Chapter 2
"So I was talking with Kevin, seems that Ethel might be dead," Jughead said as he walked to his locked with Archie between classes.
"Did they find a body or something?" Archie asked.
"No, but they found some hair and a lot of blood," Jughead replied. "They're running tests to see if it is from Ethel."
"That's not good," Archie mumbled.
They arrived at their lockers to see Betty and Veronica, who's lockers were right beside theirs, fussing over their hair and makeup.
"What are you girls up to?" Jughead asked curiously.
"Cheryl has decided to hold open try outs for the cheerleading squad," Betty replied.
"I thought you didn't care about cheerleaders," Archie said. "Especially since Cheryl's in charge."
"The very thought that I, Veronica Lodge, am not a cheerleader already is preposterous," Veronica said. "I was on the cheerleading squad at my old school."
"My mom and my sister were both cheerleaders, so it's kind of a family tradition," Betty added.
"Besides, like, every girl in school pretty much is trying out," Veronica added.
"Well good luck impressing those superficial bimbos," Jughead said somewhat sarcastically.
"Do you think maybe if you girls get on the team you could put in a good word for me with Cheryl for being Home Coming King?" Archie asked.
Betty and Veronica both looked at him in disbelief at the request.
"No!" they both said simultaneously.
"Alright fine just thought I'd ask," Archie mumbled.
"Come on V, let's get to the gym," Betty said.
"But it's only fourth period," Jughead said.
"Yeah well the tryouts are starting during fourth period," Veronica responded.
"Well good luck," Archie said as the two girls left.
Cheryl sat up at the top of the stands watching on bored as seemingly every girl at school took a turn to try and show off their dance moves or school spirit. Cheryl was beginning to regret not taking a more active role in planning this and instead leaving it up to the other cheerleaders, about the only thing good about all of this was that it made everything seem more legitimate and not that it was about adding more werewolves to her pack.
Midge, Sheila and Toni were running the tryouts down below, although Cheryl wasn't sure where Ginger was. Just then Cheryl saw her brunette friend coming scrambling up the stands a worried look on her face.
"Cheryl bad news," Ginger whispered.
"What is it?" Cheryl asked annoyed.
"A search party found blood and hair in the forest, they're running test but we both know that it will come back as belonging to Ethel," Ginger said.
Cheryl scowled, that certainly wasn't good news, however it still didn't implicate her or the others. But a more thorough search could end up discovering some of the bones that had been scattered through out the forest.
"What led them to search the forest in the first place?" Cheryl inquired.
"They tracked her cell phone," Ginger replied. "Don't worry I got rid of it, it's at the bottom of a pond…"
"Even if you did we still have a problem," Cheryl cut her off. "Ethel's phone records will show that she received text messages me."
"So they'll know it was us that lured her into the forest?" Ginger asked worriedly.
"No, I deleted those messages," Cheryl replied. "But they'll probably question me about it."
"And what are you going to tell them?" Ginger inquired.
"That I was simply cyber-bullying her," Cheryl replied, thinking quickly. "They won't find that hard to believe."
"What about our next… hunt?" Ginger asked worriedly.
"We're just going to have to play things by ear," Cheryl replied.
Cheryl then turned her attention down to the gym floor. There were nine girls currently putting on a demonstration, Betty, Veronica, Maria Rodriguez, Nancy Woods, Bobbi Suarez, Avalon Prisston, Wendy Weatherbee, Tomoko Yoshida and Chloe Mancuso. Cheryl stood up and walked down and snapped her fingers. Midge immediately cut off the music the girls were dancing to.
"You girls stay," Cheryl said to the nine girls. "Everyone else leave, now."
"Hey we didn't get a chance…" somebody protested.
"She said leave!" Sheila shouted angrily.
The gym soon cleared out leaving just Cheryl and her followers and the other nine girls. Once they were alone Cheryl slowly circled the nine girls left leaving them all rather nervous.
"If you want to be a cheerleader there's one simple rule that you need to follow," Cheryl said. "You will do what I say, when I say it. Disobedience will not be tolerated; if that is going to be a problem for you then I suggest that you leave, now."
The nine girls all looked at each other, not saying anything but seeing who would leave. Avalon and Chloe both headed for the exit followed soon after by Veronica. Veronica stopped however and looked back at Betty who hadn't budged.
"Betty?" Veronica called expecting her friend to leave as well.
Betty glanced over at Veronica and then looked back as if she hadn't. Veronica glared angrily before she stomped out of the gym.
"Well, well, well," Cheryl said with a smirk. "Who would have thought that Betty Cooper would turn her back on her best friend?"
"I… it's not like…" Betty stuttered trying to explain.
"I don't care," Cheryl cut her off.
Cheryl slowly paced back and forth in front of them.
"None of you are officially cheerleaders yet," Cheryl told them. "Over the next week the girls and I will be testing you. I expect you to be ready for these test at all times. They won't just happen during school hours."
Maria Rodriguez, a shy but Hispanic girl raised her hand. Cheryl smirked and pointed.
"What?" Cheryl asked.
"Um, what kind of tests are these?" Maria asked nervously.
"You'll find out," Cheryl replied cryptically. "For now you are dismissed."
The other girls left the gymnasium leaving Cheryl and the cheerleaders by themselves.
"Why'd you pick them?" Midge asked.
"They were seniors, I don't want anyone younger in the pack," Cheryl replied. "At least not now."
"Are you upset with us, did we do something wrong?" Toni asked.
"No, but the police found some of Ethel's remains by tracking her phone's location," Cheryl replied. "I'm just a little annoyed about this development."
