Take Me to the Races

“Anyone you want, my Queen. You get first dibs.” Malachai had his arms wide open as we walk around the trailer park.
“Hey, it’s what every girl dreams to pick out her trailer.” Penny rolls her eyes from behind us.
Malachai shot her a glare while I ignore her. I look around Sunnyside Trailer Park, my eyes lock on the Jones trailer. It was as if I could see 6 years old me running around it, trying to get away from Archie and Jughead who had a lizard in their hands. I didn’t know if I should pick it so that none of the others could trash it or if it would be adding insult to injury to have Malachai living there. I felt myself moving to stand in front of the trailer.
“FP’s trailer, you just know where a king is supposed to live.” He waves his hand to the ghoulies behind us. They began moving our boxes and suitcases into the trailer.
“Watch out there a dog in there.” I yell at the ghoulie who was struggling to carry Pebbles. Maverick went over to grab the crate from him. He carried her over to me. “I swear some of these new prospects are weaklings.” He grumbled putting her down by my feet. As soon as she saw me, she started to whine.
“There are other qualities than strength, that one is a hacker.” He reminds one of his founder members. Maverick snorts in response.
“Yeah well, people should know their strength and weakness so they don’t hurt my dog.” I bent down to take her out of the crate and put her on the leash. I left the guys to their talk about the new people, while I walk into the trailer.
“Who the hell has a typewriter?” Greg pokes a button on the old machine. They were all looking around the trailer touching things.
“Thank you guys for carrying everything in, but I can take it from here. I’m sure you all want to move into your new place too.” I yell out to them. They were happy and quick to get out of there.
“Call me if you need any heavy lift. Don’t want to hurt the baby.” Greg rubs my stomach as he walks by.
I walk around the boxes and suitcases that were in the middle of the living room to look at everything that they had to leave behind. That was everything: clothes, electronics, and pictures. I ran my fingers over the couch that I spent many nights sleeping on as a child. I was so busy looking around I didn’t notice Malachai enter the trailer.
“If you want we can send their stuff to them. Nothing with a Serpent symbol on it though, that shit burns.” Malachai look around the trailer in glee. It was funny, he sneers when we were in the luxury cabin, but now in a rundown trailer he was beaming with pride.
“Sounds good to me,” I smile. For the day, he let me boss him around. We made piles of trash, burn, and send back. Then we unpack and organize our things and packed theirs into the boxes.
“I’ll order food from Southside cafe and drop this off in front of the Whyte Wyrm.” He picks the car key off of the hook by the door.
“Are you its safe?” I look up from mashing the dog food that I soak in hot water to make it easier for the puppy to eat.
“I’ll take Maverick and Verne with me.” He pats Pebbles on the head and gave me a kiss before walking out.
I put the bowl on the ground for it to be an attack by the dog. I laugh shaking my head at her. When she finish, I sat down on the couch to find something to watch on the TV. “Abby! Abby! You got to get out here.” Cricket runs in to the trailer.
“What’s wrong?” I went outside to get my question answer. Archie was walking around with a determined look on his face. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I met him halfway.
“I could ask you the same thing, leaving in the middle of the night to run away with your criminal boyfriend. They plan to destroy Riverdale, you know that right?” He shouts. The ghoulies form a circle around us.
“Archie, get into the truck and leave.” I point to dad’s pickup.
“Abby please come back with me, if not for me or you then for dad. He worried sick.” He pleads.
“Go home and tell dad I’m safe.” I glare at him for using dad to try and guilt me.
“You would choose these thugs or your family.” He sneers, making Greg crack his knuckles.
“I consider these thugs, my family. Soon, Malachai and I will have a family of our own.” I rub my stomach. His jaw drops and he backs away from me like I told him I had some deadly contagious disease. He ran back to the truck. After shooting me one last look of disgust he drove off.
“Good thing, I’m here to be a great auntie because her uncle sucks.” Sassy throw an arm around my shoulder.
I shook my head, trying to hold back the tears. “I’m going to make sure Pebbles isn’t tearing the place up.” I walk back into the trailer.

