This one is a slight season 2 timeline change where Hal was discovered to be the Black Hood before the North vs Southside was settled.
Her mother had officially spiraled after the Black Hood mess. There wasn't a day since Hal's arrest that morbid on-lookers and media weren't hovering around the street of the now-deemed House of Horrors. Betty spent the first two weeks in the house caring for her mom.
Jughead routinely called several times a day to check up on her. Near the end of the school year, he became a full-fledged Serpent. She didn't know what to think of it at first but she told her boyfriend at the beginning of the school year she would support his need to explore his roots to the Southside.
It all started one night when Jug invited Betty and Alice to the Whyte Wyrm—the first night of freedom for Alice especially transformed her back to Alice Smith, the Viper of the Southside. At first, the gang was hesitant, after all the Register wasn't always kind to them but when FP Jones, their very own Serpent King welcomed her back, they had no choice but to play along. That's how Betty found herself among the teen Serpents every day after.
They practically abandoned their house for the Southside, FP was gracious enough to offer Alice a room at the top of the bar while Betty had taken to living at the Jones trailer.
Toni broached the topic of her officially joining the Serpents with her first, three weeks into the summer and a month after the Black Hood mess during the last month of the school year. She made a great argument, Betty had no idea how she be received in the Northside. The farthest she or Alice went was Pop's, just past the train tracks. Jughead relented when she asked him. What got her to commit fully was her mother highly encouraging it. After all, she was back in her leather.
She started the initiation process the next day and like her mother, inked her loyalty on her thigh.
Now summer was winding down, they officially received the notice that Southside High was closing down and everyone had been relocated to Riverdale High. The crew continued discussing it at the watering hole near Sweetwater River.
"So I chained myself to that piece of shit for nothing?" Sweet Pea huffed, throwing a stone into the water below.
Betty shook her head, "Not totally, you got the Northside's attention."
He rolled his eyes, "Like we need or care about what they think."
Toni plopped down next to Betty on her towel. Her pink highlights dripped water down her back. "Southside High was a bust, now we get to go with Coop." She said leaning her head on the blonde's shoulder.
Betty wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "True, now I won't be the only snake there."
"Say the word and we would've driven down there anyway for you," Toni assured her giving her cheek an exaggerated kiss.
Sweet Pea groaned, calling down to the water, "Jones! You better get up here! Toni is putting the moves on your girl!"
Jones—Jughead Jones lay sprawled out on a beaten inner tube. One of his eyes cracked open at hearing his name. "Just because it happened to you Sweet Pea doesn't mean it's gonna happen to me."
Fangs who was beside him in his own tube chuckled. Sweet Pea catapulted a rock close enough to him, sending him splashing into the water.
Betty turned to Toni. "Did you really?"
She rolled her eyes, "It was literally 8th grade. You would think some people would get over it by now—"
"—she was my first girlfriend!"
"She wasn't that into you anyway!"
He flipped her off causing Betty to giggle. Toni returned the favor by sticking out her tongue.
Footsteps crunched the leaves underneath their feet. Jughead and Fangs came back up the hill. Fangs took the chair beside Sweet Pea and Jughead all but flung himself next to Betty.
An annoying piece of hair curled into his eyes and he slicked back his hair to remove it.
"Is that why you haven't dated anyone since?" Fangs asked his best friend.
The taller man punched his shoulder. "Whatever! Not like there will be girls climbing all over us at Riverdale High. Those Bulldogs will be up our asses anyway."
Betty sighed and Jughead's eyebrow rose with concern. "What's up?"
"These three months I've spent with you and the Serpents have been the happiest few months of my life. I don't want the bubble to inevitably burst once school starts again."
He sat up, tugging at her hand, "That's not going to change, we all have each other's backs."
Sweet Pea nodded, "Yea Coop, we won't let anyone say shit—"
"—if anyone has a problem we'll take care of it." Fangs finished for him.
Betty smiled, "Thank you guys for everything."
Usually, the first day back at Riverdale High was lackluster, however with the news of the Southsiders coming in today, students felt the tension already.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ronnie?" Archie asked.
"The Southside should feel welcome here, and with everything that happened to our dear Bettikins, this is one less thing on her plate. Now straighten the bunting on the front please."
Archie sighed but as an ever-diligent boyfriend, did as he was told. Kevin stood next to them as part of the welcoming committee. His eyes glanced at the clock, "They should be here in five minutes."
