Abby and Archie were in the kitchen eating their cereal before school when their dad came in. "Hey, did you say anything to anybody about my medical bill? 'Cause, it's been paid, all $86,000. There was something called an angel donation."
"I didn't tell anyone. I know Sweet Pea wouldn't either." She shook her head.
"No. Well, I mean, Veronica, but she wouldn't..." He stopped when he realized that his girlfriend would ask her parents. "Yeah, I'll ask her…"
Fred cut him off. "No, I'll get to the bottom of it, you just focus on school. Haven't seen that guitar for a while." He nodded to the guitar case that was next to Archie's chair.
"Yeah, well, I've been busy. But I spent a lot of the break writing songs and I was thinking I would maybe start a band, like the Fred Heads." Archie teased getting a laugh from his sister and father.
"If you're gonna do that, do that in the garage. That's why I soundproofed it for you." Fred smiled. "I got your bowls, you can go to school." He looked at their empty bowls.
They thanked him while grabbing their things to go out the door and walk to school. "The Lodge must have paid for dad's hospital bill." Abby grips her backpack straps.
"I don't know." He shrugs.
"Come on, who is the only rich person that knows of our problem. If it's true, then tell her thanks for me." She turns to go to Tomoko's house.
Trev was at the basketball tryout. Tomoko and Abby were on the sidelines for support along with a few gawking girls since they were playing shirts and skins. "Students of Riverdale High, this is your principal speaking. Emails have been sent to your parents, but effective immediately, Southside High School is shut down. And its students will be transferred to other schools in the district, including this one. I believe the statement we're releasing will address your concerns and theirs. You should be receiving it shortly. I'm sure you have many questions." Weatherbee went on the intercom to announce. It put a stop to the game.
"Like what the hell?" Reggie ran a hand through his hair.
"But it goes without saying, we are welcoming these students with open minds, hearts, and arms." He warned them to behave.
"Sweet Pea will get the best welcoming of open legs." Tomoko nudged her friend.
"Shut up." Abby smiled widely at the thought of seeing her boyfriend more.
"Who knows maybe he'll get sent to another school?" They looked forward to seeing Reggie dribbling the ball in front of them. A few girls squeal at seeing his muscles flex up close.
Gene Belcher singing the snake song came from her phone. "Let's find out." She put him on speaker.
"Hey, I just heard your school got shut down. Where are you going?" She asked.
"I'll be walking your fine ass to all your classes from now on." He said. She could hear loud cheering in the background. She took him off the speaker. She shot Reggie a smug look before walking out of the gym.
"What about Fangs and Toni?" She asked about their friends.
"They're coming to Riverdale too. Jughead included. Can't wait to walk down those hallways with you on my arm. Letting all those bulldog scums know you're mine. Especially that dumb dough bag." He felt like luck was finally on his side. He was going to a better school where his girlfriend was. If he got to beat up a few bulldogs then that was a big bonus.
"Why don't you tattoo Sweet Pea's property on my forehead?" She rolled her eyes.
He was about to say he could get that done when Fangs took the phone from him. "Guess who is coming to your school?"
"I didn't know, but I heard it has Fangs." She smiled.
"Damn right it does, baby." He let out an excited yell that made her hold the phone away from her ear until it was over.
Sweet Pea snatched his phone back. "How are they taking the news over there?"
"As if they were told that actual demons were coming?" She looked around at everyone whispering to each other in panic. Cheryl was storming down the hall screaming no way.
"Oh, scared little Northsiders." He cooed.
"They'll get over it." She shrugs.
"They'll have to." He smirks.
Abby put dinner on the table. Archie was sitting there gloomy as ever. "Well, that is one mystery solved." Fred came in to sit down.
"What?" Abby sat down to put some rice and chicken stir fry on her plate.
"It was Hiram and Hermione who paid my hospital bill." He put some food on his plate.
"Dad, you can't accept that money." Archie looked at his father with worry in his eyes.
"I already did." He sighs.
"What did you give them?" Abby asked, knowing her dad was a proud man.
"I horse-traded 20 percent of Andrews Construction and covered the 86 grand. It's a pretty good deal." He got up to grab a can of beer.
"What? Dad, no." Archie's eyes followed him as he sat back down at the table.
"Son, I can't take out another mortgage on the house. Lodges will let me buy it back, piece by piece. We're good." He told them of the deal he made.
"That just puts us in deeper with them." Archie had to keep his father far from the Lodges.
"They just bailed me out of a jam. What's the problem?" Fred asks.
Archie went silent before shaking his head. "Nothing, I just don't want to mix business with pleasure."
"I can see why that puts you in an awkward position, but don't worry I'm going to pay them back." He assured his son.
