Chapter 10

It was about two in the afternoon and Betty and Archie were leaving the Founder's Lodge. Betty had discovered some very intriguing information that she was eager to share with her friends and family. However it had also sort of been a date, and while Betty had considered that Archie had just been using her to help him get a good grade she decided to put that to a test.

"Say Archie, how about we go get something to eat?" Betty suggested. "I'm kind of hungry aren't you?"

"Um, I guess why did you have something in mind?" Archie asked.

"Well Pop's is my favourite restaurant in town…" Betty replied.

"Can't say that I go there a lot but sure, why not," Archie agreed with a shrug. "Do you need a ride?"

"Yeah sure," Betty agreed.

Archie's car was a 1986 Ford F-250 XLT Super Cab that Archie and his father had spent a lot of time restoring, including giving it a custom blue and gold paint job which were the colours of Riverdale High's football team. It also had chrome running boards, raised suspension, extra wide tires and custom rims.

The big diesel engine rumbled to life and Betty had to admit it was pretty impressive, especially since Archie had done a good portion of the work on the vehicle himself. They drove the four minutes it took to arrive at Pop's and Archie parked the truck.

As they were heading inside Betty noticed Sheila's car was also parked there, which meant that at least Sheila was there, probably Barry as well; but also that her other friends might be there as well. When they went inside Betty saw that indeed all of her friends were there, sitting together in one of the booths. Cheryl noticed Betty right away.

"Hey Betty, come join us!" Cheryl called out. "There's plenty of room."

Betty went to look at Archie but he was already heading over. Betty had been hoping to sit alone with him, but it looked like Archie hadn't thought about it at all.

The big U-shaped booth could easily seat 10 people if need be, so Betty and Archie joining Betty's six friends wasn't that tight. Archie slid in beside Cheryl and Betty sat beside him. The others had already ordered and were eating, including Jughead with his platter with five hamburgers.

"Hey Cheryl," Archie greeted her, then he glanced over at Ginger who was beside Cheryl and smirked. "Ginger."

"Archie, you're here with Betty," Cheryl reminded him. "And I'm here with Ginger, but just in case you need a reminder."

As everyone at the table watched, Cheryl and Ginger locked lips in a passionate kiss.

"Some of us are trying to eat here!" Jughead complained as he continued to stuff a burger in his mouth.

Cheryl and Ginger broke the kiss and Cheryl shot Jughead an annoyed look.

"Well maybe you two can join us," Archie said to Cheryl and Ginger.

"You're kidding, right?" Ginger asked.

Archie looked around the table and saw that everyone was giving him a disapproving stare, although the girls more than the guys.

"Yeah, yeah I was just kidding," Archie replied. "Sorry, wrong crowd for that joke."

"I know we haven't really talked about this Archie, but for our first time I want it to just be the two of us," Betty told him.

"Fair enough," Archie agreed.

Just then Maria Rodriguez, their classmate and a waitress at Pop's, came over to take their order. Archie just ordered a burger and fries.

"And what about you?" Maria asked Betty.

"Hmm, I think I'll get the Super Hungry Man breakfast platter," Betty replied.

"Coming right up," Maria said.

"What's the Super Hungry Man?" Archie asked.

"Six eggs, six pancakes, six pieces of toasts, six slices of bacon, six sausages, six pieces of ham along with brown beans and home fried potatoes," Jughead answered.

"You're going to eat all that?" Archie asked Betty in disbelief.

"Yeah, I said I was hungry," Betty replied.

"Do you eat like this often?" Archie inquired.

"Yeah, why?" Betty responded.

"How can you eat that much and not be a fatty?" Archie asked.

"Good genetics I guess," Betty answered with a shrug.

"So I'm guessing that you guys didn't hear what happened earlier today," Dilton said.

"No, what happened?" Archie asked.

"Trump running mate, Mike Pence was in a plane crash," Barry answered.

"Oh my god, did he die?" Betty asked.

"He's in the hospital in critical condition," Dilton replied. "But Trump is going to have to pick a new running mate."

"Well as long as it isn't Sarah Palin, I don't really care," Archie stated.

"Oh, oh he just sent out a tweet," Sheila said as she looked at her phone.

"What's it say?" Cheryl asked.

"Mike Pence's crash was the result of sabotage by ISIS members who are afraid of me being president," Sheila read aloud. "Did I call it or what?"

"You called it," Ginger said. "Has the NTSB released anything yet Dilton?"

Dilton took a look at his own phone.

"Only statement is that they've recovered the black boxes," Dilton said. "However it will still be at least a day before they have any information."

