CHAPTER TWO
Upon closer inspection, the serpent tattoo had been lasered off, and the watch was expensive looking. Bvlgari. If this guy had been a Southsider, he certainly wasn't one now.
"You should- Probably call my Dad," Kevin said hesitantly as he backed away.
"Your Dad?" Confused, I stood and followed him back to the walk bridge. "Wait..."
"He's the Sheriff," Kevin explained.
I was surprised, to say the least, and I couldn't help but rub my eyes and sigh. And then Kevin apologised, which was nice but unnecessary. I reassured him it was fine. It wasn't as if I was in any place to judge. Besides, a quick hook up in the woods didn't exactly require a background check. Anonymity was kind of the point.
"Go," I said. "I'll put the call in."
The plan was Kevin would go home and pretend everything had been normal on his run. He didn't run into anyone and he certainly didn't see any severed arms. I would call the police and report what we had found by myself.
I could tell he was grateful and the small peck on my cheek confirmed that.
"Thank you." He smiled and then he was gone. I only realised after he had jogged off into the night that I had forgotten to get his number.
But before I could think about that, I had a more important call to make.
When Sheriff Keller turned up, I had no shame in explaining exactly what I was doing in the woods. I suppose I could have lied, but what reason did I have? Then again, it wasn't exactly legal what we did in these woods. I also knew that Sheriff Keller would have bigger problems to deal with. A homicide, it seemed.
"Were you with anyone else?" The Sheriff asked.
"That's kind of the point of cruising, Sheriff." I crossed my arms over my chest so my Serpent tattoo wasn't visible.
"Were you or weren't you?" On second thoughts, better to not anger the man. That could draw suspicion.
"I was with another guy but we had finished before I found it," I explained. "I was heading to my car when I noticed the shimmering of the watch."
The Sheriff began to frame another question before I interjected.
"I didn't get his name."
While Sheriff Keller didn't exactly look pleased, he seemed satisfied.
Once I had given a full statement, I drove home to get some sleep. It was around eleven when I finally pulled into the driveway. Dad would still be working the night shift at The Doll House, a strip joint that marketed itself as a 'gentleman's club'. Only it was located in the seedy part of Southside. He managed the joint time to time when his buddy was out of town.
I crashed into bed and lay there for a few moments thinking about the night's events. It was all very curious. Firstly, meeting Kevin. I had not expected to run into such a preppy kid in the woods. The Sheriff's son, no less.
I lay there looking at the ceiling wondering what it would be like if I were to wake up and go to school in Riverdale. I was curious to know what that life would look like. I'd see Kevin in the hallway, no doubt. How would he react? Would we talk about what happened? Surely we'd exchange phone numbers, at least. Kevin would probably thank me again for leaving him out of my statement. Perhaps we'd kiss...
Then I thought about Kevin's smile. I knew for sure I wanted to see him again, and not just for the sex, either. He was different-different to the guys at Southside High, that was for sure.
Then there was the other part of the night: the arm.
The Serpent tattoo which had been lasered off was probably the most curious of all. An ex-member, maybe? I'd heard stories from dad and the other Serpents about what happened when a member wanted to leave the group. It wasn't pretty, but it didn't involve murder.
Besides, the watch suggested he was white-collar. It would've had to cost a couple grand at least. And then there was the fact that it was left - or placed? - in the Northside woods. Despite the obvious Serpent connection, I just couldn't see the perpetrator being a Southsider. No doubt the police thought so.
And where was the rest of the body? The last thing I remembered thinking of before finally falling as asleep was that Perhaps the Black Hood had changed MO. Not likely, but it was possible.
I woke up late the next day. I was greeted with raging morning wood as usual, and taking care of it was easy. All I had to do was think about Kevin's soft, pink lips on my cock and I was covered in my sticky mess in no time. I showered and got to school just in time before the doors closed. Easy.
The day dragged on as they normally did, though I managed to stop by the office of the Red and Black on my way out, just so I could chat with Toni. She was hanging out there a lot after school now that Jughead had revived the paper.
Even though Jughead was still new to the whole Serpent thing, I found myself liking him. He was different than the other Joneses. I would've even been interested in getting to know him a little better, too... But of course, he was straight. He and Toni were the only ones I could say I genuinely liked. I tolerated the likes of Sweet Pea and Fangs. I respected Tall Boy because he had been put in charge after FP's incarceration. I missed Joquain. We messaged one another time-to-time to check in, but it wasn't the same.
