DO NOT COMMENT FOR ME TO UPDATE!

Cheryl had dropped Mariah back at her house. The drag race was way too much for one day. Mariah had gone to school the next day and went about her day normally, hearing news of a teacher at Southside High getting arrested. Apparently, he was the Sugar Man. Cheryl had bragged about being the one to find out who he was, which was surprising seeing as she asked Mariah to talk to Betty about bugging her about said man. But that's neither here nor there.

But after the Sugar Man's arrest, things only got weirder. Scarier. Because the Black Hood had gone after the Sugar Man and killed him. And after that, a letter that he had written was posted on the door of Pop's and was later published in the town newspaper for everyone to see. Mariah was at school with Josie and Cheryl, the latter of which was reading what the Black Hood has written in the article.

"People of Riverdale, I have rid this town of the drug-dealing child-killer and others like him. Now, you must choose your fate. The next 48 hours will be a test. And I will be watching you very closely. Show me you are pure of heart, and my work ends. Continue to sin, and I will take up the sword again," she read off.

"Well that's not terrifying at all," Mariah said, standing up. "What do you think the Black Hood is gonna do?" Josie asked. Mariah shrugged, "No idea. This whole thing is stupid though. If he's trying to rid Riverdale of sinners then he's gonna have to kill everyone in this town and then himself because, newsflash, everyone's a sinner. Including him."

She grabbed her bag off of the ground. "Let's just, forget about the letter and get to class," she told the two before walking out of the room with the two following. Cheryl took the lead as they walked down the hallway. Mariah trailed a little behind the two.

She hadn't noticed that Cheryl and Josie had stopped at the latter's locker and were talking, she only continued walking forward. Her mind had been all over the place with everything going on. She had still been dodging her father's calls and texts. She felt kind of bad about it. He had kept up his end of the deal but she wasn't doing the same. But at the same time, he deserved it.

And then there was the thing between Archie and Veronica. Mariah felt as though she had moved on from the redheaded asshole. However, every time she saw him and Veronica together, it made her want to either cry or scream. Maybe it was because nobody seemed to think it was strange how he had went from dating Mariah one minute and Veronica the next. Or maybe it was because it was almost as if the two were flaunting their relationship in her face. Or maybe it's because she felt as though Archie had never wanted to be with her in the first place. Maybe the idea of dating the girl he had crushed on in middle school was what fueled his "reemerging feelings" for the blonde. Maybe he thought he liked her but the feelings were never really there to begin with. Because if he had loved Mariah like he said he had, he wouldn't have cheated on her and he definitely wouldn't have begun dating the girl he had cheated on her with.

That very thought stung like hell.

And though her feelings for Archie were fading more and more everyday, she couldn't help the hurt that she felt when she saw the two together in the halls.

And now everything going on with the Black Hood. It was all just too much to deal with.

Mariah hadn't been paying attention in English. When she got to her Biology class, she was prepared to block everything out again and become immersed in her thoughts. But she had Biology with Cheryl Blossom, and Cheryl Blossom always had something to say. The redhead's mouth stopped moving, however, when Josie came up to their table.

"You will not believe this," she began, sitting down. "Chuck Clayton just asked me out on a date." Mariah's face scrunched up in disgust. "Gross," she said. "That's vile, assuming you said no," Cheryl said. "Yeah, I'm not insane," Josie retorted. "Good. Because we have a date with the recording studio," the redhead reminded, to which Josie sighed and rolled her eyes. Mariah was confused by her reaction. She thought that Josie had been excited about the opportunity.

"Maybe after school today?" Cheryl continued. "No way. I'm heading straight to the girls' locker room for a eucalyptus steam. My throat's been acting up," Josie said. "Josie, we have to practice-"

"Good Lord, Cheryl. I don't know who's more controlling, you or my mom," Josie snapped. Mariah looked at her in surprise as Cheryl's face fell. This was getting real awkward real fast. Before Mariah could try to ease the tension, Cheryl began speaking, her voice soft.

"Josie, what you did, saving me from that Nick St. Creature. It's a debt I'll never be able to repay. What I can do is offer my humble skills to make your career blossom. But I'm happy to take a step back if you're feeling overwhelmed," she said. "No, no," Josie took Cheryl's hand, "It's all good."

