Hey everyone, here is a story that I've gotten some requests for, so I decided to take a crack at it. It's a Riverdale story with an OC mixed in with Archie and the gang. Just to point out for my story, the show isn't that great with establishing age and time for the characters except in a few places. For example, Jason Blossom was 17 and since he and Cheryl are twins, that would make her 17. She's also stated to be Senior Captain of the River Vixens meaning that she is a senior yet has the same classes as the core 4. Again, it could just be the writers not addressing the issue so they leave it alone but for my story Cheryl is still 17 but is a junior, like my OC. Which makes sense since he, Jason, and Cheryl were friends and with some writing tweaks, it'll work. It's not impossible for Jason to be captain when he was a sophomore. So, just for clarification, Will and Cheryl are a grade above the core 4.
OC Characters:
Will Detmer: Steven R. McQueen
John Detmer: Sam Worthington
Rosaline Detmer: Leslie Mann
Will Detmer thought that the summer before his junior year was just going to be a regular one where he works with his dad, he'd hang out with his friend Jughead and Archie and maybe finally get a girlfriend but instead it wound up being a summer of lies, deceit, and murder. Enjoy!
The Gang plus 1
The Wolf of the Pack
Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From the distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. Safe. Decent. Innocent. Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town…is Riverdale. Like all small towns, it had its quirks and charms and a long history. It was founded by the Blossom family, who are treated like royalty and practically own everything. Nothing happens in this town that they don't know about. And as it would turn out, the recent Blossom decedents would be at the center of showing the dark and true nature of the town.
But our story involves one of Riverdale's unique residents, William Detmer. Will's family didn't have a long history in Riverdale like the Blossoms, but his Grandfather moved here and his son stayed. His grandfather came to the town and became Riverdale's first architect and started Detmer Designs which was now a fairly well-known design company all along the eastern seaboard. Each subsequent generation got into the business as his father, John Detmer took over when he was 30. John Detmer served in the United States Marine Corp for 8 years in the Middle East and on a joint taskforce in Israel before returning home to Riverdale and taking over Detmer Designs. John Detmer expanded the business and began to focus a lot on Riverdale, designing new affordable homes and low-cost buildings which were then given to Andrew's construction. John Detmer and Fred Andrews were friends in high school and their bond was still strong years later with their collective business doing extremely well for both of them. Because of their closeness, their kids grew up together as Archie began a surrogate younger brother for Will.
William Detmer is an 18-year old Riverdale high junior. He grew up in Riverdale his whole life and everyone in town knew him as the son of John Detmer, their local war hero. Since his dad served in the Marines, he taught Will how to defend himself and fight should he ever get in trouble and to keep a level head in those kinds of situations. He learned self-defense like kick-boxing and even Krav Maga and it kept him in excellent shape and because of this; he got the reputation of a wolf leader or an alpha dog. More commonly and jokingly named the Alpha Wolf or Alpha.
He kept an eye out for his friends and people who needed help, especially Archie, Jughead, and Betty. He acted like a surrogate big brother to them and they were his friends, so Will looked out for them and made sure they kept out of trouble. Since Will had learned to fight from his dad when he was young, it kept him in great shape and he stayed that way because of Soccer and Baseball. He played for the Riverdale high team and was actually their captain. He also sang, not for concerts like Josie and her band but for fun so whenever they needed a male vocalist for a song for notes they couldn't hit, they'd call him. He played Soccer and Baseball because he enjoyed it and it would help with college but like his grandfather and father, Will's talents and passion lay with drawing and designing. He was only 18 and was already an amazing artist and designer with pencils, paint, and a computer. He often carries a sketch pad with pencils of all types and drew sketches and drawings of people or locations.
His talents impressed his dad enough that he let Will co-design a lot of the building plans he submitted for construction and several of them were even approved for building in cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Will got a small commission for his aid and some excellent marks for college applications when he was ready. During the summer before his junior year, he worked with his dad on designs, helped Fred Andrews at the construction site, hung out with his friend Jughead and with his friend Jason Blossom before the incident on 4th of July. And after that, it was all anyone would talk about and even when school started again, it still haunted the town.
On the Fourth of July just after dawn, Jason and Cheryl Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride. The next thing we know happened for sure is that Dilton Doiley, who was leading Riverdale's Boy Scout Troop on a bird watching expedition came upon Cheryl by the river's edge. Riverdale Police dragged Sweetwater River for Jason's body, but never found it. So, a week later, The Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled an accident as the story that Cheryl told made the rounds. That Cheryl dropped a glove in the water, and Jason reached down to get it, and accidently tipped the boat, and panicked and drowned.
It was the last day of summer vacation and Will was prepared to go back to school but he had something else on his mind. After Jason's death, the Blossom's kept themselves isolated from the rest of the town. Even Will, who was a good friend of Jason and Cheryl wasn't really welcome and Will figured they needed space and time to grieve, so he respected their wishes. But he wanted to do something nice for Cheryl before school started since it wouldn't be a good start with Jason's death still lingering on the minds of everyone.
Will slicked his brown hair and walked out of his room, standing a solid 6ft2 and dressed in a dark blue button down, jeans and sneakers. To finish his outfit, he was wearing his black jacket/hoodie and his signature wolf necklace his dad got him when he was 2 when his mother left. He grabbed the red gift bag he got Cheryl and walked into the garage to drive to Pop's to pick up something. He entered the garage to see his dad's Chevy Suburban and Mercedes Sedan. But Will kept moving to his part of the garage. Since he had helped his dad with the designs for some buildings, he got some commission for his work and he saved a lot for college or for rainy days but splurged a little on himself. He bought a 2012 Crimson and Black Harley-Davidson Street 750 motorcycle and a fully restored and tuned 1967 Black Chevrolet Impala. It was his baby as he had help restoring it by Fred Andrews and Hal Cooper and it was a beast despite the gas mileage on it and it was good for when it snowed in Riverdale.
Will grabbed the Impala keys and drove to Pops. He parked outside the shop as the nearby teens heard the familiar roar of Will's baby as he called it. Will walked inside and saw there were some people around as he walked to the counter. "Hey, Will. How are you doing?" Pop asked.
"Fine. School starts tomorrow, not looking forward to that." Will replied.
"And your dad?" Pop asked.
"Currently busy talking to some building contractors from New York. You know how he gets when he's busy." Will said as Pop chuckled.
