"Are you feeling okay?" Sweet Pea stares at his girlfriend.
"I'm fine. No trouble breathing, no stiffness." She shook her arms.
"It seems like every female we know is having a seizure." The cheerleaders minus Cheryl fell to the ground yesterday. "They think it might be contagious. You hang around Toni all the time."
"Staring at me all day isn't going to stop it from happening." His constant hovering was getting on her nerves.
"If it happens I want to make sure you don't hit your head and get you to a hospital as fast as possible." He had his reason to be overprotective.
"You don't have to be a step away from me at all times. You scared the shit out of me last night when I was brushing my teeth. I turned around and you were this close." She separates her hands by an inch. She ends up spitting toothpaste all over him. When she saw his unconvinced face, she sighed. "At least make a noise when I don't know you're there."
"Deal." He nods.
Abby walks out of her room when she hears movement in Archie's room. She tilted her head when she saw a duffle bag next to his open door. "What are you doing?" She saw her dad packing a bag.
"I got a call from Glady, Jughead's mom. Archies there and I'm going to take him to a safe house." He told her.
"I want to come." She smiles.
"I don't know. It's dangerous. He's a wanted man." He didn't want her there if they got caught.
"Dangerous, living in Riverdale is dangerous." She took a deep breath to hold back her tears. "I want a chance to say goodbye to him."
"Honey, this is not goodbye. We'll see him again. We'll prove him innocent." He tried to convince himself and her.
"You don't know that." She looks at the door and remembers the other bag. "Are you planning on staying with him?"
"I want to but I don't think he'll want that. If he decides to let me, I'll stay with him." He admits.
She bit the side of her cheek. She knew Archie needed him more than her. But, she couldn't help the bitterness rising in her chest. It wasn't like she didn't have things going on with being the Gargoyle Goddess. "Okay, well, let me know." She ignored him calling her name to go to her room.
"Are you crying, mommy?" Tessie was sitting on the bed with Sweet Pea playing animal crossing.
"I got dust in my eye." She rubs her eye to make it more convincing. She was none the wiser when she looked back to the game. He stared at her, knowing she was lying.
It was late at night in the Andrew household, Tessie was sleeping in Archie's room. The teens were sitting in the living room. "Archie is a dummy. He has to worry about him. You are smart, think things through and you have two strong men. He knows you'll always be okay." Fangs tried to make her feel better.
She clicked her tongue like she ate something disgusting. "I just want ten percent of his concern. He has not asked about the game since throwing the mug… I know it's stupid and childish of me…" She was interrupted by their phones going off at the same time. They read that quarantine was being ordered on the town. There would be no exception. Food would be delivered by the government. "What the hell? What about work?" She needs to make money for Fang's mom.
"Don't worry." He said, even though the same thought went through his head.
"What?" She looks at him shocked.
"I can't keep depending on you. I will find a way." He kept his feelings to himself.
"But, the Serpent hasn't gotten any job offers." She pointed out.
"Yup, Jughead needs to step up. We're more than his foot soldiers when he needs help." Sweet Pea felt that Jug seemed to only remember he was their leader when he needed them. He didn't seem to realize that they needed him too.
"Shit, does this mean we are going to have to teach Tessie?" Fangs read through the announcement about remote learning.
"We?" She tilts her head. "I think we all know I'll be teaching her and you two."
"We are our tutor. You've kind of been slacking lately." Sweets tease.
"I'll be cracking the whip." She smacked his hand with the ruler that was on the table.
He got up to bend over in front of her. "Another please, mistress." He wiggles his butt.
"Oh, come on." Fangs went to the garage that was converted into his room. He was never so thankful that it was soundproof before.
It was five weeks before the quarantine was lifted. Now, they were able to go to school. "Did Fangs tell you how he made the money to pay for his mom's bill?" Abby asked Sweet Pea. He had been disappearing at odd hours and been suspiciously defensive when questioned.
"No," He shook his head. "But, he made a lot of money quickly, so I got ideas." He side-eyes the students gigging high off their asses.
"I don't like the idea of him dealing. What if one of these junkies decides to jump him or worse?" She leaned her head against the lockers. He rubs her back.
"No touching." The RROTC had been made into hall monitors that were enforcing strict new rules. This member seems to take a dislike to the Serpents.
"Calm down, I'm rubbing her back, not her clit." He glares.
"Sweet Pea." She blushes.
"You know touching is kept to a minimum." He had told them this rule before.
"As far as we know the 'illness' is only affecting females, so what does it matter if we're touching?" She put her hands on her hips.
"Rules are made for a reason. Just because it has been only females so far doesn't mean a male can't get it. If you two love each other then you wouldn't be risking the other." He gave them a superior glare before walking off.