"Good, because I'm not that good at easing tension and this was getting really awkward," Mariah said, her eyes casted downward at her open notebook as she began writing. Josie chuckled lightly whilst Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Must you always ruin a good moment, Mariah?" She questioned, almost harshly. Mariah eyed her for a moment, eyebrows raised in question at her tone.

"Sorry. Jeez, it was just a joke. Lighten up will you?" She said, rolling her eyes before going back to her work.

••••

Riverdale was turning into a shit show and Mariah was getting sick of it. She didn't even know what all was happening anymore. Apparently Josie was getting creepy notes and gifts from a "secret admirer." And that secret admirer had gifted her with a pig's heart and Josie believed that Chuck Clayton had been the one doing it.

Betty believed that Sheriff Keller was the Black Hood. That was a thought the Mariah couldn't even begin to wrap her head around. When Betty had explained her theory to her, Mariah had called her crazy and hung up the phone.

And Jughead, Mariah didn't know what the hell was going on with Jughead.

And now apparently, according to Betty, the entire town had failed the Black Hood's "test" and were all sinners. And now, a reckoning was upon them. Mariah wanted to scream.

The only place in that hellhole of a town that Mariah could find some ounce of sanity was, surprisingly, the Southside.

Most days after school, Mariah had found herself on the Southside. She had been hanging out there a lot more recently, much to Cheryl's dismay. She liked the Serpents, they were eccentric and fun. They were so carefree and rebellious. They were everything Mariah was not but wished she could be. But she couldn't afford to be rebellious or carefree.

The craziness of her life had overwhelmed her to the point where she needed a distraction. So she texted Sweet Pea, Toni, and Fangs to see if any of them wanted to hang out. This is why she now found herself someplace she never thought she'd be: a tattoo parlor.

She wasn't sure how they had ended up there. The original plan was to hang out at the Whyte Wyrm or something. Next thing she knew, Fangs was asking if she wanted to get a tattoo and she was saying yes. Why? Because she's stupid, that's why.

Mariah stood at the front counter, flipping through an album of potential tattoo designs. She didn't want any of them tattooed on her body. "Why don't you be simple and get a butterfly or some shit?" Sweet Pea suggested, boredom evident on his face. "I don't want a butterfly," she replied, giving him a look. "Why? Don't girly girls like butterflies?" Sweet Pea smirked.

Mariah rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up, Sweet Pea," Toni said and he shrugged. "Maybe you could join the Serpents and get a serpent tattoo," Fangs suggested, raising his eyebrows in question. Mariah's eyes narrowed at him, "There's not a chance in hell that I'm joining a gang. Besides, I don't wanna get my ass beat as an initiation."

"Only guys get beat up as a part of their initiation. Girls have to do the traditional Serpents dance on stage with a pole," Toni informed. Mariah's face scrunched up, "And by dance you mean?" Toni sighed, "Strip."

Mariah scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's so sexist. So what, you're forced to undress in front of a bunch of disgusting old men just to join the gang?" She asked. "No one's forced, it's a choice," Sweet Pea spoke up. "Shut up, no one's talking to you," she said before turning back to Toni. "Please tell me this is a joke."

"Believe me, I wish it was," Toni said. "I'd rather get my ass beat," the blonde muttered and Toni chuckled. "I would've too," she said. "You actually had to do that? Like seriously?" Mariah asked. "Yup. It was worth it I guess," Toni responded. "Yeah, I'm never doing that," Mariah replied.

"It's not that bad," Sweet Pea said with a shrug. When Mariah looked over at him, it was obvious that he was joking but she scowled anyway. "Shut the fuck up you dumbass," she retorted. The blonde began looking at the different tattoo designs in the album again. "Chill, Princess. I just think it's a shame. I've been wondering what it looked like under all those Northside clothes," he joked.

"Dude," Fangs said, with a head shake as Toni punched him in the shoulder, making him grunt. "Don't be a pig," Toni said. Mariah leaned backward against the counter and looked him dead in the eye. "Unfortunately for you, you'll never know," she said.

She turned back around and returned her attention to the tattoo book. The three Serpents stared in silence before Fangs burst into laughter. "I fucking love this girl," he said in between his bouts of laughter. Toni smiled and look at a slightly embarrassed Sweet Pea who shrugged. "It was a joke anyways. You're not my type," he said.

