sweet tooth s.p

02

Asher hadn't gone to school the next three days.

She was terrified of what Cheryl would do. Her life was destroyed, she knew that much. Everyone would hate her once Cheryl was done with whatever cruel payback she had thought up. Asher couldn't deal with the possibilities, so she just hadn't shown up. Her friends had called and she had ignored, she didn't want them to ask her questions about what happened.

She had dreamed of the Serpent last night again. This time though it was scary, they were together at first. In her red silk covered bed, she was under him, his mouth on hers as his hands moved down her sides. She felt pure warmth, pure ecstasy. Asher wasn't scared at all.

He pulled his mouth back as he gave her that same deep smirk, "What do you want, Princess?"

Before she had the chance to answer though a bullet went straight through his head, blood and brain matter covered her in seconds. Once his head had fallen out of her sight the black hood was in her line of sight. She couldn't scream, it was as if she had no voice.

Asher had woken up in a cold sweat, frantically looking around her room.

She took the dream as two messages. Stay away from him and start talking before you can't anymore.

The day had wasted away until it was around 7 o'clock, a car horn blared outside her window. When she hopped to her balcony she immediately recognized Fred Andrews blue pickup truck.

Archie stuck his head out, "I need your spray paint!"

And that is how she ended up with Archie driving down the streets of Riverdale, her whole collection of red spray paint shoved into his backpack. She was still dressed in basically PJ's, black booty shorts with lace trim and a small, tight black tank top with a matching lace trim. Archie hadn't given her time to change, much less brush her hair.

She tugged it out of the pony tail it had been in for the last two days. "So? Gonna tell me what happened?"

Asher could see him glance to her bruised knuckles.

"Cheryl didn't say anything?" She was surprised.

"Cheryl went on some trip or something, hasn't been in school." Asher didn't know whether to be relieved yet or to continue to worry that once she got home the war would be on.

"I- Archie, Don't be mad." They both stepped out of the truck at some big doors.

He started spray painting. "Wait- What are you doing? Red, are we on Southside?"

Archie didn't look back as he continued defacing a wall with a bold red circle.

"Archie! Knock it off!" Asher yelled tugging on his arm.

"Stop! I have to do this!" She shook her head at the boy.

"You're going to get killed! That's what's going to happen, Archie." Asher couldn't help but snap, anxiety was wrapping itself around her throat, begging her to let it take over and constrict to silence.

"You should listen to your girl, Northsider. You're gonna get hurt." Asher didn't even hear the snakes appear.

Asher recognized them immediately though once she looked up, she looked at the tall one with sadness. He looked her over for a long moment, Asher had to fight her feet not to move over to him.

"This isn't for you." Archie snapped at them, Asher looked to him in surprise at his tone.

"Archie.." She almost whispered, starting to feel very uncomfortable with the rising hostility.