#fangsfogarty

Teacher: Why she's not in this class

Sweet Pea: I don't hate you. How can I hate you? I don't know you.

Cheryl: But you don't want me in your gang.

Sweet Pea: Correct.

Cheryl: Why not?

“That’s the initiation?” You shrieked, “That’s insane!”

“What can I say? I tried to get it outlawed but no-one would bite.” Toni commented.

“Who the hell wanted to keep it?”

Sweet Pea called from the pool table, “It’s all the old guys who’ve been Serpents since the dawn of time. The barely participate in the meetings except when it comes to this.”

“Okay, that’s really creepy. Wait, I don’t remember Cheryl doing it.” Even though you weren’t a member, you were around for most Serpent events. All your friends were Serpents as well as your boyfriend.

Toni smiled down at the bar, “She was… a special case.”

You nodded, knowing that if anyone asked her to do the Serpent Dance she’d slice them into a million pieces and scatter them at her wedding like confetti. “Well, I say we hold another vote.”

A few scattered chuckles resonated through the group as if you were some naive little girl.

“Come on, guys. That last vote happened before most of you were Serpents and no-one would listen. Jughead’s king now and don’t you think he’d fight for this?”

“Jughead just became king. We all want him to stay king but if he tried shaking things up like this so quickly he’d lose a lot of support from other members,” Toni reasoned.

“Jughead’s been shaking things up since he was born.”

Everyone still seemed hesitant and you couldn’t hide your disappointment until Sweet Pea finally broke the quiet.

“I’ll support it.”

Your face lit up, “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re right. It should change,” He said walking up to wrap his arms around you. Then he leaned in close and whispered: “Plus, I think I should be the only one to see you put on a show like that.”

You giggled as Toni piped up too, “If this is really happening then I’m definitely in.”

You all looked at Fangs, “I’m a dick if I don’t aren’t I?”

Everyone nodded, even the bartender no-one knew was listening.

“I’m kidding! I’m in.”

You cheered, “I’m gonna find Jug right now.”

Sweet Pea’s eyes followed you as you bounded away, a smile tugging at his lips.

Toni laughed behind him, “Wow, Pea, you are smitten.”

He turned around, “What are you talking about?”

“You never involve yourself in anything.” It was Fangs this time, “You just let things be. Now suddenly you’re willing to take up this whole cause just because y/n suggested it.”

Pea just scoffed and ignored him. The others let it go, they knew how stubborn he was. You couldn’t convince him of anything, he always had to come to his conclusions alone.

“Come on, let’s finish the game, Pea. I might actually win this time!”

Later that week, Serpents of all ages gathered together in the White Wyrm paying rapt attention as Jughead took to the stage.

“Y/n has called for the girls’ initiation process, the Serpent Dance, to be outlawed. She’s been backed up by several Serpent members and it’s been agreed that we will vote either for an outlaw or against.”

You took a deep breath and began to climb the steps to the stage. As it was your idea, you would be the one to present the argument and even though you were impossibly nervous, you wouldn’t let it show. It would just make you seem like a weak, frightened girl - the opposite of what you were trying to argue. “The girls’ Serpent initiation is sexist and degrading, but this has all been said before. By Toni Topaz, before she was a Serpent. Anyone who knows Toni knows that she is one of the strongest, fiercest people you will ever meet, more so than most of the guys here. So is her girlfriend, Cheryl, who originally dismissed us until she realised the loyalty, unity, and respect we have for each other, and became one of us.”

Toni and Cheryl smiled from the crowd, honoured to have been mentioned in your speech.

As you continued, Sweet Pea was trying not to fade into his thoughts. The speech was excellent, he knew - you’d practised it in front of him a hundred times over - but this time you spoke with so much more drive than before. Instead of focusing on the words, he found himself thinking about how incredible you were, how strong-willed and passionate you were.

“The sixth Serpent law is the most important: ‘in unity, there is strength’. If the initiation processes are different then how can we be truly unified? We are stronger as one, we are stronger together, we are stronger equal. In unity, there is strength.”

The room repeated it back to you and Sweet Pea’s applause alone could have filled the room.

Jughead stepped up beside you, “All in favour of an outlaw say ‘aye’.”

Almost every Serpent in the room chanted their approval.

You couldn’t suppress the squeal of joy and you ran down to meet a beaming Sweet Pea who picked you and twirled you round.

“We did it, Sweets!” You said excitedly.

The two of you spun around and around until you were both dizzy and breathless. Only then did he put you down, but still wouldn’t let go, instead, he kept his hands at your waist as he spoke. “I love you.”

Your heart skipped a beat. Your eyes widened to the size of golf balls. Even though it was only a few moments, every possible scenario ran through Sweet Pea’s head.

You took his face in your hands and roughly pressed your lips to his. When you broke away you spoke, “I love you too, so much.”

He kissed you again and you basked in the wonderfulness of the moment. Nothing could take this time away from you, and nothing ever would.