protection of my own || sweet pea

three

On her last day at Riverdale High, Kevin treated Neveah to a celebratory dinner at Pop's. As they sat in their usual booth, Kevin munched on fries and threw her a question out of nowhere. "So, what are you wearing to Polly's baby shower?"

Neveah shrugged, stirring her milkshake lazily. "Probably that white dress I have," she replied, her tone casual.

Kevin nodded, but his expression turned serious. "So, uh, we think the Serpents might've attacked Moose last night."

Neveah's brows shot up. "What? Seriously? Kev, you're dating a Serpent! It couldn't be them... could it?"

Kevin sighed, looking conflicted. "Joaquin said not everyone in the Serpents knows what the others are up to. He's gonna take me, Archie, and Moose to the bar—"

"The White Wyrm," Neveah cut in, already familiar with it.

"Yeah, that place. We're going so Moose can scope it out, see if he recognizes anyone," Kevin explained, his voice dropping.

Neveah bit her lip. She knew enough about the Serpents to understand their loyalty, but this was dangerous. "Just... be careful, Kev. Southsiders don't exactly welcome Northsiders with open arms," she warned, glancing at him with concern. "Speaking of which, you think I'll be okay at Southside High?"

Kevin frowned. "I was just about to ask you that. The Serpents pretty much run the place. You sure you'll be alright?"

Neveah shrugged again, trying to seem more confident than she felt. "I'll just keep my head down, stay out of trouble."

Kevin smiled, changing the subject with a blush. "So, uh, Joaquin and I... we're really good," he said, a little shyly.

Neveah grinned, immediately catching the blush creeping up Kevin's cheeks. "Yeah? How good?"

Kevin giggled, his face even redder. "He's sweet... and a really good kisser."

Neveah burst out laughing, covering her face with her hands. "Kev, stop! I'm so happy for you though, seriously."

"Thanks, Veah," Kevin said softly, his eyes shining.

After dinner, Kevin dropped her off at home before heading to the Wyrm with Archie and Moose. Neveah kept herself busy with laundry, trying to distract herself from the Serpent drama swirling around her. As she folded clothes, she realized she still needed to get a baby shower gift for Polly. Clueless, she called Savana for help, and after some brainstorming, they landed on the idea of a care basket with baby essentials.

Satisfied with the plan, Neveah decided to wait until morning to buy the gifts. The Southside at night wasn't exactly her scene.

The next morning, Neveah got dressed in the white dress she'd mentioned to Kevin and applied some light makeup. After grabbing all the gifts, she headed to Veronica's luxury apartment complex to help set up for the shower. With Betty's help, Neveah arranged her care basket on the gift table, and soon enough, the apartment transformed into a Pinterest-worthy baby shower.

Polly arrived first, looking glowing as ever, and Neveah greeted her with a smile. "I'm so excited for you, Polly!" she said, even though they weren't exactly close. Still, Neveah wanted to wish her well.

As more guests poured in, Neveah busied herself keeping the snack table stocked until she spotted Jughead heading her way. "Veah, can we talk for a sec?" he asked, his expression serious.

Curious, Neveah followed him to a quieter corner of the room. "It's about you transferring to Southside High," Jughead started, running a hand through his hair nervously. "My dad... he's a Serpent."

Neveah's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Jug, why didn't you tell us?"

He sighed, looking a little embarrassed. "I guess I was trying to keep it low-key. The Serpents don't exactly have the best rep, and... yeah. Anyway, I want you to talk to him. Maybe he can get some Serpents to look out for you. Southside's got a lot of gangs. You don't want to get caught up in all that."

Neveah thought about it for a moment. Did she really need protection? "Thanks, Jug. I'll think about it," she said, giving him a small smile before he rejoined Betty.

As she headed back to Kevin, she saw Archie burst into the room, going straight to Jughead. "Did you know Jughead's dad is a Serpent?" Archie asked, voice tense.

"No..." Betty whispered, clearly surprised.

"That's why he didn't want me going to the bar. He didn't want me finding out. After everything my dad's done for you—" Archie's frustration was obvious.

"Archie, I can explain!" Jughead tried, but Veronica cut him off.

"Not right now. This is Polly's day, and you two better not ruin it," she snapped, her voice sharp.

The room felt tense, and Neveah could see drama brewing between Alice and Penelope. Taking that as her cue to leave, she told Kevin she was heading out. Despite his offer to walk her home, she decided to go alone.

Once outside, Neveah pulled out her phone and texted Jughead. She was ready to take him up on his offer. Southside was rough, and it wouldn't hurt to have some backup.

After a quick walk, she found herself at Sunnyside Trailer Park. Taking a deep breath, Neveah knocked on FP's door. When it opened, he looked surprised to see her. "Neveah? What's going on?"

"Hey, sorry to just drop by, but I wanted to talk about something," she started, stepping inside when he motioned for her to enter. "Jughead mentioned me transferring to Southside High, and he thought maybe you could help me out."

FP nodded, sitting down across from her. "Yeah, Jug told me. Look, you'll be fine, just keep your head down. I can get some of the younger Serpents to keep an eye on you if you want. But you're tough, kid. You'll be alright."

Neveah smiled at the offer. "Thanks, FP. I appreciate it," she said, giving him a quick hug before heading home.

Later that night, FP gathered a few of the younger Serpents at the Wyrm. "Alright, listen up. My son's friend, Neveah, she's transferring to Southside High. I want you to keep an eye on her. No need to babysit her or anything, just make sure she doesn't get into any trouble," he explained.

Toni, a Serpent with bold pink hair, was the first to speak up. "We can keep an eye out."

But Sweet Pea, always the troublemaker, rolled his eyes. "So, we're bodyguards now?" he sneered.

FP sighed. "I'm not asking for much, Sweet Pea."

Sweet Pea crossed his arms, glaring. "I just don't see why we have to watch some Northside girl because your kid's worried she's gonna get fucked up."

Fangs, always the peacemaker, chimed in. "She probably will, though."

Toni shot Sweet Pea a look. "You're being a total jerk. She's gonna feel out of place at Southside High. Have some empathy."

Sweet Pea grumbled but backed down, shoving his hands into his pockets. Toni turned to FP, speaking for the group. "We'll look out for her."

FP nodded in thanks, walking away as the group continued to talk. "He didn't even tell us who she was," Fangs muttered.

"You'll know on Monday," Sweet Pea snorted. "She'll be the one who looks like she doesn't belong."