Polaroid // Reggie Mantle (2)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Later that day, Caia walked into the blue and gold to talk to Kevin and Betty about her new job as Newspaper photographer. "Hey guys," she greeted.

"Good, you're here," Betty said, jumping off where she was sitting. "I have an assignment for you. I assume you have your own camera?" Caia held up the black device. "Good. I want you to take pictures during Pickens day. I would have Kevin do it, but he's not very skilled in the photography art."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "It was one blurry photo." Betty raised her eyebrows at him. "Okay, maybe fourty."

Caia chuckled. "Stick to wrestling, Kev."

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Caia turned to see Jughead standing at the door. "Hey," he greeted. "Am I interrupting?"

"Yeah kinda," Kevin said at the same time Betty said "no."

"I just wanted to run some stuff by you, but I can come back," Jughead explained.

"Nah, nah, nah, it's fine," Kevin fixed. He stood up and left. Caia started to leave too, but Jughead grabbed her arm, signaling that he wanted her to stay.

Jughead began to took off his bag. "By the way, I am really digging Kevin's new gossip column."

Caia nodded. "The slogan is my favorite part. 'If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.'" Jughead smiled in recognition at her.

"Yeah, readers love it," Betty explained. "And I needed to fill the extra space when you..." She trailed off, everyone knowing what she was referring to.

"I'm actually working on a story right now," Jughead informed. "Here." He handed a blue folder to Betty. "When I interviewed Toni's grandfather for history class, he had some pretty intense things to say about General Pickens." Betty opened the folder and Caia began reading over her shoulder. "But then I did some follow-up research. General Pickens was hired by Barnabas B. Blossom to remove the Uktena tribe by force. Guys, he killed 400 innocent men, women and children." Caia's eyes widened. What?

"Oh, my God! That's horrible," Betty muttered.

Jughead nodded. "And adding salt to the wound, the last remnants of the tribe, the Serpents, are being squeezed out of existence. Toni's grandfather lives in a trailer the size of a broom closet. And Hiram Lodge is honoring this murderer instead of trying to make amends." Caia shook her head at the sad story. "I think it's a story we need to tell."

Caia nodded. "Are you gonna try to get a quote from Hiram Lodge?" Betty asked, holding the folder back out.

Caia knew that he would, but she also knew that Hiram would not give him a quote. He never would.

*

"He wants us to do what now?" Caia questioned.

Jughead turned to her. "To make up for the trouble I caused, Toni's grandpa wants us to protest Pickens day."

Sweet Pea nodded. "Yeah. And how exactly are we going to do that?" Caia nodded at Sweet Pea's question she was wondering the same thing.

"By making signs," Jughead answered. "And wearing tape over out mouth. It's a metaphor for the Uktena. They couldn't say anything when their land was getting stolen, so neither will we."

"Except for me," Toni cut in. "I'll make a speech on behalf on my Grandfather and his story."

"And we need all of you to help," Jughead finished. "So who's in?"

*

Caia felt bad for bailing on her and Reggie's plans for Pickens day without giving him a reason. But she had no choice. The protest was more important that a few kisses and a maple snowcone.

The Serpents made their entrance during the Pussycats peformance. Caia held a sign that said "this is sacred ground." The piece of tape over her mouth was uncomfortable, but she understood the sentiment.

It was the first time other than the day at school that she had worn her serpent jacket or public. It still felt strange to her.

As soon as people started to notice them, Caia felt all the eyes. She migrated closer to Sweet Pea for comfort.

She saw Cheryl hand a candy apple to her mother than join the ranks. Her heart swelled at this small act. If Cheryl could accept the error in her ancestors ways, then anyone could.

The music shut off as Veronica left the Mic stand. "Toni?" She called, shocked. "Jughead, Caia, what the he'll is going on?"

Toni ignored Veronica's questions and raised the Megaphone to her lips. "We're hear representing the dead and the silenced," She began. "Picken's Day is a lie. General Pickens slaughtered the Uktena tribe, my grandfather's family. And this land, the land that we're standing on, the land that will soon give way to a new Southside was stolen from them. And we can't bring them back but we can and we must honor them."

Hiram Lodge had walked up from the crowd to the microphone on the stage. "Hey folks," he said, interrupting Toni's speech. "Hi, uh, I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale where young people can stand up for justice. Where a young woman can defend the honor and legacy of her grandfather. And where we can celebrate the legacy of the Uktena who contribute to the tapestry that is Riverdale." Caia rolled her eyes at his words. It was all on the spot bullshit. "That is the Southside. And that will be SoDale. So let's hear a round of applause for that, am I right?" Caia didn't clap with the others. Instead, she ripped the tape off her mouth.

She saw Jughead rip his tape off and begin to start towards Hiram, but Toni's grandfather held him back.

Caia shook her head, turning and heading away from the stage.

Caia got a maple snow cone and sat at a random table, waiting for Reggie. The whole protest thing had put her in a bad mood and she didn't know if Reggie would pick up on it or not.

Suddenly, a touch from behind caused Caia to jump. She snapped her head in the person's direction. When she saw it was just Reggie, she relaxed considerably.

He stepped over the bench so he could sit next to his girlfriend. He wrapped his arm around her and placed a kiss on Caia's cheek. "Hola, mi chica," he greeted.

"Hi, Reg," She greeted back.

Reggie furrowed his eye brows at Caia's unenthusiastic reply. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Caia looked down at her snow cone and shook her head.

"Hey," Reggie called, grabbing Caia's free hand. "You can tell me if something's bothering you."

"It's nothing, Reggie," Caia refuted, looking up at her boyfriend. "Do you wanna go get some food?"

The next day the town would be woken up to the decapatitation of the statue of General Pickens. And of course, the Southside Serpents were the main suspects.