The moment you walked into Riverdale High School, everyone turned to stare.

You were an unrecognizable girl with slightly disheveled hair and a death stare for anyone who made eye contact. Somewhat laughably, you had traded out your comfortable leather jacket with the snake on the back for a pink cardigan and skirt, and you looked as out of place as you felt. You recognized who Jughead had described to be Archie, Betty, Veronica, and another boy their age. Upon seeing you, they whispered at each other and made wild hand gestures. You rolled your eyes, continuing to the locker the secretary had assigned to you.

Fidgeting with the combination lock while trying to read the scrawled out code she had written for you, a familiar figure strode up next to you and leaned on the wall.

"New look, huh?" Jughead asked. He, too, had left his jacket at home. Surprisingly, he left the beanie too.

Transferring to Riverdale High after having dropped out for a few months and being an emancipated minor was no easy feat. With Jughead's help, you pulled a sob story about how you realized how awful the real world was and needed a good ole' public education to set yourself straight, which elicited elitist approval from the school board. Jughead's foster family was fortunately very sensitive to Jughead's needs and desires, and signed the transfer forms as soon as he brought up that he missed his old friends (which he didn't).

You snapped your gum at him. "Some of my mom's old clothes. Wanted to look inconspicuous." You laughed. "Does it look as hideous as it feels?"

Jughead shook his head earnestly. "You look kind of cute, to be honest."

Rolling your eyes again, you eyed him up and down. "And you? Where's the hat, kid?"

He grinned. "I dunno, it seemed like you liked me better with it off." He ran his hands through his hair.

Your face reddened and you shoved him playfully. "I'm still your superior, you know. Just 'cause I got shot doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

As the two of you laughed and you finally were able to start sorting your books in your locker, Jughead's friends approached him.

"...Jughead, hi," Betty said meekly, eyes lowered.

Jughead glared at her. Your heart hurt, remembering what he had told you had occurred between her and his former best friend, Archie. Upon further discussion, he had revealed that he had climbed up a ladder by her windowsill ("How cliché," you chastised) when he witnessed Archie in Betty's bedroom touch his lips upon hers. Jughead loudly knocked on the window, flipped them both off, and ran to your house for lessons before either of them could catch up to him.

"We're so glad to see you," she continued with a smile.

"Really," Jughead said, eyebrow raised. "Not too happy, I think," he eyed Archie pointedly.

"Soo..." Veronica stood between the two teens, trying to break the tension. "Who's your new friend, Jug?"

Jughead shadowed you protectively, and it was honestly kind of hot. "(Y/N) (L/N). We met at Southside High," he lied. Before you could greet them, Jughead grabbed your hand. "Come on, (Y/N), you need to get to your classes early today so you can meet the teachers." He tugged your hand, leading you away.

Upon your departure, the gang (sans Jughead) huddled to discuss what had just happened.

"Wow, Jughead moves on fast," Betty said, holding back tears.

"There's something up with that bitch," Veronica said, primly handing Betty a tissue from her purse. "No one transfers from such a close school this time of year. She's hiding something, and we're gonna find out what."

During the fight, Xavier's gunshot had, quite fortunately, hit your side and not ruptured any organs. However, it had, quite unfortunately, landed you in the hospital for weeks while your muscles recovered from the impact.

Upon Jughead's call, your Serpent brothers had visited you to see what had happened.

"That Xavier... I'm gonna kill him!" Bruce said. It sounded as though he were holding back tears. It slightly amused you in a dark way to see these hardened bikers bringing flowers and cookies and crying over you. More than that, it reminded you that you really did have a family, after all.

Surprisingly, Jughead was your most frequent visitor. He would often show up right after school and not leave until the last bus of the night. Some nights, he would stay past the last bus and pay for a cab.

He'd checked out the Riverdale High School sophomore year textbooks from the public library and had hauled them over one by one. He took it upon himself to tutor you so you wouldn't be behind when you transferred. You more than once got into a shouting match with him upon your impatience, that more than once ended in you begrudgingly reciting all of the polyatomic ions from memory or recounting the themes of Shakespeare. Of course, with Jughead smirking all the while.

You were lucky he had tutored you. While you were near the top of your class at Southside High, Riverdale High had more funding, meaning better teachers and harder material. During your first round of classes teachers, who had probably seen your transcript and knew you were from the Southside, put you on the spot with challenging questions about material you shouldn't have been expected to know. At first you were nervous, but Jughead sitting next to you all the while brought you back to your tutoring sessions at the hospital, and you were able to recall the information just fine, even better than some of the regular students.

For all the smack you had spoken about public school, you realized how much about school you missed. In English class you learned about the deep meanings behind famous literature, in chemistry you learned about how basic principles governed overall actions and phenomena, and math–well, math always sucks, but Jughead was there. He'd always take the chance to discreetly crack a joke to you or make a funny face, eliciting a grateful smile. Betty and Veronica, who were in all the same classes as you as well, glared daggers into your back.

During lunch, you and Jughead settled with your trays at a table far from his former friends.

"Okay," you admitted with a laugh. "You were right. It wasn't terrible."

Jughead crossed his arms smugly. "I always am."

It was then that you were ambushed by a girl with very red hair, a squad of football players at her back.

"Well who do we have here?" Cheryl Blossom asked, voice sickly-sweet. "Two lovebirds from the wrong side of the tracks?"

"Cheryl," Jughead warned. "I thought we were cool."

"Oh, we are, Juggie," Cheryl said. "However, as queen of the River Vixens and by extension queen of this high school it is under my jurisdiction that I keep our students safe." She trailed a hand on your shoulder. "And someone told me you're a very naughty girl, (Y/N)."

At this point the cafeteria was silent, everyone turning to see what the commotion is.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," you stammered. While you were a Serpent, you could tell you were the one in the snake pit this time.

"Oh, but I think you do," Cheryl said. "I think you know that you're secretly a Southside Serpent, one of those ruffians who's jeopardizing the safety of our side of town!"

Some students gasped, and took out their smartphones to document the moment. Others stood up, angry that a Southside Serpent was their classmate.

"You want everyone to think you're sweet and nice with your last season ratty sweater, but I know the truth and now we all do. You don't belong here, (Y/N). Get out of our school." On that cue, the football players grabbed you and lifted you out of your seat.

"You're all animals!" You screamed before one guys clamped a hand on your mouth.

Jughead stood. "Let her go, Cheryl. Or else."

Cheryl laughed. "Or else what?" She glared. "Southside trash, the both of you."

Jughead then tackled one of the football players holding you and socked him in the mouth. You were surprised at Jughead's strength. Using the others' shock to your advantage, you wrestled yourself free and pulled Jughead off of his opponent.

"Come on, Jughead," you said. "I think he's had enough."

Slowly, you unzipped your backpack, unfurling your leather jacket like a flag. More people in the crowd gasped and you saw flashes as people took pictures.

You shrugged it on. "Yeah, I'm a Southside Serpent," you said calmly. "And I'm proud to be one. Yeah, sometimes we get in trouble on the Northside, but you have no idea how much the Serpents do on the Southside to protects its citizens, by monitoring police brutality, providing resources to the poor, and," you eyed them all slowly. "Taking in orphaned children and raising them. A Southside Serpent taught me how to read. Without them, I would have nothing."

You turned your backs to them, the embroidered Serpent hissing at them in all its glory. "So shit on me if you want, I can take it."

Slinging your bag onto your shoulder, you strode out of the cafeteria, Jughead following closely behind.