Forever And Always

Chapter 31

The next morning Callie woke up from a call from Jughead.

"What do you want Jughead?" Callie groaned. " My alarm has not even gone off."

"The initiation for becoming a serpent has started," Jughead stated. " I have to take care of the serpent's dog called Hotdog."

" You helped take care of Vegas before," Callie reminded him. " This shouldn't be so much different."

"Well if you would like to meet Hotdog, come by after school," Jughead offered.

"I have vixen practice, I think I'm hanging out with Veronica later....but I can see what I can do."

"Thanks," Jughead said before hanging up.

*******
Callie now stood in an empty hallway with her brother and Betty.

"My mom went after the Black Hood hard, so it's no surprise he wants to humiliate her," Betty admitted. " We can't do it, Arch and cal. It would destroy her credibility.

" Yeah. And build yours with the Black Hood," Archie encouraged. " Anyways, what credibility? Your mom's always going after our friends."

"And the Southside, specifically the serpents," Callie added. 

" It would blindside her," Betty defended. " We can't publish it. Later that day Callie would be getting a text from Betty for about publishing her mom's mugshot. With that text Callie went over to the Cooper's house, they sat in Betty's room.

" What made you change your mind?" Callie asked.

" My mom accused me of writing the cipher and the second letter, the two didn't have matching writing styles. So they aren't from the same people."

"They still can be," Callie stated." Sometimes, when somebody does not want to get caught, they will purposely change up their writing style."

"You have been watching a lot of NCIS haven't you?" Betty asked.

"Maybe," Callie smiled, Betty gave her a lot. "I binge watch it every night before bed, along with all those other crime shows. But aside from that fact, do you have anything else on the Serpents?"

"Maybe this Black Hood is linked with your kidnapping," Betty suggested.

"It's not," Callie stated as she looked at the ground. " I already found out how and why."

"How?" Betty asked.

" A serpent told me when was at the Whyte Wrym yesterday," Callie answered.

" You were at the Whyte Wrym yesterday?" Betty asked slightly alarmed.

"Relax, me and the serpents are on good terms for some odd extravagant reason," Callie assured her. She then received a text from Jughead to come to his trailer. " I will see you later." She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Betty asked.

" To work on that voice," Callie answered.

" Careful," Betty warned her before she left. She soon entered the trailer and listened to Toni help Jughead learn all the serpent laws. Callie sat on the couch with Hotdog snuggled up to her as the other two sat at the table.

" A serpent never shows cowardice." Jughead recited. " If a Serpent's killed or imprisoned, their family will be taken care of. Serpents..."

"Come on, focus," Callie advised.

" You need to take this seriously," Toni added.

" Okay, I am, Toni and Callie, I swear to God I am, just..." Jughead trailed off.

"Just what?" Callie asked.

" First the Beast, and now these laws," Jughead listed.

" Why the change of heart anyway?" Toni asked. " Why go from conscientious objector to full-fledged member?"

" Cause of something you said," Jughead answered. " My dad was the only person that was keeping idiots like Sweet Pea in line. Someone needs to step up. To keep an all-out war from erupting. I am taking this seriously."

"From the top," Callie ordered.

" I like her," Toni smiled. " Are you sure you do not want to join?"

"Positive," Callie confirmed. " But I can be an ally." Later that night Callie got dragged to Whyte Wrym from more of Jughead's initiation. Tall Boy was currently yelling his face to repeat the Serpent laws. She stood by Toni.

"What is the fourth law?" Tall Boy screamed.

" No serpent is left for dead!" Jughead yelled.

"What is the fifth law?"Tall Boy screamed.

" A serpent never betrays its own!" Jughead screamed.

"What is the sixth?" Tall Boy demanded.

" In unity, there is strength!" Jughead answered.

" In unity, there is strength!" Callie repeated with the others. Toni smiled at her, Callie shook her head.

" You know the laws," Tall Boy stated. " Now it's time for the next trial." She watched Sweet Pea and Fangs fully stand up and move out of the way revealing a rattlesnake in its containers, with a knife in the log it surrounded. " Retrieve the knife."

" What?" Jughead asked. He looked at Toni, and she nodded her head in confirmation. Later Callie was talking to a couple of people when her phone went off. Callie took her phone and slipped into the bathroom where it was quieter, there she listened to Betty and the Black Hood's conversation.

"Hello?" Callie heard Betty ask as she answered her phone. 

"How does it feel, Betty?" the Black Hood asked. "Knocking your mother off her high horse?"

"We had a deal," Betty reminded him.

"What's your question?" he asked. " And it can't be my name."

"The face under the hood...Would I recognize it?" Betty asked.

"Yes," he answered. "Do you feel closer to me now? I do. I feel as if we're friends. But I'm selfish, Betty. I don't like sharing you with other people. So I need you to cut them out of your life, or I will, my way. Let's start with that daughter of a philanderer, and an embezzler, complicit in her father's crimes--"

"Veronica's not..." Betty began. " She's innocent."

"Oh, Betty," the Black Hood breathed. " You don't really believe that." Callie then left the bathroom to run into Toni.

"Sweet Pea says you probably should go home now," Toni advised. " It's late, there is a killer on the loose."

"And my dad will probably kill me for coming home this late," Callie added.  

"I understand that," Toni laughed. " He will walk you home." At that moment Sweet Pea walked up to them.

"If you are walking me home, then who is walking you home?" Callie asked.

" I don't need to be walked home shortstop," Sweet Pea said.

" Just because you are the size of an Amazon Tree does not mean you can't be brought down to your knees," Callie pointed out. " Besides, In unity, there is strength."

" I really do hate you," Sweet Pea groaned.

" Then don't walk me home," Callie advised. 

" But I am still going to you," Sweet Pea said as they walked to the front.

" Why?" Callie asked.

"Because, In unity, there is strength," Sweet Pea repeated. Callie then turned to Toni, who was biting her tongue, she looked like she was going to laugh.

"Good night Toni," Callie said.

"Good night girly," Tonu said. Then the two left to make the walk home.