Just then a person none of them were hoping to see, Reggie, appeared.

"Hey Archie, what are you doing hanging out with these losers?" Reggie asked.

"What the hell is your problem Reggie?" Archie retorted.

"My problem? Well for starters I don't like hero-types like Cheryl here," Reggie said pointing at Cheryl. "And I can't say I'm a big fan of dykes either."

Reggie pointed accusingly at Ginger. Both Cheryl and Ginger wanted to get out of the booth and get at Reggie, but Betty stood up and got in Reggie's face herself.

"You're going to leave, right now," Betty told Reggie sternly.

"Or what?" Reggie asked.

Before Reggie knew what had happened he was pinned to the ground face first his arm behind his back and Betty pressing her knee on him.

"Hey! Hey! Get off of me!" Reggie shouted.

Just then Pop Tate himself came over.

"What's going on here?" he asked angrily.

"This crazy bitch just attacked me," Reggie replied.

"Only because you wouldn't leave," Betty retorted. "And you were insulting my friends."

"Let him go Betty," Tate said.

Betty got off of Reggie and took a step back.

"Ha, see," Reggie said. "You guys are a bunch of losers. You can't tell me what to do."

"You're right they can't," Tate said. "But this is my restaurant and I can, so get out of here you are banned from this place."

Reggie turned around with a shocked expression on his face.

"I don't need you around here," Tate said. "Especially not if you're going to be badgering my best customers, now get out of here."

"You can't do this!" Reggie protested.

"Actually I can," Tate said. "Now leave before I call the police."

Reggie stood where he was not moving, daring somebody to try and remove him from the restaurant.

"Go call the police," Ginger said. "I've got something else about Reggie to tell them."

Reggie turned and glared at her.

"Fine, I'm leaving," Reggie said.

He stormed out of the restaurant angrily.

"Everything okay with you kids?" Tate asked.

"We're good," Barry replied.

"Alright, try not to get on the bad side of more of my customers though," Tate said jokingly.

Betty took her seat beside Archie once more.

"That was a pretty awesome move you used on Reggie there," Archie commented. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Um, Cheryl taught me," Betty replied.

"I did? I mean yes I did," Cheryl agreed.

Just then a man came out carrying Betty and Archie's orders, someone Ginger recognized.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Ginger asked in surprise.

"I told you I was going to get another job," Eduardo replied. "Well Pop was only too happy to have me help. In fact he's considering opening a second Pop's and he wants me to run it. But for now I'm working here to learn how he does things and maybe help give him some advice from my own experience. Who knows maybe it will turn into a chain?"

"That's awesome," Ginger said.

"I'll say," Jughead agreed. "I would love to go out of town and still be able to go to Pop's. Although there won't be quite the same personal treatment I get here."

"Well you kids enjoy," Eduardo said as he left to go back to work in the kitchen.

Betty began digging into her plate hungrily, while Archie ate a bit more normally.

"So what did you mean when you said you had something you wanted to tell the police about Reggie?" Sheila asked Ginger.

"Yeah that seemed to startle him," Barry added.

"It's nothing," Ginger answered.

"No it's something," Archie said. "Reggie isn't one to be easily intimidated."

"Yeah Betty was pretty bad-ass there but he seemed more worried by what you might say," Cheryl stated.

"It's nothing," Ginger repeated.

"It's not nothing," Cheryl said. "Come on you can tell us."

Ginger sighed and looked around the table. She hadn't told any of them about what Reggie had tried to do the night she had met Hal; and Hal for his part had also said nothing.

"Reggie tried to rape me," Ginger admitted.

"What?" Archie exclaimed spitting part of his French fries out onto his plate.

"If I had known that I would have broken his arm," Betty said.

"Next time that I see him I'm going to pound him," Cheryl stated.

"No, nobody is going to do anything," Ginger said. "This is exactly why I didn't tell any of you."

"Why; because I'd give Reggie the beating he deserves," Cheryl said with a growl.

"That's exactly why," Ginger said. "With all the crap that's being said about vigilantes and heroes, the last thing I want is you getting into trouble over something like this."

"Speaking of people saying crap about vigilantes and heroes," Sheila interrupted. "Trump just tweeted again: I will be announce my new running mate later this week, hash tag make America great again."

"Isn't he going to be in New Jersey this week?" Barry asked.

"He's actually got a stop scheduled for here in Riverdale on Thursday," Dilton replied.

"Ugh, really? I'm going to have to make myself scarce that day," Cheryl said.

"Why?" Archie asked.

"Because those haters that he attracts will be out in full force," Cheryl replied. "And the last thing I want is to get drawn into a fight with them, because that can only go badly."