"I want to dislocate his jaw." He cracked his knuckles.
"Hi," Betty walks up to them.
"Hi, it's been a while since I saw you." She noted.
"I was at the Sister's of Quiet Mercy." She informed us.
"What?" She was shocked at the news. But, when she thought about it, it made sense. Alice seemed to send her kids there when they gave her any trouble.
"I broke myself and all the teens out. They're deep in D&D. It's been a struggle to get them to see it as not real. They've been getting anxious about the Gargoyle King coming after them for leaving, so I was wondering if the goddess could visit them." She had been dealing with nightmares and anxiety attacks. They kept her up all night.
"Wouldn't that be playing into their fears?" He put his hands in his pockets.
"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." She pleads.
"Fine." As much as she hated playing the part, she felt like it was the least she could do after getting so much from it.
Betty opens the door to let Abby into her house. "Hi, guys." She stepped into the living room where a bunch of teens was sitting in a circle. "This is my friend, Abigail Andrews."
They got on their knees to do a full-body bow. "Praise the Goddess." They chanted.
"Make them stop." She whispers to Betty.
"She's here to hang out, you don't have to bow." She pushes Abby to sit on the couch. She went around the group introducing them.
"So, did the King die?" Hannah asked.
"He hasn't contacted me." She was uncomfortable being in the room with so many people that believed the game was real.
"Did you want anything? Water, soda, cookies." Tyler offered.
"I'm fine, thank you." She nods.
"You are as beautiful as they say." He stares.
"Thank you." She couldn't think of what to say. What does a goddess say? Should she play into it or show them that she wasn't so maybe they would realize the game wasn't real.
"Can I massage your shoulders? You seem tense." Hannah didn't want her to be uneasy.
"I wouldn't want to make you work." She tries to decline nicely. She didn't want to directly reject them and make them panic that the goddess was upset with them. A peer gave himself a concussion when she rejected his car keys. He slammed his head into the lockers.
"I want to." She got up to massage her shoulders.
"I'll get your feet." Tyler took off her shoes and socks. Soon, she found herself being fed cookies, fanned, and praised for being so nice to let them serve her.
Jughead called a Serpent meeting. "Alright, Serpents, it's come to my attention that one of us has been dealing Frizzle Rocks. Slinging dope is not what Serpents do. So from this moment on, we're going clean. There'll be no selling or doing drugs. No crime of any kind will be tolerated. Anyone that breaks the Serpent code will be exiled. Permanently." He sat in a recliner with his father and girlfriend behind him.
"I think it's pretty ridic that you vanish for a month on some vision quest with your bestie, only to return and lecture us about responsibility." Cheryl wasn't having it.
"We got no money coming in, Jug. I mean, how are we supposed to eat, survive?" Fangs stood up.
"We'll figure it out and get back to you, Fangs," FP spoke up when Jughead didn't.
Abby cleared her throat. "Well, then I say this rule should not be enforced until you come up with something. Bills don't care about your situation. You can't ask people to stop doing what they need to do if you can't have an alternative."
"Abby, you're not a Serpent so why are you here?" Jughead didn't need people questioning him.
"Okay, then I'll take the words from her mouth for my own." Toni backs her up.
"Hey, In unity, there is strength." FP put his hand up in the air to make fangs
"In unity, there is strength." They repeated.
"Come, Abby." FP nods to his trailer.
"She is not a Serpent, she doesn't have to listen." Sweet Pea didn't know what the consequence would be for her speaking out of turn. Everyone looked at him in shock, he had never gone against FP before.
"It's fine." She followed him and Jughead into the trailer.
"Who is breaking the law? Cheryl, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni?" He asked once the doors were closed.
"Being a gang is kind of a crime in itself." She sat down on the chair.
Fangs busted in the door. "Don't grill her. It was me."
"Why the hell would you admit to that?" She stood up. "It's not like they would touch me."
"Abby, I'm a man who pays for the consequences of his actions." He knew she wouldn't say anything but what if they banned her from the gang. It would be easy seeing that she wasn't a part of them.
She pulled him down so she could whisper. "Whatever happens, you have a home with me." She walks out of the trailer.
Jughead called for another meeting. Abby was nervous, the last one almost got Fangs kicked out. She was happy that they understood his situation. Jughead stood in the middle of the circle of Serpents. "Serpents, earlier today, I brokered a deal. I got us a paid gig. From here on out, we'll be working security detail for Veronica Lodge, her speakeasy, and her employees."
"Long live the Serpents! Whoo!" Sweet Pea shouted. The crowd cheered.