"Hm, a hot girl isn't your type?" Mariah questioned. "Hot girls are my type," Toni said, shooting Mariah a playful wink. Mariah looked away from her, ignoring the butterflies beginning to swarm in her stomach. "Mine too," Fangs said with a wink of his own. Mariah rolled her eyes and laughed. "Shut up and help me find a tattoo," she said. Fangs stood from his chair and walked over to the counter.

"I still think a snake would be cool," he said. Mariah shot him a look. "Okay, no snake." Toni stood as well. "Why don't you get a tattoo that's meaningful? What do you like?" Toni asked. Mariah shrugged, "I don't know. Music?"

"Ooo, you said you played the piano, right? Why don't you get music notes or something," Fangs said. "I don't love music to the point where I'd want music notes tattooed on my body," Mariah replied and Fangs groaned. "You are so difficult."

"Okay, so what's something you love that you would get a tattoo of?" Toni asked. Mariah took a moment to think. "Maybe constellations?" She proposed. Sweet Pea made a noise of distaste. "Constellations? Seriously?" Mariah glared at him, "I'm sorry, is that a problem for you? I like stars, sue me."

"Is there a specific constellation you like?" Fangs asked, pulling the attention to him. "I like a lot of them," Mariah answered before pulling out her phone. "That's not helpful, Mariah," Fangs pointed out. She ignored him and began pulling up pictures. "There's this one called Andromeda. She was basically screwed over by her mother but that's a story for another time. According to Greek mythology, when she died the goddess Athena placed her in the sky as a constellation. Actually, Athena was kind of a bitch so..."

Mariah began tapping away on her phone again. She found an image of something different from a constellation and examined it while Toni looked at the phone over the blonde's shoulder. "You know, that's probably gonna hurt," she said. Mariah looked over at her. "But it's cute," Toni added with a sheepish smile. "I'll get Fiona." The pink haired girl began walking behind the counter to get the tattoo artist. Once she did, the two walked back out to the front.

Fiona was a woman in her late twenties. She had dark black hair pulled into a ponytail and clear rimmed glasses on her face. Various tattoos covered her arms. She looked very intimidating. When she sent the blonde a smile, she relaxed a bit. Fiona then led Mariah further into the tattoo shop with Toni not far behind.

The blonde showed Fiona the image. "So you want it like that?" Fiona asked. "Something similar. Like, don't fill in the moons and maybe make the arrow a little simpler," Mariah explained. Fiona nodded and began drawing up a design. Mariah nodded in confirmation once the woman was done with the sketch. "But I want it a little smaller," Mariah said. "Where do you want it?" Fiona asked.

Mariah pointed to the upper part of her right rib cage. "Maybe around here." Fiona nodded again and began remaking the sketch. Once she was done, she led Mariah to a tattoo table. "How much will this cost?" She asked Fiona. "Usual price for a tattoo this size is $180 but since you're a friend of Toni's and it's your first tattoo, I'll give you a discount. It'll be $120," Fiona replied and Mariah nodded. "Okay, I can do that." Fiona nodded her head.

"So is there any way you can like, sedate me while I'm getting the tattoo?" Mariah questioned causing Fiona to laugh. "No but I can giving you numbing cream," she replied. Fangs suddenly appeared, "No! No numbing cream. Take it like the champ I know you are."

Mariah closed her eyes, her face scrunching up. "Fine. No numbing cream," she said with a frown. Fangs nodded and disappeared again. She then sat on the table, unclamping her bra and laying down on her side. She pulled up her shirt enough to expose her upper right side. Fiona began sterilizing the area. "You ready?" Toni asked. "No. Should I be doing this? I feel like I shouldn't be doing this," Mariah replied.

"You'll be fine but since you seem freaked, here." Toni held out her hand. "Squeeze if it hurts too bad," she said. Mariah smiled, placing her hand in Toni's warm one. She bit her lip and avoided Toni's gaze as she began feeling uncomfortable under her stare. "I must warn you, though, I've been told that I'm pretty strong," the blonde muttered. Toni rolled her eyes, "I'll take my chances."

After placing the sketch on the area and having Mariah confirm that it looked good, It Fiona began working on the tattoo. As suspected, Mariah's grip on Toni's hand tightened. Toni grunted, "Damn, you are too tiny to be that strong."

