Helpline ((Jughead Jones)) 2

19

 ((A/N:: Any photos I use of Cole (Jughead) and Madelaine (Cheryl) Please imagine as Jug and Thia. Thia and Cheryl would look somewhat alike as they are part of the Blossom Triplets and, of course, sisters. x )

We sat in Pop's. It's open-all-hours regime was helpful, and Jughead and I regularly laughed away the early hours of the morning here. This time was different. Archie sat across from Jughead and I, and nobody said anything for a while. Each of us was processing what had happened to us in our own way. I knew that when I saw Snake bitch again, she would have hell for threatening my boyfriend. I was a Blossom after all. And no one messes with a Blossom's boyfriend.

"Thank you for helping me tonight." Jughead said, breaking us out of our thoughts and bringing us back to face the reality of the situation. "I that that violates every strand of your DNA, Archie."

"We've all done bad things, Jug, ever since the Black Hood walked into this diner." That part was true. Archie had formed the Red Circle and began to cause a bigger divide between the North and South side teenagers. I had helped my brother escape Riverdale, only to try to kill myself to be reunited with him. Jughead had gotten into the Serpents and done a drug deal for the snake charmer. "It's like he's making us do them."

"I was thinking about that guy who stopped for us tonight, Mr American Gothic," Jughead began. Typical Jug to be thinking about a mysterious stranger rather than the fact that he was now the knew drug delivery boy. "And is story about the Riverdale Reaper. Maybe it's just a tale from the darkside, but.."

"What if it's an actual lead?" I stated, catching on to what Jughead was insinuating. The Riverdale Reaper had killed a family many years ago. This stranger who had driven Jughead to the diner had told him the tale, and told him of the great similarities between the two murderers.

"Right. Maybe tomorrow, we all, if you're free, could go to the library--" Archie cut him off that he and Reggie were taking Moose to therapy. After his and Midge's run in with the masked murderer, it didn't surprise me that the football team were now supporting him. I didn't know what I'd do if the Black Hood followed through with his threats to e, and actually hurt me. Archie added that he was having dinner with the Lodges.

Jughead was obviously hurt. He was trying to mend the friendship between them, and was being met with nothing. I placed my hand over Jugheads.

"Maybe the day after?" He added, trying to sound like he actually wanted to investigate things with Jughead. I knew that Jughead was avoiding the more important topic. I also knew that Archie would be the one to bring it up.

"Can't you get out of this somehow, Jug?" Archie asked. How I wished that he could. But the tone that Archie used indicated that he wasn't just talking about the drug runs he'd be doing. When asked, Archie didn't answer, just looked concerned at his friend.

"I'll try, I promise." Jughead answered, but I knew he was only referring to how he would try and get out of the drug runs, not the Serpents.

Jughead and I went to visit FP. I had suggested it after Archie went home for a few hours rest. If what I thought was true, then FP wasn't hurt at all and the snake charmer was full of crap. When FP sat down behind the smudged security glass, I gripped Jughead's hand tighter. From his face alone, we knew that we were in too deep and we should have followed FP's instructions to not get involved with snake bitch again. FP was perfectly fine, as I had suspected.

Jughead picked up the phone, not looking directly at his dad, not wanting to see the features staring at him when he broke the news of what had happened. I only heard the words that Jughead said to his dad as he held the phone to his ear.

"Snake Bitch you have some explaining to do!" I growled as we walked into the room to meet her. She stood up, her phone in hand as Jughead came in ranting about how his dad was fine and that the deal was meant to be a one time thing, not a regular occurance. He added that he had put his girlfriend and his friend in danger for because he was worried for his dad's safety, only to find out the whole thing was a lie.

"Well, it's not like you have a choice." She replied to him, showing him a video on her phone. It showed clearly, Archie and Jughead carrying the crate while I held the door open for them. The boys only were side on the the camera, but the camera had picked up my face completely.

"What the hell is this?" I asked her, venom spitting from every word I said.

"It's insurance you and junior here will do as I say." She smirked in reply. "If you try to back out, or raise your voice to me again, I will make sure that video goes straight to the Sheriff's office." Her threat had worked on Jughead. He didn't want to disappoint his father any more by ending up in prison for a drug run.

"If I get called in for questioning, I'll tell Sheriff Keller that you threatened two school kids into taking your drugs to Greendale." I threw back, stepping in front of Jughead who held my arm as I glared at the woman in front of me. Even if we would get tie, she would get more, especially with the influence of the Blossom name.

"If I go down, I'll see to it FP never gets out." That made me step back. As much as I hated her and would risk my own reputation to bring her down, I couldn't risk the chance of Jughead's dad getting out of prison. Snake Bitch walked away, saying that FP owed her and his debt fell to Jughead. She promised that she was just getting started with her.

That night was once again spent at Pop's. Jughead sat with a strawberry milkshake in front of him while I slowly sipped a vanilla milkshake. A few booths away, Betty and Veronica were whispering about something seemingly important, not noticing us. Cheryl and Josie were also at Pop's, Josie crying while Cheryl comforted. She was always good at that, making people feel better. Jughead and I were trying to think of a way out, or a way to tell FP, or a way to take down the Snake Charmer, Penny Peabody, for good.

Pop's phone rang and Jughead and I watched Pop Tate pick up the phone. His face went from his usual smile to a frown, his face seeming to drain of colour. Pop didn't speak to the person on the phone for some reason. He then slowly made his way to the centre of the diner, looking around at everyone.

"That was him on the phone." He announced, and Jughead and I stood up from our booth, preparing ourselves for the news that was to follow. Even with the pronoun 'him', every person in the diner this late knew who he meant. "He says that we've failed his test. That we're all sinners." I caught the nervous looks of my sister to Josie and Betty to Veronica. Jughead wrapped his arm around my waist. Was it possible the Black Hood knew what happened in Greendale and with Penny Peabody? Would he still be angry that I had remained in the Southside? "That the reckoning is upon us." We all knew what that meant. No one was safe in Riverdale anymore.