Cheryl surveyed the girls, her expression unreadable.

"Vixens." She addressed. "If you perform that way tomorrow, we are going to rock this game!"

They cheered in response as they gathered up their belongings, heading towards the locker room to change.

Veronica glanced over her shoulder to look for Betty, and found her several steps behind, engrossed in a conversation with the newest member of the squad, she still couldn't believe Cheryl had invited a Serpent to be a Vixen, Toni, the irritation and worry clear in her eyes.

She fell back to ease drop.

"I'm sorry, Betty." Toni whispered. "Really, I am, but I can't tell you."

Tell her what? Veronica wondered.

"Toni, if he's going to do something stupid..."

"He's always doing something stupid." She replied, and the two girls shared a small smile.

Veronica's lips formed a thin line.

Normally, she was not the possessive type, at least, not when it came to her friends, but Betty was her best friend, the one person she could tell everything to, there were no secrets between then, though Betty had not been around much lately, skipping out on group outings, hardly ever answering her phone. When Veronica did see her, it was like her mind was elsewhere, and she was starting to wonder if her mindlessness had anything to do with the Serpents ring leader, the former best friend of Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones.

No matter how hard Betty tried to deny it, she had seen the two those two looked at one another in the hallways, or across the diner at Pop's.

She didn't understand it. At all.

But she wanted to. She wanted Betty to open up to her, to tell her what, if anything, was going on between her and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, she wanted to talk about Jason, she was beginning to suspect that her golden haired best friend had yet to grieve over the Blossom boy's death, she wanted to talk about anything Betty wanted to talk about.

Veronica just wanted her friend back.

"I just..."

"You worry about him?" Toni guessed, grinning. "You two have more in common than you think."

Betty raised an eye brow. "Juggie worries about me?"

She adjusted the weight of her gym bag against her shoulder. "Don't look so surprised, Cooper."

"I just..." Betty shook her head. "After everything that's happened..."

Toni reached out to touch her arm, the gentleness in her surprising even Veronica. Weren't Serpents supposed to be cold, blood thirsty gang bangers?

That's what Reggie had always told her when she asked.

"If he can forgive and forget, then maybe you should too."

Forgive? Veronica thought angrily. What does B have to be sorry for? She did nothing wrong!

She only knew what Archie had told her, that himself, Betty and Jughead had grown apart during their first semester of high school, with Archie and Betty taking their rightful places in Riverdale High's inner circle.

Growing bored of ease dropping, Veronica stalked forward, catching hold of Betty's hand.

"Excuse us!" She sang, no apology laced in her tone.

"V!" Betty protested warily. "I was talking to Toni."

"And now." Veronica replied, throwing open the locker room door. "You're talking to me."

"Veronica." She sighed, pulling her arm free.

The raven haired girl frowned. "You never talk to me anymore, B, and anyway, why would you wanna hang around with a Serpent when you can hang out with us?"

"Maybe because she's nice?" Betty shot back, her eyes narrowing. "Maybe because I like hanging out with her?"

Veronica couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Betty, she's-"

"What do you even know about the Serpents, V?" She challenged.

"B-"

"We're all so... Judgmental." Betty hissed, her teeth clenched. "Towards the Serpents, towards everyone who doesn't play football, or wear this stupid uniform!"

"Betty." Veronica scolded.

The door swung open again.

Toni entered, her expression unreadable, but Veronica knew she had heard every word.

"B." Cheryl echoed, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "Take it down a notch, sweetie, before you make a scene."

"Shut up, Cheryl." She snarled.

The Vixen captain managed to keep her composure, studying their blonde friend for a few moments as she decided what to do.

"You're stressed." Cheryl observed.

That was true; between school, homework, practices, games and trying to run the Blue and Gold by herself, it seemed like Betty didn't have any free time, for her friends, or for the essential things, eating, sleeping. She hadn't sat with them in days, spending her lunch hour bent over her laptop in the office, attempting to perfect her latest editorial.

Veronica would have been lying if she said she wasn't worried; they all were, but they knew better than to push her.

Betty exhaled through her nose.

"I know just what you need, babe." Cheryl told her. "I think we could all use it. Sleepover at my house, tomorrow night after the game!"

The Vixen's in the locker room looked excited at the idea of getting to spend a night at Thornhill.

Cheryl smirked. "Sorry, my Vixen's, inner circle only."

More than half of their faces fell.

Cheryl turned to Toni. "Of course you're invited, Cha Cha."

"Cher." Veronica hissed.

"Veronica." Betty warned.

"Me?" Toni asked, looking surprised. "Oh... Um... Thanks, but slumber parties really aren't my thing."

"Yes, sweetie, I know." Cheryl replied, tossing her hair. "But you're one of us now."

"Cher." Betty scolded, casting the Serpent an apologetic glance. "Toni, you don't have to come if you don't want to, but... It would be really great to have you there."

"B." Veronica whined.

Whose side was she on, anyway?

"I'll think about it." Toni said finally.

Betty didn't bother to change out of her uniform, instead pulling her knapsack from her gym locker. She didn't spare any of them a glance as she stormed out into the hallway.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Veronica had no idea why her best friend was suddenly coming to the defense of a Northsider's greatest enemy, but she was going to find out.

Soon.