Twas another day, like usual i sat with Sweet Pea, Toni and the rest of the gang. But today they were watching this video some Kid from the North side made threatening the newest mystery of riverdale. The black hood. "This kids ganna get himself killed" I rolled my eyes chugging what was left of my morning redbull.
"Hey, Im guessing were not watching funny cat videos." Jughead stated as he made his way closer to our table.
"We will find you,"
"Check this out." Sweet Pea smiled smugly as he turned the computer towards Jughead. "Some sick in the head Northsider posted a crazy ass video, and uhh we were just talking-"
"About what?" Jughead cut in.
"Fogarty wants to earn his Serpent stripes. I say bring us the head of that Northsider, and you're in." Sweet pea leaned around/over me to pat fangs' back.
"Im down with that." Fangs smiled as he looked up at jughead. Whom for some reason didnt seem too keen on that idea.
"No, guys, dont." He stressed.
"What, Jones?" Sweet Pea removed his arm from around me which at this point i hadnt even bothered to notice. Most people think Pea and i are like together, when in reality we're just early close friends, sometimes we flirt just for the jokes tho.
"I know this guy, he's a milquetoast. Hes a football player. Its kind of a lame target, is all im saying." The tall lanky boy protested. "You wanna prove something? Why dont you go after the Black Hood."
"And why would we do that?" Sweet pea hissed. "The Black Hoods targeting Northsiders, who do nothing but blame the Southside for everything thats wrong with this town and we're sick of it. The Black Hoods doing our work for us. Hes a hero." Pea continued to rant.
"Hey, Pea that dosent mean these people should die." I whispered as i placed a hand on his back.
The day was almost over and i was getting ready to leave as i shut my locker when toni caught my attention. "Hey, Y/n. I was wondering if you wanted to help out with the red and black? Since its up and running again."
"Uhh sure but whos writing now?" I asked leaning against my locker.
"Jughead. Also i was hoping it would be an opportunity for the two of you to be friends." Toni smiled as we began walking.
"I have Pea. Thats all i need." I shrugged, Toni and i have never really been that close were more acquaintances than anything and she knows that.
"Ok ok, but the two of you actually have a lot in common." She giggled as we made our way up the stairs.
"Toni," I sighed as she opened the door.
"Hey Jughead, I have to get home to take care of somethings but y/n decided to come back as editor. Anyway ill leave you two to talk about the paper." She smirked as she then quickly left.
"So.....What are you reading?" I asked awkwardly as i pulled up a chair to sit across from the boy in his iconic hat. He took off his headphones and closed his book before sliding it to me. by the way he did it i couldn't tell if i was bothering him or if something was up. "Beware the Zodiac. Its decent." I placed the book back on the desk. The faint buzzing noise of a phone caught my attention but apparently not Jugheads. "Are you ganna get that?"
He looked down at his phone that read 'Betty' before flipping it face down. "Ill call her back later." he smiled.
"If serial killers are your thing too, I suggest Ted Bundy, Albert Fish, John Wayne Gacy, Luis Garavito." I smiled as i fittled with the ends of my h/c hair.
"They dont fit the profile." He smiled as he shook his head.
"Right. Unlike most serial killers, our guy wears a mask. Well, a hood, when he kills." I tapped my foot on the floor.
"Most likely someone consumed with self-loathing." Jughead added.
"Conversely, he sends letters and cryptos to the press." I smiled as i reached into my bag pulling out a todays newspaper and plopping it onto the desk in front of Jughead.
"Do you think hes narcissistic or a batman villain?" He joked causing both of us to laugh a bit.
"Im a true crime junkie." i smiled looking down at my lap then back to the swoopy haired boy in front of me.
"True crime is my crack." he laughed motioning to everything around him on his desk.
"i figured...Hey the Register took a break from bashing the south side to post the Black hoods cipher...Do you maybe want to help me crack it?" I Leaned forward a little in anticipation.
"Sure." HE smiled coyly after a moment of decision or hesitation fuck if i know im not a mind reader.
Jughead and i spent the next two hours trying to make any progress but to no avail so we decided to call it quits for the day and went our sepret ways. Or so we thaught turns ot we both live in Sunnyside trailer park so we decided to walk home together. How weve lived in the same park for years and never officially met is beyond me.
The following day jughead invited me to help him and his friends decipher the well...cipher. "These symbols look so familiar to me. Its like ive seen them before and its driving me crazy i cant figure out where." The blond headed girl if i remember correctly is Betty. she seemed....well i dont know... deffenetly uptight but theres something elese about her that i dont like.
"Maybe if you loosened your ponytail." I mocked with a slight innocent smile. Everyone just kind of looked at each other then back at me. "What? That was a joke guys."
"Betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach." Kevin jokingly defended.
"Kev...its fine." Betty stressed while Jughead just laughed. "And at this point, im willing to try anything." She sighed as she pulled the tight elastic from her hair.
"Per Mrs. Paroo's books, im looking for common letter associations like T-H, A-N, I-N-G." Jughead spoke as he sat up from the couch he was once laying on.
"Im looking for doubles. Double L and four letter works like Kill." I sighed leaning back letting my back hit the floor.
"Thats morbid." Kevin pointed at me with the fortune teller he made.
"We dont even know if this thing is even in English." Jughead added "Guys, i mean, this could be an anagram."
"Im literally on the top of my brain..." Betty groaned.
"All right. Lets go back to the basics. what do we know about this guy? who is he?" Jughead questioned.
"Hes a white male, in his forties. Like almost every serial killer ever." I laughed slightly even though this is a serious matter.
"No, i mean like why... why is he killing people." the leader of this little group continued "Or at least, why now?"
"We know the hoods obsessed with cleansing the town of sinners and hypocrites, right? and he seems to be attacking anyone with ties to the Northside." Betty began to accuse.
"Here we go with the fake news again. Not to be THAT person but you northsiders and your privilege. All you do is demonize the Southside so of course you think the Black Hoods from here." I kinda lost it on the know it all blonde
"Its not demonizing, y/n. its stating facts. Theres way more drugs and gangs and-"
"The frugs you mean are sold primarily to Northside crackheads? Hell, betty, im surprised you havent just come out and said it yet." I hissed angrily.
"Say what?" she asked as if she has no idea what im getting at.
"That you think the Black Hoods a Serpent. Its obvious how much you hate us." I looked up at jughead for reassurance.
"Okay, Y/n..." He interjected but even i could see in his eyes deep dow he knew i was right.
"I dont hate the Serpents." She defended.
"Then why does your bestfriend have to lie about the fact that he sits with us at lunch?" Is what i wanted to say but i couldnt sell jughead out like that, so instead "Maybe im wrong, but it sure as hell comes off that way."
"Im gonna go." Kevin nodded as he stood up.
"Yeah, you know what im gonna get outta here, too." Betty glared at me before standing up off the floor.
"Ok then i can walk you home." Kev smiled and with that they left.
"Im sorry, Jughead. I didnt mean to pick a fight but even i can lose my paitence with Northsiders." I sighed. "I guess ill get out of your hair now since everybodys gone." I stood up
Unpublished chapter I never finished ✨🤪