A/n: This was a request from @StelLa_Grant5.
Warnings: Small amount of an abusive parent. That's pretty much it.
Y/n's pov:
"Lets see what we've scored today" I laughed to myself as I dumped out the contents of the bag. 2 wallets, a bracelet, a loose 20 dollar bill, a set of car keys and a cell phone. The joys of being a pickpocket. I heard the door slam and my father walked into the kitchen.
"Where'd you get all that?" He said, slurring his words. He was unsurprisingly drunk again.
"I stole it."
"I told you to stop doing that." He stumbled over to the table and examined my stolen treasures. He picked up the wallets and the cash, walking away with them. I didn't bother to try to take them back, I would just end up with another bruise anyway. If only mom was still alive, then I wouldn't have to steal.
"I'm leaving!" I yelled upstairs. If he took my wallets, I'll just go steal myself something else. I walk down the streets of the northside, making my way to the other side of town. On the northside, everyone is peppy and prissy. But on the southside, their tough and ruthless. I prefer it on the southside, I could be myself. I moved to Riverdale about a year ago. Since then I have made no friends, and even worse, no enemies. Nobody even knows I exist in this town, and those who do, pretend they don't.
I walk carefully through the dimly-lit woods, coming to a clearing behind the trailer park.
"Jug! Wait, can we talk about this?" A redheaded boy yells from a few yards in front of me. I recognized him from school, his name is Archie Andrews. He plays football and guitar and is a real player, he has two girls fighting over him constantly and he never chooses. The boy he's yelling at is Jughead Jones, an emo-loner boy, who I also go to school with. Jughead's quiet but smart, and he always wears a gray beanie.
"No Archie, go home!" Jughead yelled back as he sat down on the steps leading to, what I assume is his trailer. I debate whether or not to walk away, but decide against it. I emerge from the forest and approach the boy.
"You okay? That fight seemed pretty harsh." His head shot up, and the expression on his face was unreadable.
"You heard that? Sorry, Archie was just being an ass." He stood up and I noticed something in his front pocket, something in the shape of a switchblade. I've been trying to get my hands on a switchblade for months.
"I'm Jughead." He said, introducing himself.
"Well, Jughead, there's something in your hair." I got close to him and pretended to pick out something from the curls sticking out from his beanie, while my other hand slipped into his pocket and retrieved the blade. I smiled to him once I was done.
"Hey!" Someone yelled aggressively in my direction. I turn to see Archie running towards us. I've been caught. I sprint in the other direction, towards the Whyte Wyrm, the serpent bar.
"She just robbed you!" I turn my head quickly to see both boys chasing after me, Archie in front and Jughead following. I keep running, past the bar and into the alleys behind it. I maneuver my way around the dumpsters, coming to a dead end. I see the boys close by, I fall to the ground and cover my head, prepared for them to beat me up, it wouldn't be the first time.
"What are you doing?" Archie asks, slightly out of breath from running so far.
"Waiting for you to beat the crap out of me" I said, still curled into myself on the ground.
"We don't hit girls." I uncurled myself and looked up at them. My eyes stay glued to the brown-haired boy. He's insanely attractive, which is something I don't notice often. He extends his hand to me, picking me up off the ground.
"What did you take?" He asks me with concern in his voice, rather than anger.
"Uh, your switchblade. Here," I said, handing it back to him.
"Keep it. You obviously stole it for a reason, keep it." He said, with a slight smile that made my heart flutter.
"Who are you?" Archie asked.
"I'm Y/n L/n, I sit behind you in history."
"Well Y/n, do you want to go to Pop's with us?" Jughead offered.
"I don't have any money."
"You're a pickpocket, but you don't have any money?"
"I had a bunch, buy my dad took it all" I laughed
"Well then, it's our treat."
~1 month later~
From: Juggie🍔:
Wanna hang out? I'm just at the trailer, being bored. Come over.
I laugh to myself and grab my bag, heading over to my best friends house. We've come a long way in the past month. I robbed him, now we're best friends. I knock on the trailer door and F.p Jones, Jughead's dad, opens the door.
"Oh hey Y/n, come in."
"Thanks Mr. Jones" I throw my bag down next to the couch and plop down next to Jughead.
"So what are we doing today? Watching a movies, playing games, going to Pop's?" I asked him, stealing the bowl of pretzels from his lap.
"I'm not sure. We could go see what's going on at the Wyrm." Jughead's a serpent. I always thought that the serpents were just a bunch of drug dealing thugs, turns out they're actually pretty cool. I've hung with the serpents on multiple occasions, even becoming friends with a few.
"Yeah sure." I got up from the couch and walked out the trailer door. We started the short walk to the bar, a comfortable silence forming between us. The truth is, I've never been happier. I have friends now, I've been doing better in school, and I quit pickpocketing (for the most part). I finally feel like I have a place, and I owe it all to Jughead.
"Juggie, I've been thinking." I said quietly,
"About?"
"I want to be a serpent." I answered quickly. He stopped walking and turned to face me.
"No"
"Why? I just want to be a part of this."
"I don't want you getting hurt." He said, slightly smiling. I felt my heart melt at his concern, I've developed a small crush on him, though I don't want to ruin our friendship.
"Please!" I pouted.
"Even if I said yes, you would have to do the initiation tasks, which I don't want you doing."
"What do I have to do?"
"You have to take care of Hotdog, the serpent's mascot, then recite all of the laws. Then you have to retrieve the knife from a rattlesnake cage, oh yeah and then the girls have to strip in a crowded bar." I was beyond confused and disgusted.
"See, you're not doing it."
"I'm doing it. And you can't stop me." He shook his head in defeat.
(I'm not writing the 'dance')
~After the dance~
I stepped off the stage, everyone clapping and cheering my name. I made my way to the back of the bar, over to Jughead who looked embarrassed. We stood in awkward silence, considering the fact that I just danced in lingerie in front of an entire bar of people.
"You did great. It was just really weird and uncomfortable seeing you dance in front of all these people." He said, putting his jacket over my shoulders, it smelled just like him.
"Y/n! You did amazing. Come on, I'll get you a celebratory drink." Toni yelled from behind the bar. I laughed and walked over to her, sitting on one of the stools, Jughead taking the one next to mine.
"Y/n! Great job." Fangs said, walking over with Sweet Pea. I've become close friends with the four of them, even though I wasn't a serpent. We sat and chatted for a while, enjoying each other's company. Jughead leans over to me and says quietly,
"You're such a thief"
"I didn't steal anything!" I say defensively.
"You stole my heart." I blushed, laughing shyly. He took the opportunity to kiss me. His lips were soft against mine. I pulled away, smiling at the boy.
"Aw, that's cute." Toni says, interrupting our moment. I laugh and turn to Jughead who is face is red from blushing.
Maybe being a thief isn't so bad after all.