Helpline ((Jughead Jones)) 2

16

Jughead decided that we hadn't had alone time, time that was just us, where we didn't have to worry about being a Serpent or not being a Serpent, time that was ours, in too long. So, he asked me to meet him at Pop's. The last time I had been there was to escape the Black Hood, something I still hadn't told Jughead about. I was sat daydreaming when I got a message.

"You're still with him. I thought you were smarter than that. -BH"

I took a deep breath and returned my phone to my pocket. I would not be intimidated by him. He couldn't hurt me when I was with Jug, and his threat wouldn't drive me out of the Southside, and away from Jughead Jones. He was my safe place and I knew that he, and the other Serpents, wouldn't let some Black Hood hurt me.

"Cynthia Blossom." I turned, seeing Jughead come into the diner. I walked over and took his face in my hands, kissing him gently. That kiss made me forget everything that the Black Hood had told me, and everything that he was telling me to do. As we pulled apart, I kept our foreheads pressed together.

"I love you, Jughead Jones." I smiled.

"I love you, Thia." He smiled back, then pulled away, guiding me to the booth I was just sat at, saying how much he has missed spending time with just me.

"Jug, I'm so proud of you for doing these trials. You'll get through the last one just fine, and I know how proud your father will be." I told him, he reached across the table and took my hands. My heart was overflowing with admiration for the boy in front of me. He couldn't get anymore perfect. He made me see that I was more than just the Blossom name.

For a moment, we sat in silence, both of us thinking about our own problems. I was thinking about the Black Hood, and how I would eventually have to tell Jughead that he had been messaging me. If I told him no, it would throw him off for his final trial, and I refused to put him through that added stress.

"I wish we could just go. Just hop on my motorcycle and just leave Riverdale," I saw the tears in Jughead's eyes, tears that he would refuse to shed, "Go someplace where there's no Northside, or Southside, or Serpents, Ghoulies."

"No messed up families, no Black Hoods." Our grip on each other's hands tightened and the table between us became too far. Like a wall forcing us apart, the table became the divider. We were both desperate for the other, to be rid of our situations and just be us, something we were always too tired to be after school and Serpent training. Everything was building up on top of us and I didn't know how long it would be until one of us fell. "Like Romeo and Juliet, but we live happily ever after instead." He just nodded, as if a nod would be all it took to fix me, to fix him, before the final trial began.

The evening of the finial trial arrived. I was dressed in a red, corset style top, and black ripped jeans. I had heeled boots on and a black leather jacket on to match. My lips were painted the classic Blossom red, and I had braided the side of my hair into small, warrior style braids. Jughead had on a muscle t-shirt, showing off his very toned arms. We both walked out of the trailer, ready to get this trial over with, when we saw Archie standing at the bottom.

"We gotta talk, Jug." He stated. The sun was just starting to set and we knew that a gang of Serpents would be coming around the corner any second.

"Uh, now's really not a good time. okay?"Jug told him, putting his hands on his shoulders and pushing him away. They were both talking over each other, Jug saying that he needed to leave, Archie asking why. The noise was silenced by Sweet Pea and some of the others coming over to us.

"What the hell do we have here?" Pea questioned. I walked over to him, Jughead just behind me.

"He was just leaving. Alright, Pea?" I told him, moving in between Archie and the gang that hated him. Jughead and I were both in the middle, trying to protect each side from the other.

"Wait, you're friends with these thugs?" Outrage seeped from Archie's words.

"It's not what you think." Jughead replied lowly. Sweet Pea was eyeing up Archie like a predator and Archie was staring, betrayed, at Jughead, realising what was going on.

"Are you joining the Serpents?"

"If he survives," Sweet Pea commented, jumping in on a conversation that wouldn't be helped by his input. "Go ahead and call us thugs one more time." It was apparent that Sweet Pea would threaten others before he shut his mouth. At least the other Serpents had the decency to be quiet. So, when I spun around and glared warningly at Sweet Pea as he stepped forward, I ignored every other Serpent there.

"Jughead these are the guys who attacked me. Who attacked Reggie and Veronica, Dilton, your friends." I chose to cut of Archie's rant, showing him clearly who's side I was on and doing it before the Serpents jumped in and threw insults with it.

"Archie," I began calmly, drawing his attention to me, "They attacked you after you spray painted on their land. They fought the Bulldogs, but you guys fought back. The way I heard it, you threw the first punch at Sweet Pea. And Dilton, he stabbed himself and you know that." Archie gritted his teeth as he watched me speak, knowing I was right, but knowing it wouldn't help his case against Jughead.

"Wait is that why you came here? To warn me?" He asked, hoping that this would be the only reason he came here. It would give Jughead the easy way to send Archie home, away from the gang.

"One of the reasons. I also came here to tell you to stay away from Betty, and now all of us too. She doesn't want to be your friend anymore."

"Screw you, I just saw Betty a few days ago. And are you seriously thinking I'm that dangerous for hanging out with the Serpents that you don't want to talk to me either?" Jug snapped, glaring accusingly at Archie.

"She saw where you were headed, Jughead, where you were leading Cynthia, too. We all did. And we know that you can't be with them, and with us. And come on, man, you know it to." I stepped up to Jughead, holding his arm, forcing him to look at me and calm himself down. Archie had struck a nerve inside Jughead, but he needed to go through with this. He had the opportunity to help tame the Serpents, help limit the violence. In turn, his friends would see that. Jug turned back to Archie, snarling that he got the message, then turning back around to face the Serpents as his friend walked off. With a nod of his head, we followed Sweet Pea and the other Serpents to the White Wrym.

I stood beside Toni, who was holding Jughead's Serpent jacket while he walked the gauntlet. Serpents punched him to the ground and I winced every time a fist collided with his body. His white shirt was now dirt covered and blood stained. He weakly faced Sweet Pea, before he, with knuckle dusters on, threw the final punch to Jughead. It seemed that the Serpent enjoyed it slightly too much. Mentally, I cheered as Jughead got up off the ground and faced Sweet Pea. With a swollen face and bruised body, he shook his hand. Jughead was a Serpent.

"You give him this." Toni whispered, giving the jacket to me. Sweet Pea looked behind as Tall Boy came to shake Jughead's hand. I approached with the jacket and held it out to him, smiling slightly at his achievement. He took the jacket and put it on slowly. My Jughead, was the toughest guy I knew.

"You're a Serpent now Jug." I smiled when we were back home. I had spent half an hour cleaning every cut and icing every bruise on his body. He was holding an ice pack to his head, his face saddened, and I knew it was from what Archie had said earlier. My hand was in his as we sat at the dining table, the same one where we had sat to learn the laws of being a Serpent. 

After the Gauntlet, Jughead and I  had been sent to the tattoo parlour. He had gotten the Serpent tattoo on his right shoulder. Toni had sat me down in a chair and lifted my top. She told me her tattoo was on the right side of her ribs, and she said that it would be perfect for mine as I wore cropped tops a lot more than she did. 

Jughead and I just stared at each other, not saying anything. I was happy he was alright, and he was happy that I hadn't left him for being a Serpent. I lent forward and planted my lips on his gently. We both melted into the kiss. After the days events, our kiss silenced our worries and solved our problems. Yes, it would only be temporary, but, in that moment, maybe night of passion, it was the only thing holding us together.