Chapter Fourteen

Betty

I look over to Jug.

"I am so dead," I say with wide eyes. He grabs my arm and wraps his around mine, almost as if he is sure that he can keep himself close enough to me to protect me from my mother. I appreciate it but I am not sure even he can do that.

"Elizabeth Cooper! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR FACE?" she demands. I look to Jug but he is no help. His face is just as scared as mine. I realize that we are going to have to face this at some point. I try not to form my hands into fists. I can't scare him anymore than he already is. I squeeze his hand and then step in front of him.

"Let's take this outside. They have work to do and once I explain everything, I am going to go back to doing that work with them, mom," I tell her.

"Get outside, right now," she demands.

I grab Jug's hand and pull him outside. We stop on their porch, closing the door behind us. I stand right in front of him as my mother crosses her arms over her chest and girts her teeth together.

"Explain, Betty. Now. And I don't want to hear a peep from Mr. crown hat over there," she says.

"First, calm down. Don't be rude to Jughead, Mom. He told me not to do it. He tried to stop me. But there is no point in lying to you," I say.

"Betty, no," I hear behind me. Jughead doesn't want me to say anything. I can understand it. It's terrifying. But I have to tell her. Plus, I think she might already know what is going on. When I tell her, she is not going to be surprised.

"It's okay, Jug," I assure. I squeeze his hand again and then take a deep breath. I make myself focus on explaining what happened and then dealing with the aftermath later. "I can do this. I can tell her."

"Now, Elizabeth."

I take a step closer to her and nod.

"Fine," I agree. "Let me say the entire thing and then ask your questions."

She nods. I'll take it.

"There is ritual that the serpents do when they join called the gauntlet." I can see her trying to interrupt me but she decides that she shouldn't. I am not going to tell her anything if she is not going to let me talk. "Serpents of around the same age as the new comer stand in two lines on either side of the new comer. Then the new serpent walks through them and each one gives one hit to them."

"You joined the serpents?" she asks with a face so angry that I think about backing up. I put my hand on Jug's arm. I pull him back a little bit. I think he might have to run if she comes at us. I know she will hurt him more than me.

"Yes, mom. I did," I say.

"What were you thinking? You can't make those same mistakes, Betty! You are not allowed to be anywhere near them! I forbid it! You are going to stay as far away from Jughead as you can! I don't even want you talking to them anymore! This is over, Betty! Over!"

I wait until she is done with her speech to speak back to her. I take a deep breath and feel Jug shaking behind me.

"There's more," I whisper.

She looks behind me and then down my body. Her face is angry but I know she is scared. I can see right through her. She doesn't want to admit that she is scared for me. she walked this road first. But she gave up on FP. She never gave him the chance to prove himself and his loyalty to her. She thought she was better than them.

"Are you pregnant?" she demands.

"No. No, of course not," I say. She looks relieved but also confused. Maybe she wishes that over what I am about to tell her. I can hear Jug sigh behind me. I squeeze him again. I don't want to look back at his terrified face.

"What is it then?" she demands.

"I'm not just a serpent. When FP retired from the serpents, he made Jug their king, their leader," I explain. I take a deep breath. This time I look back to Jug. He is scared, shaking even but I hold onto his hand with strength. I watch as he lets out a shaking breath and stares at my mother.

"When Jug became their king, I didn't want him to work alone. I am not just a serpent, Mom. I'm—"

"You're their queen," she says with a frown and a trembling lip. I bite my lip and just nod. She knows already. I don't know how she knew that but I am glad that I didn't have to tell her. Jug steps in front of me.

"She's my queen, Mrs. Cooper. This gauntlet was a one-time thing. I tried to tell her not to do it but all of the serpents trust her now. They are going to protect her with their lives. The more time she spends with me, the safer she is from anyone else," he says. His voice is strong and brave. I feel proud of him.

"Safer? Jughead! You let my daughter be fumbled by your so-called friends!" she shouts.

"I know it sounds bad, Mom. I promise that he did not want me to do it. I wanted them to trust me and I knew that this would get their trust. He took care of me after. Someone had to hold him back so that he wouldn't pull me out of the line-up."

"It's true," he says. "I never wanted her to do that. But I promise from now on she is protected by us. By all of us. They respect her and they know to take orders from her. We are working together now."

My mom is not convinced. Her face is angry and scared all at the same time. I make sure to stay close to Jughead as she wraps her mind around this strange event. I don't know how much time passes before she finally breathes and then nods. She looks like she might even accept it but I know that is not going to happen.

"Betty, you are not to see a serpent again. You are not to be near Jughead and I…I'm transferring you to a new school."

"Whoa! Mom. That's a little dramatic," I say.

"No. Betty. It is not. You deserve this. You are going to thank me later. Please, Betty. Just listen to your mother. Come home with me and we can let all of this behind us. I will even show you how to cover that up!" she says with a smile.

"Mom, that's crazy!" I shout.

"It doesn't matter, Mrs. Cooper!" Jughead shouts.

"It certainty—"

"No, it doesn't. No matter where Betty goes or what she does, she is a serpent for life now. No matter where you send her, the serpents will find her and they will bring her in as one of their own. She is one of us now, Mrs. Cooper. It's permanent." He is trembling when his eyes waver back to me. "Show her, Betty."

"Show me what?" mom asks.

I nod to him and lift my shorts, turning to the side so that she can see the big green serpent tattoo on the side of my thigh.

Her mouth drops and her eyes go wide. She looks shocked but also terrified. Her eyes become sad and I can almost see the tears in them. I did not mean to scare her. I did not mean to make her feel like this. But she gave us no choice.

"Tell me that isn't real, Elizabeth," she says.

"It's real, mom." I pause. "My serpent jacket is at Jughead's. Ask any of them, they will tell you who their queen is. I am proud to be a serpent, to help them, to support them and to be there for my boyfriend. They need a woman's touch, mother. They have one now. I am not going anywhere."

She looks like she might cry right before she runs from the porch and back to our house. I don't follow her. I don't even call after her. I have nothing left to say to her. Jughead grabs my hands and turns me around. He pulls me close to his chest and lets my head fall on him. I allow myself to feel comfort in his arms.

"I love you," he whispers in a soft, quiet voice.

"I love you too," I assure.

"Why do I feel like we just dodged a bullet?" he asks.

The door to their house opens. I turn to the side and find Archie standing in the doorway. He looks to me and then back to Jug.

"Why did I just hear your mom ask if that was real? Is what real?" he asks. "Why did she leave like that?"

"Spoke to soon," Jug mutters behind me.

I turn to the side and pull my shorts up a little. He looks the same: shocked. But then his face changes a little bit. It is enough that I am confused. He sniffles and then steps forward, holding out his hand.

"What?" I ask.

"This is permanent, isn't it?" he asks.

"Yes," I assure.

His hand is shaking but his face is strong and his body posture is official. I put my hand in his. I can feel Jug standing behind me.

"You promise to protect her, Jughead?" he asks.

"Of course."

"Come here," Archie says, pulling on my hand. I let him pull me into a hug. He needs a hug, not another argument. He doesn't need another trial to be a part of. He needs to be close to his friends.

"I need my friends," Archie says against me. I pull away just a little so that I can see his face. I feel Jughead's hand on my shoulder.

"You have them," I assure. Jug puts his hand on Archie's shoulder with a smile.

"Both of them," he assures.

"I can't believe my two best friends are serpents," he says, shaking his head.

"Believe it, Arch," I say. "Believe it."