The Serpent Queen

Chapter Thirty Seven

After finally being able to take Elijah home, and shouting at Sophie for being such a pain over me looking after him, I finally made my way to school. I was almost late for school and the stupid election Q&A thing that the school was hosting. The Serpents were furious over our lack of representation, because even though Jughead was running, he didn't have our interests at heart at all. 

Sweet Pea voiced as much but we got some bullshit reply from Betty and Jughead which everyone knew was a complete cop out. 

Alice Cooper had cornered FP after the meeting and I overheard most of the conversation from where I was stood with Sweet Pea and Kicks. 

'FP, you should be ashamed of yourself. Letting my sweet, innocent daughter live in sin in that soup can you call a trailer' she ranted. 

'You think I'm a fan of this arrangement?' he replied, 'You're talking to the guy who's sleeping on a pull out sofa with his son so your daughter can have his bedroom. The same guy who has barely spent any time with his girl recently because he's too busy making sure two crazy kids don't do anything stupid'

'You're doing that?' Alice asked in disbelief. 

I walked away at that point, pretty happy that FP was doing the right thing in terms of Betty and Jughead. I met him outside the school building an we went back to his trailer for a while since Jughead and Betty had gone elsewhere. I was with him when they came home and Alice called FP in a mass panic.

'Easy Alice, hold on' he told her, 'Turn to channel 8 right now' he said to Jughead.

The news was showing that a car had been hidden away in the swamp. All three of them looked panicked and Betty actually started trembling.

'Okay, what the hell is going on here?' I asked once FP had hung up the phone.

'I'll explain in the truck, lets go guys' FP said.

On our way to Pop's, FP explained how the car got into the swamp and the whole story behind it - how he had got involved in the whole fiasco. I was furious he had kept it from me for so long and that the only reason I had found out now was because I was in the trailer when Alice called. I sulked with him for the entire car journey.

'We should've driven that damn car out of town' Jughead said once we had met Alice at Pops.

They were all sat with sullen faces.

'Jug, you couldn't have known Junkyard Steve drags the swamp for peoples castoffs' FP replied.

'Could've done if you'd mentioned it to me' I rolled my eyes.

'Can it Crystal' Alice snapped at me.

'Shouldn't Chic be here considering he brained the guy?' FP asked and I zoned out because I really didn't feel like listening to stuff about Betty's psycho brother.

Sheriff Keller came into the diner and they all stiffened up and stopped talking.

'Alright guys, you need to chill. If anyone comes asking, we don't know anything. Don't talk to anyone. Act like everything is normal' I told them all.

'Betty, that includes you coming home instead of nesting with a bunch of Serpents' Alice demanded.

'You're not gonna use this to manipulate me, mom' Betty scoffed, 'I come home when Chic leaves'

'Or when you get kicked out' I muttered causing FP to elbow me in the ribs.

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At school the next day, Sweet Pea dragged me into a Serpents meeting in one of the classrooms so we could complain to Jughead.

'You promised us a war, then you're up on stage looking like Buddy Wallis, sucking up to the Northside?' Sweet Pea ranted angrily and  the majority of the Serpents agreed with him.

'We need those votes Sweet Pea. It's the only way we can affect any change. Whoever is elected gets a seat on the school board' Jughead explained.

I tried to hide my head in Fangs' chest as Jughead continued to justify his reasoning for school council.

'And you and the Northside Princess are gonna help us?'  Fangs asked.

'Is that why you guys are pissed? Betty is on our side' Jughead replied.

'Yeah, I've helped the Serpents on numerous occasions. I helped find the Pickens statue head. I got Cheryl to testify in court so FP, your King, could get early parole' Betty defended herself.

'You did all that for your boyfriend, not the Serpents' Sweet Pea replied, 'You also go against almost every decision our Queen makes which is not how we work'

'All right, take it down Sweet Pea' Jughead warned.

'What? It's only a matter of time before she bails on us like her mother' Sweet Pea responded.

'So your objections aren't even about me, they're about my mom' Betty asked.

'It's about her legacy Cooper' I explained exhaustedly, 'She's an enemy of the Serpent State, she broke our laws. She's always blaming us for crimes we never did. Running with a turn coats daughter is a slap in the face'

'Which is why we have decided you're not getting the Serpent vote' Kicks informed Jughead and Betty.

The rest of us all nodded our heads in agreement. Betty looked devastated and ready to argue with us again so I grabbed my bag and led the Serpents out of the room.

'Well, that was dramatic' I laughed.