"Is there anything we can do?" Sheila asked.
"Just pretend you have no idea what happened to her," Cheryl replied.
Just then the door to the gymnasium burst open and in came Kevin Keller, an openly gay student who was the son of Sheriff Keller.
"What are you doing here?" Cheryl asked annoyed by the intrusion.
"I just came to let you know Cheryl, that my father is going to question you about Ethel's disappearance," Kevin told her. "He's coming here now."
Cheryl arched and eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest as she gave a small smile, pleased that Kevin had brought this information to her.
"Thank you for that Kevin," Cheryl said, then looked at the other cheerleaders. "Girls, I believe I have a date with the Sheriff."
Cheryl calmly made her way out of the gymnasium and then out the front entrance of the school. As she stood on the steps she saw Sheriff Keller arrive in his squad car. He got out an immediately spotted Cheryl.
"I heard you were looking for me Sheriff," Cheryl said.
Cheryl was sitting in one of the interview rooms at the police station calmly waiting when Sheriff Keller walked in accompanied by a young woman in a pant suit.
"Hello Cheryl, I'm Penny Peabody, one of your parents' attorneys, I'm going to be sitting in on this interview," the woman introduced herself.
"Sure, whatever," Cheryl said dismissively. "Can we just get this over with?"
"That's entirely up to you and how cooperative you are Miss Blossom," Sheriff Keller replied as he sat down across from Cheryl.
"Keep in mind that you are here voluntarily and not obligated to answer any of his questions," Penny told Cheryl.
"Go ahead, ask you questions Sheriff," Cheryl said with a confident smile.
"Alright, were you texting Ethel Muggs on the night of her disappearance?" Sheriff Keller asked.
"Yes," Cheryl replied.
"Um, you don't have to say that," Penny interjected. "Under the fifth amendment…"
"I know about the fifth amendment," Cheryl cut her off. "Yes, I texted Ethel Muggs and I will openly admit that I was bullying her about her appearance."
"Would you mind turning over those text messages?" Keller asked.
"Kind of hard since I deleted them," Cheryl said.
"You know that is suspicious, right?" Keller retorted.
"My client has the right not to self-incriminate herself," Penny stated.
"Did you tell Ethel to go to the forest?" Keller inquired.
"No, why would I do that?" Cheryl asked.
There was an awkward silence.
"It would be a great help to the investigation Miss Blossom if you would turn over your phone," Keller said. "We might be able to recover those texts."
"Um, no," Cheryl responded.
"You want her phone you'll need a warrant," Penny informed him.
"Fine, you can go," Keller said.
Cheryl and Penny both got up and left the interview room.
"Can he actually get a warrant?" Cheryl asked feeling slightly worried.
"Maybe, I'll do what I can to block it," Penny said.
Penny continued talking legal strategy to Cheryl, but Cheryl wasn't listening. Instead as the two of them walked out of the police station Cheryl was instead thinking about how she was going to have to fast track her plans.
Betty was walking home by herself. Betty was surprised that she had been picked to be on the team, she hadn't thought that Cheryl had even been paying attention so it seemed like it was down to luck. Then Cheryl had made the demand that if Betty and anyone else wanted to be on the team that they had to do whatever she said, when she said it. Cheryl hadn't even finished speaking and Betty knew that Veronica would be out. Veronica did not like taking orders, and most certainly not from Cheryl. Veronica had thought that if she joined the team she could take it over and kick Cheryl off, although Betty had thought that was far-fetched.
As Veronica had been leaving she'd called out to Betty. Betty knew that Veronica had wanted her to leave the tryout too. But Betty wasn't a quitter. She felt a little guilty for not standing with her best friend, but Betty did a lot of things for Veronica and just this once Betty wanted to do something for herself; so there was also a part of herself that felt good.
Just then a limousine came rolling down the street coming to a stop next to Betty. Betty stopped and was not at all surprised when Veronica got out.
"What was that back there?" Veronica asked angrily.
"Uh, that was me deciding I wanted to be on the cheerleading team," Betty replied.
"So you just decided that you're going to do it without me?" Veronica asked indignantly.
"Um, you could have stayed and been on the team too," Betty responded.
"Veronica Lodge does not take orders from the likes of Cheryl Blossom," Veronica stated. "But it looks like you will."
"I figure it can't be much different than when you order me around," Betty retorted.
"I do not order you around!" Veronica exclaimed, taken aback.
"Um, yeah you do," Betty replied. "Betty we're going to my house, Betty you need to change that outfit, Betty you need to let me go out with Archie on Saturday."
"I did not say any of those things," Veronica said huffily.
"Um yes you did, and those are just from the last ten days," Betty stated.
"Well if that's the way we feel then we can no longer be friends," Veronica declared.
"Oh come on Veronica don't be ridiculous," Betty said, starting to get exhausted with this argument.
"Oh now I'm ridiculous," Veronica said angrily.
Just then a second car coming the other way stopped across the street. The window rolled down revealing Ginger Lopez.
"Cheryl wants all the cheerleaders to meet at her house, now," Ginger said. "Get in."
Betty was happy for a way out of the stupid argument she had found herself in with Veronica. Betty glanced both ways and then began crossing the street.
"What that's it, you're just walking away?" Veronica called after her.
"Yep, because this is an argument over nothing Veronica," Betty responded without even looking back.
Betty opened the door and got into the car with Ginger and the two of them drove off leaving Veronica standing on the sidewalk, a furious expression on her face.
Is Betty going to become a werewolf thanks to Cheryl? Well read on to find out! Please review!