A Snake's Truth || A Sweet Pea Fanfiction

Chapter Eighteen: Pickens and His Head

The day after my suspension, the moment I walked in I was dragged by Toni to the Blue and Gold. "'General Pickens was a murderer... and ripples from his gruesome acts continue to be felt today. Descendants of the victims are still being displaced. So I challenge the Northside, instead of honoring men like General Pickens and Hiram Lodge, hold them accountable. Reparations must be paid to men like Thomas Topaz, who are too old and beaten down to fight back for themselves.'" Toni read from the article.

"This town is messed up, and it needs to own up to its history." Jug claimed before I smacked him upside the head with the newspaper.

"My grandfather isn't some broken-down victim, okay? Or some prop for your insane vendetta against the Northside." She told him.

"And I told you NOT to make this a fucking story. It's not your story to tell and you never should have done this." I told my brother with a disappointed look. "Don't forget, Swords and Serpents meeting during lunch." We then walked out of the Blue and Gold. During the meeting we talked about what Veronica asked of the Serpents and the article Jug published but Toni quickly shut down the talk of the article because she wasn't in the mood to listen about it. Which I don't blame her. After school Toni, Jug and I ended up at Grandpa Topaz's trailer.

"I was angry. Because the Southside is our home. I'm sick of watching it get dismantled piece by piece in front of our eyes. They take our drive-in. Then they take our school. I thought you were apologizing. I am. I shouldn't have used your story or what happened to the Uktena against the Northside. I had no right... I had no right. I'm sorry." Jug apologized.

"Whatever your reasons were, you opened an old wound. Now, something has to be done to heal it." Grandpa Topaz told my brother.

"Do you have something in mind Grandpa?" Toni asked.

The Picken's Day Festival………

We were ready to protest. Most of us had duct tape on our mouths and signs in our hands. Ready to protest the day that was for honoring a murder. Toni had a mega phone, ready to speak for the dead. Then we rallied together and walked towards the gazebo, ready to fight for what we believe in. "Toni? Jughead? Roxy? What the hell is going on?" Veronica Lodge said as she stopped singing.

"We're here representing the dead and the silenced. Pickens 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." Toni told everyone before a certain Lodge interrupted.

"Hey, folks, hi. Uh... I think we can all be proud to live in a Riverdale where young people stand up for justice." Hiram began before I tore off the duct tape covering my mouth.

"Let her speak!" I yelled.

"And where we can celebrate the living legacy of the Uktena, who contribute to the rich tapestry that is Riverdale, that is the Southside and that will be SoDale. So let's hear a round of applause for that, am I right?" Hiram said, ignoring me. I instantly felt Sweets take ahold of my arm. After that fail we all went back to the Wyrm but Sweets and I went home.

"That was a fail today." I sighed as I sat next to Sweets.

"It really was." He agreed.

"Stupid Lodges." I cursed. "Always having to ruin everything."

"That is very, very true. They are getting annoying but not as annoying as your mother was getting." He told me.

"Speaking of the bitch, I need to go to her old trailer tomorrow." I informed him.