"What does that mean until you do?" She asked.
"That, I have to play nice with them for a little while. I'm already doing that project with them, so it won't make that much of a difference." Fred shrugs.
"I guess that's true." She nods. They didn't realize the turmoil that was going on Archie's head about working with the FBI agent to save his dad from the Lodges.
Abby was standing behind the welcome table with Veronica, Archie, and Kevin. She was surprised when Veronica asked if she wanted to join in welcoming the Southsiders to Riverdale High. It made sense when she explained that she knew what it's like being the new kid that had a bad stigma attached to them. Abby agreed to help out, which stopped her from going to the celebration that Serpents had about going to a better school. She hadn't seen them since the announcement was made.
She bounced in excitement as the group clad in leather came around the corner. "Friends. On behalf of the students and faculty here at Riverdale High, welcome to your new school! To ease this transition, I've set up a registration desk where you can get your locker assignments, class schedules, and a list of sports and extracurriculars. We encourage each and every one of you to drink deeply from the cup that is fair Riverdale." Veronica smiled sweetly.
"Stand down, Eva Peron!" Cheryl came down the stairs with the bulldogs and vixens.
"There's the school spirit I so fondly remember." Jughead stared at the reasons he was more than happy to go to the Southside.
"Cheryl, stop it. You can't bully them into dropping out." Abby knew the best way to handle Cheryl was to distract and redirect, then come back to the conversation when she wasn't in combat mode.
"Yeah, no one invited Fascist Barbie to the party." Veronica steps between them to glare at the intruder. Abby sighs, knowing she was waving the flame that was Cheryl's rage.
"Wrong, Veronica, no one invited Southside scum to our school. Listen up, Ragamuffins. I will not allow Riverdale High's above-average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So please, do us all a favor, and find some other school to debase with your hardscrabble ways." Cheryl gave them a smile that said go fuck yourselves.
"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" Toni charged forward.
"Happily, Queen of the Buskers." Cheryl met her halfway. Fangs, Sweet Pea, and Jughead move to stand behind Toni when they see the Bulldogs go to back up Cheryl.
Abby got between the girls. "Cheryl, you're a lady. Ladies don't fight." She made her freeze. Cheryl was stuck between wanting to keep her classy image and taking her frustration out on the pink-haired girl. "Toni, you don't want to be getting into fights on school grounds. Here, you don't get thrown out for the day. You are going to get detention or suspension." Toni nods. She wasn't about to let anyone ruin this opportunity to get a better education.
Abby felt proud of herself for putting out the fire and then Archie spoke. "Okay guys, everyone, can we just put our Northside-Southside differences aside and start over?"
Reggie shook his head, "A new slate? Mmm. You don't speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews. And need I remind you, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass."
"Happy to finish what was started." Sweet pushed past Toni to try to get at Reggie but Fangs and Jughead grabbed him.
"God, I am so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now," Veronica shouts.
Weatherbee was roaming the hall, knowing something like this might happen. "Alright. That's enough pomp and circumstance. Everyone, let's get to class. Now." He glares at them to clear out.
"Come on." Abby grabs the class schedules. They follow her into the Blue and Gold. She hands out the schedules. "Listen, you were all excited to come here for a better education. For a better shot at your future. Don't let those bratty assholes, I'm including the authority figures of this place, take that from you. If you react to them then they're getting what they want. They want you to drop out or get expelled. Why give them what they want?" She knew their frustration but it wasn't worth acting on it.
"You're right." Toni nodded. "I'm not going to let a girl who has every door open to her, close my only one."
"Same." Fangs agreed, along with everyone else. Jughead gives them a tour of the school, leaving Sweet Pea and Abby.
"You know, I only have this problem with the jockstrap because of you. Hung up on you after a few dates, the guy is sad." He wraps his arm around her shoulders as they walk down the hall.
"Excuse you, I'm worth getting hung up on. And Reggie is Reggie, he has to prove he's alpha no matter what." She didn't think Reggie felt anything for her. He just likes getting under people's skin.
"And yet you went out with him. Look around at the guys here, I can see why you throw yourself at me." He snickers as he looks around.
"If I remember correctly, you waited around my job and used the excuse of studying to ask me out." She scoffs.
"If I remember correctly, the first time you met me you stared at me like I was the eighth wonder of the world." He smirked at her shocked face. "What, you didn't think I would figure it out?" He leaned down to give her a peck before going into his first period.
Sweet Pea was sitting in the student lounge with Abby on his lap and the other Serpents around them. He had to say he could get used to this. These chairs were better than the ones they had at the Whyte Wyrm. "I don't think we've properly met. Veronica Lodge." She came over to introduce herself to the group.