"Yeah, so what can I get you?" Pop asked.
"Uh, I'll take a Strawberry milkshake and a piece of cherry pie to go." Will said as he paid Pop and left a nice tip as Pop got to work on his order. Will sat down at the counter when he saw the familiar red tinge of an Andrews. He then saw a familiar plop of blonde hair in a pony tail and knew it was Archie and Betty.
Will decided to screw with him a bit as he slowly walked forward and motioned Betty to keep quiet and she did a subtle nod. Will got close and when he was directly behind him, he put Archie in a headlock. "Say uncle or I shave your head." Will said as Archie managed to look up and saw Will.
"Get the hell off." Archie said as Will kept hold.
"Come on, say uncle or say goodbye to your hair." Will joked as Betty chuckled and Archie tapped his arm.
"All right, uncle, uncle." Archie said as Will let go.
"Come on, Archie. You worked with me and your dad all summer. You should have gotten out of that." Will told him.
"Well, not all of us have military training." Archie shot back.
"Details." Will said as he smiled at Betty. "And speaking of details, I'm going to need to know how my little sis's summer internship went."
"Hey, Will." Betty said as she got up and hugged him as Will hugged back and kissed her head. "Geez, you keep getting bigger."
"I'm offended. There's not a shred of fat on me." Will said with a mock offended tone and held his heart causing Archie and Betty to chuckle.
"You know what I mean." Betty replied.
"I know, I just like to mess with you. Besides, I'm not the only one who matured over the summer. I remember you being a few inches shorter." Will said as he held his hand out to signify her old height. "And not as beautiful."
"Thanks, Will." Betty replied with a small blush.
"So, how the internship?" Will asked.
"It was amazing. The highlight was the Toni Morrison book release party I organized. At the end of the night, he told me don't rush this time, Betty. It goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything." She said as Will nodded.
"Those are words to live. Believe me. Before you know it, you have college applications and SAT's to deal with. Have fun looking forward to next year." He told them. "But keep it up, Betty. Something tells me that the future's got big plans for you…for both of you."
"Thanks, Will." Archie said as he saw a new girl walk into Pop's he hadn't seen before and the moment he saw her…she took his breath away. Will saw this and decided to head out.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Betty, need a ride tomorrow?" Will asked as she nodded. "Archie?"
"Nah, I'm good." Archie told him as he nodded and did a mock salute. He grabbed his order and left the diner, but not before winking at the new girl who smirked at him.
Will got in his car and drove through Riverdale to the Blossom manor, Thornhill. Most small towns had haunted mansions, Thornhill was Riverdale's. It was massive to show the Blossom family's wealth with a monogramed B on the gates and to add to the creepy factor, it had a graveyard on the premises. Will had been there several times when he hung out with Jason and Cheryl or at their parties, but it's been a while.
Will drove up to the gates and hit the buzzer as he waited a few seconds and they opened. He drove down their massive driveway and parked his car by the little circle driveway by the front door. He parked his car, grabbed the gifts for Cheryl and knocked on the door. He waited a few seconds before knocking again. He waited when Penelope Blossom, Jason and Cheryl's mother opened the door.
"Hey, Mrs. Blossom. Sorry about the lateness but I was hoping I could see Cheryl really quickly." Will said with a courteous smile as she smiled back.
"Of course, Will. You know you're always welcome here." Penelope said as she opened the door and Will walked in. "You were such a good friend to Jason and looked after him and Cheryl. Not to mention you helped her with her studies."
"More of the other way around, Mrs. Blossom. But with Jason gone, I'm making a promise to look after Cheryl." Will said as she nodded.
"And she'll need it. She's in her room." Penelope said as Will nodded. He walked up the stairs and made his way through their massive home and long hallways. He had been here dozens of times to hang out with Jason, so he knew his way around the place fairly well. He walked down the hallway and when he got closer to Cheryl's room he saw the door was slightly open and the blare of loud music. Will opened the door and he saw Cheryl practicing some new moves for the Riverdale Vixens routines. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and short shorts. Will smirked as he saw her dancing and moving to the music.
"You know, you might want to take it easy with those moves. You don't want to have every guy in school to lose their minds even more." Will said as Cheryl turned and saw Will learning in her doorway.
"Depends on the guy." Cheryl said as Will walked over and she hugged him with all her might as Will hugged back. "I missed you."
"Missed you too." Will said as they broke apart and he saw her bright red hair. "How are you doing?"
"I miss him." Cheryl told him as Will nodded.
"So do I. But you don't have to go through this alone. And I know Jason was always proud of you and he's going to be watching over you from now on." Will said.
"You don't really believe that, do you?" She asked as she sat on her bed and held a teddy bear Jason got her.
"I do. I'm not the biggest person who believes in god after what my dad's been through and what happens in the world…but I do know that just because someone's no longer with us doesn't mean they're gone." Will said as he sat down next to her. "Jason loved you no matter what, Cheryl. Never forget that and you'll never be without him. We honor the dead by living for tomorrow."
"Where'd you hear that?" Cheryl asked.
"It's a saying in the marine corp. Along with gone but never forgotten. Jason isn't here but you won't be alone. I've been looking out for you and your brother since middle school and I'm not stopping now, I promise on Jason's memory. So, if you need anything, just say it." Will said as Cheryl hugged him and tears rolled down her eyes. "Everyone may see the wall you put you but don't feel the need to around me."
"Thank you." She said as Will hugged back and kissed her head.
"You don't ever need to thank me." Will said as they broke apart from the hug. "Enjoy the milkshake and pie, they're from Pops. I'll see you tomorrow."
Will left as Cheryl took a sip of the milkshake and saw the small red bag that Will left. She opened it and saw a small wrapped picture frame and a small box. She opened the box to see a beautiful red wolf broach with a small note that red The leader doesn't abandon his pack. Cheryl chuckled as Will was known as an Alpha wolf, always looking out for his friends. She put the broach on her bed and unwrap the picture frame and started to tear up at what she saw. It was a beautifully drawn and colored picture of her and Jason. She was wearing her Rivervixen uniform and Jason was wearing his football jersey. But Jason was drawn kneeling on the ground with an angelic light behind him with the words Gone but never forgotten written below.
Cheryl cried some tears of sadness and joy as she put the picture on her desk and got dressed for bed.
