Consequences

Chapter 10

Jughead had experienced some pretty cold days in his life, but Veronica's coldness beat them all. After their argument, Veronica had not said a single word to Jughead for an entire month.

"Toni I need your help," Jughead consulted. " Veronica's still mad at me after a month and I have no idea how to apologise so that she will forgive me."

"Just show her you trust her," Toni put down her drink. "Be sincere."

"That's easier said than done," Jughead scoffed.

"Do you want my help or not?" Toni glared at Jughead. "I have a foolproof plan."

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"Can't believe you're still giving Jughead the silent treatment," Cheryl slid in a nearby seat to watch Veronica mop the floor of the closed bar.

"Sorry Cheryl Bombshell, my specialty is ice," Veronica replied without looking up.

"Well, I need girls with fire on my squad," Cheryl laughed. "It's funny that we still remember our conversation from so long ago."

Veronica smiled. "Yeah, I disliked you back then, you were a mirror image of old Veronica. Never thought we'd be best friends now."

"Well, old Veronica must have been bomb to be comparable to moi. But all that aside, how are you and the Hobo Prince?"

Veronica put her mop away and sat next to Cheryl. "I don't know."

"Don't worry, I already hit him for you," Cheryl said casually.

Veronica's jaw dropped. "That was you?! I was wondering why he had a red mark on his cheek!"

Cheryl started laughing and very soon, Veronica joined in her contagious laughter as well.

"By the way, Toni told me there's going to be a Serpent meeting tonight," Cheryl told Veronica after catching her breath.

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Jughead stood backstage at the White Wyrm nervously. He had given plenty of speeches, but none of them were as hard as this would be.

"Good luck Jug, they're all here," Toni supportively patted Jughead on the shoulder.

"If this doesn't work, I'm going to kill you," Jughead threatened his pink haired friend as he left to be on stage.

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"Serpents. Today, we hold a very special meeting.
A year ago, the civil war started. That had a catastrophic consequence everyone had to pay. Six months ago, the civil war ended. The consequence of that was still catastrophic. A lot of people had to suffer.
This includes Veronica Lodge."

The Serpents began to heatedly protest and murmur amongst themselves once they heard Jughead's controversial statement.

Veronica Lodge, holding her broom, stood shocked and attentively at the back of the crowd.

"Quiet!" Jughead yelled authoritatively amidst the Serpents' ruckus. They begrudgingly quieted down.

"Yes you all heard me right. Veronica Lodge suffered because she was wronged. She had to suffer the consequences of a crime she did not commit."

"How can you say that? We have evidence! We all saw it!" Sweet Pea hollered in the crowd.

"And I have evidence that Veronica Lodge was framed. In my hand, is a recording of a phone call with Hiram Lodge, admitting to have had a spy in the Serpents."

"Exactly and the spy is his own daughter!" A Serpent exclaimed. A roar of agreement rose.

Veronica Lodge hid concealed in the shadows, expressionless. From the stage, Veronica looked even smaller than she usually did to Jughead.

"Toni, play the recording," Jughead tossed the USB to Toni, who was standing on the right of the stage.

"Alright, Jughead. I'll confess. Veronica was not a spy. The letter was fake.

Who framed her?

(A long pause and a sigh) Augustus Jeffreys. He put the letter there."

Toni paused the recording. She looked proud with a hand on her hip. Down stage, Cheryl was beaming radiantly as well.

"Veronica is innocent," Jughead's voice echoed in the White Wyrm, where the Serpents were silent for once. "I am deeply sorry for wrongly accusing her."