Veronica didn't know what she expected. Maybe screaming? Fighting? Crying? But none of those happened. There was only silence. Silence so deafening she wanted to curl up into a ball.
"W-What do we do?" Her voice wobbled. It didn't tend to happen very often.
"I don't know." Kevin shook his head. "There's probably someone coming to get us. We should just stay in here and—"
"Probably?" Cheryl sounded incredulous. "Didn't your dad alert someone?"
"I don't know!" Kevin repeated, frustrated. He was about to continue when Principal Weatherbee stepped up to take the mic back. Kevin dramatically rolled his eyes before making his way back to his small group. Betty pulled him into a hug immediately while Jughead awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"We're going to lock all doors and windows and barricade them. If you haven't noticed yet, your phones probably don't have network." Weatherbee stated.
Veronica pulled her phone out and checked. Sure enough, she did not have a single bar. She bit down on her lip, feeling the worry gnawing at her stomach.
"We don't have any means to communicate with anyone outside. And we can't go outside. We don't know if it's safe." Weatherbee said. Veronica couldn't help rolling her eyes. What was the point of repeating information all of them already knew?
"You're allowed to go anywhere inside the school building and if you see an unlocked door or window, please shut it." Weatherbee continued.
"Wait, so, that's your plan?" Jughead called out.
"Yes." Weatherbee responded. He sighed, as if wondering why he had accepted this shit job of being a high school principal.
"You just want us to sit in here, waiting for help that may or may not arrive?" Veronica asked.
"Yes."
"That's completely stupid." She said.
Weatherbee raised his eyebrows. "And what would you suggest we do, ?"
Veronica cleared her throat. "I say we get out of here."
"Ronnie, you know it isn't safe out there right now." Archie said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't mean 'get out of school', Archie." Veronica sighed. "I mean we should get out of Riverdale."
"And how do you think you're gonna do that?" Weatherbee said.
"Well, there are plenty of cars to get us all out." Betty pointed out.
"It isn't safe out there!" Weatherbee yelled, finally losing his cool. "You're all just kids studying at my school so you will listen to what I say! You're going to stay right here until help arrives and that's the end of it! I don't care what you want, alright? Now go make yourselves useful!"
Veronica blinked. There was a moment of stunned silence before the students began to quietly shuffle out of the room.
"That was intense." Archie mumbled as he followed Jughead out. Veronica nodded in agreement. They wandered around the school for a while, not entirely sure what they were supposed to do. Archie kept poking his head into classrooms but didn't tell the others what—or more probably, who—he was looking for. Eventually, they came back to the gym, which was now empty.
Well, almost empty.
Cheryl, Josie and Reggie were busy clearing the tables stacked at the back door when Jughead, Archie, Betty, Veronica and Kevin stepped in.
"What are you guys doing?" Archie asked, scowling.
Cheryl surreptitiously stepped in front of the door. "Nothing."
"Really?" Jughead raised his eyebrows at her. "Because it looks like you're opening the door."
"I have to." Cheryl sighed. "JJ is out there."
"What?" Betty exclaimed. "Doesn't he know what's going on?"
"I don't know. I can't talk to him, obviously." She lifted her shoulders. "He didn't come to school today. He's out with Polly."
Veronica turned to look at Betty, who looked as if she was going to throw up. She felt her own stomach flip.
"He's out with Polly?!" Betty shrieked.
Cheryl rolled her eyes. "That is what I just said, isn't it?"
"Oh my god." Betty covered her face, breathing heavily.
"Betty, hey, hey." Veronica pulled her into her arms, running her hands over her back in an attempt to calm her down. "It's okay, we'll figure something out, Bets."
Betty held on to her tightly, her breaths coming out in short, uneven puffs.
"Betty, you can't have a meltdown now, alright?" Veronica tried her best to make her voice soothing. "Deep breaths, come on. Deep breaths."
Betty slowly calmed down, her breaths getting more even. Veronica gently pulled away from her, searching her face to make sure she was okay. Betty nodded, as if sensing her thoughts. Veronica gave her a reassuring smile in response.
"Thank god that gag-fest is over. Now, how about you get out of here?" Reggie said, rolling her eyes.
"No way." Betty shook her head, stepping forward. "I'm coming with you."
"No." Josie said firmly.
"You don't get to decide that." Betty snapped at her. "My sister is out there so I'm going."
Josie opened her mouth to retort but Cheryl held up her hand to silence her.
"Of course you can come, Betty." She smiled. "But if you slow us down, we will ditch you."
"I won't." Betty said.
"Well, I'll go with you too." Veronica said.
"Uh, why?" Reggie asked, frowning at her.
"Because my mom's out there too." She explained. "And also because Betty."
Betty smirked at her and Veronica winked back.
"Wait…um, Josie, have you seen Valerie?" Archie asked. "I can't find her anywhere."
Josie pursed her lips. "No."
"Wait, you mean she isn't in school?" Archie looked panicked. "Where is she, then?"
"I don't know!" Josie sighed. "The girls and I had a fight. I haven't spoken to any of them for a while."
"Oh, god." Archie mumbled, running a hand through his hair.
"Archie, it's okay." Veronica tried to sound reassuring. "Maybe she's still inside the school?"
"She isn't." He mumbled. "I was looking for her all morning."
"Shit." Veronica whispered.
"Okay, so, I'm coming too." Archie said.
"Oh, for fucks sake." Reggie looked frustrated. "Why don't we just take the whole school then?"
"Shut up, Reggie." Veronica glared at him. "Why are you going anyway?"
"Because I don't want to be in here." He said. "I agree with what you said before. We can't just sit around here doing nothing."
"And what do you think you can do about it, O Great Reggie?" Jughead rolled his eyes at him.
"I don't know, Donnie Darko, but I sure as hell am not staying here." Reggie snarled back.
"Okay, okay, guys, can we just calm down for a second?" Betty intervened, holding her hands up.
"She's right. We can't keep fighting each other." Veronica said.
"So, it's settled then. All of us are going?" Cheryl raised her eyebrows.
"No." Kevin, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up. "I'm not going."
"Kev, don't you want to know exactly what happened?" Veronica asked, knitting her eyebrows together.
"I do." He responded calmly. "But what you guys are doing is fucking stupid."
"Kevin?" Betty looked concerned. Veronica was too. Kevin was acting very….un-Kevin.
"Did you not listen to anything I said before?" Kevin demanded, his voice harsh. "If you go out there, you will die or you will become a…a zombie.!And it's more likely than not that all those people out there are dead too."
"Kevin, you don't mean that." Archie tried to reason with him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Kevin shrugged him off and pushed his way out of the group.
"You can do whatever the fuck you want." Kevin snarled at all of them. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
And with that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. Betty began to follow him but Veronica pulled her back, grabbing her hand.
"Betty, don't. He's angry and he's hurt. His dad died." Veronica said quietly. "He just needs some time, okay?"
Betty pursed her lips, staring at Kevin's retreating figure. She shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "You're right." She said, turning back to Veronica.
"Now that all that unnecessary drama is over, can we go?" Cheryl asked, jerking her thumb at the door. The others simply nodded in response.
"Good." Cheryl said and opened the door, leading them to the adventure of their lives.