I was sitting on the desk with my back to the door, flinging rubber bands at Toni when Jughead suddenly looked up.
"Kevin?" Jughead got to his feet, sounding both surprised and concerned all at the same time. "What are you doing here? Is Betty okay?"
I shot up and turned around. Suddenly, with all four of us there, the office of the Red and Black was all too cramped, and well, it was a little awkward, too.
"I- Uh-" Kevin looked at me and then at Jughead, then from Jughead to Toni, stammering for words.
"He's here to see me," I interjected, putting everyone's minds to rest. I wasn't about to let the awkwardness continue for much longer.
Toni shot us both a look. She seemed impressed. Either that, or she was just startled, like Jughead.
"Kevin, since when do you do- You know." Jughead obviously thought Kevin was buying weed. Everyone knew I dealt it. Everyone except Kevin.
"Huh?" Kevin turned his head like an actual confused puppy. It reminded me just how cute he really was. Cuter than I remembered.
"Ignore him," I told Kevin. "Let's go somewhere else." I took him by the arm and whisked him away.
"Bye!" Kevin sounded as I pulled him out into the hallway then into an empty classroom. Thankfully, everyone had left for the day.
"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help it sound like an accusation rather than a question.
"I didn't get your number," he said as he moved up to me. The lack of space between us made it intimate.
"You shouldn't have come here," I said, my voice lower this time. "Southside isn't like Riverdale High."
"Tell me about it," Kevin replied snarkily. He rested his hand on my chest. "I had to go through a metal detector just to get in here. I didn't even know they had those at schools."
I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyes, but I didn't pull away. The closeness was nice. I could smell his sweet cologne and the fabric softener on his clothes.
"Here, give me your phone." I entered my number into his iPhone and handed it back to him. "You have my number." Still, I didn't pull away- And even though Kevin had got what he wanted, he didn't either.
And then I kissed him.
Just after Kevin left, I got a call from the Sheriff's office - which was odd given the timing - and asked to come to the station for a 'chat'. Twice in 48 hours. Either they needed me to clarify some details in my statement, or I was now a suspect. I couldn't imagine it would be the latter, given I had nothing to hide.
Except for one detail, of course.
"You didn't tell me you were a Serpent." The Sheriff's voice was gruff and filled with judgement. I felt like telling him his son didn't seem to mind it.
"I didn't see the relevance." It was the truth.
"The arm we found previously had a Serpent tattoo. Did you know that?"
"I didn't take that close a look. I called you instead, which I figured was the citizenly thing to do." I stopped myself short of giving him a smile. Again, best not to anger the man that could place you on the top of the suspect's list.
"So, you have no idea who it could belong to?"
I remained silent and crossed my arms.
"The arm," Sheriff Keller reiterated. I knew what he was talking about. I just didn't like where this was going.
"No. I don't." Dad taught me to keep my answers short when it came to the police. He had enough dealings with them to pass such wisdom onto me.
"Do your parents know you were out cruising last night?"
"I turned eighteen in March. I'm an adult. I'm free to do what I want."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"If you're asking whether he or the other Serpents know I'm gay, then yes. I'm out."
"And you're not worried about putting yourself in danger? Especially now with the Black Hood still at large?"
"Last time I checked, he was targeting Northsiders."
"My point exactly."
I frowned. Was he insinuating that just because I was a Serpent that somehow I knew something about the identity of the Black Hood? Was that what this really was all about? Catching the Black Hood?
"I've told you everything I know." I was beyond ready to leave.
He was silent for a moment, mulling something over before he spoke.
"Alright, off you go." He eyed me as I got up and headed out.
Toni, who had insisted she come with me, was sitting just outside Sheriff Keller's office.
"I was expecting him to say, 'and don't leave town.'" She joked as she hooked her arm into mine.
"Like we could." It sounded more sombre than I intended.
After dropping Toni off, I decided to go see Aunt Penny. She was a lawyer who helped the Serpents out time to time. She was actually a Serpent herself. She was tough. Not exactly bad news, but not to be messed with either. Dad relied on her when the strip joint got into legal trouble. Once, a dancer fell off the stage and cracked her head on the stairs, claiming the shoes were too tall. She threatened to sue. Penny scared her enough that the poor girl ended up begging to keep her job by the end of it.
