So, after scaring the shit out my dad, imagine how surprised I was when Cheryl today—invited me to a sleepover.

I agreed of course, but I was shocked. Fangs didn't know about my little visit to my father.
And he doesn't need to know, in fact—now, I know what my father wants, and now I can prevent him from getting it.

At lunch, I sat with Betty, Veronica, Archie and Jughead. I needed to talk to Jughead so I had to wait for him to finish. The boy always eats.

"I just loved your spin piece in the paper, Olivia Pope" Jughead said to Veronica and I rolled my eyes a bit. Hurry your rant so I can talk to you Jug. Jesus Christ.

"Can we not, Jughead?" Veronica begged. "Did you know about Southside High closing? Or the prison?" Jughead keeps asking.

Well, I don't care! It brought my boyfriend to this school, and I'd be damned if he transfers to another school or back to Southside High!

"Of course not. That was all her parents' doing. Right, V?" Betty says and turns to Veronica for an answer but Veronica looks away.

"She didn't know, Jughead, okay? So, back off" Archie swooped in and saved Veronica from an awkward answer.

"Fine. I have to conserve my energy anyhow. I'm going on a hunger strike to protest Southside High closing—and to get it reopened" Jug rants and I sigh.

"What?" Jughead asks as Archie chuckled. "Sorry, man, it's just—you're like always eating. Good luck with that, but—"Hey, it's Jughead's prerogative to protest peacefully, so, we're gonna support that, aren't we?" Betty butts in.

We all nod and Jughead flash me a small smile. "Veronica?" A voice calls. We turn to the source and see Ethel come up with a milkshake in her hands....

"Oh, Hey, Ethel" V, says with a smile and turns to Ethel. "For your crimes against Riverdale, everything your family has done and continue to do, we find you guilty. Your sentence is this" Ethel says and throws her milkshake at Veronica. I gasp along with everyone else.

"Ethel!" I blurt out in surprise. Betty and rise and help Veronica out of the canteen in a hurry and we help her wash out the milkshake in the ladies room. "Jesus Christ" I mumble.

"The chilling thing is Ethel went through the trouble of bringing that milkshake here from Pop's" I comment. "I mean, how mad is she?"

"My dad is responsible for the Muggs family losing basically everything. And he still hasn't made amends, so....Ethel has a right to be upset" Veronica says.

"So do you" Betty retorts and I nod. "Are you sure you're okay?" I ask. "I'll manage" V says.

"I'm impressed. I'd wanna rip Ethel's head off" Betty says. "I would have" I say. "As my mom keeps saying, 'this is not the time for drama and flying off the handle' I just need—to take deep breaths, keep smiling, turn the other cheek. Give Ethel a wide berth" Veronica says.

On the way out we see Reggie and he calls out for Veronica. "Veronica, I heard you got a face full of dairy. I've got some nuts to top off that shake" Reggie comments.

"Leave her alone, Mantle" I snap. "Don't talk to me snake" Reggie snarls. "Hey! You do not wanna push me around right now, Reggie" Veronica says. And I give her a side glance.

"One question I gotta ask as future student body president: what are the odds your dad's the first inmate in that prison he's building? Oh, man, that's heavy" Reggie says.

I step forward threateningly but Veronica puts her hand in front of me and blocks me.

"He'd Be considered one of us. Or is he building a female prison, too?" Reggie continues and clench my jaw.

"For your mom? Maybe I'll visit—" Reggie continues and I look down at Veronica's fists and see her clench them. Give him what he deserves V, I'll happily help you.

Veronica grabs Reggie's collar and her fist connects with his face and he falls down. I chuckle and admire the view of Reggie laying down on the ground. "I guess you've never been punched by a girl before huh? Mantle" I comment and Veronica breathes heavily.

•••

"So, Veronica aka the Veronica Lodge pinched Reggie Mantle the football jock—in the face?" Fangs asks for the seventh time and Sweet Pea claps his hands excitedly. "Yes, Fangs are you deaf? Should I be worried?" I retort and flash him a sarcastic smile and Sweet Pea snorts.

"Now, I really need to get to cheer practice with Toni, so, if you'll excuse us" I say and grip Toni's hand and I giggle as Fangs groans.

I smirk at Toni as she follows the moves, Toni and Cheryl apparently became friends over the weekend that Betty and Veronica were in the cabin with the boys, apparently I missed out on a lot. It was funny, really.

As Toni finishes we all claps and I happen to notice the amazed look Cheryl gives her and I raise an eyebrow suspiciously then look at Toni who has her smile directed at Cheryl. Hmm.

"Well, I don't think there's any way you amateurs are gonna top that, so practice is over, Vixens. Inner circle Vixens, hang back. You know who you are" Cheryl says. For a moment I'm confused. Am I inner circle?

As I'm about to turn Toni grabs my wrist and pulls me towards Cheryl. "Oh right" I realise.

"In honour of Toni joining our squad, I think we should celebrate with a slumber party at Thistlehouse. Fancy dressing gowns are appreciated. You've all seen The Beguiled, right? Dinner at 8, parlor games to follow" Cheryl says and we nod.

"You're a dork" Toni whispers in my ear. "How was I supposed to know if I'm the inner circle??" I say mockingly and roll my eyes as Toni slaps my ass.

"Hey! Fogarty—property only!" I retort and Toni snorts. That's right. All of this—all Fangs'.

•••

"I need to gooooo" I whine and roll out of my bed trying to escape Fangs' kisses all over my face as he tries to make me stay instead.

