Chapter Ten

Jughead

"That was basically hell," Archie says, leaning back in our famous booth at Pop's. He runs his hand over his face and then slips out of his jacket. I am glad that I never wore one before. It is way too hot out here.

"Basically. And it's not even close to over," I mumble.

"Jug," Betty warns, leaning into my side.

"I want to have fun. I want to have to a normal summer. That is all I wanted. I mean, why can't we just have a nice summer? Why can't we just hang out and be normal teenagers?" he asks, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. Veronica comes over with two milkshakes and sits next to him. He leans his head on his shoulder

"Maybe we can do something halfway normal around the trials," I suggest. Betty squeezes my hand under the table. I squeeze it back, looking to her with a side glance and then deciding that now is not the time to ask about whatever that was.

"Like what? We are working non-stop on this trial. We are never going to have enough time to do anything."

"We're never going to be okay long enough to do anything this summer. Plus, I really should be working here. I have so much to get ready for and so much to do before we open the Speak Easy. I have to keep this place going until then too," Veronica says.

Truthfully, I check out. I am no longer paying attention to anything they are talking about. I am vaguely aware that they are talking about when or how they would be able to have some fun. But I really don't think that there will be any hope for something like that.

"Jug," Archie says. I turn to him, snapping out of my daze of the trial and sitting up on that stand.

"You alright, man?" he asks.

"Yeah, sure," I agree. It sounds stupid but I know that it's fine. I should be fine. I am not the one on trial here. But I can't stop thinking about my dad sitting in the stands as I testified. I can't stop thinking about scared I was that I was going to say or do the wrong thing. It was terrifying. I can still feel it.

"Hey! Jughead!" someone shouts.

I turn to the voice. It's a gang member. One of Sweet Pea's friends. Cherry. He stands over all four of us but only looks at me. He is almost seething with anger. He stands with his arms over his chest. He is around our age, maybe a year older but in our grade. I don't know a lot about him other than he is a Serpent.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I just got a threat from one of the Ghoulies!" he shouts.

"What are you talking about? Dude, calm it down," I order him. He doesn't. I can see the anger on his face.

"What the hell is this?" Veronica asks.

"Maybe you should take this somewhere else, man," Archie says.

"You're going to let non-Serpents tell me what to do? What a great king. Thanks, man," he says, shrugging his shoulders and then puffing his chest out. I stand up and look him dead in the eyes.

"Don't talk to me like that," I tell him. "Calm down and just explain it to me from the beginning. Which Ghoulies? Where did it happen? And what the hell actually happened? I need it all."

He looks angry but then adjusts his jacket and puts his hands in his jean shorts pockets. He finally looks to me.

"Three Ghoulies asked me about our new leadership. I told them to back off. I was walking here from the South Side. They stopped at the edge of the bridge but they were harassing me the entire time."

"Harassing you how?" I ask.

"They threatened to hurt me. Then they were asking about you. Finally, I just told them that you were the king and I figured they would back off. They were talking behind me but they weren't talking to me anymore. I thought they would leave me alone."

Cherry leans his face to the side where I see a bright red mark on his temple. I tilt his head, touching it and then realizing how right and bruised around the edges. I feel Betty leaning toward us both.

"Seriously, maybe you two should take this outside," Archie says.

"We're just talking, Archie," I assure. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh this?" he asks and then looks over my shoulder. I turn to see what he is looking at and then I realize. Betty.

"They started asking me if you were the only one in charge or if I was taking orders from someone else now too. They said they heard about a ponytail in a jacket and asked if it was true. I ignored them because we all know that Betty being a serpent would piss Penny off. But Betty being the Queen? Oh, that's gonna give her hell."

"Wait a second. What the hell are you talking about?" Archie demands. "Betty! You're a Serpent?"

I turn around to the both of them and watch as Betty tilts her head down. She looks afraid but not at all ashamed. She tilts her head up and looks right to Archie.

"I'm not just a Serpent, Archie. I'm the Serpent Queen."

He looks bewildered and almost scared for her. I can tell that he is about to start an argument or tell her not to do it or something that she does not want to hear. But I am proud of her. I am so proud of her for standing up for herself but I am also happy that she wanted to stand up for it.

"Yeah and our queen had a giant red target on her back!" Cherry says.

"When I wouldn't tell them, they hit me. Then when they figured it out, they let me go and I told them."

"You told them about Betty being the queen?" I ask.

"We didn't hide it!"

"No. We didn't," I admit. I put my hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. We'll figure this out. Don't go anywhere without another Serpent. That's a new rule. If you have your jacket on, you have to be with someone else."

He nods but then glares behind me. I move away so that I can see exactly what he is staring at. It is Betty. He is still glaring at her with such confusion and remorse that I am starting to get angry with him.

The giant pile of confusion that is this situation is starting to make my head spin.

"Betty, you can't do that. That's so dangerous. Jughead was almost killed! Why did you think that you could join them and not be hurt? They are after you now, Betty. Is that what you wanted?" he asks.

"No, Archie. Don't even—"

"I've got it, Jug," she assures with a small smile. I nod, letting her look right at Archie and stand up for herself.

"I wanted to be a serpent, Arch. I can help them. I can protect Jug and he protects me. I was meant to do this."

"Then wears your tattoo? Most people around here don't even know you're a Serpent," Cherry says. "You act like you're one of us. We have to listen to what you tell us to do. You even stay with Jug. But not even one of your best friends knew you were? Come on, why should I have to listen to you if you aren't proud to be one?"

He is starting to piss me off. I can feel my body start to shake. I have not been in the best mood for anger recently. I don't like people talking about Betty. There is something so strong about it, I am practically crawling in my skin.

"I am," she assures.

"Then where is your tattoo? Where is your jacket? Why aren't you wearing it around the north side? Why are you hiding it from your friends?" he demands. I can't hold back that present anger anymore. I have to attempt to control it but my immediate reaction is hostility, despite what it should be.

"Hey!" I shout, grabbing his collar. "No matter your opinion about her, she is still your queen. You will treat her with respect, Cherry."

He holds his hands up. "I'm just saying, Jug."

"He's right, Juggie," Betty says.

"What?"

I drop his collar and look to her. She is nodding, looking more honest than I could imagine anyone being.

"I don't flaunt it the way I should. I am proud of it and I am not scared. I should get a tattoo," she says.

All I can do is smile. I can't hear the sound of Archie and Veronica arguing or the sound of Cherry telling me about his problems yet again. I give her a smirk and hold out my hand with just one thing to say, "Damn right you should."