"Of the Park Avenue Lodges." Jughead stuck his pinky up as he ate a Dorito.
"Toni. Topaz." She shook the rich girl's hand.
"Oh, like the purple-colored gemstone. Love it." She smiles.
"And I'm Josie McCoy. Formerly of the Pussycats, now just Josie. And this is Kevin." She introduces herself and her friend.
Fangs look over at him, recognizing the name. "What's your name?" Kevin asked, feeling his stare.
"Fogarty. Or you can call me Fangs. Your last name's Keller, right?" He pointed a red vine at him.
"How did you know that?" Kevin tilts his head.
"Joaquin and I used to hang out. He talked about you all the time." Fangs told him. Kevin gave a small nod at his ex being mentioned.
Weatherbee came in and pointed at them. "You guys! Yes, you, come with me. Now!" They got up to follow him out to the hall to see a snake spray-painted over the Riverdale Crest that was on the floor. "Which of you defaced our school seal with this graffiti?"
"This is what they do, Principal Weatherbee. They tag their turf." Reggie pointed at the ground.
"My God, Reggie, could you be any more transparent?" Veronica shook her head in disbelief.
Reggie nods his head. "Mr. Weatherbee, Reggie just nodded his head. I think that is a sign of guilt for this sad setup. And this is the Serpent snake, it has two heads. That one has only one." She pointed at the tattoo on her boyfriend's neck.
The Principal wasn't having any of it. "Effective immediately, no gang behavior of any kind will be tolerated at my school. As of this moment, no more Serpent jackets." He ordered.
"What?" Sweet Pea yelled.
"Are you kidding me?" This is why Jughead hated Riverdale High, the adults were so stupid they couldn't see an obvious setup.
"No more Serpent jackets! All tattoos are gonna be covered. Possession of any gang paraphernalia whatsoever will lead to immediate suspension. Are we clear?" He glares. Reggie stood smugly beside him, nodding his head. The Serpents glared at both of them before turning to walk away.
After school, the Serpents and Abby went to the Whyte Wyrm. She and Sweets were playing on the old arcade machine of Mortal Kombat. He was playing Scorpion while she was Sonya Blade.
Jughead was ranting and raving in the back. "I can't believe you guys don't even see it. Weatherbee is profiling us. Telling us what to wear. What's next? Brain implants controlling what we think?"
"Jughead, you sound like a crazy conspiracy nut. A school closed down." Toni had enough of his complaining.
"A crappy school." Sweets smirk when Scorpion slammed Sony into the ground. Abby cursed, they were tied and this fight determined the winner.
"Yeah, and now we're at a better one. One that has a computer lab and textbooks." She lists.
"And toilets that flush." Sweets added.
"Getting transferred to Riverdale High is the best thing that could have happened." Toni knew Jug had bad blood over there, but for the rest of them, it was a fresh start.
"Maybe ever." Sweet kept his eyes on the machine.
"So, if I have to take off my jacket from 8:30 to 3:00, Monday through Friday, I'm down with that." She lifted her glass in the air. Jughead scoffed, shaking his head as he walked away.
"Get over here." Scorpion throws his kunai spear into Sonya's chest to draw her closer and do his finish move.
"Fucking hell." Abby resisted the urge to kick the machine.
"Come here." Sweet copied Scorpion's other saying as he used his long arms to pull her against him. He leaned down to give her a kiss. He found her losing pout adorable. It's why he likes beating her in games.
"Oh, hey, guys, what's up?" Jughead walks into the student lounge the next day wearing his Sperent jacket. Abby shook her head at his stubbornness.
"Take it off. Take off that jacket, Rat Boy." Reggie got up to confront him.
"Oh, Reggie. I don't think you know what this jacket means. Because you have no sense of honor. Or history, or loyalty." Jughead got into his face.
"That's it." Reggie shoved him back. Fangs and Sweet Pea ran over there to get Reggie off him when two other bulldogs got up. It turns into three separate fights going on at the same time.
Mr. Weatherbee came in with Veronica to shut it down and take them into the office. "You all have a week's detention for fighting." He told them before turning to Jughead. "But I made myself clear to you, Mr. Jones. Take off that jacket, right now, or you're suspended."
"Please, Jughead, just…" Veronica pleads with him.
"Then I guess I'm suspended." He walks out of the office.
"Always the martyr." Abby rolled her eyes.
Abby was waiting outside the principal's office because the Serpents got called in. After Jughead's suspension the day before, she was nervous. She jumped when Fangs threw the door open and stormed out. He ignored her calling his name. The rest of the Serpent slowly came out of the office. "What did he do to Fangs?" She went to go into the office but Sweet stopped her.
