Secrets • Jughead Jones [1]

|Southside Serpents|

'The Coopers: the Stepfords of Riverdale. High school sweethearts who got married and had two beautiful daughters, Polly and Betty. Until Jason Blossom happened. And now we would hear from the person who was closest to him those day leading up to his disappearance. Polly Cooper. How a casual conversation turned into an epic forbidden romance. How, for reasons still murky, their respective parents tried to tear them apart. How their break up was short lived because Polly soon learned she was pregnant with Jason's baby. How they became secretly engaged with his grandmother's blessing and her heirloom ring and made plans to run away together. To start a new life, and how their dreams of escape went up in flames.'

~•~

The squad, including Cheryl, sat in the lounge room at school listening to Betty, "Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby."

"Besides, of course, the child snatching Blossom monsters. No offence Cheryl and Aria." Kevin replied.

"None taken." They both said in unison and giggled after.

"So your mom and dad want Polly but not the baby and the Blossoms want the baby but not Polly. It's a true Gordian knot." Jughead reiterated.

"It's an impossible situation." Betty sighed.

"Betty, come on. An impossible situation is being invited to the Vanity Flair Oscar party and Elton John's Oscar party on the same night, which happened to me one year. I know." Veronica said.

"This is merely an annoying situation. But luckily I have been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception. What if we were to host a baby shower?" Aria asked.

"Totally, my mom and I could do it." Veronica answered.

"Count me in." Cheryl said excitedly.

"You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?" Aria questioned Betty.

"Yeah, but ideally by her own parents."

"Ok so baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room, in a public setting where they can't fight and voilá, let the healing begin."

"Am I expected to come to this thing?" Jughead intervened.

"Of course. You are Aria's boyfriend and she doesn't want to go with out you, probably." Veronica laughed, "oh my god, you guys, relax. It's just a word that starts with the letter B."

Aria and Jughead grinned at each other as Veronica asked, "Betty, what do you say?"

"Elizabeth Cooper." Alice intruded into the room.

"Mom?"

"I need you and you. Right now." She pointed to Betty and Veronica.

~•~

Once again, at Pops, the squad was all at a booth drinking of course a strawberry milkshake.

"Poor Moose, is he ok?" Betty asked.

"His name is Moose, he's fine," Jughead replied.

Betty chuckled making Aria laugh as well. Archie then came pacing up to Jughead, "Dude what the hell? I've been texting you."

"Archie, Juggy just told us what happened yesterday." Aria informed.

"Though I checked out at the words 'construction' and 'sight'." Veronica commented.

"Moose and I are going to the Southside to find those Serpents. You in?" Archie asked.

Aria and Jughead nervously looked at each other.

"Whoa, Hey. You didn't say it was the serpents that beat Moose up." Betty said.

"Because we don't know that for a fact." Jughead replied.

"Yeah, it might of just been a random person for all we know." Aria backed Jughead up.

"Well it's still worth a shot if it might help my dad. Kevin's boyfriend can get us in."

"Get you in where?" Veronica asked.

"To some bar where the Serpents hang out. If Moose spots them, we call Sheriff Keller and get those Goons arrested."

"Archie, the Serpents are dangerous. They're drug dealers." Betty continued.

"What?" Aria and Jughead said at the same time.

"Says who?" Jughead carried on.

"Polly. Remember? Treva told us that Jason was dealing drugs? It was for the Serpents."

You heard my dad, Jughead. Clifford Blossom is trying to torpedo him. Sheriff Keller basically blew him off right in front of us. Somebody needs to do something."

"Clifford Blossom is a douchebag and it's probably one of his minions." Aria muttered loud enough so she could be heard and not referring to him as her dad.

As Archie got up to leave Jughead quickly spoke, "Archie, going into that bar is a bad idea."

"Jughead you coming with me or not?" Archie asked.

Second later no one had said anything, "Thanks for having my back." Archie the stormed out of Pops.

~•~