ROYALTY | RIVERDALE

chapter -6

chapter 6 || 006

'who you truly are'

The principal of Riverdale High told all the serpents to leave their jackets at home, and all their gang things too. But that was almost like asking a student to come in with out their brain. It was their skin, they never take their jackets off.

I didn't want to take my jacket off. It belonged to my father, it was like the only tangible thing of his that I had with me. But if I didn't want to cause any trouble, lay the heat off me, I'd have to blend in.

I think we all were taking it pretty well. 

It was me, Sweet Pea, Fangs and Toni in the students lounge just talking. There were some Northsiders here but that was a given, this was their school. Toni and Fangs were talking about some class that they shared on one couch while me and Sweet Pea shared another.

"I never thanked you, for you know. The thing you did." I say in a low voice, not wanting the other two to hear me thank him for it. They no doubt probably knew the serpents are pretty close knit. "So thanks."

He looked at me a few seconds after I thanked him and smiled. "No problem Diana."

No princess? I raise my eyebrows at him "Thanks Sweet Cakes." He then raised his eyebrows in response and I rolled my eyes.

Out of my peripheral vision I saw Jughead walk in and I turned my body to wave him over. But my eyes only saw the serpents jacket that he had on him. 

"Shit." I curse under my breath.

There was gonna be fight now. I know it. All because of some stupid rule. I wanted to wear my jacket to keep it close to me. While the others wanted to wear it because that is their life, no other way around it. Why couldn't the principal see it like that?

Or the Northsiders?

"Take it off." Reggie's voice cracked through the room. Everyone was slowly silencing themselves, getting ready for the brawl that is about to happen.  "Take off that jacket, rat boy." 

Everyone was getting up all of a sudden, but I stayed in my seat. I was already choked not even a week of being in this town I don't need a black eye to add to the set. 

"Oh Reggie I don't think you know what this jacket means because you have no sense of honor or history or loyalty-" Jughead kept on bating him while the rest of the jocks and the serpents were all waiting for someone to throw a punch.

But I beat them to it.

"Enough!" I shout at the both of them, making everyone in the room confused. I stand up slowly from my seat on the couch and walk over to the two knocking heads and face Reggie. "Those jackets mean something to them- to us. I know you don't care about that seeing as none of this affects you but maybe you should back down now."

He shuts his trap for a second before reopening it. "Before what?" Oh god, he's not serious. Did he really set himself up like that? I look at him in bewilderment for a second before stepping out of Jugheads's way.

And that's when punches were thrown and scuffling was taking over the room. I can't join in on the action so I just watch the stupid boys fight each other, not trying to break them up. Maybe this was some normal stupid high school thing that happened. Maybe it was better to just let it happen.

-

"Weeks detention? For what?" FP asks as I finish swiping up the mess the family of four left on my table. I let them get away with it because the kids are cute, that's it. 

Jughead was suspended from school for wearing his jacket while the rest of us were ordered to wear uniforms. And detention, can't forget about good old fashion detention.

"Honestly, I don't care much. I wasn't fighting but I didn't exactly break it up. Nor did I de-esculate it so.." I trail off, folding the towel into my apron and heading for the counter. "This is typical high school stuff right? Detention. No heat."

FP chuckles from behind the counter at me.

"Yes it is, Dirty Diana." He jokes, but that nickname- it sticks to me. I remember my father used to call me it all the time when I was growing up. I never knew where it came from, just knew it was a song too.

I put all my attention on FP now, off of cleaning duty. "Why do I have that nickname? What's up with that?" I question him as he starts organizing the boxes behind the counter. He doesn't answer for a while because of this.

Then his head pops up from the counter, then his full body.

"Your father said that when you were born they had no clue what to name you. And then all of a sudden the Michael Jackson song came on and they said it was like destiny. That's why he calls you" He hissed slightly at his mistake but I didn't pay it as much mind as he did. "- he called you that." 

The door to the dinner opens with the ring of the bell and I se the bulldogs all pile into a booth. My section. Great.

I smile at him "Thanks." and leave the counter to get to those dumb jocks.

As soon as I reach the booth, Reggie looks at me. All of his athlete friends are either talking to one another or taking a look at the menu. He's the only exception. I see him clench his jaw as he looks away from me.

"Hi, can I take your orders?" I question with the sweet fake voice I use.

"Yeah you sure can. Can we get a better look at your snake skin?" One of the boys asks which makes the table erupt in laughter. Not Reggie though. He doesn't even smile.

I guess they found out that I'm a serpent and that I work here.

 Let the high school antics ensue .

"You can't but you can surely look at the menu and place an order." I retort back in a very sarcastic voice. I didn't even know it but I placed my hand on my hip in un-patience. If this was what it was gonna be like, I'd have to roll with the punches.

A string of 'oohs' went through the booth.

"Southside trash." One of them mumbles under their breathe. 

They think I'm from the Southside. They think I was born there, raised there. I guess the blending in is going well. Less heat on me.

I chuckled at my inside joke and flashed a real smile. "Born and raised. Now, your order?"