Students milled around the hallways waiting for them to show up. Exactly at 9 am the main doors opened.
Jughead Jones who most of the students haven't seen since he transferred led the pack of black leather. He wore the jacket of the Serpent Prince, his beanie stuffed in his pocket instead of on his head. Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni surrounded him. His eyebrows raised, seeing the table in front.
Veronica cleared her throat, "Friends, on behalf of Riverdale students and faculty we welcome you. We've made this table so it would be easier for you guys to register, and also to find your lockers, schedules, and extracurriculars."
The clacking of high heels stopped Jughead from replying.
"Calm down Eva Peron."
Coming down the stairs was Cheryl Blossom with Reggie and the Bulldogs flanking her.
"There's the school spirit I so fondly remember," Jughead muttered sarcastically.
Veronica crossed her arms, "Cheryl. Nobody invited fascist Barbie to the party."
"Wrong Veronica, no one invited Southside scum to our school." She turned her attention to the Serpents. "Listen up raggamuffins, I will not have Riverdale's above average GPA suffer because classrooms are overcrowded with underachievers. So please why don't you find another school to deface with your hardscrabble ways."
Toni scoffed, "Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?"
The red-headed demon took a step forward, "Happily, pink-haired—"
"—don't even waste your breath, Toni."
The Serpents parted easily to let their blonde princess through. Her hair was done in waves, one of Jughead's flannels covering her black laced crop top. The huge holes in her jeans gave everyone a peek at her tanned skin from the sunny days spent on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle. There was no mistaking the black leather of her own Serpent jacket around her shoulders.
"Oh my God, Betty?" Veronica gasped.
Archie had to do a double take and Kevin's mouth was left hanging.
Betty stopped at her place beside Jughead. "Couldn't even last five minutes without getting up to something boys?" She reached up to remove the toothpick from Jug's mouth, replacing it with her lips before returning it.
She turned her attention to the Bulldogs in front of her. "Trust us Cheryl, we don't want to be here either but now it's out of our hands."
Cheryl slightly looked taken aback but schooled herself quickly. "Betty...we were wondering what happened to you over the summer." Her eyes trailed down her new look, "I see the snakes got to you."
"They're my family and I'm not gonna put up with your Northside prejudice bullshit."
"Trading one messed up family for another, my, my."
Her eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't be the one judging family, hm? Blossom."
She scowled but wisely didn't say anything.
Archie got into the middle, placing a calming hand on both sides. "Come on guys, can't we just have a clean slate?"
Reggie whacked him on the shoulder, "Uh, you don't speak for the Bulldogs Andrews, and did you forget they came to your house looking to beat you up?"
"Maybe it's time to finish what was started." Sweet Pea took a step forward but was held back by Jughead.
"That's enough! That's enough of this pomp and circumstance! Get to class." Weatherbee's voice rang out.
Betty slung an arm around Toni's shoulders and Fang's waist. "Let's go."
No one moved until someone at the back of the pack exclaimed "Serpent Princess said let's move!"
The majority of them followed Bety down the corridor. Archie watched Jughead make some hand gestures to some of the Serpents closest to him including Sweet Pea. They waited back for his direction.
"Watch her for me, if anyone mentions Betty's family to her—"
The taller man cracked his knuckles, "We'll put'em in the ground." The others in leather nodded in agreement.
Jughead clapped him on the shoulder, tilting his head to the way the others left, and whistled short and shrill dismissal.
Sweet Pea led the others off. Jughead hung back now with just Archie and Veronica. The Bulldogs already left to go the opposite way.
"Jug..." Archie started.
He shook his head cutting him off, "No, I don't want to hear it. This was her choice. If you have something to say about it, where were you two this whole summer?" He shouldered Archie out of the way.
The group splintered during lunch. The Serpents claimed their own tables in the back corner. At the heart were Betty and Jughead. Jughead was absorbed in his meal and Betty laughed with the others surrounding them. It was the most carefree Veronica had seen her best friend. The thought spurred the guilt rising in her stomach.
She was too self-absorbed with Archie and dealing with her own family drama this summer to check on Betty. She checked in on her in the immediate days of Hal's arrest but she naively thought that with Jughead there for her it would be enough. She didn't hide her stare while Toni saddled up beside Betty.
Now she was paying the price for it.