skin and bone ; riverdale ♡

sixty two ♡

The Southsiders arrive half an hour later than expected, so Veronica, Archie, Kevin, Josie and I are stood in the middle of the hallway near the entrance, waiting impatiently. Although, I don't really care. At least it gives me an excuse to miss class.

They arrive as a pack, of course. The large group of mostly Serpents swarm in at once, and it looks like something out of a tv show or movie. Sweet Pea and Fangs are behind Jughead and Toni as they walk up to the registration desk that I helped Veronica set up.

"Friends." Veronica greets the students with a welcoming smile. "On behalf of the students and faculty here at Riverdale High, welcome to your new school. To ease this transition, I've set up a registration desk where you can get your class schedules, locker assignments and a list of sports and extracurriculars. We encourage each and every one of you to drink deeply from the cup that is fair Riverdale."

She does know they're only coming from the other side of town, right?

"Stand down Eva Peron."

Great.

I, along with everyone else in the hallway turn to face Cheryl who's walking down the stairs followed by the Vixens and Bulldogs. Including, of course, Reggie Mantle. I roll my eyes. Of course. After new years and everything that happened before, how did I not see this coming?

"There's the school spirit I so fondly remember." I hear Jughead mumble from somewhere behind me.

"Cheryl, no one invited Fascist Barbie to the party." Veronica sassess the redhead.

"Wrong, Veronica." Cheryl argues. "No one invited Southside scum to our school."

"Cher, can you please not?"

Cheryl completely ignores me, not even glancing in my direction. Looking at the Southsiders like they're something on the bottom of her expensive shoes, she says, "Listen up, Ragamuffins, I will not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So, please, do us all a favour and find some other school to debase with your hardscrabble ways."

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" Toni growls from behind me, sounding as if she's ready to tackle Cheryl to the floor.

This is not happening.

"Happily," Cheryl steps forward. "Queen of the buskers."

I glance back and forth between them, moving out of the way, incase they start throwing fists.

"Okay, guys. Everyone. Can we just put our Northside-Southside differences apart and start over? A new slate?" Archie suggests, stepping in between them and I sigh in relief, grabbing Cheryl's arm, ready to leave.

Cheryl, of course, shrugs my hand off of her as Reggie lets out a sound of disagreement. "You don't speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews." Reggie says. "And, need I remind you, these greaser snakes showed up at your place, trying to kick your ass. And, they started a fight with me on New Years."

I scoff, "You were being an ass, but okay." At the same time as Sweet Pea steps around Toni, "Happy to finish what we started."

My eyes widen, stepping in front of him to stop him as Fangs and Jughead grab him, pulling him back.

"I'm so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now." Veronica says, and I nod in agreement.

"I second that." I glare at Reggie who rolls his eyes.

"Alright!" Weatherbee's voice comes from out of nowhere. "That's enough pomp and circumstance. Everyone, let's get to class. Now."

The hallway quickly clears out, until just Veronica, Kevin, Josie, Archie and I are standing at the desk. What the hell do we do with all of this paper now?