"Welcome Jughead Jones, to Southside High!"
To be honest I don't know what to expect from me coming back here. The last time everyone saw me was when I was walking out the exact door Hunter was opening, with a couple of kids they've seen and know go to Riverdale High. As I walked down the halls being escorted by Hunter, I realized none of the Serpents were openly judging me. I got nothing more than a glance or an occasional whisper between friends as I walked down the rusty corridors. Now that I've gotten a quick look at all the attending students, I realized that I don't know any of them. I've probably seen a few of them from around the neighborhood, but their faces and names didn't seem to correspond to me. At least, not ones that I was particularity interested about.
Now that I've returned I realized that they're all just a past version of me, broken and disfigured from their conditions, but Archie and Betty seemed to changed me into a softer version of myself. I've become less like a Serpent and more like a Riverdale High kid. I feel bad they've had to endure the Southside their entire life, probably not realizing what it's like to have a proper home or lifestyle. At least to them, this is their normal lifestyle.
"..and that concludes our tour, as we stop off at the cafeteria. Take a seat, everyone should be arriving soon." Hunter motioned towards one of the cleaner chairs in the pile and sat in one next to mine. We both grabbed a lunch tray and stocked up on whatever foods they were serving. We both waited for a few minutes before the old gang walked in, showing no sign of the fact that I left for almost a semester. They walked in as if I've been here the whole time. The first ones to arrive were Rose and Lucas, then Bryce and Cyndil. All of them haven't changed a bit expect for the slightest change in clothing fashion or hair color. Cyndil had a tiny serpent hiding on the corners of his neck from a tattoo I guess he's gotten. Besides that, everyone was the same as always. We were still missing one member.
"Juggie you're back!" A girl yelled, darting from the entrance of the cafeteria over to me. She motioned for Hunter to switch to another seat before she sat down and grinned. "Hey Ruby, long time no see. I see you've changed your hair up a bit." I motioned towards her hair, which seemed lighter and less tangled.
Ruby stroked her hair and grinned. "Well my hair was a little too emo for my taste, so I dyed some blond highlights to contrast with my black hair. I might be a Serpent student at heart, but I don't need to have such an obvious appearance!" She smiled. I grinned back.
"She's even been doing well at school. Surprisingly she's stopped harassing the teachers and she even stopped sneaking off during lunch time to do the unspeakable. Ever since you left she doesn't even qualify as a Serpent anymore!" Rose informed me, nudging her arm at Ruby's. Ruby swatted her arm away and chuckled. "Well maybe I should go away more often!" I joke.
"No!" Ruby yells, startling everyone at the table. "I-I mean you shouldn't leave again Juggie. Maybe if you stay, we can all hang out like we used to. Plus, everyone would be devastated if you left!" She slumped down onto her seat and frowned.
"Calm down Ruby. I'm not going anywhere, plus, what would any of you do without me?" I asked. I stole a couple fries from Bryce's plate. He frowned but chuckled afterwards. "What about his girlfriend? Wouldn't she be upset about you being here and not in her tender arms?" Bryce teased, making Ruby punch him in the arm. She chuckled and placed her hands back on her lap. I cleared my throat. Bryce jabbed me in the shoulder with his fork. I swatted him away and changed the subject.
"So Ruby, do you think you'll be able to keep those grades up now that I'm here?" I asked her. She looked at me and smiled. When I took a moment to examine, I realized her features seemed to be more softer than the last time I saw her. When we first met she was a little egocentric and her appearance gave you the impression to leave her alone. She had the worst grades out of the whole gang and she never brushed her hair, so it was always in a tangled mess. Though she was harsh all the time, she had a softer side that she shared whenever she was in a state of crisis. We never told everyone else, but we've known each other as long as my dad's been a Serpent. Surprisingly we've become close and I can always crash at her family's house whenever I ran away from my house. She was the second person who came to console me whenever my family was torn apart.
The first person was Betty.
I shook my head and decided to put all those thoughts aside. If I'd known better, her personality now would've reminded me of someone else.
When I'm awoken by Lucas from my dream-like state, I'm greeted by the blushed look of Ruby's face. I realized I've been staring at her the whole time. "O-Oh I'm so sorry Ruby, I was just day-dreaming!" I told her. She nodded and tilted her head to the ground while covering her mouth with her hand. Everyone at the table looked at us while biting their lip.
"Just kiss already!" Hunter exclaimed, hitting the back of his chair with so much force he knocked himself over onto the ground. Everyone laughed and thankfully forgot about the whole situation as a whole. While everyone chatted with each other, I glanced over at Ruby to see her looking at me.
"Hey Juggie, what will your girlfriend think about this whole transferring thing. You don't want to leave her without knowing the consequences. Won't she be angry?" She asked. I sighed and answered the question with half of the truth. "It's fine. She'd probably not even notice or care I'm gone. To tell the truth, I don't care what she thinks anymore."
Ruby sighed along with me but her eyes sparkled. She didn't seem to feel the same grief I was feeling, but she probably didn't understand the circumstances. "I'm sorry Juggie. Maybe you should move on and meet someone new. Maybe someone who'd likes you too and can understand you on a deep and personal lev-"
Suddenly there was a crash in the halls. I stood up to investigate but Ruby shoved me back down. I looked up at her and she was glaring at the door. "I knew this was going to happen" She whispered, stomping all the way to the hallway. The next things I heard were more smashing and a seemingly heavy body lurching to the wall. I ran to the hallway to see Ruby darting to the front door with her fists in a tight struggle.
"Ruby! Wait!" I yelled, following her tracks to the front door. I only glanced slightly at the victim lying on the wall, but I couldn't make out any facial features as I was already halfway to the door. All I saw was one specific feature.
Pure, golden hair.