LAST SUMMER [ARCHIE ANDREWS] - DISCONTINUED

thirty

"WE'RE IN THE HOMESTRETCH, PRINCESS."

Kara smiled up at Toni as the pink haired girl wrapped medical tape around her hand. "It would've been nice to know that the snake was de-venomed," Kara laughed, flexing her fingers, wincing when the bite mark rubbed against the gauze. Toni sent her a quizzical look. "That's the point. You have to be willing to sacrifice your well-being for a fellow Serpent," she explained, patting her hand.

Toni stood from the bar stool in Kara's kitchen, making her way back to cabinet where she found the tape. "A bunch of the others thought that either you or Jughead would have backed out by now," she told her, letting the cabinet swing back into its place, "They're impressed. But the last stage is the hardest. And it's different for both of you. In my opinion, your's is worse."

Kara frowned, "What?" Toni rolled her eyes as she continued, articulating, "It's this really old, totally misogynistic initiation made especially for female Serpents called the Serpent Dance." Kara leaned forward, intrigued and terrified at the same time. "What is it?"

Toni sighed heavily. "It's a pole dance," she said simply. Kara blinked. A pole dance. A pole dance? "Seriously? Is this 1922?" she quipped, eyes wide. Toni exhaled, "Yeah, I know. I protested to end it a while back but, unfortunately, there are more ignorant men than the intelligent in the Serpents." She noticed Kara's distressed look, and she squeezed her hand. "Sorry, but that's not all."

The redhead's eyes widened again. "Yeah... It's called the Serpent Dance not only because it's for the Southside Serpents, but also because you'll have an actual snake with you... and this one still has its venom glands," Toni stated. Kara started wringing her hands nervously. "Toni, I-I don't know if... I don't know if I can do this. I mean, I'm not... I'm not a dancer o-or even a good cheerleader," Kara whimpered, looking at the girl with eyes as wide as saucers.

Toni frowned, squeezing her hands again. "Hey, don't think like that. You are a sexy beast, Kara Carter. You've got this, okay? Don't think about it too hard," she stressed. Kara took a deep breath, trying to smile.

She just hoped she was a better snake-whisperer than she was a pole dancer.

-/-

"So you take the cosine of 25 and set up a proportion-"

Kara sighed heavily, running her hands over her face in frustration. "Kevin, I don't get it." She was struggling to catch up with her work that she had missed from while she was in the hospital, and she knew Kevin was trying his best. "You keep saying words, and I know the words, but I don't get the words."

Kevin gave her a look, throwing his hands up. "I've tried everything! You're un-teachable!" he exclaimed, "I suggest you just go to Betty, that's who taught me."