When I got to her office, she had her feet up on her desk drinking a beer. She offered me one when I walked in and sat down opposite her and I took it. I didn't drink like most of the Serpent's did, but I certainly didn't shy away from it, either.
"The arm belonged to a Serpent," I said.
"An ex-Serpent," she clarified.
"Do you know who?"
"No. But it's being taken care of."
"How?" I couldn't imagine how it could be, given an investigation had just started.
"Why the interest? I know you found it and all, but what do you care?"
She sounded like dad. They were ten years apart, but she still somehow could sound just like him.
"It's just curious. The tattoo. It was lasered off. Like he was ashamed or something."
"This goes back a while, Robs. The last Serpent I know who defected to the Northside was Alice Cooper. Anyone before her was before my time. Maybe even before your dad's."
"Do the Serpent's have someone on the inside in the Sheriff's office?" It had crossed my mind when I was there earlier.
"Riverdale Sheriff's Office has been unfairly targeting Northsiders for decades now. It's in our interest to have an ear to the ground up there, so that ear can report back to us."
"They questioned me again today."
"You should've called me! Legally, they can't. You're underage."
"I'm eighteen now," I explained. (Penny wasn't sentimental. She didn't do things like birthdays or anniversaries.)
"When?"
"You were in Hawaii."
"Right... Next time, call me. Straight away. I mean it. Even if you're eighteen, they have no reason to suspect you." She took a swig from her beer. "Does Raynor know they questioned you again?"
"Dad's busy with the club." I finished off my beer off and stood. "I should go."
"Talk to your dad. And call me if the Sheriff harasses you again. You have my number, so no excuse next time."
"I will."
I messaged Kevin and told him to meet me at Pop's after I left Aunt Penny's office. I wanted to see him again, which was weird for me because we had just seen each other when he turned up at school. Then again, it had only been for a short while. It was weird because I normally didn't get that urge.
"You seriously pissed my dad off," Kevin announced as he slipped into the booth. "What did you say?"
"He thinks I know more than I'm letting on."
"Do you?"
I didn't even bother responding. I just looked out the window into the car park.
A girl with bright auburn hair walked into the diner and, after spotting us, approached the table.
"Kev," she greeted him, before turning to me. "Unknown hobo. May I join?"
"Sure," Kevin replied reluctantly. I couldn't imagine why anyone would want this girl as a friend, but Kevin seemed to know her.
"So, I heard you two hooked up in the woods last night. Was that before or after you two stumbled upon the mangled arm of a murder victim." She stole the cherry from atop Kevin's milkshake. "Is this a thing now for you, Kev? Or are you two the thing?" She turned to me with a wicked grin.
"How do you know these things?" Kevin whispered to her.
"Oh, Kev, my sweet, naive, sweater-loving cherub. I have eyes and ears everywhere. I am, after all, the one who led Riverdale's reckoning, to begin with, starting with the cleansing of Thornhill after Father's betrayal of the Blossom name."
"You mean when he shot your brother?" I couldn't help myself. She was a brat.
Kevin looked at me like I had spat on a priest, and her eyes narrowed as if she were getting ready to shoot fire from them.
"I'll have you know, you Southside piece of trash, we don't talk about that chapter of my life. Besides, I've moved on. Which you should do, seeing as your kind are exactly welcome around here."
"Like you said," I replied with a smile. "Kevin and I are a thing."
He looked at me and mouthed, "we are?" and I had to stop myself from grinning.
She got up from the booth and turned to face Kevin. "If I were you, I'd choose better bedfellows. This one reeks of creep."
I gave her a disingenuous smile before she toddled off.
"Toodles."
Kevin placed his arms on the table and grinned.
"That. Was. Brilliant."
"She a friend of yours?" I couldn't imagine even a dog wanting to be friends with her.
"Well, it depends. Cher-" I stopped him. I really didn't care to know.
"Nevermind. Forget I asked." I stole a sip from Kevin's milkshake. Evidently, I got some cream on the corner of my top lip.
"You got a little..." He tried to point it out, but I played dumb.
"You do it." I was tempted to just put the cream elsewhere on my body, but we were in public, after all.
He chuckled lightly, visibly embarrassed. His cheeks slightly blossomed with red as he stuck his hand out. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him over the table for a deep kiss. I could feel him melting in my mouth.
Outside Pop's, Cheryl Blossom stood in the carpark with a devious smile on her face. She mouthed something to herself before she took out her phone and snapped a photo of the two lovers in the window.