"Please, just stay here with me! I can pretend to your girls! I-I—we can braid each other's hair, whatever you want, just pleaaseeeee stay" Fangs rambles and I chuckle.

"Well, as fun as that sounds, I'm afraid I have to go, but I talked to my mom and she understands that you will be staying here some nights, so it's okay" I explain and he nods with a frown. I kiss him and make his frown turn into a smile instead.

"I feel like I don't say this enough but—damn, Maia, I love you so damn much it's crazy" Fangs blurts out and I laugh at him before kissing him again. "I love you too, handsome"

•••

We sit on Cheryl's bedroom floor and all of us girls, Toni, Cheryl, Betty, Veronica and Josie sit in a train position, and brush each other's hair.

Toni's doing something with my hair, Cheryl is brushing Toni's hair, and Betty is doing Cheryl's hair and Veronica—doing Betty's hair and Josie doing Veronica's.

"Inner circle, Cousin Betty, I didn't just bring you to Thistlehouse for a girlish slumber party. The truth is, I'm terrified of being alone here. There's a stranger in this house, my uncle Claudius. He's mad. Ever since he blew in, I feel like I'm in mortal peril" Cheryl suddenly tells us as she stood up and actually looked terrified, which caused Toni and to share a look.

"I'm confused. Is this real or are we playing a game?" Toni asks. "All too real, Tee-Tee. I fear they're plotting against me and Nana Rose. Mumzie cultivates esoteric herbs in the conservatory, Tannis root, jimsonweed. I'm afraid of being poisoned" Cheryl explains.

"Cheryl, are you sure you're not imagining things?" Josie asks. "Well, if she is, Josie, then maybe I am, too. There's a stranger in my life as well. Chic, with him lurking behind every corner, my house feels—""dangerous. Deadly" Cheryl finishes and my eyes widen.

"I sympathise" Cheryl says with tears in her eyes. Oh, it's definitely real, and Betty did tell me about Chic. He's weird man, someone needs to find out what his deal is.

As we all calm down and decide to go to bed, I can't sleep, I keep thinking about Connor and Clay, maybe it wasn't so smart to leave Fangs and my mom in my house in protected. Fangs doesn't know how serious it actually is.

He thinks he's protected, I mean, maybe he is, the Serpents are family to him, but my dad was also a Serpent, who knows what he'll do with the knowledge he gets when he finds out Fangs is my boyfriend and a Serpent?

"Full disclosure?" Cheryl says from the bed and I peak my head up a bit and see she's talking to Toni. "I didn't want to invite all the girls tonight. But I knew my hideous mother would never allow me to invite just you" Cheryl says as quiet as she can but I can hear them.

"Which is...what I craved" Cheryl finishes and I tear my eyes away and sigh. I have to see if Fangs and my mom is okay—a huge crashing noise erupts Thistlehouse and we all wake up.

"Cheryl!" I shout after her as she runs out with Toni and I behind her. Cheryl starts screaming and I gasp in horror as we look down. I gulp the scream that threatens to erupt from my throat and I keep it in.

An ambulance is called and Toni and I try to comfort Cheryl. I spot Penelope and Claudius, talking to a paramedic, they're looking awfully disappointed...

"Cheryl, What is it?" Toni asks as we stand next to Cheryl and I hold myself. "He's wearing my fathers pyjamas" Cheryl says.

"What?" Toni and I say at the same time. In pure disbelief. No way. No freaking way!

"My uncle. Toni....I think they pushed my nana down the stairs. And I think I'm next" Cheryl admits and my even more shocked face—turns as shocked as you can possibly look.

"Maia? Jughead just texted me, Fangs is going crazy, where's your phone?" Betty calls out and I curse. Did something happen?

I excuse myself and run inside and fiddle around to find my phone, as I see I have 37 missed calls from Fangs I haul my ass to call him back and he answer immediately.

"Are you okay?" We ask on the same time. "Yeah, I'm fine, but are you? Jughead called me about what happened and when you didn't pick up I got worried, you're not hurt are you?" He asks desperately and hurriedly.

"No, no—I'm fine" I say while breathing out in relief. "Why did it sound like you were worried about me?" Fangs then asks and I bite my lip.

"Uhm—Yeah! Toni! I'll be right there" I say and pretend that Toni's yelling for me. "Gotta go, love you!" I say and hang up. I deadpan and rest my head in my hands before dropping my phone on the bed.

•••

On Monday Jughead called in for a 'meeting' between the Serpents—once again—Jughead, Fangs, Pea and Toni insisted that I came.

"This isn't a demolition notice. It's a notice of extermination" Jughead says and crumbles the piece of paper. "We've already said our goodbyes to Southside, Jughead" Toni Says.

"Today, it's Southside High, tomorrow, it's the Wyrm. Everything that makes the Southside home, is gonna disappear. If we roll over now, it's all over" Jughead continues and I lace my fingers with Fangs' and he smiles a bit at me.

"It's just a building, Jug" Toni says in boredom.  "No, Toni, it's the soul of the Southside. The Uktena fought and died to protect that land. Our parents fought to keep it safe during the riots. Now it's our turn. It's our time, this is our fight! So, who's with me?" Jughead says.

"Who's ready to go to war?"

I smirk a bit and put my hand in the air along with Fangs and Sweet Pea. "Stubborn ass" Toni grumbled and put her hand up.

A/N: Hope you liked it! I have some big things coming for ya! Do you think that Connor will find out and about Fangs? And if yes, what do you think he will do?