DEFACTO LEADER

          ❛ it’s called being a double agent. ❜  tallboy declared, face twisted with anger.  how dare they even  consider  tossing him out of the serpents.  after all he’s done for them, after all he did for jughead and f.p.  ❛ the serpents are my blood.  you think i’d really betray them, betray f.p ?  you got a lot to learn kid.  you gotta gain the trust of the enemy before they trust you.  that statue, i had to do it if i wanted in on whatever the hell that rich snob is planning to do with southside. ❜

          ❛ now just what  are you doing on this side of town blossom ?  not up to daddy’s old tricks are you ? ❜  lighter flicks on, and he brings the flame up to the end of his cigarette.  there is a smirk that twists his lips after he puffs out the first cloud of smoke.  it wasn’t often the northsiders ventured here.  the only ones he saw often were that ponytailed friend of jugheads, and the andrews kid.  rarely did he see someone high class like cheryl blossom.

          he takes a long pull  from his beer, finishing nearly half the contents in one sip before his eyes meet the girl.  all alone now in this world, shit wasn’t fair.  the ghoulies were the worst kind of scum, and he wanted nothing more than to break every one of their bones for killing their own.  but to take action would be stupid, not his words of course.  but he wasn’t the leader.  he didn’t get to call the shots.  ❛ if i were in that throne sweetheart, i can tell you now we’d be getting our revenge. ❜

          ❛ you think you can just be accepted  like you belong here ?  ain’t that easy princess.  see, you got to prove your loyalty before you earn the respect of everyone.  you may have jones and topaz wrapped around your finger, but it won’t be that easy with the rest of us.  we aren’t forgetting what your daddy did.  and how do we know you aren’t exactly the same ?  lying, conniving, and cowardly ? ❜  he would get himself into trouble, talking to her like this.  but he was already in pretty deep shit with the serpents as it was, one more blow wasn’t really gonna hurt him was it ?

          ❛ you have got one hell  of a bad attitude toni.  i don’t know whether to be impressed or insulted. ❜  she was definitely one of their tougher lot, small but with a whole lot of fight and in a way tallboy had to appreciate that.  ❛ last time i checked though topaz, you weren’t the one running this joint.  if my memory serves me correctly, f.p calls the shots around here.  and in his absence, that role falls onto me.  so don’t you worry your pink little head, i got this shit under control. ❜