Y/N PoV
Veronica called us all to Pops for a truce. Our girl code states we have to come to Pops peacefully if one of us calls truce. (Don't judge. My friends actually wrote a girl code and this is number 8 minus the Pops part.)

I am practically flying into Pops with happiness. For one, Betty and I won't be fighting anymore with the truce. The second thing is, I have to recite the laws tonight taking me one step closer to my goals.

When I arrive, Veronica has ordered us all our favorite milkshakes. I sit down across the table from her. "Thanks for coming Y/N." She says cheerfully.

"No problem." I take a big drink of the thick creamy milkshake. It is very refreshing and delicious. Betty walks in moments after me and sits by Veronica.

"Hey guys." Betty smiles lightly.

"So you all know why I asked you to come. I miss having my best friends in a room together without an elephant in the room." Ronnie reaches for our hands. "Can we please stop fighting over boys?"

I nod, "Yes please," I hold up my milkshake to seat the treaty with a toast but then I remember something and put it down, "Do I have to break up with Jug for this one because if I do I'm out."

"No Y/N. It's my fault we are here in the first place. I've thought about it and I'm glad you two are dating." Betty raises her glass.

Veronica raises hers in agreement.

I do the same and they meet with a satisfactory clink. We all take a sip of it. "So now that the unstoppable team of B, Y/I, and V are back what's the latest drama?" Veronica smiles.

I laugh at her uncanny obsession with drama and any kind at that. "Well nothing much. Last time I heard from Archie, Val wasn't happy with him for blowing her off for Cheryl."

"Nothing like good old fashion relationship drama." Veronica eats one of her fries.

"So how's things with you and Jug?" Betty asks.

I'm a little taken back by her question but smile at her. "We are great." Maybe she really is over him. I drink my milkshake.

"Have you guys done it yet?"

I practically choke on my milkshake when the question leaves Veronica's mouth. "No. We haven't even said the L word yet."

"Oh well girl. You have time. That boy is smitten for you." Classic V.

**Time Skip**
"Archie asked you me and Betty to come to the Blue and Gold. He said it's an emergency." Jughead reads over the text again.

I shrug and we stroll to the school newspaper's headquarters. "So what's up Arch?" We all leaned against Betty's desk with a worried Archie sitting in front of us.

"At the banquet, I heard Mr. and Mrs.Blossom talking. It sounded like Clifford Blossom was responsible for sending Veronica's dad to jail"

"Oh my god." Betty lets out a breath. "Iff Clifford dent Hiram Lodge to jail, tore apart his family, then maybe Hiram was trying to do the same thing to him?"

Jughead takes notes on Archie's eavesdropping, "Yeah by going after what the Blossoms value most, their family, their legacy. That's a motive." He pins 'Hiram Lodge' in big letters on our murder board.

"One question, whose telling this to Veronica because it's not me?" I play around with the many paper clips left lying on the floor.

"Let's wait to tell her. She didn't take Mr.Mugg's attempted suicide well." Betty scribbles down more information on a note card.

We all agree to tell her when the time is right and she is feeling better. Archie leaves us to go find Val because from what I've heard today they are on thin ice.

Betty leaves the school to go home and help her mother. Alice has been taking Polly's leaving very hard.

I on the other hand have to finish up becoming a Serpent. I leave and go to the Whyte Wyrm after stopping at home to get Hot Dog.

I find FP and he takes Hot Dog while a man named Tall Boy makes me recite the laws. "WHAT IS THE FIRST LAW?" I'm taken back at his yelling but I yell back in his face, "NO SERPENT STANDS ALONE OR SHOWS COWARDICE!"

"WHAT IS THE SECOND LAW?"

"IF A SERPENT IS KILLED OR IMPRISONED THEIR FAMILY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OFF!"

"WHAT IS THE THIRD LAW?"

"A SERPENT NEVER SHEDS IT'S SKIN!"

"WHAT IS THE FOURTH LAW?"

"NO SERPENT IS LEFT OR DEAD!!"

"WHAT IS THE FIFTH LAW?"

"A SERPENT NEVER BETRAYS ITS OWN!!"

"AND WHAT IS THE SIXTH LAW?"

"IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH!!"

He holds up his arms and the rest of the bar yells, "In unity there is strength," back to him.

"You know the laws. Now it's time for the next trial." Tall Boy is a tough and rowdy man that's for sure.

I get confused because I though that was it but apparently there more! "Bring it on!"

Some Serpents move out of the way to revival a box with rattle snake in it. It hisses at me. "Retrieve the knife." He points to a knife in the cage. The snake guards it well.

I get scared, "You want me to what?"

A girl with purple highlights gives me a nod. I stumble towards the cage nervously. If this thing bites I can kiss my life goodbye. "If I die tell my boyfriend I love him and tell my brother he is an idiot" I say loudly. I know FP is somewhere in the crowd so now he knows my last words.

They all laugh at me.

I reach into the cage slowly trying to not provoke the snake. It doesn't seem to care until I quickly snatch the knife and pull it out. The snake bites me on the wrist and my first reaction is to pull it off.

I get it off my wrist and hope the venom won't be bad. I take the knife to Tall Boy and drop it in his hand. "This is yours."

He takes it from me and points to the girl with purple highlights, "Patch 'er up Topaz."

The girl walks forward and grabs my wrist. "Great job by the way. Usually someone has to pull the snake off for the initiate."

"Thanks. The snake isn't venomous is it?"

She cleans my wrist with some water, "Nope. It's fun to scare the recruits. We had the venom glands removed years ago."

I laugh and shake my head at my stupidity. "So your Topaz?"

"Yes but you can call me Toni." Toni puts a bandage around the snake bite with ease. She must be the Serpent's nurse.

I nod, "Sweet. I'm Y/N."

"Well Y/N, why is a Northsider like you joining the family?" She throws the extra bandages in a box and walks behind the bar.

I follow her and sit at a bar stool, "My mom was a Serpent."

"That's cool. What's her name?" Toni hands a boy our age a bottle of beer.

"Y/M/N L/N."

"That's cool. I talked to her once and a while. Terrible what happened to her."

I nod quietly. Another thing I hate is talking about my mom. I don't even know Toni and I feel welcomed by her.

The boy our age takes a big drink of the beer, "She died in honor."

"That she did." Toni grabs a beer for herself and takes a drink. "Want anything?"

"I'm good. So what is my next trial?"

The boy laughs at me, "You have to get on the pole and dance." He points to a girl dancing on a metal pole.

"It's some outdated sexist tradition. It shows bravery. The boys have to go through the gauntlet which isn't as embarrassing."

The boy nods, "Yeah fun times. I'm Sweet Pea by the way."

I shake his hand, "Y/N."

Sweet Pea looks me up and down, "So how about we go out for dinner this weekend?"

"Not a chance. I have a boyfriend." I laugh at him.

"Who is he?" Sweet Pea grumbles.

"Jughead Jones. It's FP's son."

Toni shakes her head, "Your dating our king's son? No wonder your joining." She slides down a shot of tequila to a man with long hair.

I shrug, "Jughead is amazing. We've been inseparable since birth and everything just clicked at the right time."

"So why isn't he here supporting you?" Sweet Pea asks a lot of questions.

"He doesn't know I'm joining," I sigh, "I should actually get going back home. He's probably wondering where I am." I grab my bag and exit the car with a new found fear of snakes.