true?" Mr. Svenson asked the singer. Cheryl gave Josie a look, whispering something in her ear, and Josie gulped hard.
"Come on, Josie," Chuck begged softly, a tone Vanessa never heard him use.
"It is. He's the one," Josie confirmed and Vanessa's veins almost popped out of her neck.
"What?" Chuck asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
"It's true."
"It is not true, and you know it."
"You're going to Weatherbee's office," Mr. Svenson said. Vanessa stepped forward and words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
"He's not the one sending her stupid notes, I am."
Josie looked Vanessa in the eyes and the Clayton girl just smirked.
"Why?" Josie asked.
"Serpents like to make their own fun." Vanessa winked at the mayor's daughter before being escorted to the principal's.
In the principal's office he questioned her and called the sheriff, who had searched for any evidence against her or Chuck, and found none. The principal let her go without punishment and she skipped the rest of school.
=+=+=+=
Vanessa sat in Pop's later that night just going over the past two days in her head. She knew the town wouldn't pass the Black Hood's test as a whole, but she was hoping she could. Considering she had sex and drank alcohol illegally she was no saint.
She saw Betty and Veronica sat in a booth, same with Jughead and Archie. She contemplated going over to either but decided against it. A few minutes later the bell to the door jingled and Vanessa looked up to see Reggie. He came over and sat next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and laced her fingers with his.
They sat in silence until the Pop's work phone rang. Pop answered and his face fell as he listened. He then stepped out from behind the counter and announced the Black Hood's message.
"That was him on the phone. The Black Hood." Archie, Betty, Cheryl, and Reggie stood from their booths. "He says that we've failed his test," Looks were exchanged: Fearful glances. "That we're all sinners. That the reckoning is upon us."