Line Break xxxxx
Will woke up the next morning, took a shower and got dressed in a black long sleeve, blue jeans, converse sneakers and a denim jacket along with his signature wolf necklace. Will grabbed his backpack and walked downstairs to see his dad in the kitchen. "Hey, Dad." Will said as he grabbed some orange juice.
"Morning, Will. So, first day back. Excited?" John asked.
"Sort of. It's kind of a big year." Will said as John nodded.
"Don't worry, your grades are excellent, your PSAT's are good and you've got a lot on your college application. Just try to stay out of trouble." John told him.
"No promises on that." Will said as he grabbed a banana to go. "I'm picking up, Betty. I'll see you later."
Will grabbed his Impala keys and drove to pick Betty up who was getting ready for school while her mother talked.
"Betty. This coming year is critical for colleges. Grades are important, extracurriculars, athletics. Maintaining a decent character is hugely important, they do look at that." Alice told her daughter.
"Mom, I'm a sophomore." Betty replied.
"You've accomplished so much. I just don't want anything jeopardizing that." She told her as Betty finished packing her bag. "Just look at Polly. She was such a rising star until she let that Blossom boy ruin her."
"Mom, I'm not Polly." Betty replied.
"You missed curfew last night." Alice told her.
"By seven minutes. I was with Archie, who has red hair, yes, but is nothing like Jason Blossom." Betty replied.
"Oh, but sweetie, all boys are like Jason Blossom." Alice told her.
"That's not you think about Will. Quite frankly I think he's the only boy in this entire town you like besides his dad." Betty said.
"Well, Will is very smart, charming, nice, and courteous. To be honest, I'm surprised a boy like him exists in Riverdale. And he always looks out for you." Alice said as she cupped her daughter's face. "I love you so much, Elizabeth. I just need you to be smart, ok?"
Betty nodded as Alice put a pill bottle in her hand. "I refilled your Adderall. Seems you forgot to pick up your prescription." Alice said when they heard the distinct honking of a car horn. "What on earth?"
Alice stuck her head out of Betty's window and saw Will on the street, leaning against his car waving at her. "It's Will. He's driving me to school." Betty said as she grabbed her backpack. "Bye mom."
Betty ran out of the house to see Will leaning against his car. "Ready?" he asked as she nodded and she would have gotten in except she saw a wrapped gift in the front seat. She looked at Will who looked at her.
"What? Open your gift and get in." He said as Betty got in the car and held the gift as Will drove to school. "I went with my dad to New York for two days when he had to deal with the construction errors on his building. I did a little shopping and got everyone something. I already gave Jughead his gift."
"What was it?" Betty asked.
"Some new editing software he could install on his laptop for his book. I've got Archie's and Kevin's in the trunk. Go on, open it." He said as she did. She ripped off the wrapping paper and she saw a new journal, a limited-edition copy of Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and a beautiful wolf-embroidered scrunchie headband.
"Oh my god, Song of Solomon. I've been looking everywhere for it. Where did you find it?" She asked.
"At an old vintage book shop in Brooklyn. Now you're collection is complete." Will said as Betty smiled when she picked up the scrunchie.
"And this?" She asked.
"You're always wearing a scrunchie despite me telling you that you're more beautiful with your hair down." Will said as Betty blushed. "So, since you're not listening to me, I figured I'd get you a scrunchie with a wolf…for my own little touch."
"Thanks, Will." Betty said as she took her scrunchie out of her hair and replaced it with Will's.
"And I thought it would put a few points in my book when you finally realize your feelings for me." Will said as Betty blushed.
"Shut up." She said as she punched her arm.
"Deny it all you want but sooner or later you'll realize I'm right." Will joked as they arrived at school. Will parked his car and they walked into school as Betty went to the Principal's office while Will walked the halls to his locker. He waved and greeted some friends and other students as they waved back. Will walked to his locker, put some stuff away and grabbed his books. He took his sketchpad out of his backpack and opened it, drawing the sketch of the new girl he saw last night as he walked through the school.
Speaking of the new girl, she was with Betty who was giving her a tour of Riverdale high. "So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and…" "And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently." Veronica said, cutting off Betty. "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town."
"Uh huh." Betty said as Veronica giggled.
"So, what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" She asked as Kevin swooped him.
"A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, footballs games and then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights…thank god for HBO." Kevin said as he hugged Betty.
"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller." Betty said, introducing the two. "Veronica's new here. Kevin is..." "Gay, thank god. Let's be best friends." Veronica said.
"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asked as Betty looked at him and realize he hit a sensitive subject.
"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Veronica asked as they didn't answer. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High."
Betty and Kevin walked with Veronica through the school and showed her around as Will walked down the hallway to his class when he saw Archie come out of the auditorium with a defeated look. "Oh, a sad look on a red head. Let me guess, you asked Josie if you could share some of those songs and maybe sing with her?" He asked as Archie looked at him.
"How'd you know?" Archie asked.
"You do realize I helped you with those lyrics over the summer, right? Besides, you're kind of predictable." Will said.
"Well, you could have told me Josie would shut me down." Archie said as Will sighed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder and since he was taller, it was easy.
"Listen, Arch. You've got amazing, talent. Don't ever question that. But Josie, Valerie, Melody have been together for a while and they have a good thing going. Besides, Josie's not that keen on newcomers." Will told him.
"She lets you and Cheryl sing with her sometimes." Archie said.
"That's because we're friends. I've known her for years. You, not so much and it's only when they need me. So, look from her perspective when someone she barely knows comes over to ask to be apart of her group." Will said as Archie reluctantly nodded. "Don't give up, though. All right. Besides, it might be a better idea to go solo for a while. Get used to singing and writing before starting a group. You know, build your skill base. Any kind of path for music is an uphill battle."
"Right." Archie said as Will looked at him with a smirk.
"But if it was hard…" Will asked as Archie smirked back.
"It wouldn't be any fun." Archie replied as Will hugged him.
"All right, I'll see you at lunch." Will said as Archie nodded.
Betty, Veronica, and Kevin turned the corner and they saw Will and Archie talking. "Oh! There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-headed Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?" Veronica asked, getting a good luck at Archie from the side but Will had his backs to them.
"No, he's straight." "No, we're just friends." Kevin and Betty said.
"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy except orange." Veronica said.
