VIPER • the serpent princess

40

We all laugh as we make our way into the trailer park. Betty is having the time of her life with Jughead and us. But we all slowly fade our laughter into silence when we see nearly everyone out of there trailers staring at pieces of paper on there hands. I furrow my eyebrows confused and then rush to Sweets and mine trailer. A paper is taped to our door.

"It's an eviction notice...we've all got two weeks then we're out" I declare.

"What? Jug" Betty gasps concerned.

"I've got to go see my grandfather" Toni sighs, walking away fast.

I look to Sweet Pea who is now standing beside me looking at the paper.

"What will we do Sweets? We can't afford anywhere else and we can't be homeless we have a baby coming! What are we going to do?" I rant nervously.

"Hey! Hey Case we'll figure it out. I'll figure it out, don't worry" he assures me.

I nod, we say goodbye to the others. But before entering the trailer, I look around, suddenly feeling as if someone is watching me. I shake it off and the two of us going straight to bed tiredly and worried about what's going to happen next.

The following day, all of the Serpents crowd into the Wyrm. Eager to hear what there leader wants to do next. FP takes the stage and I stand with my friends watching him.

"We all got the eviction notices, but I swear to you. No one is goin' anywhere. But the heat's been on us since Pickens Day and they're using that damn statue as an excuse to turn it up. But if we're gonna fix this, I gotta ask: Is anyone in this room responsible for cutting off Pickens' head?" he asks.

"Why don't you ask your son what he has to say?" Tall Boy suggests accusingly.

"What is your problem with me, Tall Boy?" Jughead hisses in response, turning to Tall Boy who stands across the room.

"You wrote the article that started this mess. You and your posse fired the opening shot at Pickens Day"

"It was a peaceful protest, Turncoat" Toni argues.

"That accomplished nothing. So what's to say that you and your boyfriend didn't go back that night with a ladder and hacksaw-"

"Hey!" I shout, not letting Tall Boy get away with accusing Jughead.

"We didn't do it!" Jug adds now standing face to face with Tall Boy, "Hell, Tall Boy, you're the tallest guy in this room. You wouldn't even need a ladder"

Tall Boy leaps towards Jug, which makes me, Sweets, Fangs and Toni all rush to his defends.

"Jughead! Tall Boy, the last thing we need right now is to turn on each other. Hey We'll find a way out of this" FP assures, walking over and standing between the two angry snakes.

"Come on Jug, let's go" I sigh, glaring at Tall Boy meanly.

After that, Jughead and I, with the rest of the young Serpents all make our way to Sweetwater River. We spend the rest of our day there, mucking about, distracting everyone from the fact they could very well likely loose there homes. A young boy Serpent suddenly comes over to me, he's only twelve.

"Hey Casey, so you think FP will get us out of this mess? I don't want to live on the streets, in winter I'd freeze and it sky home-"

"Hey Freddy, I know FP will get us out of this. He's trying with all of his power, and I'm not going to let some Northsider asshole kick us out. Don't worry about it Freddy. Let the adults handle this okay?" I assure him.

"Okay, yeah. Thanks Casey" he smiles, then rushes away joining back with some of the boys.

I take a deep breath and share looks with my group of friends sitting at our table. We all just saw the harsh reality of what's going to happen if the eviction notices don't get fixed.

Just as we are about to head on home, Jughead gets a text saying that FP wants the five of us at the Wyrm asap. When we arrive, everyone is standing in a circle, in the middle, sits Penny Peabody and FP.

"Holy shit" I gasp quietly to myself.

"Jughead Jones. And apparently mommy Casey!" Penny smirks, "Did you really think you'd see the last of me?"

"What's the Snake Charmer doing here? Dad?"?Jug questions.

"No, I brought her in, to help us"

"We don't need Penny's kind of help" I hiss.

"You don't get a say anymore.Since you broke Serpent law and hurt one of our own kind" Penny declares.

"Penny was about to tell your dad. Show him, Penny. Show 'em all" Tall Boy insists.

"That used to be my Serpent tattoo, until your fake daughter sliced a chunk outta my arm and left me bleeding in a ditch in Greendale" she confesses, "But I'm still willing to help the Serpents. Tall Boy showed me those eviction notices. They're legit. Luckily, I can think of about 41 ways to stall the process. And I'm talking years"

"What's your price, Penny?" Jug glares.

"Blood for blood. An eye for an eye" she sighs simply, "I want back in with the Serpents and I want him and her kicked out. Oh, yeah, one last thing I want her tattoo carved off. And I want to do it myself. With a dirty knife"

"I'd like to see you try Penny" I scoff, stepping forward.

"I might miss your tattoo and get your stomach"

"You stupid bitch" I leap forward but Jughead and the others quickly grab me.

"Alright that's enough! Jug, Casey, leave" FP sighs, rubbing his forehead clearly stressed.

I scoff, then turn around and storm out of the Wyrm. The five of us wait outside to see what's happening. Shortly after, the doors are slammed open, FP walking out.

"Well? What did they say? Are they kicking is out?" Jug asks nervously, walking over to FP.

"There's gonna be a vote. You two versus Penny"

I scoff, shaking my head. But Jughead is a talker.

"Us versus-What, they can't see what we get?With Penny in the picture?" he argues.

"Penny's a cobra, but mutilating her? That's the kind of thing you don't come back from" he declares, looking to me.

"Yeah, like stuffing a teenager's body in a freezer?" I hiss.

"You need to learn to keep your damn mouth shut" he bursts.

"Hey!" Jug shouts, pushing his Dad back, only to turn the anger back onto himself.

"Tall Boy was right! You brought the Northside down on us. Serpents are losing their dens because of what you wrote"

"Don't kid yourself. You're using my article.
And they're using what happened to the statue of General Pickens as an excuse to justify something they've already been doing" Jughead argues.

"You think you're a hero, Jug? Cutting up women? Bringing the temple down right on our damn heads? You will be the death of us. Not the Northside, not Penny. You"

"Back off FP!" I shout, moving forward and joining Jughead's side, "None of this is Jugheads fault. You're the fucking leader. You don't put blame on other people, everything that happens to the Serpents is to do with there leader"

"So you're blaming me-"

"I'm not blaming you jesus! I'm the one who cut off her tattoo, right from her arm and I, have no fucking regrets" I state.