{UNFINISHED}We Won't Give Up//J.J.||Riverdale[sequel to The Diner]

Chapter 17

*Your POV*
The final bell rings, and I walk out to my car. I figure I could work a little today. Why not? I drive to Pop's and get out. I just work for a little bit, until I have to go to Jug's. When I finish, I take the money that Pop gave me. Kevin asked me to pick him up, earlier and so I do. I pull up to his house, and he comes out, and gets in.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," he says.

I start driving, and we just make small talk until we get there. We both get out, and I knock on the door twice and then walk in. Betty is already here, and she's sitting on the floor, while Jug's on the couch.

"Hey, guys," I say.

"Hey," Betty says, not looking up from what she's doing. We both go over, and I sit on the couch, while Kevin sits on a chair. Jug ends up putting his legs on my lap and laying down. I look over at him, and we both chuckle.

"So, what do you have so far?" Kevin asks.

"Not much," Jug starts.

"All of the symbols are the same. They're too familiar." Betty says.

"Hm," I say. The door opens again, and this time Toni walks in.

"You Toni?" Kevin asks.

"Yep," she says and walks over to us.

"Oh, this is Kevin and Betty," Jug says, pointing at both of them.

"Nice to meet you," Kevin says.

"Yeah, same to you," Toni says. She starts reading something.

About an hour or so passes, and we're still reading. I get up, and get a couple sodas for Kevin and I. "These symbols look so familiar to me." Betty says, repeating from earlier. She looks up at Kevin, and then back down. "It's like I've seen them all before, and it's driving me crazy because I can't figure out where."

"Maybe if you loosened your ponytail." Toni says. All of our eyes shoot at her. She looks up, "It was just a joke, guys." I come back from the kitchen, and put a soda by Kevin. I walk back to where I was before but sit on the floor instead.

"Betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach," Kevin says. I look over at Jug and he's holding in a small laugh, and I'm doing the same. Toni looks at us, confused. She's holding in a laugh as well.

"Kev, it's fine. At this point," she takes her hair out. "I'm willing to try anything." Kevin just looks at her, shocked.

"Per Mrs. Parro's books," Jughead says, changing the subject. "I'm looking for common letter associations like, T H, A N, I N G."

"I'm looking for doubles. Double L, and four-letter words like kill," Toni adds.

"That's morbid," Kevin quickly says, playing with some sort of fortune teller. I look over at him and quietly chuckle. He takes a sip of his soda.

"We don't know if this thing's even in English. This could be an anagram," Jug says.

"I'm literally on the top of my brain," Betty says.

"Alright. Let's go back to the basics. W-What do we know about this guy? Who is he?"

"He's, a white male. In his 40s. Like almost every serial killer ever." Toni says. I slightly nod in agreement.

"No, I mean like why, why is he killing people? Or, at least now?"

"Well, we know that the Black Hood's obsessed with cleansing the town of sinners, and hypocrites, right? And that he seems to be attacking anyone with ties to the Northside." Betty says.

"So, that's what you think?" Toni asks, nodding, "You think that you Northsiders have a privilege?" I just look at her, shocked. "All you do is demonize the Southside, so of course you would think that the Black Hood is from there." Why is she getting all worked up about this?

"It's not demonizing, Toni. We're stating facts. There are, way more drugs, and gangs, and-"

"-The drugs you mean which were sold primarily to the Northside crackheads? And what about the Northside Neo-Nazis? The Red Circle?"

"Toni," I start.

She scoffs, "The Red Psychos, you mean. Hell Betty, I'm just surprised that you haven't come out and said it, yet," she continues. Betty is just being beaten down day after day. Poor girl.

"Said what?" She asks, annoyed. Man, I didn't think that arguing would be brought up as quickly as it did.

"That you think that the Black Hood's a serpent. We all know how much you hate us." She looks at Jughead.

"Okay, Toni, that's not true-" He starts.

"-We don't hate the Serpents," I say.

"Oh yeah? Then why is it that your boyfriend here, lies about the fact that he sits with us at lunch?" She asks, looking at him.

I look at him, confused. I look back at her, "W-Wh..he can sit with whoever he wants." I shrug, "That doesn't matter to me," I quickly look at him, and then back at her, "why would it bother me?" I stutter a little.

She doesn't answer. "I'm, gonna go," Kevin says, nodding.

"Yeah, you know what? I'm out of here, too," Toni says, standing up.

"Wha-Toni?" I ask.

"Okay, I can walk you home," Kevin says. She doesn't say anything and walks past him. "Or you can walk me home." They both walk towards the door. "Bye, guys," Kevin says.

I sigh, "Bye." I say, quietly.

"You sit with the Serpents?" Betty asks.

"Listen, Betty," he leans forward, "I only sit with the Serpents for survival."

She sighs, "You know, I'm gonna go, too," She starts gathering her things.

"Betty," I say.

"No, no. It's fine. I think that we were just under a lot of stress and, we all need to sleep on it." she stands up, and leaves.

"You.." Jug says, and I look over at him, "Aren't mad that I sit with them?"

I lean against the couch and shrug. "I mean," I nervously laugh, you know how you do when you're trying not to make someone think you're mad. I nod, "I can't control what you can and can't do. You can sit with whoever you want."

"Are you sure?"

I slightly smile and tilt my head. "Yes. I'm sure."

"Okay."

"And, I know that Toni's your friend, and I don't have anything against her. I think she just got mad because of this whole thing. I mean, Betty and her were just slightly arguing a little before the big argument."

"Yeah..probably just not finding out anything about this too."

"Yeah. Honestly, I don't know what she's got against her. I really like Toni. I think she's nice."

"I do, too." He leans his head on my shoulder. I lean my head on his. My phone dings and I check it.

Toni🐍🐲💖:
Sorry about that. Just a little cramped.

To Toni🐍🐲💖:
It's okay. I don't blame you.

Toni🐍🐲💖:
Thanks <3

I put my phone back down. "She even apologized. So I think that she's good."

He nods and yawns. "Spend the night here?"

I smile, "Sure." We both stand up and climb onto his couch.