"Actually, to clarify…Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame." Kevin said as Betty just shook her head and chuckled.
"You should ask him to the semiformal then." Veronica told her as Will turned to Archie, bid him a farewell, and walked away as Veronica saw his face. "And I'll ask that tall, muscular glass of brown hair. Him?"
"That's Will Detmer, our resident alpha wolf, our pack leader." Kevin said as Veronica was interested.
"Oh, I do like a beast." She replied as Kevin and Betty chuckled.
"He just means he looks out for his pack, meaning his friends. Will's one of the most loyal guys in the school and always ready to help people when they need it the most." Betty said.
"Oh, loyalty, another point in his corner. So, what's his deal? Taken, gay?" Veronica asked.
"I wish." Kevin replied as Betty chuckled.
"To be honest, Will's been eternally single ever since we've known him. Which is a long time in my case." Betty said.
"Really?" Veronica asked.
"Not for lake of trying. I've talked to a lot of the girls he's been out with but they all tell me that Will never took things beyond some innocent dates. Something about wanting to find that special zing in someone." Kevin said as Veronica was intrigued.
"More and more interesting. I'm definitely taming that wolf at the semiformal." Veronica said as Betty chuckled.
"You should, but I heard it might be getting canceled. Because of what happened to Jason. They're gonna tell us at the assembly." Kevin said.
"Who is Jason and what happened to him?" Veronica asked as Betty and Kevin looked at her.
Everyone at Riverdale gathered in the gym for the assembly and memorial for Jason's death. Will sat in the bleachers with Josie, Valerie, and Melody while Veronica sat with Betty and Kevin. There was a moment of silence and then Cheryl spoke.
"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and everyone of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soulmate. So, I speak with the confidence only a twin could have…Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. We honor the dead by living for tomorrow. Which is why I've asked the School Board not to cancel the Back to School Semiformal." Cheryl said as everyone cheered. "But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. He may be gone, but he will not be forgotten. Thank you all."
The assembly ended as everyone made their way to class. Will walked out of the gym when Archie rushed past him and he saw him chasing after Ms. Grundy. "What the hell?" Will asked as he saw Archie was in a rush.
"Will, come on." One of his classmates said as Will nodded and followed.
Will went through AP Calculus, Advanced History, and Biology when lunchtime arrived. He grabbed a sandwich and some water and walked outside to grab a bench as Archie arrived soon after followed by Kevin and Betty. Will finished his sandwich quickly and spent the rest of the time working on a sketch as Archie played demos of his songs he wrote over the summer and they were good. Of course, they were good, Will helped him.
Will was nearly finished with his sketch when a newcomer arrived. "Can I join?" Veronica asked.
"Yeah." Betty replied as Archie quickly shut the laptop.
"So, what are we doing?" Veronica asked.
"Listening to one of Archie's songs." Betty said with a smile.
"I thought we were gonna have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good." Kevin said.
"Archie's got talent." Will said.
"Wait that was you singing? Something you wrote?" Veronica asked.
"I had some help from Will and it's rough." Archie replied.
"No, it's great." Betty told him.
"It's incredible, actually, the little snippet I heard. So, is that your thing? Music?" Veronica asked.
"Yeah, kind of is or planning to be." Archie said as Will pat his shoulder.
"And it will. Just keep going and you'll do fine." Will replied.
"Oh, so the rumors about the so called Alpha Wolf aren't exaggerated." Veronica said as Betty, Archie, and Kevin chuckled.
"And here I thought I'd have to introduce myself but it appears someone already did that." Will said as he looked at Betty who shrugged her shoulders. Will held his hand out. "Will Detmer."
"Veronica Lodge." Veronica replied, shaking his hand.
"Oh, so that's the new girl's name. Good to know." Will said as he went back to the sketch. "So, how's your first day going?"
"Ok. Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought more people would be more…" "Obsessed with you?" Kevin finished her sentence.
"Any other year, you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year, thought, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the best supporting Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow." Kevin said.
"Kevin." Will said as Kevin waved his hands.
"Sorry, just said what came to my head." Kevin replied as Archie saw Cheryl and grabbed his bag.
"Hey, I should go. I got that meeting with Grundy and then football tryouts, so." Archie said as he got up.
"You play football, too? What don't you do?" Veronica asked as Archie asked.
"Before you ask, Blue Jasmine, no, she has not invited him to the dance yet." Kevin said.
"Not yet, and don't talk about Archie." Betty told him.
"Make a move soon, Betty or I'll start to feel jealous." Will joked as Kevin and Veronica chuckled as Betty blushed.
"Shut up." Betty said as she punched his arm.
"And funny. Another point in the wolf's corner." Veronica said as Will chuckled when he saw Cheryl walk over wearing the wolf broach he got her.
"Veronica lodge. I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom, may I sit?" Cheryl asked. "Willie, would you mind?"
Will raised an eyebrow as Betty scooted over followed by Will as Cheryl took his spot. "So, what are you four gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?" Cheryl asked as Betty shook her head no to Veronica.
"Extracurriculars. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few." Veronica said.
"Cheerleading. You must. I'm junior captain of the River Vixens." Cheryl said.
"Is cheerleading still at thing?" Kevin asked.
"Yes, just like the gay best friend." Cheryl shot back as Kevin and Betty was surprised. That was a lot more civil than Cheryl's usual responses. "Some people say its retro, I say it's eternal and iconic."
"At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elite's pyramid. I'm in." Veronica replied. "Betty you're trying out too."
"Of course. Anyone's welcome to try out. Just be ready, it's a full time commitment. Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle's at cherylbombshell." Cheryl said as she got up. "See you later, Willie."
She draped her arm over his shoulder and arm before winking at him and left, leaving everyone there confused. "I'm not hallucinating right? That just happened." Will said.
"Yeah. Are you and her a thing? You told me the Alpha Wolf's been eternally single." Veronica said to Betty as Will looked at her.
"Wow, what didn't you tell her? My blood type?" He asked as Betty shrugged her shoulder.
"I'm more interested in Cheryl. She was actually…civil. That's never happened before." Kevin said.
"Guess I must be getting through to her." Will said.
"Will, what did you do?" Betty asked.
"I went to see her last night. See how she was doing. You know Jason and I were friends." Will said as Betty nodded. "And I know the drama about Polly and Jason but after 4th of July, the Blossoms sort of cut off contact. I went to visit her before school to see how she was doing and help however I could."
