Serpent Princess

To Riverdale and Back Again

I sat at the kitchen table as I texted my boyfriend. When Jughead came in carrying a bag and a cup holder of drinks. Jughead looked around the clean trailer and smirked when he saw me, but then turned to FP. "Dad, have you been body-snatched?" FP smiled "Oh, I feel good, Jug. Wanna look good, too. Shave. Clean the place up a bit. A little paint..." Jughead placed the bag and drinks in front of me.

 "Oh, I got us some coffee and donuts." I smiled and grabbed the one Jughead messily wrote "Talia" on. I grabbed it and smiled taking a drink and placing it down "I'll be right back" I said and stood up going back to my room. I quickly change and come back as FP asks "Can I make one suggestion?" I smiled as Jughead gives him a look, and says "That's what Betty says, and then it's about a dozen suggestions."

I chuckled and turned back to FP as he says "I think, at a certain point, you should move on. You can't let this be the only story you're gonna tell, Jughead. Hell, it shouldn't even be the most important one.You can't let this be the only story you're gonna tell, Jughead. Hell, it shouldn't even be the most important one." After Jughead left FP turned to me "Have you read this?" he asked holding up the pile of paperwork in his hands. "Yeah its harmless" I told him and FP just slammed it on the table, and I flinched. "Damn it Talia! If he find out.." FP tried to say but I but him off, "He wont trust me" I said and looked at the time on my phone. "Now I gotta get to school."

The next day comes around and FP basically dragged me out of the house to go have dinner with Betty, her mother, and Jughead. Alice sat at the head while Jughead sat across from me and next to Betty. while I sat next to FP and Alice. Alice served us dinner and I smiled being friendly like I try to be when im around my brother. "Super-delicious, Mrs. C." I said and Alice smiled at me, before FP agreed "Sure is, Alice. Been a long time since I ate something that didn't come in a combo meal or a snack pack." I nodded and Jughead gave us a 'really' look. "- So, FP... Betty tells me that you're working for Fred Andrews now. How do you balance that with all of your other responsibilities?" FP didn't look up but asked "You mean like being a father?" Alice pondered on it for a second before saying "And being a part of the Southside community."

"Mom." Betty tried to interject, but FP just looks up, "You can say "Southside Serpent," Alice. I'm not ashamed. And it's not just me, there's a bunch of us working on Fred's site." Jughead and I looked up and shared a look. "So, if you don't mind me asking, I mean, I'm just curious, how did you make your living before that?" Alice asked, "I scraped by. Odd jobs." FP answered "I know that you worked for the drive-in, Jughead, before it was closed. Did you find work there, too, FP?" I bit my lip trying not to chuckle. "Dad." Jughead said, and FP just says " Well, hung out a bit. What can I say? I'm a movie buff."

A couple of chuckled went around the table, before Alice asked "So, tell me, were you upset when Hiram Lodge bought the drive-in land?" FP just answers with "Stuff happens." Alice doesn't miss a beat as she asked "Let me rephrase that question. Were you surprised?" It fell silent around the table. Like an awkward silence just crept in. The doorbell goes off and I felt a hand on my back. I smiled at FP's kind fatherly nature he showed towards me, as I watched Betty get up to get the door. She comes back with Hal Cooper, her father. "I thought you said she wanted me to be here." Hal asked Betty who just says "She does. I mean, it is Homecoming after all. And our families should be coming together. Right, Mom?" Alice threw a fake smile, as he sat on the other side of Jughead.

"I'm hoping maybe you have some vacancies down at Sunnyside. You see, I've been sleeping in my office down at the paper, and it's just getting a little chilly at night." Hal said and I spoke up, "I bet your office beats the trailer park." Hal chuckled, "I wouldn't be so sure. You see, Alice here, she's been redecorating the Register. The other day, she threw a brick through the window." We turned to Alice as FP called out "- Is that so?" Alice just looks at Hal and says "Keep talking, Hal, and the next brick I throw may not be at a window." I smirked, as FP just starts to say "You remember our Homecoming, Alice? Hal? Back in the day? Castles in the Clouds? Your mom ever tell you about that night?" He turned to Betty who just says "Just that she and my dad were king and queen."

"Yeah, they were. Of hell." FP said and I chuckled, as I felt a soft kick to my leg, "- Dad, please." Jughead said, before giving me a look. " No, this is a fun story, I promise. Fred and me, we were all set to play at the dance. I was backstage, dropping off our gear when I heard these voices yelling. It was your mom and dad. They were fighting about... About I don't know what. But it sounded like life or death." FP told us a story, but Alice interjected "Shut up, FP." FP just looked at Alice and says "Happy to oblige if you are. I don't care what you think of me, Alice, but don't jerk me around. Not in front of my children." I sighed, as Betty called out "This was such a nice idea, Mom, but I think it's time that we get to the dance. So, is it okay if we skip the peach pie?" When the dinner was over I sat in the back of the truck as FP dropped Jughead and Betty off at the dance.

I sat in my room as the saw red and blue lights flashing. "Talia!" FP called out and I made a face pocketing my phone and getting out of bed. In our kitchen Sheriff Keller and other officers were searching. "Whats going on?" I asked and FP sighed, "They have a warrant" I nodded. We sat at the little table in the kitchen, as we were forced to sit and watched as they tore apart the trailer. Sheriff Keller appeared around the corner from our bedrooms, and pulled out a box. 

He opened it and brought it over to us, "You want to explain this?" I looked at FP who looked like someone punched him in the gut. I watched as they cuffed and stuffed FP in the back of the police car. I grabbed my phone to try and call Jughead, only to reach his voicemail, "Juggie, uh.. Well FP just got arrested and they're trying to put me into the system I... I need your help." Sheriff Keller took me to the sheriff station where I sat and waited for a social worker.