Chapter One: The Snakes Slither In
An abnormal tension seemed to be buzzing its way through the halls of Riverdale High. For the past week the air has grown thick with anxiety overtaking the students. No one had been overly thrilled at the news that Riverdale was taken in the misplaced students of Southside High. Most had hoped there would be a day that Principal Weatherbee came over the PA system to tell them it was a joke. With only minutes left on the clock before the new students were due for their arrival, it didn't seem like that was happening.
A welcoming committee had set a table just inside the entrance of the high school. Riverdale High students mingled about, as close as they dared to get. A few of them were merely waiting to catch a glimpse of the new students. There was a rumor going around that most of them were members of the infamous gang the Southside Serpents. Most students were just waiting for the fight that was no doubt coming. It was no secret that the Southside held a great disdain for the Northside and vice versa.
Frizz Hanson had an obscured view of the welcoming table through the legs of her fellow students. She was hunkered down using the excuse of trying to find a book as a reason to wait. She was one of the few students who wanted to see the Serpents for herself. That wasn't exactly something she could admit to the group of girls around her. Ever since the announcement that Southside High was closing the girls have complained about having to share space with what they referred to as 'scum personified.'
"Hurry your ass up Frizz," one of the girls snapped. If Frizz had to guess she would say it was Mackenzie Fuller breathing down her neck. The tall, overly skinny blonde has never had any patience for the shorter Hanson girl. "I don't want to get caught up in the rumble. I just got my nails done."
Frizz looked up at the other girl. "Then go Mack. I'm not keeping you here."
With a flick of her hair Mackenzie called for the group's departure. Most of them paid Frizz no mind as they strutted past. Only a dark skinned, dark haired beauty of girl remained. Nikki Anders had been Frizz's best friend since the two were in diapers. As the two had entered their school years, Nikki grew close to Mackenzie through a mutual love of boy bands. Nikki had always made it clear to Mackenzie that she and Frizz were a package deal. This led the blonde and the brunette to having a mutual agreement of getting along for Nikki's sake.
Sighing Frizz stood to shut her locker and lean against it. Nikki smiled at from where she stood in the hall.
"So what do you think they're gonna be like?" Nikki asked. She may not be excited having to share her school with Southsiders but Nikki was always up for some new eye candy.
"I don't know," Frizz said. "I heard a rumor that they're cannibals." Nikki's jaw dropped. Before she could say a word the front doors were pushed open with a bang.
Frizz recognized Jughead Jones almost immediately. There really was no mistaking that crown shaped beanie atop his heads. She had heard that he had been transferred to Southside high a while back. It hadn't occurred to her that he would be coming back now. She certainly hadn't expected him to be leading the charge clad in a thick leather jacket with a green, hissing serpent attached to the back.
Twenty or so Southside students piled in after Jughead, the majority of them sporting similar coats. Heads swiveled up and down the hall. They all quickly landed on the welcoming desk. Being on the opposite side of that desk, Frizz was barely spared a glance by the group.
She watched the Serpents as they conversed with the one and only Veronica Lodge. She couldn't exactly hear what they were saying but their body language only seemed to grow tenser. When Frizz caught the sight of Cheryl Blossom and Reggie Mantle descending the stairs, flanked by Bulldogs and Rivervixens, she knew this was only going to end one way. Despite that fact, she couldn't bring herself to walk away. Not until Nikki started pulling on her sleeve.
"Come on Frizz. You got your look. Let's go."
~I Never Asked~
Mr. Thompson's homeroom English class was feeling a bit more cramped than usual. He had four new students entering his class today. In order to give them a place to sit he had to shove four more desks into an already packed room. None of his students dared to touch any of the desks that have been shoved into the back.
The addition of the new desks left Frizz feeling a bit claustrophobic. They had pushed her seat, situated in the back corner, further towards the wall. It wasn't far enough away from her peers to be able to ignore their gossiping. Apparently things had escalated rather quickly at the welcoming desk, leading to a fight between snake and bulldog.
Frizz attempted to distract herself by reading over today's assignment. The chatter around her was just too loud. She found her eyes roaming over the same sentence again and again. When the room suddenly fell silent, Frizz took notice. Looking up she was met with a rather breath taking sight.
She had never seen someone so tall. She wondered at how he didn't whack his head against the ceiling. His jet black hair was fixed to curl over his forehead. It was just long enough to swipe over his dark brown eyes. There was a crooked smirk on his face that only seemed to widen when he caught Frizz looking him over. Frizz wasn't entirely sure but she thought she saw him wink at her as he sank into the seat beside her. As soon as he was seated her turned his back toward her, striking up conversation with the other Serpents that had entered with him.
Just as suddenly as the silence had fallen it was lifted once again. The other students around her returned to their chatter. Some of them tried to not make it obvious what they were talking about. Others seemed to have no shame.
"So, uh, Snake Boy, what kind of drugs you got?"
Frizz shifted her gaze from the giant of a Serpent to the boy that decided to sit on his desk. Sandy blond hair, baby blue eyes, and dimples as deep as craters made up the admittedly pretty face of Carter Dolton. He was a stereotypical jock that enjoyed preying on the different. In this moment Frizz couldn't decide if he had a death wish or if he just plain stupid.