"Weatherbee gave us appropriate uniforms to wear since we can't afford appropriate clothes. He wants to help us fit in." Toni held up a paper bag. Abby looked around to see that everyone had a bag.
"What? This school doesn't have uniforms." She tilts her head.
"For us there is. Fangs flipped out, said he wasn't going to dress like an idiot when no one else had to. He got suspended." Sweet Pea explains.
"That bullshit. I want to talk to him." She tried to go inside but Sweet Pea wouldn't let her go. "Weren't you the one that said, we can't react to these assholes including authority figures? He wants to make it inconvenient for us to go here, fine. He's going to have to do a lot more than taking my jacket and giving me a dumb uniform to get me out of here." He took her words to heart yesterday. Reacting was letting them win. He would show them when he was on the graduation stage with the rest of them.
"Come on, we got to change." Toni led them to the locker rooms.
Abby waited outside. She complimented everyone when they came out. Sweet Pea was the last one out. He was grumpier than ever in a white long sleeve turtleneck, blue polo shirt over it with the Riverdale crest over the heart, tan slacks, and a brown belt. "Don't say anything." He saw his girlfriend's shit-eating grin.
"What, I'm just thinking that we can do a lot with this?" She shrugs.
"What? Gets swirlies because that's what it feels like I'm being set up for." He sneers.
"No, a role play idea." She put her hands behind her back and swayed from side to side.
"Yeah, like what?" He steps closer to her and waves his hand to let his friend know to go. Toni rolled her eyes but led them away.
"Like you could be the innocent private schoolboy and I could be the bad girl that corrupts you." She wraps her arms around his waist.
"You think you can take charge like that." He was the one that guided things in the bedroom.
"I'm more than capable." She yanks him down by the turtle-neck to pull him into a rough kiss.
"Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the Swords and Serpents Club." Jughead had gathered them in a classroom to make an announcement.
"Which is what, exactly?" Toni asked.
"Like I told Fogarty to lure him back to dear ol' Riverdale, we are a gaming group. Sanctioned by Mr. Weatherbee, himself. Where like-minded students can meet and concoct world-building, role-playing scenarios, inhabiting fantastical heroes and dispatching mythological creatures." He peeled an orange.
"No, but really?" Toni leaned forward.
"It's a club for us. A safe haven where we can be Serpents, during school hours and under everyone's noses. We're not shedding our skins. We're lying low, in the tall grass." Jughead smirks at having solved their problems of Riverdale trying to make them conform.
Abby shoved Sweet Pea into the rolling office chair in her room. "I don't know about this, I told my parents I would be home already." He looked at her with what would appear to be panic in his eyes. After doing this a few times, he was better about staying in character. Unlike on Halloween where he just had the costume on.
"Don't worry, I'll make whatever punishment they give you worth your while." Abby put a knee on either side of his legs, so she could kneel on the chair to be face to face with him.
"I'm not sure..." She cut him off with a kiss. She lowered herself to grind on his lap as she took her shirt and bra off. She grabbed his hands to put them on her breasts. He gasped like it was the first time he ever touched them. "Go ahead and squeeze them."
She dropped her hands, Sweets did what he was told. The chair under them was moving slowly, not that either was paying attention. "It's starting to hurt." He whines as his hard dick begged to be free.
"Your whine is so hot." She whispers in his ear. The wind blows making them both shiver. She turned her head to the window to see a thin blonde male standing in Polly's window that was across from hers. She let out a scream and in a panic threw herself back making her fall off the chair. She hissed in pain from hitting her head on the ground.
"Shit, what happened?" Sweet kneels down beside her.
"I saw a man watching from Polly's window." She pointed to her own window.
"What?" He got up to look out the window. He shut it and closed the curtains. "No one's there now. That's Betty's house, right?" He went to help her up.
"Yeah." She nods.
"Who was it? Her dad? Have you caught him peeping before?" He was ready to go over there and kick the crap out of him.
"No, I don't know. I have never seen him before." She sat down on her bed, feeling vulnerable that a stranger saw her tits.
"I'm going to go over there and find out who." He stood up for her to pull him back down.
"You can't, it's the middle of the night. Can you stay? Just cuddling those. I'm sorry." She didn't think she could get those cold blue eyes out of her head to continue their role play.
"You don't have to be sorry." He strips down to his boxers before laying in bed. "I'm going to have to wear that uniform for a while, we'll get another chance."
She took off her jeans and put on a cotton sports bra before joining him in bed. "I love you, Sweet Pea." She snuggled into his arms feeling safe.
"I love you too, Abigail." He wraps his arms around her to be the big spoon.