Author's Note: Hello all! Thanks for your patience. I've been writing a few chapters ahead and I've been working on arts & crafts projects, plus on top of it; I got sick…but I'm feeling better now.
Nevertheless, I'd like to thank to love this for the favorite and follow. Glad you're liking the story.
Now for the wonderful feedback:
Boris Yeltsin: I hope you enjoy the new chapter. I couldn't agree more, hopefully we'll see more of Mrs. Burble soon.
GiJoefan985: Thanks, enjoy.
So, here's the new chapter and let's get the party going!
I don't own Riverdale.
Chapter 23
The closet door opens as Veronica and Archie emerged, looking a little flustered.
"Nailed it," Reggie remarked, looking at the duo. "Yes,"
Archie and Veronica scanned the room for Betty, only to find the blonde gone.
"Where's Betty?" Veronica asked.
"She spiraled and fled," Cheryl informed, acting rather coy. "Between us, she's a lot more high strung than she looks."
"You shady bitch," Veronica sneered, glaring at the flame haired girl, before taking off.
Archie shook his head, frowning. He follows Veronica.
Cheryl simply wore an expression of innocence.
"Crap. Betty's cell is off." Archie said, after trying to get ahold of Betty.
"I'm getting an Uber." Veronica said.
"Can I come with you?" Archie asks. "We should find her."
"Believe me, the last thing Betty wants is us tracking her down together." Veronica persuaded, raising her voice.
"We messed up," She admitted.
The two leave Thorn Hill and go their separate ways.
Veronica returned to the Pembroke. She found Hermione in the living room, sitting on a sofa. The Lodge matriarch held a drink.
"Hey," Hermione greeted her daughter.
"You're home early. How was the dance?"
Veronica sat down, next to her mother.
"It was fine," She answered. "I mean, it's not the Met Ball or anything."
"Well, tell me about it. You can cheer me up." Hermione said encouragingly.
"I'm super tired, Mom." Veronica politely declined.
She laid head-on Hermione's lap.
"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked, concerned.
Veronica doesn't respond.
"Ronnie, what is it?"
Veronica remained silent, not sure how to explain to her mother, about what had happened at Cheryl's party.
Meanwhile, Archie arrived at Pop's in hopes of finding Betty there.
"It was midnight when my old friend, Archie Andrews…arrived at the one place in town that was still open." Jughead narrates.
"He was looking for the girl next door. Instead, he found me."
Archie entered the diner. He doesn't see Betty, but found his friend Jughead Jones sitting in a booth with his laptop open.
The two boys met each other's gazes.
"Hey Pop," Archie said to the proprietor. "Betty hasn't come in tonight, has she?" He inquired.
"No," Pop Tate replied. "Just the nighthawk's in tonight."
"Thanks," said Archie.
He walks over to Jughead.
"Uh, can I sit, Jughead?" Archie asked.
"If you want," Jughead replied.
Archie sits down.
"What are you working on?" He asked.
"My novel," Jughead responded. "It's about this summer, Jason Blossom and Polly Cooper."
"Seventeen years old and how will they be remembered?" Archie questioned.
"Polly as a Vixens cheerleader, and Jason as captain of the water polo team?"
"The Aquaholics?" Jughead asks. "Considering how he died, probably not."
"No, what I mean is…" Archie began to clarify. "Were they doing everything they was supposed to do?"
"Everything they wanted. Did they even know what that was? I mean, yeah…those two dated and broke up."
There was silence between the duo.
"Coach Clayton was in here talking to Pop Tate. Varsity," Jughead informed.
"Does that make you, what, Mr. Popular-Football-God now?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"No," said Archie. "In fact, I'm kind of terrified I lost my best friend tonight."
"If you mean Betty…whatever happened, just talk to her, man." Jughead advised. "It would go a long way."
"Would've gone a long way with me," The loner added.
After leaving Pop's with Jughead's advice, Archie went to the Cooper house on Elm Street. He had texted Betty, asking her if they could talk outside and she agreed.
The red door opens and Betty comes out.
The pair walk up to each other, a few feet apart.
"I'm not gonna ask what you did with Veronica at Cheryl's." Betty said, breaking the ice.
"I'm asking you now, right now…if you love me, Archie. Or even like me?"
"Of course, I love you, Betty." Archie answered, as he approaches her. They're now standing a few feet apart.