"Is that why you went to Pop's last night?" Betty asked as Will nodded.
"Not that seeing you and messing with Archie wasn't great but I wanted to do something nice for her." Will said as Veronica and Betty awed.
"Aw, that's so sweet." Veronica said.
"And I think your sweetness didn't end at a milkshake from Pop's or was the gay friend not supposed to notice that Red Wolf Broach on her sweater?" Kevin asked.
"Seriously, you have the money for that?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, I do. It was a gift, and now you don't get yours Kevin." Will told him.
"I'm sorry, please. What is it?" Kevin asked as Veronica chuckled.
"No, you're not getting it. Betty, Veronica, would either of you like a fancy new skincare set?" Will asked as he could hear Kevin's heart break.
"I would love one." Veronica said as they all chuckled, seeing Kevin's defeated expression.
"This is cruel and unusual punishment." Kevin muttered.
"Not so fun when the shoe's on the other foot, huh?" Will asked.
"Oh, Will that's sweet. I know Cheryl hasn't been the best acquaintance or friend but it was really nice what you did." Betty said as Will nodded.
"And I also gave her this." Will said as he turned the page on his sketchbook to show them a sketch of the drawing he gave to Cheryl.
"Wow. That's amazing. You're an incredible artist." Veronica said as she was amazed.
"Thanks. It was just a rough first sketch. Took me three more to get it right." Will said.
"Don't say that. Will's an amazing artist and designer. He's even works with his dad in designing building plans as far away as New York." Betty said.
"Really? Any I would know about?" Veronica asked.
"Maybe? Know the new high-rise on 33rd Street?" Will asked as she nodded. "I helped my dad with that design."
"And by help, he means he drew out 60% of the building plans and got paid for his work." Kevin said.
"It's how I bought the gifts." Will said.
"Talented, a song writer, tall, muscular, loyal, kind, and an amazing artist. What don't you do?" Veronica asked.
"I'm also on the Soccer and Baseball team, to add to your list." Will said as Veronica chuckled.
"A guy like you is never single. What's wrong with you, Will?" Veronica asked.
"Guess you'll have to find out, Veronica." Will said as he grabbed his bag. "I'll see you guys later, I have to head over to see Mr. Marks about the designs I'll need to submit for college."
"Right. See you later." Betty said as Will kissed her head.
He then quickly signed something in his sketch pad, tore out the page and handed it to Veronica. "Here, gift for the new girl." Will said as Veronica took it and saw it was a sketch of her. Beautifully drawn and well detailed, basically a photo drawn in pencil with her name written below and Will's signed in the corner.
"It's amazing." Veronica replied as Kevin and Betty saw the sketch.
"Thanks, glad you like it." Will replied.
"Now, you're officially one of us. Will gives out sketches to everyone he cares about." Kevin told her.
"Thanks Will. Just out of curiosity, what would happen if I said I didn't like it?" Veronica joked.
"It'd still be you but I'd feel like an idiot." Will said as they chuckled. "I'll see you guys later."
"Ok, I am definitely breaking that wolf." Veronica said as Kevin and Betty chuckled.
Line Break xxxxx
Will walked back into the school and was on his way to the art room to speak to Mr. Marks when he heard Archie speak. He listened and heard his voice coming from the music room. He walked over and saw Archie and Grundy talking about something and it seemed pretty serious. Will also noticed some kind of emotional connection between the two from their behavior towards one another and he couldn't pick up most of the conversation through the door.
"Will." Will heard as he turned and saw Josie walk up to him.
"Hey, Josie." Will replied.
"Look, I know it's kind of late notice, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind singing a song with us at the Semiformal tonight?" Josie asked.
"Sure, I'd love to. Can I ask why you asked me? You and the Pussycats already rock without me up there." Will said as she nodded.
"I know, but I thought we could do something faster and a little upbeat for the Semiformal and we all agreed we wanted to do that song you wrote two years ago." Josie said as Will tried to remember.
"Classic?" Will asked as Josie nodded. "I like where your head's at. Yeah, if you want me to."
"Great. We'll see you tonight." Josie said as Will nodded. He looked back in the room and Archie and Grundy were gone.
The day went on and since it was the first day of school it was only a half day, so Archie went to his football tryouts, Will talked to his teacher about what he needed for college, then decided to head to the gym to take some time drawing when he saw the River Vixens holding try outs and Betty and Veronica were there.
"We're blue and gold! We're dynamite! We'll take you down, and fight the fight!" Veronica and Betty cheered.
"Whoo! Go, Bulldogs!" Veronica shouted as they shook their pom-poms. Will chuckled as he began sketching the two in his book.
"Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" Cheryl asked.
"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet." Veronica said as she pulled Betty in and kissed her as the boys' basketball team was freaking out while Cheryl and her squad looked unimpressed. Will chuckled as Betty saw him and blushed in embarrassment.
"Check your sell-by-date, ladies, faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994. So, let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition. Betty, how's your sister doing?" Cheryl asked.
Will kept sketching when he heard Cheryl's line of questioning and knew that it was part to get a rise out of Betty and part to see if she had the flair. Will noticed how tormented Betty was and decided to do something, so he got up and dropped his backpack really loudly on the bleachers, getting everyone's attention.
"Sorry, sorry! My fault." Will said as everyone looked at him. Will walked down the bleachers as he nodded to Betty who mouthed thank you. Veronica and Cheryl looked at Will, eyeing him up as he jumped from the bleachers and onto the ground.
"Very well, fine. If you two come packaged together, then Betty you're on the squad. But you better be ready to get with the program." Cheryl said as Betty and Veronica were gitty and got their River Vixen uniforms.
They left the gym as saw Will waiting outside with his sketchbook out. "Nicely done, you two. Two new River Vixens to the team and with an audition that people will be talking about for a long time." Will said as he showed them the sketch of the two kissing.
"You will destroy that now." Veronica said as Betty blushed.
"Nah, I think I'll hold onto it. You know, in case I need to hold something over you one day." Will joked as the three walked away.
"Oh, so the wolf is cunning as well. Nice." Veronica said.
"Veronica, why did you defend me? I mean, I know the kind of group you were with in New York." Betty said.