"You're one to talk, you're no Kobe Bryant. And you and I are like the same height," Mariah replied, clenching her teeth at the pain. "I'm pretty sure I'm taller than you," Toni pointed out. Mariah scoffed, "Yeah by like an inch."

"Still taller," Toni said with a smirk. "Ow." Mariah squeezed Toni's hand tighter. "Why don't you tell me about your tattoo. Why this one?" Toni said. The tattoo was of three phases of the moon. There was a crescent moon followed by a dot, then a quarter moon followed by a dot and lastly a full moon followed by a dot that goes to another quarter moon with a dot and then a crescent moon with an arrow going through all five moons.

"There's this goddess in Greek mythology named Artemis. She's the goddess of hunt and wilderness. She pretty much swore off men and was just super badass and embodies independence and self-sufficiency. Since she's a hunter and moon goddess, her main symbols are the moon, bow and arrow. That's why the tattoo is of some of the moon's phases with an arrow through it. I guess I want it as a reminder that I can be an independent and badass just like her," Mariah explained.

"How did you come up with that tattoo idea so quickly?" The pink haired girl asked. Mariah attempted to shrug, clenching her teeth together in pain. "You know, I sprained my ankle at cheer practice once and it did not hurt this bad. Although, that could've been from the adrenaline," Mariah said.

"Adrenaline, huh?" Toni replied. "Yeah. It's a hell of a drug," the blonde replied. "Well, technically it's a hormone that your body produces most often during the 'fight or flight response' of the sympathetic nervous system. In times of danger, your body goes into overdrive and prepares you to either stay and fight or flee," she went on.

"They teach you that at Riverdale High?" Fiona asked. "I learned it back when I went to high school in New York but I'm sure it's taught at public schools as well," Mariah responded. "You went to a private school?" Toni questioned. "Yeah. And before you say anything, I had a partial scholarship," Mariah answered. She looked up at Fiona. "I'm sorry, I'm talking so that I can distract myself from the pain, is it bothering you?" She asked.

"I'd rather you talk than scream. I have had a lot of people scream in pain. So by all means, talk away," Fiona replied as she continued working on the tattoo. "So, adrenaline is also known as epinephrine, which is the more medical term. It's produced by the adrenal medulla of the kidneys. After the stress and danger begins to dissipate, the parasympathetic nervous system goes to work and sort of reverse the affects of the sympathetic nervous. It's sometimes called, 'rest and digest', which I think is kind of a stupid name but whatever. Can somebody talk about something more interesting?" Mariah said. Toni laughed, "Okay sure."

An hour and a half later, the tattoo was done. Toni had taken a picture of it using Mariah's phone and showed it to the two boys who were waiting patiently for Mariah to be done. Once she paid Fiona, the four went to Pop's to get food and then Mariah was driving home.

Her mother was already home and she was prepared to not tell the woman about the tattoo. She was sure it would be hard to hide from the woman for the first week or so but she was determined to make sure that she didn't know.

"Have you eaten dinner?" Amara asked once Mariah walked into the kitchen to greet the woman. "Yup. I'm gonna go to sleep so, goodnight," she answered. Amara looked down at her phone. "It's not even ten o'clock yet," she pointed out. "Yeah but it's been a long day and I'm tired. See you tomorrow." And with that, the blonde made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom.

°°°°

I hope you all are doing well and are healthy. Please stay safe and perform appropriate measures/precautions to ensure that you don't contract or spread the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Anyway, below is an example of what I was going for. It's not exactly like that but that's the basic blueprint I suppose. I'm not sure who the artist is but full credit goes to them. I also don't know how getting a tattoo works and I was too lazy to look it up so hopefully this was fairly accurate. Also, I am by no means trying to disrespect strippers or anyone, I don't find stripping disgusting. I find the fact that women have to strip/dance with a pole or whatever in order to join the Serpents disgusting. Just wanted to make that clear if it wasn't already. And lastly, if you're getting a tattoo and numbing cream is an option that you want to use, then use it if you need to. There's no shame in that. Also, this was a prewritten chapter that I wrote back in December before Kobe's passing and I forgot that I mentioned him. I didn't want to change it so I left it in to honor him in a way. If anyone feels that it should be changed then please let me know (politely). I don't want this to be taken as me being disrespectful because that's not my intent. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please vote if you did. And like always, DO NOT COMMENT FOR ME TO UPDATE!