"Ghoulies sell drugs, not the Serpents." The words were out of Frizz's mouth before she could stop them. Both boys turned their attention towards her with the unnamed Serpent looking murderous while Dolton only grinned.
"You'd be one to know Frizz," Dolton said brining a pointer finger and thumb to his lips as he mimed inhaling deeply.
"Oh yeah, cause you're really one to talk," Frizz retorted rolling her eyes before tapping the side of her nose.
Dolton's grin dropped. He slid off the Serpent's desk. Frizz just caught the sight of a cocked eyebrow above a deep brown eye before Dolton blocked her view.
"How do you know about that?" Dolton asked.
"Tell me if this rings a bell," Frizz replied. She cleared her throat and pitched her voice low in attempt to mimic Dolton's speech. "Hey Frizz, whatcha say to you and me going upstairs? We could talk. Or you know, I could, uh, snort Jingle Jangle off your naked body?"
"That didn't happen," Dolton scoffed. "And I don't sound like that."
Frizz held up a fist, lifting a finger as she couldn't off. "Okay, one you asking that did happen. Immediately afterward you threw up on me. And two, that was a flawless impression."
Dolton straightened up. He threw a glance over his shoulder at his fellow Bulldogs before turning back to Frizz.
"Luck you, that invitation still stands," he said with a wink.
"Well, if I ever lose my dignity I'll let you know," Frizz mocked before flicking her hands at the sandy haired boy. "Now shoo. Mr. Thompson has things to teach."
Dolton sauntered off in his usual manner. Clearly Frizz hadn't managed to bruise his ego.
With the Bulldog out of the way, Frizz's eyes landed back on the Serpent beside her. His eyes seemed to have grown darker as he scowled at her.
"I don't need your help Northsider." His voice was deep and much colder than Frizz had expected.
"Never said you did," Frizz told him, sounding small compared to him. "If anything I was helping Dolton. You kind of looked like you were going to beat his face in."
Before the Southside boy could retort, Mr. Thompson called the class's attention. Frizz got lost in the importance of iambic pentameter. Or at least she tried to. There was no denying the distraction she felt pulling at her. Every now and then she swore she could feel the heat of a pair of eyes looking her over.
~I Never Asked~
Frizz could feel her attention beginning to slip. The hour was dragging along with the monotone voice of her teacher. In an attempt to keep herself awake just a little bit longer Frizz dug a headband and rubber band out of her backpack. She pulled the headband around her neck first, prepared to hide the tattoos behind her ears one her was up. Gathering her shoulder length hair the best she could, Frizz pulled it up into a bun. The rubber band barely wrapped around Frizz's bun twice. Hopefully it would hold long enough for her to get a real hair-tie from Nikki.
Tilting her head to the right, Frizz locked her sights on the clock near the door. She focused on counting down the hundred and eighty-three seconds she had left before the bell. From this position there was no denying the side eyed glances the tall Serpent was giving her. Frizz was determined to not acknowledge them.
Twenty seconds left to class. Frizz felt a harsh tug at the base of her bun. She lifted a hand to untangle the broken rubber band from her hair. Before she even reached her locks she dropped her hand back into her lap. If she had blinked she would have missed it. Unfortunately her eyes had gone wide in horror at the sight of the thin piece of rubber smacking the tall Serpent across his cheek.
The ringing of the bell was lost in the sound of shuffling students. Not that Frizz noticed. Her attention was locked in on the boy beside her. He turned fully in his seat, lifting his long legs over the bar connecting desk and seat to face Frizz head on. Leaning forward until he was only a few breaths away he fixed Frizz with an icy glare.
"Sorry?" Frizz offered. The Southside boy continued to stare. Frizz's eyes shifted to the side of his neck. Just above his collar was a tattoo of a two headed snake; the symbol of the Serpents. "That's a cool tattoo. What kind of snake is that?"
Frizz hadn't really expected an answer. She thought the question would at least catch the boy off guard. He continued to glare at her. At least his smirk was coming back.
"I don't really know of any two headed snake species. Unless you count that mutated gardener snake my sister found when we were kids." Frizz's eyes flicked to the Southsider's lips as he ran his tongue along the bottom. The moment he glanced back at his friends, all of them snickering, Frizz knew she fell for the trap.
Not being one to back down from a challenge, Frizz titled her head and wiggled a single eyebrow. Nikki referred to this particular look as the 'Death Request.' Whenever Frizz did it she either ended up in trouble or bloody.
Frizz leaned closer to the Serpent. He clearly hadn't expected that reaction by the way he jumped. He quickly recovered, leaning back over.
"Okay, so no joke, you totally have the whole crazy eye thing going on," Frizz whispered. "I'm definitely intimidated." Frizz placed a hand on her chest. "I mean I am terrified-ly aroused. I don't know if I want to jump you, like sexually, or run away." Frizz paused to take in the Serpent's raised eyebrows. "Between you and me, I'm leaning toward the former."
As swiftly and smoothly as she could manage, Frizz stood from her seat and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She walked toward with the door with her head held high. In attempt to keep her to keep her pace normal, she didn't make it out of the room before the Southsiders.
His breath was hot on the back of her neck as he spoke in her ear. "That's never going to happen, princess."
Frizz snorted without turning back. She called over her shoulder as she made her way down the hallway.
"You should really work on a more original nickname."