"Settle down. I know it's good news for a change, but I've also gathered us here for less celebratory reasons. Cheryl, Toni, come up here." He waved for them.
"Excuse me? What did we do?" Cheryl held Toni's hand.
"You broke into the Lodge apartment and stole a Glamourge egg." He called her out.
"So what if we did?" She stood up.
"Well, more than that, you left your calling card, attaching yourself, and by extension, all of the Serpents to your crime." He was sick of her selfish acts. If Toni wasn't directly effective then Cheryl would do what she wants, damn if anyone else suffers.
"I'm not afraid of Lodge. What's he gonna do, call the sheriff? Oh, right, there is no sheriff." She mocks.
"Cheryl, that's not the point. You broke the code. Turn in your jackets and go." He held his hand out.
"Are you serious, Jones? I'm a Serpent by blood. You can't take that away from me." Toni glares with tears in her eyes.
"You hypocrite. You give your drug-dealing buddy Fangs a pass but you crucify us?" Cheryl pointed at him. Fangs put his head in his hands.
"And in case you were wondering how we know, Fangs told Sweet Pea, who told me." Toni let it be known she had a good source.
"Who told me, if you're asking for our jackets, shouldn't you be asking for his as well?" Cheryl crossed her arms.
When Jug turned to him, Abby jumped between them. "It's completely different. Fangs haven't been dealing since the rule was made. While you two did the crime the night the rule was made."
Jughead's eyes light up when he realizes she was right. "Well, ladies give me your jackets." He turned back to them.
"Abigail." Cheryl couldn't believe she did that. She hoped that Jug would back down and they all got to keep their jackets. She wasn't trying to get Fangs kicked out.
Abby was pissed. It was clear that Jughead was trying to prove he wouldn't take any shit. She saw Jughead's eyes, it would hurt him but he would throw Fangs out as a warning to others. "Fuck off. You knew Fangs were dealing to help his mom. You were stealing to get your jollies off. The fact that you ratted him out so fast, I don't think anyone wants you here anyway." Fangs hug her from behind.
Cheryl and Toni look around to see that everyone was giving them dirty looks. Toni knew they fucked up, a rat would never be welcome in the Serpents. Especially one that turns on its own. "We'll leave but we're keeping the jackets." She tugs it closer.
"Fine, but I need that egg back." Jughead would let the jackets go to get the bigger prize.
"Come again?" She laughed.
"You need to give me that damn egg or Veronica won't give us the protection contract." He needs that egg to solve their money problems.
"Why the hell would I care? I'm not a Serpent anymore." She shrugs.
"Because I believe that you still have honor, Cheryl. And it's getting cold out. And the rest of us don't get to go back to Thistlehouse." He reminds them that they didn't have the privilege of a mansion with a heater.
"We'll get it." Toni walks to her bike to get the golden egg before leaving.
Sweet Pea ran over to join the hug. "My girlfriend is so smart." He ruffled her hair.
"Sweet Pea." She shrieks when it turns into a nuggy.
"So, I got a job for you, Abby." Jughead smiles at them celebrating.
"Huh?" She tilts her head.
"Josie backed out from singing at the nightclub. Veronica has heard you in the shower. She was wondering if you would go on stage on nights she has to manage the floor." He told her.
"I can't." She shook her head. "You know I can't, Jug."
"You do sing well." Sweets nod. They went to a karaoke room at Tessie's request.
"That's you guys, I can't, not with a crowd." She might have stepped out from being a wallflower but she couldn't handle being the center of attention.
"You just stood up for Fangs in front of a crowd." FP pointed out.
"That was desperation and adrenaline." She crosses her arms over her chest.
"It's good money," Jughead told her.
"We'll be there, so you can keep an eye on us while you sing. You won't have to look at strangers." Fangs encourage.
"I'll try but I'm not making any long-term commitments." She sighs.
"What are you doing?" She felt like she was having deja vu when she saw Fangs carrying a full duffle bag.
"Where are you going, Daddy?" Tessie asks.
"I got to travel for business, so I'll be gone for a few weeks. It's temporary, don't cry." He bent down to wipe her tears. "I'll take you out for a milkshake and burger." He guided her out the door to take her to Pops.
"What's going on?" She turns to Sweet Pea.
"He got an uncovered job to join the gargoyles. He can't do that living here in a house with known Serpent supporters." He gave the bad news. Abby shook her head, pouting as tears built up in her eyes. "I didn't like it either but he's our best choice. He already made contact with them. He has the best story of being kicked out for talking to them."
"If he doesn't come back, I want Jughead's head." She sighs.
"I believe in Fangs. He can do this." Sweet Pea didn't have any doubts. She wished that she had his mentality.