"When my father was arrest it was the worst thing ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails saying that my dad was a thief, my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was a spoiled rich-bitch ice princess. And what hurt the most about it was the things the trolls were writing were true." Veronica said as Betty and Will looked at her. "I was like Cheryl. I was worse than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself to use this as an opportunity to become maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself."
"That's a lot of pressure." Betty replied. "When Polly and Jason got together…it meant everything to her and nothing to him. And…and things got super intense and weird and toxic and my mom turned on Polly. Said Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her. Jason hurt Polly, but it's my mom who broke her."
"Maybe not." Will said as Betty and Veronica looked at her.
"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.
"Betty, look I know you have a whole reason to hate Jason for what he did to Polly, but I don't think that's what happened." He told her.
"Will, you know-" "I know what your mother told me. But that's not it." Will said. "Look, Jason was my friend and despite what people say about Blossoms, he was a good guy. And I know Cheryl can be mean and toxic but the only reason she's like that is because of her situation at home."
"What situation?" Betty asked.
"Believe it or not, Betty, you and she aren't that different in this regard. Your parents can be…tough, but Cheryl's are worse. Ok, I've been there plenty of times to see how they treat Cheryl with disdain and treat her like the lesser twin. Jason was their world and they basically shunned Cheryl for not being a carbon copy of him. Her mean guise is just to protect herself." Will told him.
"How do you know?" Veronica asked as Will remembered his first interactions with Cheryl and Jason.
"Because I've known Cheryl since we were kids, just like Betty and Archie. But she's a nice person when you get underneath all that, even with over-bearing and psychotic parents like the Blossoms. But Jason loved Polly as much as she loved him. I saw them together plenty of times to know that and he even told me so. Jason would never hurt her." Will said as he saw Betty wasn't convinced. "Look, I don't know everything that happened, I wish I did because maybe I could have stopped it before it went to hell. But I know that there was more to the story then what we were told."
"I don't know, Will." Betty said as Veronica saw Archie running on the field.
"Archie! You are so doing this." She told Betty.
"What?" Betty asked.
"Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one." Veronica told her.
"Hi, Teen Outlander." Veronica said.
"Hey. Nice outfits." Archie told them.
"Betty here has something she wants to ask you about the Back-to-School dance." Veronica said as Betty struggled to find the words. "Go on, Betty. Ask."
"I was wondering if you wanted to come…with both of us." Betty said.
"Huh?" "What?" Archie and Veronica asked.
"It's your first dance at Riverdale, you should have someone to go with. Even if it's just a friend." Betty said as Veronica looked at her when Will got an idea.
"Or…" Will said as he moved to Veronica's side and put arm around her. "We can make it a double date. Veronica and I and you and Archie."
"What?" Betty asked.
"Yeah, why not? What better way for Veronica to experience her first Riverdale dance then with three friends and a night of good music. This way it evens out. It'll be fun." Will said as Veronica realized what he was doing.
"Definitely. What do you say, Archie?" Veronica asked.
"I'm not in the headspace for a dance." Archie said as Betty nodded.
"Totally unacceptable, Archiekins. Will said it was to be a double date, not two girls double-teaming their date." Veronica said as Will chuckled. "I know what I said. Betty needs an escort. Take a break from being a tortured musical genius and come spend a blissful even with two newly-minted River Vixens, and they're tall dashing guard dog."
"Cute." Will replied. "Its either voluntary or I could drag you there. And you know I can."
"Ok. Yeah, ok." Archie said.
"Excellent, we'll text you with the time and place." Veronica said as Archie left, and Betty had the biggest smile on her face.
"One step at a time, Betty." Will said as she nodded and walked home. "Sorry for springing that on you last second. Seemed like a good idea."
"Not at all. Nice idea." Veronica said as she saw how happy Betty was. "It's a nice thing you're doing for Betty."
"Oh, I wasn't just doing it for her. Because that whole taking you the Semiformal is real." Will said as Veronica smirked.
"Really? Because I didn't hear you ask, it was more of a statement." Veronica said.
"Veronica Lodge, would you do this little guard dog the honor of taking you to your first Riverdale dance?" Will asked all dramatic as he bowed like a prince from a fairy tale.
"It would be my honor, William. I'll text you with the time and place, good sir." Veronica said as Will held her hand and kissed it like a gentleman.
"I eagerly await tonight." Will replied as he left, leaving Veronica a little blushed.
Will left school and drove back home. He parked in the driveway of his fairly large 2-story house. It was like the others in suburban Riverdale just a little fancier to show that Will's dad will well for himself. There were 5 bedrooms, well two being used, one guest, one was a spare studio and the last one a storage room at the moment. The kitchen was large and there was a studio on the first floor where Will's father did a lot of his work and a pool and hot tub in the backyard.
He walked in and saw his dad was in the kitchen working on some paperwork. "Hey, kiddo." John said as Will nodded. "How was your first day?"
"Uh…interesting to say the least." Will replied as John nodded.
"Really, same here. How's the school doing with Jason's death?" John asked as Will poured himself a cup of water.
"They're getting through it. Something tells me it's going to affect the entire school year." Will said as his dad pat his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Will. I know Jason was your friend." John said as Will nodded.
"Thanks, dad. I just can't believe he's really gone." Will said as John nodded.
"Gone but never forgotten." John said as Will nodded. "I was thinking of cooking my famous homemade pizza tonight if you're interested."
"Thanks, dad but I've got to take a raincheck. I'm heading to the dance tonight." Will said as John nodded.
"Right, right. Forgot that was tonight. So, who's the lucky lady you're going with?" John asked.
"I'm actually going on a double date with Archie and Betty." Will said as John nodded.
"Oh, good. It's about time those two got together." John replied as Will chuckled.
"That remains to be seen but not impossible." Will replied.
"And who are you going with?" John asked.
"New girl, Veronica Lodge." Will said as John heard the last name.
"Wait, did you say Lodge?" John asked as Will nodded.
"Yeah, she just moved her from New York." Will said. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just that I know her mother." John told him.
"Seriously?" Will asked.
"Yeah, Hermione Lodge. We all went to Riverdale High together back in the day." John said.
"Whoa, what a coincidence. Oh, please tell me you two didn't date because I don't need that image in my head tonight." Will said as John chuckled.
"No, we were just friends. She and Fred dated though." John said as Will nodded.
"Hmm, who knew Mr. Andrews had it in him." Will replied as he put his glass in the sink.
