Y/N PoV
"They put me in a wooden box as I desperately opposed. But all my screaming is for naught. My mouth has been sewn closed. Curled up in bed was just a girl. Needing Daddy's arms to hold her." Ethel recites her disturbing poem to our class. Her words are chilling and it's like she is crying for help. The class is silent when she finishes.

"Nice job Ethel. You may take your seat. Thank you for sharing with the class maybe next time we will get someone new..." the teacher looks and me and Jughead, "to share their stories." The bell rings and Mr.Thomas dismisses us.

Jughead and I walk to our lockers, "Well that was alarming. Ethel's poem was...painful to listen too."

"I know." Jughead exchanges some of his books for different ones. "Do you want to go to Pops after school?"

"I...have other plans." I was thinking last night. The Serpents are my family. My mom was one and so is my dad. I want to want to be Serpent. My mom attempted to show some people what being a Serpent meant. She wanted to prove they aren't that bad even though she died trying. I want to honor her and continue on with her legacy but I haven't told anyone yet.

"That's fine.." He is already suspicious of me and I've said four words. This is going to be hard to hide.

**Time Skip to Whyte Wyrm**
I walk into the bar with many bikers staring me down. I tread carefully around the place. Finally, I find FP in his jacket talking to some rough looking men.

"Hey FP."

"Well what are you doing here Y/N?" He is puzzled at why a teenager is in his bar out of the blue.

"I figured it was time I started to honoring my mother by being a Serpent." I tap my foot nervously. He might not want me to join.

FP takes a big pause but eventually nods , "It is about time Y/M/N is honored here."

"How do I get in?" I smile.

"Well the first step is to take care of the beast and learn the laws. I'll bring him to you tomorrow." He takes a shot of tequila.

"That's fine..." I start to feel nervous about the beast. What if it's some kind of crazy raccoon? "What exactly is the beast?"

He slams the shot glass on the counter, "That's something you'll find out tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." I turn around with a quick goodbye from FP.
Now I'm going to have to tell Jughead if 'the beast' is staying in our room.

I leave the Whyte Wyrm slightly anxious for whatever the beast will bring. When I get to the tracks I see Jughead in Pops. He is writing on his computer with a bothered look on his face. I walk into the diner and take a seat next to Jughead. "What's wrong?"

"I can't figure out how to word this paragraph." He shuts his computer, "I'll do it later. I thought you had plans."

At this point I have to decide, lie and risk a fight later or tell the truth and he'll talk me out of joining the Serpents. I decide on lying for now! "Veronica cancelled on me. Something to do with Ethel and dinner?" That's not entirely false. She did invite me over for dinner with Ethel and Betty but I declined.

He nods and takes a drink of his milkshake. "Sounds about right." Jug is still skeptical.

We talk and eat until it gets really late. I fall asleep on Jughead in our booth.

**Time Skip**
I am downstairs in my room memorizing the Serpent laws and taking care of the beast. FP gave him to me this morning and turns out it's just a big fluffy dog named Hot Dog. He is adorable! I passed him off as just a dog I'm dog-sitting for a friend. At least they semi believed it.

I hear somebody knock on the door loudly upstairs. I go up to the kitchen to find out who it is.

"Mr.Andrews!" She smiles at him, "Nice haircut. You're looking extremely DILF-y today. Is Archie home?" She holds up a guitar case with a red bow on it.

"Cheryl. Yes. Uh come on in" Fred lets her into our house.

She barges into the room and walks to Archie and Jughead sitting at the island. "The Ice Woman cometh." Jug whispers to Archie.

"Hey, Cheryl." Archie puts down his pizza and wipes his hands on a napkin.

She sets down the case and opens it up, "As a maj thank-you for coming to the maple banquet with me tomorrow. I wanted to give you this."

Archie gets up and looks at the thank you present she got him. His eyes go wide at the sight of it.

"An '84 Les Paul. In our signature color. You're welcome."

Fred, Jughead, and I look at them uncomfortably. Cheryl just bought him one of the most expensive gifts ever. He looks at us not knowing what to say.

"Okay. That's all. I'm going now. My claustrophobia acts up in small houses. See you tomorrow." Cheryl kisses Archie on the cheek and leaves swiftly.

We all look at each other with odd expressions. This is weird and not the good kind. Archie takes it out of the case and holds it like he is playing.

"What do I have to do for the Blossoms for them to buy me a new computer." I mumble to myself and grab a slice of the pizza.

"I'd give that back if I were you." Fred says.

"Dad, come on. The Blossoms are helping me get info that summer music program. Like, the best in the country."

"And since when did the Blossoms ever give a damn about you, Archie?" Fred is mad at all Blossoms and not just because they are breaking his business. He is too proud to accept a gift like this.

"Well, they think I have potential, Dad."

Jughead rolls his eyes, "He's also pimping himself out to Cheryl."

Fred shakes his head, "The Blossoms tried to run our business to the ground."

"Maybe if you tried talking to Mr.Blossom..." Archie puts the red guitar back into its case carefully.

"Like that will work." I take a drink of Jug's soda.

"I tried talking to him, Archie, he laughed in my face. Don't think for a second that the Blossoms are looking out for you. They're using you, Archie. They look at us like we're dirt under their shoes. I'm over it." Fred leaves the kitchen disappointed in his son.

Archie looks down at the guitar. He closes it and keeps it on the table then sits back down. Now he's going to act like nothing happened, shocker! This makes me internally roll my eyes because this is what every boy does.

**Time Skip**
Betty paces back and forth in front of Jughead and I hotly. "My parents are unbelievable, Y/N and Jug." She has been acknowledging me lately. I helped with the baby shower so that must puts us on talking terms. "Polly is locked up in that house like a character out of Jane Eyre, and what are they doing? Changing each other's login accounts and throwing bricks through windows!"

I try to hold back a laugh at the thought of Alice doing something so badass. Jughead looks at me attempting to hold back too. "I wish I'd seen that." Betty turns around and looks at him with tears, "Okay, I'm sorry, that's not funny."

"It's like, you know how, in a time of crisis, people either come together or fall apart? It feels like we're falling apart. And the way things are going, pretty soon, the Coopers, we're not gonna exist anymore. And there's nothing I can do to stop that."

I stand up from my chair and walk towards her, "Betty, don't do that. Don't give up. Your family is definitely splintering right now, but it won't fall apart because of you. Because you're holding them together." I grab her hand, "You're so much stronger than all of the white noise. You're stronger than your mother, you're stronger than your father. Your holding this family together. So don't. Don't let go."

"I won't." Tears fall down her face rapidly.

I pull her into a hug and I let her cry it out on my shoulder. It turns out that our friendship might not be going up in flames.

Jughead is looking at us smiling. He didn't like seeing us like this, so distant from each other. We can handle any fight that comes our way. We are stronger than the forces pushing against us. Our bond can hold us together even when the world goes up in hot flames. There's only one reason for this. We are and always will be best friends.