Thinking 'Bout You- SP 3 ✔️

Chapter 49- Fire Walk With Me Pt2

The following day Betty asks me to meet her after school
"There she is. I'll see you guys later" I hug Fangs and give Pea a quick kiss on the lips before walking over to Betty "hey what's going on?" I ask her as we walk over to the music room
"Hey Josie sorry to interrupt you. Can Rory and I talk to you about something?"
"Yeah for sure" Betty and I walk in and sit opposite Josie who is sat at the keyboard
"Um... have you both noticed that Kevin has gotten in very deep, very fast with The Farm?"
"Kinda. Just more of a change in his behaviour" I sigh
"Well last night as I was leaving school I saw him holding his hand over a Bunsen burner along with a bunch of other Farmies doing the same"
"Wait seriously?" I look at Betty shocked as Josie sighs
"Kevin"
"Groups like The Farm, cults, pray on emotionally vulnerable people. That's why I think they've targeted Kevin"
"Ok, well... I haven't told my mom or Mr Keller but, over the last week I have heard Kevin sneaking out at night. I assumed he was going back to Fox Forest, but... maybe he's going to meet them?"
"Shit" I place my head in my hands
"Rory, do you want to help me figure out what's going on with The Farm?" I take in a deep breath before responding to Betty, but it's an easy answer
"Yeah" I nod my head "I don't trust this group. Serpents are struggling as it is, last thing we need is some more fucked up shit happening" I check my phone as it just beeped, a text off Sweet Pea telling me that Jughead has got him and the others looking for Ricky.

"Once you start crossing the threshold you can't stop that's the key" Betty and I watch Evelyn pacing around a small group by a fire of some sort. I pull my Serpent jacket closer to my cold body
"What the hell?" I breathe out
"You must believe that you will be protected, believe that you will be forged. Only through the fire can we be cleaned and leave our past behind, conqueror our fears, expiate our sins, exorcise our demons"
"What happened to just burning some sage?" I cross my arms still watching the scene unfold before us that's when Kevin's name is called and he walks out from the darkness "it's your turn" I watch as Kev takes off his shoes
"Oh my god Kevin" Betty sprints over to him, me following close behind. I watch in horror as Kevin stands on this burning wood
"Kevin stop" I shout
"No brother Kevin don't stop"
"Shut the hell up you crazy lady. Fuck you making someone burn the bottoms of their feet you fucking do it!" I shout
"Kevin, believe in yourself believe in The Farm, believe that the embers are a cool mountain stream"
"Oh my god" Kevin gets to the other side and the group tag start clapping and cheering. Kevin goes up to Evelyn and hugs her
"You did it brother Kevin. You are purified, you are whole. We are one, we are one" the crazy lady chants
"I hate this bitch even more than I hate Kurtz right now" I comment "come on Betty let's go, we will figure something out"

The next day I'm sat with Betty in the Blue and Gold room as she types on her laptop when crazy lady and Kevin walk through the door
"Betty, Aurora. You both shouldn't have left last night. You should have stayed"
"Yeah no thanks. I actually like to be able to walk on my feet without feeling pain" I shake my head
"Are you two here to on record about what we saw last night?" to quote myself, a dangerous cult of deluded teenagers who gather for occult like self harming activities"
"Betty, Rory, last night was scary, and fun"
"Kev if you wanted scary and fun hang with the Serpents not this crazy lady"
"Rory it felt euphoric, like nothing I've ever felt"
"You need to get laid more" i mutter more to myself
"That might be your point of view Kev, but I think my readers and your dad will have a different one"
"Your not publishing that article Betty"
"She's not?" I stand up and cross my arms
"Tell then why Kevin"
"If you do, we'll tell everyone about the shady man your mom killed in the kitchen and how you and Jughead dumped his car in Swedlow Swamp and how Mr Jones dissolved his body with lye in the woods" I look at Betty then back at Kevin "and Rory if you tell anyone you will be saying goodbye to your Serpent leader and well as your best friend here" I look at Evelyn up and down with a scowl
"Betty remember, thanks to your mom everyone at The Farm knows all of your dirty little secrets" they then both walk out of the room. Betty slams her laptop shut out of frustration
"Im worried Betty"
"I know, me too"
"So what's the plan?"
"I don't know..."
"Rory, you need to come right now" Cheryl runs through the door
"What do you want?" I ask unfolding my arms
"I know we're not on the best of terms right now"
"Understatement"
"But I do still care about you. Rory it's Fangs. Kurtz is gonna kill him" my eyes widen and I follow the red head out of the room to where there's a crowd forming. Kurtz and another Gargoyle are holding Fangs over the top of the stairs
"Oh my god"
"Guys, guys help" Fangs shouts as Jughead and Pea also run through the hallway
"Don't be scared dirty Serpent spy. Your about to ascend. You'll fly too"
"Kurtz don't" Jug warns
"Happy landings, worthless snack" they let go of Fangs making me scream. Jug and Pea rush over to break his fall. All three boys now in pain. I run over to them, helping Fangs up off Pea
"You ok?"
"Yeah think so"

When we next have a Serpent meeting Jughead tells us that the Serpents will now work for the Sheriffs department, Pea will be earning an honest wage and will get school credits to help him into collage. During that meeting Kurtz leaves, but the rest of the Serpents seem excited almost, let's hope this new chapter is a good one.