I was teaching Pebbles to shake hands while Malachai took a phone call in the bedroom.
“Guess what, babe?” Malachai came out of the room smirking.
“What?” I ask, giving the puppy a treat for doing what I ask her too.
“Mrs. Lodge won the race. She’s mayor. With Lodge’s sheriff in charge, you can go back to school.” He announces.
“I don’t think I’m going to go back.” I frown, petting Pebbles who crawl into my lap.
“What? Why? Is it because of the baby?” He sat down next to me on the floor.
“It’s not the baby.” I shook my head.
“You scared to face people?” He leans back on his hands.
“It’s not that, I mean I don’t know it’s everything. With everything going on it doesn’t feel important.” I shrug, not knowing how to explain it. I didn’t have any motivation to go like I did before.
“Not important, that’s your dream babe.” He narrows his eyes at me, not understanding how I could change my feeling so fast.
“Those weren’t my dream, those were silly hopes that I could make my father proud. I always wanted him to see that I could do something that Archie couldn’t.” I pull on the old carpet. Even those it was disgusting, I didn’t have the heart to pull it out and replace it.
“Then what’s the dream?” He looked up at me from his recline position.
“Being a good mother,” I rub my stomach.
“Isn’t that a coincidence, my dream is to be the cool dad.” He leaned over to give my stomach a kiss.
“The cool dad, what does that mean? You’ll be sneaking her cookie even though I told her she has to wait for after dinner.” I playfully glare at him.
“Don’t worry, the princess and I will make sure you never find out.” He giggles. I straddled his waist to tickle him. But, he easily flips us over and counters attack. Pebbles joined in by licking my face.

I walk into the Whyte Wyrm with Malachai and Penny to see Mrs. Blossom, Claudius Blossom, Sheriff Michael Minetta sitting around two tables that were pushes together. “What is she doing here?” Mrs. Blossom stood up from her seat to glare at me.
“Calm down old red, she’s here with us. Lodge asked for her to be here.” Penny pushes her back into her seat and took the empty chair next to her. There were two more empty chairs between the Sheriff and Claudius. Malachai took the chair by the old man, leaving me to sit next to the corrupt Sheriff.
He pulls my chair close to his and grabs my hand. “Aw, young love.” The Sheriff rolls his eyes.
“As a corrupt sheriff, you probably have to pull a woman over and force her give you some loving.” Malachai snickers mocking the bought police officer.
“Don’t worry. Soon, you won’t have to go through all that trouble for a little loving.” Mrs. Blossom winks at the cop. Everyone, but Claudius looked at her in confusion.
“Ladies, gentlemen, it's been months in the making, but we're finally here. Welcome to the New Southside.” Mr. Lodge walks in from the back room to stand in front of us. I raise my eyebrows wondering how long he was back there.
“Where's your wife, Hiram?” Mrs. Blossom asks.
“Now that she's Mayor, there are certain machinations she can't be privy to. But the plan remains the same. The prison will soon be up and operational, with your drugs running through it, Claudius.” He answers her, like he was waiting for that question.
“Like brother, like brother.” Penny smirks at her joke.
“Malachai and his ghoulies will be our soldiers and dealers, with Ms. Peabody troubleshooting and hopefully doing a better job than she did of killing Jughead Jones.” He looks at Malachai then Penny.
“He wasn't breathing when we left him.” She growls out.
“You promised me a brothel, Hiram.” Mrs. Blossom reminds him. I side eye her in disgust.
“All in good time Madam Blossom.” He nods to her.
“What about your daughter and her meddlesome friends?” Claudius asks about the biggest enemy they had. Only in Riverdale could a group of teens cause problems for a mob. Veronica was able to force him to give her Pops.
“Not a concern. Steps have been taken to dissolve the very glue that holds them together.” He glances at me from the corner of his eye, making me wonder what he was planning.