LAST SUMMER [ARCHIE ANDREWS] - DISCONTINUED

thirty-two

"SO YOU'RE A SERPENT NOW?"

Veronica tilted her head in interest, her eyes catching on the Serpent tattoo printed on Kara's wrist. The strawberry blonde gave a small nod of her head and picked the cherry off of her milkshake, popping it into her mouth as she turned the page of her biology textbook. "And Archie is mad at you for that?" Veronica continued. Kara nodded once more.

"Why? He's not your dad, he can't decide what you do."

"Exactly."

Veronica shook her head distastefully, pushing her reading glasses higher onto the bridge of her nose. "How's it going between you and Caleb?" Kara, desperate to change the subject, asked. Veronica gave a small huff. "There no 'it' to be going..." She muttered, "Ever since Nick came into town, he's been so distant."

Kara shuddered at the mention of Nick's name, her skin growing cold. She stretched her fingers. Just as she was going to comment on her step-brother's strange behavior, the door jingled open and Betty Cooper stepped inside. Kara and Veronica watched the blonde make her way over to Sheriff Keller on his lunch break, and they shared a look. Neither of the girls had forgiven Betty- how could they? Calling Veronica reckless and Kara sleazy with no explanation... Kara's heart twisted when she thought about her argument with Betty. A part of her felt bad for slapping her, but the other part told her to man up. She had nothing to apologize for.

Much to Kara's dismay, Veronica initiated a conversation. "Drafting your next savage take-down?"

Betty glanced over at them, an apologetic gleam in her eyes as she met Kara's gaze. The redhead looked down at her milkshake. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I didn't mean what I said. There's no sane excuse."

A disbelieving laugh bubbled in Kara's throat, but she kept it down. "No, there really isn't," Veronica replied sharply, "So tell us: what's the insane excuse?"

Betty's response shocked them to their cores. It was a long-winded explanation of how she was forced by the Black Hood to get rid of all her friends, except for Archie. Kara wondered what made her ex-boyfriend so special to the Black Hood, considering he had shot his dad.

"Wait, wait, recap for a minute," Kara interjected once Betty had finished, sitting forward. "You're talking to a serial killer, and he's been puppet-mastering you?"

Betty leaned toward her from her spot next to Veronica, placing her soft hands on each of theirs. "I will never forgive myself for doing what I did. To you guys, to Jughead, to my mom..." She shook her blonde ponytail. "Even to Nick St. Clair."

Again, Kara shrunk back. She wondered if she'd ever be able to hear his name without her heart speeding up. "Girl, I would've Nick's name and then treated myself to a facial," Veronica cheered. She tilted her head, considering it. "I still might..."

"Betty you need to get out of this..." Kara said, concerned. Veronica nodded in agreement, "You're in a toxic relationship with the Black Hood, and you need to break up.