The Serpent Queen → riverdale

two ⚕

As Catalina was leaving Pop's diner, her phone started to buzz in her pocket. Groaning, Catalina pulled the rectangular device from her back pocket and slid her thumb across the screen to answer the call.

"What is it Sweet Pea?" Catalina questioned as she held her motorcycle helmet in her hand.

Over the phone, the gang member said, "You should swing by the school. The newbie is here." It took a minute before Catalina knew what he was talking about. "F.P.'s kid, remember?" Sweat Pea said.

"Yeah, yeah, right I remember." Catalina said. "I'll be there in ten." With that said and done, Catalina shoved her phone in her pocket, put on the helmet that she had in her hands, and started the drive down to the school.

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Catalina stopped her bike in the schools student parking lot, sighing as she looked at all the students that surrounded the area. She knew if she took off her helmet everyone would stop what they're doing and look at her. Watch her. It happens every time, that's why she chooses to do online schooling.

Taking in a deep breathe she pulls off the helmet and shakes out her long, red hair. Her eyes darted around quickly, hoping that no one had noticed she pulled up or even recognized her. She was wrong.

Everyone from The Ghoulies, to the druggies, to the nerds, to the Serpents watched as Catalina pulled herself from her bike and walked into the school. People whispered of course, about how they hadn't seen her and thought she was dead, to wondering why the hell she came back to the school in the first place.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling a text message. She looked down at the screen, on it the location of Sweat Pea and F.P.'s kid. Opening the door to the crappy school, Catalina walked in with the sound of her heels hitting the ground as she took her steps.

People in the halls scattered or pressed themselves against the lockers as she walked down the dimly light pathways. She rolled her eyes at how everyone was acting. She was just another teenager like the rest of them, nothing special about her. Well, that was in her eyes.

Catalina walked down to the cafetorium, heels clicking with every step she took. Again, everyone watched her every movement like she was a goddess that had just come down from the heavens. 

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The sound of high heels hitting the floor made Jughead and the group of Serpents around him look up to see who was walking into the cafetorium.

Jughead's eyes wondered the room until they landed on a girl, maybe 16 or 17, with long red hair, wearing black ripped jeans, the heels that made everyone look up, a plain black crop top, and the Serpents leather jacket.

"Who is that?" Jughead asked, looking at Toni from the corner of his eye.

"The Serpent Queen." Sweet Pea said from behind Toni and Jughead, a smirk on his face. "That's the true leader of the Serpents." The boy stood up and waved over the girl with fire red hair, and everyone watched as it bounced on her shoulders as she walked over to the other teen Serpents.

As she was walking over to the group a teacher came up to her, stopping her dead in her tracks. The teacher swooped her away, walking out with the Serpent girl next to them.

"Who just walked away with her?" Jughead asked.

Toni sighed. "The art teacher. Catalina was technically her helper in that class because that's when she had a free period, but then she went to online schooling and that ended. She's probably going to ask her to come back and help."

Jughead nodded a little. He had barley seen the girls face, but by the way she walked and the way everyone looked at her, he had to know more. He had to meet this 'Serpent Queen'.

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Jughead had just gotten through his English class, which everyone looked at him weirdly when he said the correct answer to the teachers question about the book that they're reading.

Even while in class the dark haired boy was thinking about that girl in the cafetorium. How could someone live on the Southside for so long, but not seem corrupted like everyone else? But then again, Jughead didn't know if that girl was like everyone else.

After his class he went to talk to his English teacher about starting the school newspaper up again. The Red and Black. He talked to his teacher, and persuaded him to read one of his articles on the Blue and Gold's website, and if his teacher liked it, he would restart the Red and Black. So, once Jughead talked with his English teacher, he went to look for Toni. The raven haired boy wondered the halls, all eyes stuck on him. He tried not to pay attention to it, but it was hard since he had never had this much attention in his entire life.

Jughead soon found Toni with Sweet Pea, both of them talking to one another. He didn't know what they were talking about, and in all honesty he didn't want to find out. He started walking towards them, but the familiar red head from earlier that day caught his attention instead.

Catalina was walking with a box of art supplies in her arms, pushing her way through the crowds of people. Jughead looked between Toni and the red head, trying to decide who to go talk to. Jughead decided on the red head. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about her that just drew him to her. By now she was nearing the art room, so he had sprint and push past people in order to catch up with her.

When Jughead finally reached the art room, he saw the very little pieces of art that he would have expected to be around the room. From where he stood in the door frame he could see maybe, three or four pieces of art, and all of them looked to be by the same person. Whoever that may be.

Also in the art room was Catalina. The box she was just recently carrying now set to her right, opened and spilling the contents on the inside. It wasn't much really, just some new tubes of paint and cases of colored pencils. Jughead watched her unpack and unwrap all the supplies, and it seemed that she hadn't even noticed he was there watching her. But really, she knew he was there.

Catalina waited about five more minutes for him to say something, but he said nothing. "Are you going to stand there all day and watch me, Mr. Jones?" Catalina asked the boy, not even glancing in his direction.

Jughead gulped, stepping into the classroom. "I- um, I was just looking for something.." He tried to make up an excuse but failed miserably.

Finally, the red headed girl looked up. "Until this moment, you didn't even know that this room existed." Catalina stated. She wasn't wrong actually. Jughead still knew nothing about this school. "So, why were you following me down here?" Catalina asked, taking a few packages and organizing them in the cupboards.

"In all honesty, you intrigue me." Jughead's words made Catalina laugh.

"I have been called a lot of things, but intriguing? That's a new one." She shook her head, making her loose curls fall all over her shoulders. "Why do I intrigue you so much, then?" She asked, turning to the boy and leaning against the desks. "What's been around in that head of yours all day?" The way Catalina spoke, Jughead felt like he needed to tell her.

"They say you're the true leader of the Serpents, that you're the Serpent Queen. How can someone like you, who doesn't seem corrupted, be able to handle all of it? How can someone who lives on this side of town, carry themselves with that weight on their shoulders?" Jughead's questions were intense, but well thought out and ones that a lot of people wonder themselves, but never have the guts to ask.

Catalina smiled a little, just enough to show that she was amused. "If you want answers to those questions, Jughead, I'm at Pop's every night. If you really want to know, then swing by and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have." She picked up the empty box and walked out of the classroom, leaving Jughead standing there with more questions already swarming his thoughts.