𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 | Riverdale

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. labor day weekend

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑, 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃. For most, it was a getaway. From work, from summer jobs. And for Archie Andrews, it was a break from being in the courtroom almost every day as he pleaded for his innocence. Aria Queens had been at every jury session with the serpents, supporting her childhood friend, as she knew the innocent red-headed boy she knew would never be capable of killing somebody. Aria knew Archie was the kind of guy to always tried to do the right thing, even if it didn't benefit himself. That was how he rolled. And he had been framed for the murder of a total stranger who lived in a totally different town.

And now, the final decision had yet to be decided, as the jury was sequestered yet again. Aria had huffed, desperately wanting to complain as her younger sister, Elle (who had decided to tag along, as Archie was like an older brother to her), folded her arms with an eye roll. The girl had recovered from seeing Midge's body, mostly as the Black Hood was gone indefinitely, locked away behind bars hundreds of miles away. Elle had been much happier and lively since it had happened. And as for Aria? She had completely gone behind her parents' backs and joined the Southside Serpents.

When the two sisters arrived home that afternoon, Aria had stopped dead. Inside, were a group of people in white clothing, including Alice and Polly Cooper. Was this, what Betty had described as, a Farm meeting? Aria certainly hoped not. Slowly dropping her bag on the floor, the girl frowned. "Mom? Dad? Mrs. Cooper? Polly? What the hell is going on?" The strawberry-blonde quizzed with a nervous chuckle. She began to slowly pull the serpent jacket off from around her waist, placing it with her bag as she stepped inside the living room.

"Aria," greeted her father, "why don't you sit and join us? These are the Farmies, you know, from the group we've been visiting." The man introduced, and Aria noticed his mostly white attire. She then glanced towards her mother, noticing her white summer dress. "And you know Alice and Polly." He added.

Slowly and cautiously, as if she was afraid they would turn into vipers if she made any sudden moves, Aria shook her head. "I'm good..." she answered, her voice soft and subtle. "You know what, I'm going to call Reggie..." Aria decided, flipping the ginger ponytail over her exposed shoulders and she began to leave the room, before her mother called her back.

"Aria!" the woman hollered. "Aria, honey, we're having a cookout this evening, and I believe Marty and Melinda are coming, tell your boyfriend he's welcome to come." Adelaide smiled sweetly, a kind of sweet that made Aria want to gag. Oh, how fake her mother could be when she wanted to. "Betty will also be here, right, Alice?"

Alice Cooper nodded from her seat between Samuel and Polly. "Yes, she will. And I assume she will bring Jughead, too."

Aria nodded, hoping her fellow Southside Serpents would indeed turn up this evening. In the Queens family, it was a tradition for a cookout party with food and drinks and lots of loud music to occur at the start of every Labor Day weekend. "Mom, Dad, and yes, I'm going to ask this in front of your therapeutic friends, no offense Mrs. Cooper, Polly. Well, I have two questions: are your cult members coming, too? And if so, can Fangs, Toni, Sweet Pea and Cheryl come over?"

As she waited for her mother's reply, the girl glanced around to see Elle had retreated to the kitchen, most likely to get a Popsicle or bottle of water. "First off, this isn't a cult." Her mother answered, her voice shrill and stern, protective. "And secondly, I will allow Cheryl Blossom. None of your other Serpent friends."