𝖛𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 ↠ sweet pea [2]

|| FORTY-ONE ||

"Serpents," Jughead commenced the emergency meeting, the same way he usually would. He'd given no one any context, and the Serpents' eyes watched him eagerly as they awaited an explanation.

 Lauryn sat down on the ragged old outdoor couch with the baby to her chest, Betty perched next to her. Sweet Pea stood beside the arm with his hand on his fiancee's shoulder. 

Jughead held a look of pride on his face, and he glanced across his crowd. "Earlier today, I brokered a deal. Got us a paid gig."

The Serpents remained silent, yearning to hear more. It was as if they could see dollar signs floating around in the air. Their great depression was finally seeing an end.

"From here on out, we'll be working security detail for Veronica Lodge, her speakeasy and her employees. It's also a way to practice security around camp should a certain Rich Foster return."

"Long live the Serpents! Whoo!" Sweet Pea cheered as the entirety of the Serpents broke into cheer and applause. He hung an arm over Lauryn's shoulders, kissing her as if for the first time.

"Settle down," Jughead ordered sternly, and they wondered why their celebration had to be so short-lived. "I know it's good news for a change, but I've also gathered us here for less celebratory reasons."

Everyone exchanged confused glances until the Serpent King pointed the humiliating finger of accusation in the direction of Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz.

"Cheryl, Toni, come up here," he demanded them, and Cheryl scoffed.

"Excuse me?" she retorted, typically. "What did we do?"

"You broke into the Lodge apartment and stole a Glamerge egg."

Cheryl, with her classic bad attitude, stood up straight with a taunting twinge in her eye. "So what if we did?" 

"Well, more than that," Jug continued with a scoff. "You left your calling card. Attaching yourself, and, by extension, all of the Serpents to your crime."

"I'm not afraid of Lodge," Cheryl shrugged jeeringly, unbothered by the situation, and visibly proud. "What's he gonna do? Call the Sheriff? Oh, right, there is no sheriff."

"That's not the point. You broke the code." He pointed at them both before making the hesitant decision to continue. "Turn in your jackets and go."

"Are you serious, Jones?" Toni spoke up finally, her voice alarmed with denial. "I'm a Serpent by blood. You can't take that away from me."

"You hypocrite," Cheryl remarked. "You give your drug-dealing buddy Fangs a pass, but you crucify us?"

Lauryn's gaze darted straight at her brother who was sat behind Jughead, her heart sinking as she watched her brother's face drop. 

"Sorry, but how is that your business, Cheryl?" Katie defended, her white face turning red. "It doesn't make your sloppy ass look any more innocent."

"Pipe down, child of Satan," Cheryl said, which made the girl snap, marching towards her as if she was going to knock her into the dirt.

"That's enough," Lauryn intervened, using her free hand to separate the girls with the baby still snuggled against her chest.

"In case you're wondering how we know about the whole ordeal," Toni shed light back onto the main subject, ignoring her girlfriend's staring contest with Katie. "Fangs told Sweet Pea who told me."

"Who told me!" Cheryl finished.

Sweet Pea covered his face frustratedly as Lauryn gave him the most violated look she have could pulled out of her sleeve. She was fuming, her temperature rising by a thousand degrees in less than a second. She could see Fangs panicking, Katie joining him at his side.