"So, is this Veronica maybe the special zing you've been waiting for?" John asked, knowing his son's history with dating.
"Maybe." Will replied.
"You know, Will. I get wanting to find someone who's not going to abandon you, but you'll never figure that out if you don't give a girl the chance." John told him.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Will said as John nodded.
"Hey, when this girl sees the great guy you are, she'll never leave. I know it." John said as Will nodded.
"Thanks, Dad. Well, I'm going to get some sketching in before I need to get ready. How are we with the Chicago contract?" Will asked.
"Plans went through this morning. Only time will tell if we'll get it." John said as Will nodded and went to his room. John looked at an old family photo of Will's first birthday that showed him, Will, and Will's mother. "He doesn't deserve this torment."
Will entered his nice and spacious room and put his backpack on his queen size bed. His room was nice and open with the walls littered with posters of his favorite movies, bands, and framed cases of his drawings and designs. Several of them were of building plans he helped his dad with while the rest were of him and his friends. They're were sketches of when they were kids to now but there were two sketches that were separated from the rest, in a place above his bed. One was a copy of the picture John looked at downstairs while another was a portrait of the woman.
Will's gaze lingered at the picture before he finally tore his eyes away and turned on the TV. He sat at his desk and took out his sketchpad and began drawing whatever came into his head and at this moment, it was a picture of his friends.
Line Break xxxxx
Around 6pm, Will got dressed in a nice dark blue/navy jacket and pants with a white button up and tie and to finish off the outfit was a handkerchief in his pocket. Will adjusted his hair and collar as he looked in the mirror before heading out. He walked downstairs as his dad saw how sharp he looked.
"Whoa. What on earth happened to my son?" John asked.
"He's tied up in the closet upstairs. Figured, I'd give him the night off." Will said as he adjusted his jacket. "And take your advice."
"I'm glad. What brought on this change?" John asked.
"A few things. But I've got two more years left at Riverdale. Best make the most of them." Will said as his dad smiled. "Don't wait up for me."
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" His dad shouted as Will got in his Impala and drove to pick up Archie. He drove outside of Archie's house and parked the car as Archie walked in in a tuxedo.
"Not bad. You clean up nice, Arch." Will said as Archie nodded.
"Thanks." Archie replied as he adjusted his jacket.
"It's takes some getting use to. But believe me, you'll be wearing them more than you think." Will said as they walked over to pick up Betty who came out wearing a beautiful pink dress. "Whoa, Betty. You look amazing."
"Thanks, Will." Betty said as they hugged, and she hugged Archie.
"Yeah, incredible." Archie told her.
"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." Betty replied.
"Well, let's pick up Veronica and we'll head to the dance." Will said as they got in his car, Will in the driver seat and Archie and Betty in the back. Will played some music and they kept talking to avoid any awkward silence but since they were all friends it wasn't that hard. Will stopped the Impala outside the Pembrooke. "Whoa. Nice."
"Guess Veronica and her mom are doing ok." Betty said as Will got out.
"I'll be right back." Will said as he walked into the hotel to see an elderly doorman.
"Good evening, how can I help you?" Smithers asked.
"I'm Will Detmer. I'm here to pick up Veronica Lodge." Will said.
"Oh, you must be the boy she hasn't stopped talking about." Smithers said.
"That's enough, Smithers." Veronica said as she walked out in a beautiful sleeveless dress.
"Of course, Ms. Lodge." Smithers said.
"Whoa, you look amazing." Will said as Veronica smiled.
"Thank you. And you clean up very nicely." Veronica replied.
"I've been known to have my moments. Your chariot awaits." Will said as he held his arm. She hooks his arm as they walked outside to his car.
"Whoa, talk about old school." Veronica said.
"Fully restored 1967 Chevrolet Impala. Don't worry, she doesn't bite." Will said as he opened the door for her.
"Oh, a gentleman." Veronica said as she got in. Will got in the driver's seat and drove to the school. The group walked arm and arm into the dance which was completely decorated with streamers, balloons, drapes, pictures of Jason Blossom as a memorial with the blaring sound of pop music and kids dancing.
"Well, it's not the MET Ball." Veronica said with her arm hooked with Will's.
"You'll find Riverdale has its own charm." Will told her.
Betty noticed Archie looking at the pictures of Jason on the ceiling. "Hey. When do you have to let Coach Clayton know about football?" She asked.
"This weekend." He replied.
"Guys, can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we, in this post James Franco world, be all things at once?" She asked as Betty and Will chuckled.
"I'm working on it, Veronica." Archie replied.
"Work a little faster." Will told him. "Veronica, shall we get some punch?"
"Excellent idea." She said as she and Will walked away but not before she turned to Betty and whispered, "You got this."
Will and Veronica walked over to the punch bowl and got a drink. "Cheers, to your first Riverdale dance and the hope that Betty gets Archie." Will said as Veronica smirked.
"Cheers." She said as she sipped their drinks and got the tail-tell signs of alcohol.
"And I know Mantle got into the punch already." Will say as Veronica chuckled and downed the whole thing. "Whoa, don't leave me behind."
Will finished his cup as they saw Betty by herself. He was about to walk over when he saw Kevin walk up to her. "Care to dance?" Will asked as he held his hand out and she nodded, taking his hand.
"Show me what you got, Detmer." Veronica said as they moved onto the dance floor and danced to the pop music that was blasting. Veronica and Will moved in tandem as both were pretty good dancers and Veronica was impressed. The songs kept playing as they saw Betty dancing with Kevin and they walked over, joining the two. They kept dancing when Will saw Josie on stage and she tapped her wrist, like a watch and he nodded.
"Hey guys, I've got something to do." Will told them.
"Something more important than keeping your date company?" Veronica asked.
"If things go well, she'll definitely be impressed and save a dance for me after. Kevin, take my place for a bit?" Will asked as he nodded. "I'll be back later, kids."
They watched him leave, heading to the stage as he passed Cheryl. "Willie, Josie told me you're gonna be singing up there." She said as he nodded.
"Don't worry. It'll be great. You'll love it and Jason would have loved it, too." Will told her as he kissed her on the cheek and quickly moved to the stage where he took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up a bit as Josie handed him a spare electric guitar. "Awesome, you girls ready?"
"Definitely." Josie replied as Will smiled.
