Leather Jackets and Brooches

Chapter 3

"Ok class now as most of your are aware Pickens day is coming up therefore I will be setting you presentations to be completed in pairs" Mrs Haggly addressed the class.

"But before you start pairing yourselves off, Principle Weatherbee has asked me to help build the relationships with our new students therefore I will be assigning the pairs"

The class groaned in frustration.

"Ok so the pairs are as follows, Archie with Sweet Pea, Betty with Fangs, Midge with Reggie, Ethel with Kevin, Veronica with Judghead, and finally Cheryl with Toni. I suggest you move to sit with your partner and get at least started before the bell rings" Mrs Haggly lifted her arms up to encourage the students to get up.

Toni picked up her bag, then walked over to the desk where Cheryl was sat.

"Can I sit?" Toni asked politely.

"I dont really care" Cheryl mumbled.

Toni sat down and took out her notepad and wrote down a few things she knew about General Pickens, she thought it was best not to bother Cheryl as she was clearly in a mood. Toni continued to work until the bell rang for then end of class. She tidied her things away and before she could ask Cheryl about meeting up for the presentation, she had fled the classroom for Vixens practice. Then fellow Serpent Jughead approached her.

"Hey Toni what you up to now?" He readjusted his beanie that always seemed to be permanently on his head.

"Nothing, what about you?" Toni picked up her bag then put it over her shoulder.

"Just some Blue and Gold stuff, you want in?" Jughead offered.

"Sure, my grandpa is out visiting a friend so I don't want to go back to an empty trailer"

The two friends left the classroom out in to the hall, as they walked down the fairly quiet hall, Jughead stopped at the vending machine.

"I need brain food, you want any?" Jughead started putting dollar bills in to the machine.

"No thanks" Toni politely declined.

Jughead collected his candy and opened up the bag and started to eat its contents.

"So what work are you doing for the Blue and Gold?" Toni questioned.

"I have to write a small article on the boys basketball preparing for their playoff games. Not your most exciting piece of work but I promised I would help Betty out" Jughead continued to eat his candy as they made their way to the gym.

Meanwhile in the gym, Cheryl was talking to the Vixens.

"Ok ladies, as you may have heard, Erika can longer train with us due to her knee surgery therefore there is an opening for the co-captain. Now to decide this we are going to have an old school cheer off. Any volunteers to go first?" Cheryl clapped.

Midge slowly raised her hand.

"Perfect, the floor is yours"

Toni and Jughead sat down on the bleachers, where Toni seemed more interested in the cheer off taking place than the basketball boys talking to Jughead.

"They're aint half bad right Jones?" Reggie hinted at the Vixens that were competing for co-captain. Toni rolled her eyes with was noticed by moose.

"You think you could do better" Moose joked.

"Maybe" Toni shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey Cheryl, this one thinks she could do better than them" Moose called out.

"Oh look who it is, well why don't you come and show us then?" Cheryl said sarcastically.

Toni made her way over to Cheryl who stood with her arms crossed and her signature 'bitch' face.

"Lets make this interesting, you and me have a dance off. The loser has to do all of the presentation for Mrs Haggly's class" Cheryl proposed.

"Sure, but who decides the winner?"

"We can decide, right boys" Reggie offered

"Works for me" Toni replied.

"Fine" Cheryl walked over to the boom box and restarted the track.

Cheryl walks in to the middle of the group and begins dancing. She moved her body to music with perfect execution, all of the Vixens were whispering to one another about how good Cheryl was. The boys too were agreeing with one another  saying that Cheryl look really hot dancing. Cheryl finished her routine with a double twist then straight in to a split. Everyone clapped as she stood up. Cheryl had danced really well and she was not worried about losing. 

"Your turn then. I hope you're good at writing papers" Cheryl smirked.

Toni hinted for Cheryl to move out of the way, which she reluctantly did. Toni began doing pop and lock moves in time with the music, she then loosened up and let her body flow like water. She then impersonated Michael Jackson by moon walking and doing his inner leg kick, after that she span around several times then jumped high in to the air and dropped in to the splits. Reggie and Moose were getting excited and starting clapping. Toni then pushed herself up and continued to dance to the music by doing several different popular dance moves which excited the boys even more. To  finish, Toni did a small run up and hand springed in to a back flip with a twist, she landed not to far in front of Moose and the other boys. They were all clapping and whistling at Toni causing her to smile. 

"Well let's seeing who's doing the presentation then shall we?" Jughead asked

"All those for Cheryl?" Two of the boys put their hands up

"And for Toni?" The rest of the teams put their hands up, and some of the Vixens even joined in.

Cheryl looked around at all of the people who voted against her. She could accept it being a close call, but this was a landslide win for Toni. Cheryl felt embarrassed and upset therefore left the gym to the lockers.

"Well Toni you're the  winner congratulations" Jughead high fived Toni.

Many of the Vixens came over to talk to Toni.

"OMG Toni that was amazing! You should totally come to my party tomorrow night, I want to know more about how you became such a good dancer" Midge smiled at the pink headed girl.

"Umm thanks, sure I would love to" Toni smiled back.

"Great, Betty can tell you the details. I will leave you, see you then" Midge hinted at the boy approaching her. 

"Hey I just wanted to say I thought you were really cool and a great dancer. I'm Austin by the way" he offered his hand

"Thanks Austin, I'm Toni" she softly shakes his hand.

"I hope you don't mind but I heard Midge invited you to her party, will I see you there?" he shyly asked.

"Yeah" Toni smiled

"Yo Austin, come on dude practice isn't over yet" Reggie joked

"Yeah sorry just coming. I will see you Friday night then?" Austin smiled

"Yeah,  see you there" Toni gave him a small. 

Toni walks over to Jughead who was putting away his notepad. 

"Finished already?" Toni questioned

"Not really, but that dance off will be more interesting to write about, just might have to leave out the presentation bet out" he laughed

"Yeah good idea" 

The two serpents walked out of the gym laughing and headed for the entrance to the school to head home.