"But I can't give you the answer you want." Archie interjected.
"Why?" Betty asked.
"You are so perfect," Archie replied.
Betty slightly rolled her eyes at that word, as tears began to form and she looked distraught.
"I've never been good enough for you," Archie continued. "I'll never be good enough for you."
Betty felt everything come crashing down. Tonight, didn't turn out like she thought it would. Sniffling, Betty turned and walked away, leaving Archie standing there as she went inside her house.
"And so, it wasn't one heart that broke that night." Jughead recounted. "It was two,"
Archie leaves the Cooper residence.
Meanwhile, Moose and Kevin arrived at Sweetwater River for a little rendezvous. They get out of the car and shut the door.
"For the record, I'm all for bromance." Moose said as he and Kevin made their way to the shore.
"Says the guy who's on the football team. But if that's the case, what would you like to do?" Kevin asks, unzipping his jacket.
"Anything you want," Moose replied. "So, let's start with skinny-dipping…and then see what happens?"
Kevin stumbles and fell.
"Dude, are you okay?" Moose asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Kevin answered, getting up. "Let's get the skinny-dipping over with, shall we?"
The two males began to remove their clothes and underwear. They ran into the water and their night of fun, splashing, hollering and frolicking in the water; commenced.
"And the night was far from over," Jughead detailed. "A detective from New York by the name of Charles Smith will come to Riverdale, hired by Sheriff Keller to consider the case of Jason Blossom and Polly Cooper."
It is night time in New York, somewhere in an apartment building, Charles Smith is sitting at his desk. A tall, handsome man nearly 30 years old; with golden tawny brown hair and grey eyes, he's going over paperwork of a case he's working on.
The phone starts ringing and Charles answers.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Smith?" A male voice asks. "This is your boss, Officer Hardy."
"Hey, Hardy…what's up?" Charles asked.
"Smith, I'm taking you off the Lodge case. You've been reassigned to another case." Hardy informed.
"Reassigned?" Charles repeated. "How did that happen?"
"An old friend of mine, Tom Keller called me from a small town by the name of Riverdale." Hardy explained. "The case you've been reassigned to is missing persons- two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Keller needs someone to lend a hand, so…I put in a good word for you."
"Oh, gee thanks." Charles said. "So, what are the names of the missing teens?"
"The boy's name is Jason Blossom. Sports team captain among other things and town golden boy. His family runs a maple syrup business. Kid drowned on July 4th, by accident." Hardy responded.
"Maple syrup, as in Blossom Maple Syrups?" Charles asked.
"Yes," said Hardy.
"Hmm, and the girl?" Charles questioned.
"Polly Cooper, cheerleader and school shining star. Her parents own a newspaper office, she ran away the same day the Blossom kid drowned. Based on the information Keller gave me, Polly and Jason used to be in a relationship…but they broke up and that caused Polly to leave town. There's also some bad blood between the Blossoms and the Coopers, which I can't go into detail over the phone. You'll have find that out." Hardy said.
"OK then." Charles replied. "And where exactly is Riverdale?"
"It's in Georgia," Hardy answered. "And here's what you do: get some sleep, pack up, and go to Riverdale as soon as possible. The minute you get there, ask for Tom Keller. Stay if you need to, be sure to get a great deal of information. I will assign somebody else to the Lodge case.
"Thank you, boss, and good night." Charles said.
"My pleasure. Good night and good luck."
Charles and Officer Hardy hang up.
The young detective straightened up his work area and went to bed, before preparing for a trip to Riverdale.
"Soon, everyone would be talking, texting and posting about it. We'd all start to feel it. That the world around us had changed. Maybe forever. Riverdale won't be the same town as before. It was a town of shadows and secrets now. On Monday, an investigation for Jason and Polly would be launched. From there, questions would be asked and interrogations would begin."
-Jughead Jones
A/N: Hope you liked it!
I came up with the idea of Charles being introduced early in the story. Originally, he started out working on the Hiram Lodge case and then is moved to the Jason and Polly case.
As Kevin and Moose, I'm going for a bromance angle, (Joaquin will appear in the story, as well as Fangs) but fret not Riverdale fans, Choni is sure to come later.
Coming up is a montage of wedding planning and Jason & Polly's nuptials.
Be sure to stick around, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review; no flames please.