Our story is about a town, a small town and the people who live in that town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many small towns in the world.
Safe.
Decent.
Innocent.
Get closer though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath.
And although there are many a protagonist in Riverdale's story, this story highlights a different side of Riverdale. It shows the layers, the secrets and the chaos that happens deep behind the scenes.
Sage Smith kicked an empty beer can watching it bounce across the ground and join a pile of garbage. Somewhere behind her, the sound of beers cracking open and boisterous cheers erupted. As she looked up at her watch impatiently, she noticed a raven-haired boy creeping across the empty field between buildings before slipping into one.
Thanks to the Serpents, the Twilight Drive-In, a once proud historical place where families would gather to succumb to sugar comas and back-to-back movie showings, was now littered with graffiti and trash. Despite its daunting and forlorn look, it was still a home and a treasure to somebody.
"Beer?" a voice behind her asked.
Sage looked up to see Sweet Pea, holding out a bottle for her. He had been with the Serpents for quite some time now, even before her. Trouble often followed him, and he was always the first one to lead the group into mischief.
She shook her head. "Nah," she said flatly, "I'm sort of restless, and we've got school in five hours. I should really go and get some sleep."
"You're absolutely no fun." he teased, tipping the bottle back.
Something caught his eye. He looked over at one of the newer recruited members, a young girl with highlighted hot pink hair in a cherry red bandana, that stood stark against her smooth light brown skin.
She was the granddaughter of one of the original founders of the Serpents, Thomas Topaz. She was sharp-witted, fearless and of course, beautiful. Sage didn't know much about her, or even when she officially joined the Serpents but there she stood. She leaned casually against one of the bikes, wearing her leather jacket with the infamous snake adorned on the back of it.
"I know," she agreed. "I'm no fun at all."
He smiled, polishing off the last of the beer. "I'll see you at school."
"I'll be there, unfortunately."
Pulling herself up from the lawn chair, she picked up her tattered rucksack and gave a small wave to the rest group. Sweet Pea was already strolling over to the Toni, two freshly cracked beers in hand and a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.
Tall Boy, another colorful character from the gang, paused to eye her from a distance before turning his attention back to the Serpent King as they were deep in discussion.
With Tall Boy, something was always brewing.
Cautiously, she walked up to the building she had seen the boy disappear into earlier. A short walk up the stairs led her to another shut door. She knocked quietly.
The door opened almost immediately.
"Sage?"
"Hello, Jughead."
He blinked in surprise. "Come in," he motioned, sidestepping away from the entrance.
"Sorry to intrude, I just saw you come up." she looked around. A small cot, a backpack, a little stove top kitchenette, a laptop plugged into a nearby outlet.
"No, no, it's fine. I was just..." he trailed off.
"Just living here?" she finished.
He tugged at his hat nervously, pulling it back onto his head. "Come on, you know I can't stay with my dad right now. It's all just temporary."
He said it out loud, but he didn't believe it. Things hadn't been the same since his father lost his job almost a year ago. He shifted uncomfortably before shutting the door behind them.
She nodded, perching herself on the edge of a desk. "Temporary," she echoed, looking around again.
"How's the Whyte Wyrm?" he asked.
"Cozy."
"You getting by?"
She nodded again, "Yea, I'm good." she paused for a brief moment. "I've missed you, Jug."
He smiled softly, it spread to his eyes. "I've missed you too," he confessed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Would it help if I said I was sorry?"
Sage shrugged, "It's not important. Not tonight anyway. But I'm sorry too."
"It's been a weird summer, hasn't it?"
"It's been a weird year," she countered.
He nodded in agreement. "I thought the worst of it had happened, but now I think the worst is yet to come now. Don't you?"
She looked at him questioningly.
"Jason Blossom."
"Ah, yes. The Northsider's death."
Everyone in Riverdale had heard the devastating story of one of the town's wealthiest and prominent families losing their only son to the current at Sweetwater River. It was everywhere, in the papers, on the television. It was in people's thoughts and in their throats. The town seemed torn. Some damned the boy to hell and an eternity of suffering, while others wept over an empty casket and still longed for some type of closure.
"If I know you, you smell a story, don't you?" she teased.
His smile transformed into a grin. "I'm working on a novel about it actually. " He plopped down on his makeshift bed and pulled his laptop onto his lap.
She moved from the desk and crawled onto the bed, next to him, overlooking as he scrolled to the top.
"Read it to me," she stated. He happily obliged making himself comfortable beside her. For a moment, the usually content loner, actually felt grateful for some company that night as he continued scrolling to the beginning of his narrative.
And so instead of going to bed, like she said she would, she became engulfed as Jughead Jones, the son of the Serpent King, read his memento line after line in the dim low light of a flickering lamp.