"Hmm, that makes sense," Archie said. "Say I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?" Cheryl asked.

"Can you tell me who the Flash is?" Archie asked.

Across the table Barry began coughing as he choked on a piece of food.

"You alright?" Jughead asked him patting his back.

"I'm good, just surprised by Archie's question," Barry answered.

"Why? I mean you do know who he is right?" Archie asked Cheryl.

"Yeah I do," Cheryl said. "But he wears that masked hood of his for a reason. He doesn't want people to know who he is."

"But why? You don't hide your identity," Archie said.

"I don't, but I wish I could," Cheryl said. "Nothing good comes from everyone knowing you're a super hero. It makes you a target for all sorts of different things; it's kind of like being a celebrity where you get the fame but not the fortune."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," Archie admitted. "Still it would be kind of cool to know who the Flash is. Or that new Green Lantern girl, she looked pretty hot."

Cheryl elbowed Archie in the ribs.

"Ow, what the hell!" Archie exclaimed.

"You're here with Betty," Cheryl scolded him.

"It's alright Cheryl, I mean I'm not as cool the Green Lantern," Betty said.

"You're plenty cool yourself Betty," Ginger said. "Beside I'm pretty sure you're not the Green Lantern's type Archie."

"How do you know that?" Archie asked indignantly.

"Call it… Lesbian intuition," Ginger replied.

"Oh… well that would be disappointing," Archie said.

They finished their meal and Archie then got up to leave and Betty got up as well.

"You know today was pretty fun," Archie said. "We should do something again soon."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Betty agreed. "How about bowling on Tuesday?"

"That sounds fun," Archie said. "Barry, Sheila do you want to come too? Make it a double date?"

"Yeah we'd love to," Sheila replied.

"Wouldn't miss it," Barry added.

"Do you want me to give you a lift home?" Archie asked Betty.

"No that's alright," Betty replied. "I'm going to stay here with my friends for a bit, I'll catch a ride with one of them or I'll just walk."

"Okay well I guess I'll see you at school on Monday," Archie said.

The two of them paused awkwardly not sure how to end the date. They then gave each other a friendly hug and then Archie left.

"Friendly hug, even I know that's a lame ending to a date," Jughead said.

"Yeah well, a lame date deserved a lame ending," Betty grumbled as she sat down. "Hopefully bowling on Tuesday goes better."

"I don't see how it can go worse," Dilton chimed in.

"But going to the Founder's Lodge wasn't all that bad," Betty said. "I found out something really interesting while reading the journal of Mary Munroe."

"Oh, what did you find?" Ginger asked.

"Well I'm not certain but I have a feeling that my parents, and I mean my biological Kryptonian parents, may have visited Earth in 1774," Betty replied.

"You're kidding," Barry said.

"Nope, Mary had a journal entry where she mentioned meeting to 'angels' who could move faster than the eye could see and that their names were Zoriel and Allara. She described being in a room that reminds me of my own fortress up in the Arctic." Betty said.

"Why would your parents have come here?" Dilton asked.

"I don't know," Betty replied. "I was going to make a trip up to the Fortress to ask them."

"What do you mean ask them?" Sheila inquired.

"The ship came with these imprints of their memories or something like that," Betty tried to explain. "There are these holograms of them in the fortress and it's basically like having a conversation with them."

"That would be kind of weird," Barry said.

"Well why don't you come with me and see," Betty suggested.

"Me?" Barry asked.

"Well you're the only one that can keep up with me," Betty replied. "I'd invite the others but it's kind of a long trip and there aren't any planes that fly there."

"Okay," Barry agreed. "When do you want to go?"

"I wouldn't mind if we could go tonight," Betty said. "That I have a bunch of time to show you around the place and we can still be back tomorrow."

"How big is this fortress?" Cheryl asked.

"It's enormous," Betty replied. "It's going to take me some time to find things to fill it with. Don't worry I'll take you and Ginger there some time too."

"You know if I hadn't seen you just plan a date with Archie I'd think you were trying to two-time me Betty," Sheila said jokingly.

"No boy will ever come between us Sheila," Betty promised.

"Well I wouldn't mind having you two girls on either side of me," Barry commented.

Sheila punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow," Barry complained.

"I'm going to head home and let my parents know what's going on," Betty said. "I'll meet you out at the farm and we can leave from there?"

"Sounds like a plan," Barry agreed.

"See you there then," Betty said as she left the restaurant.

Find out what happens when Trump comes to Riverdale soon, and who his new Vice Presidential candidate will be. Please Review!