Breaking Boundaries / Sweet Pea \

¦4¦

"Im criticised, but all your bullets ricochet. You shoot me down, but I get up"

Lola was walking into the cafeteria with Jughead, who was on the phone with Betty. "Betty, I have to try and at least maintain a semblance of being a student here" Jughead was saying. Lola had zoned out of his conversation the second she realised it was Betty. She looked over to the Serpents and saw them looking at a very beat up computer. However, she heard a voice coming from it that she recognised. Her eyes widened as she elbowed Jughead and motioned towards the Serpents.

"Crap. Uh, I gotta go Betty, okay? Hey, I'll talk to you later" he rushed, before hanging up.  He exchanged a worried look with Lola before walking over to the Serpents. "Hey. I'm guessing we're not watching funny cat videos" Jughead remarked, trying to seem normal.

Serpent Boy looked up and turned his computer to face the two, revealing none other than Archie Andrews. "Check this out. Some sick-in-the-head Northsider posted a crazy-ass video, and uh, we were just talking" he began, grinning. Lola knew exactly what they were talking about and she knew Jughead wasn't going to like it.

"About what?" Jughead interjected. Serpent Boy shared a knowing glance with his friend before continuing. "Fogarty wants to earn his Serpent Stripes. I say, bring us the head of that Northsider and you're in" he said while motioning to his friend. "I'm down with that" the boy who was apparently Fogarty replied as Serpent Boy began banging his fist on the table while cheering. Lola drew in a sharp breath, knowing Jughead was going to be annoyed.

"No, guys. Don't" Jughead said to him. "What, Jones?" His voice was deep and menacing, sending shivers down Lola's spine. "Alright, I know this guy, he's a milquetoast. He's a football player. It's kind of a lame target is all I'm saying" Jughead shrugged, trying to play it off. "You wanna prove something? Why don't you go after the Black Hood." Lola knew he was trying to distract them but it wasn't going to work.

"And why would we do that? The Black Hood's targeting Northsiders, who do nothing but blame the Southside for everything that's wrong with this town. And we're sick of it. The Black Hood's doing our work for us. He's a hero" the tall Serpent snapped. Lola could see where he was coming from, but no serial killer is ever a hero, no matter what his motives are.

Jughead was quiet for a while before he spoke up again, trying to protect his friend. "Just, don't go after him, okay?" He whispered. The Serpent seemed to contemplate this before turning to Lola. "What do you think" he asked.

Lola was taken aback. Why did he care what she thought? Under any other circumstance she would've sided with the Serpents. She had planned this sort of thing constantly when she was a Serpent. But this was someone who was like a brother to her best friend. She couldn't do that to him. "Jughead's right" she said, barely above a whisper.

This just angered the Serpent even more and his dark brown eyes somehow turned a shade even darker. "Of course, you guys are just a couple of Northsiders trying to protect your friends. Why would you care about the Southside? Neither of you are Serpents, not even you Jones. You wouldn't understand the loyalty between us or the crap that's thrown at us by the Northside" he spat.

Jughead's eyes widened, not because he was shocked that the Serpent would say that, but because he knew how his best friend would react to it. Lola was furious by now. She gritted her teeth and stared at the Serpent, not daring to break eye contact. "You have no idea about who I am, so don't you dare assume anything. Got it?" she said in an eerily calm voice. The Serpent seemed confused but before he or anyone else could say anything, she turned around and sped away.

Lola couldn't believe what he had just said to her. The day before, he saved her from Reggie, and now this? She couldn't take it. She was sick of Northsiders trashing the Serpents around her and she ws sick of the Serpents assuming she's just some Northsider. Lola had made a decision; she was going back to the Serpents whether her dad liked it or not.