My Serpent's Keeper [J.J]

Big Bad Wolf

Every fairy tale comes with the same warning: Good children should never go into the woods alone. Stray from the path and who knows what you'll encounter.

A hungry wolf.

A handsome devil.

Or maybe something worse.

-

Jughead sat on his couch while Betty dabbed peroxide onto his cuts. Toni sat on a breakfast stool and watched "Can't you just take a day off?" Betty asked worried for her boyfriend. "It's not that bad. Just some cuts and bruises." Jughead shrugged "I told you that motorcycle was risky, Jug. You promised you were always gonna wear a helmet." she pouted, he could have been seriously hurt. "It was just around the block. Don't blame me, all right? Blame the pothole." Jughead joked. Toni watched the two from her spot, knowing full well that Jughead did not crash his motorcycle.

"I thought you were gonna say that you got jumped by those Creepies or-" Betty was cut off "Ghoulies." Toni corrected "But, no, the Serpents won't allow that. They got Jughead's back. Even though he's not a member. It's just family loyalty." Toni shrugged with a small smile "Great, well I've gotta go to school, try and fix this mess with Kevin." Betty stood and grabbed her bag "Toni, will you keep an eye on him?" Betty asked looking to the pink haired girl "All over it." Toni smiled. They watched Betty leave and then Toni turned on Jughead.

"Don't tell Betty." Jug shook his head "She doesn't need to know." he didn't want to upset her. "We warned you about the Ghoulies. You'll take them more seriously now." Toni raised her brows and crossed her arms "Yeah. I will now." he looked to the coffee table. "Toni, th-there's something else." Jughead said "Cleo showed up and saved me. Said I was under her protection now..." he shook his head thinking back to last night, the image of her outstretched hand covered in rings and dripping blood.

Toni sat back down on the breakfast stool in shock "That's what she said? Under her protection?" Toni asked making sure she heard right. Jughead nodded and looked to her "Why? Is that bad? Am I, like, her slave now?" he asked. Toni shook her head "No, no. Cleo is an older member. She's a junior, almost eighteen, and her parents were both hardcore dedicated Serpents. She's got more respect than any of the other kids. If you're under her protection then you can't be touched, and if anybody does give you trouble, they'll have the elders to answer to."

-

Cleo sat on the edge of the table, her feet on the bench, and laughed at something Sweet Pea said. Toni sat on the same side as Cleo and Sweet Pea sat across from them. Today Toni didn't bother waiting for Jughead, he had made his decision to sit alone but today his mind had changed.

Jughead walked into the cafe and quickly made his way to the back where the serpents were. He passed by a few groups standing and they stared as he passed. "This seat taken?" he asked, head down as he stood next to Sweet Pea. Toni and Sweet Pea shared looks while Cleo smirked at Jughead "Not at all." she said, Jughead sat and glanced up to see the gang of Ghoulies who attacked him all staring his way with hatred. Cleo followed his gaze after seeing his expression change to the three boys she had beat up, all of them with black eyes and scratches on their faces. When they realized she was looking at them they all quickly looked down and ducked their heads. Cleo breathed a small laugh at them.

Cleo then turned and looked at Jughead with a sweet smile "Don't worry, no one will hurt you again...." she reached a hand out and gently brushed it over his scratched cheek before pushing his hair behind his ear. "...my prince." she smirked her signature devilish smirk. Jughead swallowed thickly, her promise somehow seeming menacing. Sweet Pea stared at Cleo knowing exactly what she was up to. She had done this many times before, found a guy she liked and made him her prey, and she was very possessive over her prey.

"Cleo, not him." Toni told her friend with a hard tone and a slight shake of her head. Cleo only smiled and withdrew her hand "I'm just playing." she leaned back on her hands "He's got a girlfriend." Toni told her knowing this was probably the only thing that would stop her from her games. Cleo's eyes flicked from Toni back to Jughead "Does he now?" she asked in amusement, a wolfish grin crossing her lips.

-

Those kids in the fairy tales who go into the woods, they don't come back the same. They're always changed in some fundamental way. Sometimes for the better. More often for the worse. That's the common misconception about fairy tales. They very rarely have a happy ending.