"All right. Let's do it." Will said as the music stopped and Cheryl stood on stage in front of Josie, Valerie, and Melody while Will waited to come out.
"Good evening, friends. Are you all having a good time?" Cheryl asked as everyone cheered. "As honorary chairperson and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal. It is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight, they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Jason and I were conceived."
Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Kevin looked at each other weird at that statement. "I give you Josie and the Pussycats!" Cheryl said as everyone cheered as Josie stood up to one of the microphones.
"And the surprises don't stop there tonight, because the Pussycats and I have a special guest who will be singing a little song for all of you. You all know this loyal, lovable guy so here he is, WILL DETMER!" Josie shouted as Will came on stage and everyone cheered. Kevin, Betty, Veronica and Archie cheered as Will stood at a microphone with his guitar ready as Josie stood in front of another one. He nodded to Josie, Valerie, and Melody and they got ready.
"Thank you. This song is dedicated to the ladies out here tonight, letting you know how amazing you all are. And to their dates, don't be assholes and treat them like you should." Will said as he took out his pick and looked behind him. [Insert MKTO-Classic]
Hey, where's the drum?
Melody then hit the drums in an awesome roll as Will and Josie began playing the guitars in an up-beat poppy tune as Valerie played along on her keyboards. Everyone cheered, and Will saw Veronica was shocked he could play the guitar as Will lean into the microphone.
Ooh, let's go!
Ooh girl you're shining
Like a 5th avenue diamond
And they don't make you like they used to
You're never going out of style
Ooh pretty baby
This world might have gone crazy
The way you saved me,
Who could blame me
When I just wanna make you smile
Everyone cheered as Will and Josie sang together and began clapping and dancing along as Will had them hooked on the awesome beat and his voice.
I wanna thrill you like Michael
I wanna kiss you like Prince
Let's get it on like Marvin Gaye
Like Hathaway write a song for you like this
You're over my head
I'm out of my mind
Thinking I was born in the wrong time
One of a kind, living in a world gone plastic
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you,
Baby you're so classic
Archie and his friends danced along as Will played his heart out, feeling it was second nature being on that stage as everyone in the gym was having the time of their lives with the song.
Four dozen of roses
Anything for you to notice
All the way to serenade you
Doing it Sinatra style
Ima pick you up in a Cadillac
Like a gentleman bringin' glamor back
Keep it real in the way I feel
I could walk you down the aisle
I wanna thrill you like Michael
I wanna kiss you like Prince
Let's get it on like Marvin Gaye
Like Hathaway write a song for you like thisssssss
You're over my head
I'm out of my mind
Thinking I was born in the wrong time
Let's start the rewind, everything is so throwback age (I kinda like it like it)
Out of my league
Old school chic
Like a movie star
From the silver screen
One of a kind living in a world gone plastic
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you're so classic
Baby you're class and baby you're sick
I never met a girl like you ever til we met
A star in the 40's, centerfold in the 50's
Got me tripping out like the sixties (Ooooooohh)
Hippies Queen of the discotheque
A 70's dream and an 80's best (Aaaaaaahhh)
Hepburn, Beyoncé, Marilyn Manson
Girl you're timeless, just so classic
You're over my head I'm out of my mind (Getting her out of mind)
Thinking I was born in the wrong time
Let's start the rewind, everything is so throwback age (I kinda like it like it)
Out of my league
Old school chic
Like a movie star
From the silver screen
You're one of a kind living in a world gone plastic
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you're so classic (Yeah, yeah)
Baby you're so classic (Oooohhh)
The song ended as everyone cheered their hearts out. Will smiled as he hugged Josie on an amazing song as everyone clapped and cheered his name. Will threw out kisses to the crowd as he saw how proud his friends look at his performance. He put the guitar away as he made his way off the stage, grabbed his jacket and joined his friends as other students cheered and congratulated him on an awesome performance.
Will made his way over to Archie and the others as Betty hugged him. "Will, that was amazing." Betty said as Archie hugged him next.
"Yeah, it was." Archie told him.
"The wolf continues to impress me." Veronica replied.
"Thanks, guys. And don't worry, Archie. You'll be up there sooner than you know it." Will told him as the Pussycats began playing the song dedicated to Jason and it was a slow one.
"Now, after that amazing performance, I do believe my date could use a dance. Shall we?" Veronica asked as she held her arm out.
"It would be my pleasure." Will said as he hooked her arm and the two slow-danced. Her arms made their way to his shoulders and Will's made their way to her waist and rested there. "So, how has the night been for you so far?"
"Not bad. I was beginning to think this small town was going to be a run of the mill quaint hamlet but its…shown some things to keep me interested. You were amazing up there, by the way." Veronica told him.
"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it." Will said.
"So, who was the song for?" She asked.
"It wasn't for any particular girl." Will told her as they looked and saw Betty was still hesitating, so they mouthed her to get on with it.
"Really, a song like that about how amazing and classic women are doesn't just pop into your head one day. Who was the girl?" She asked.
"There was no girl. It was just something that's been in my head for a long time." Will told her.
"What was it?" She asked as Will hesitated.
"You don't want to know. Kind of heavy and we've just met." Will told her.
"Oh, now I need to know." Veronica said as she saw how uncomfortable Will was with the subject. "What's wrong?"
"Again, it's kind of sensitive. And I don't want to ruin how this evening is going." Will told her as she looked concern. "But I'll tell you one day."
"All right. I can agree to that for now. But don't think that lets you off the hook for now, Detmer. You owe me." She said.
"Of course. Whatever you need, whenever. Just know that my dad's a light sleeper." Will joked as she chuckled.
"That's not gonna happen this soon, Detmer. Get your mind out of the gutter." She said.
"Oh, I would never do that to a lady on a first date." Will told her as she chuckled.
"I know. Kevin told me about the girls you've been on dates with and how innocent they were." Veronica said as Will sighed.
"Geez, they must have told you everything." He replied as she chuckled.
"Just the good things. You're one of a kind, Will Detmer." She said as he smiled.
"As are you, Veronica Lodge." He replied as she stared into his eyes and they slowly leaned in to one another, their foreheads touching. She then leaned in and kissed him on the lips as he kissed back. It was a brief kiss and they quickly separated after. "I'm sorry. I'm usually never that forward on a first date."
"It's ok. I don't mind." She said as she leaned into him and they kept dancing. Cheryl watched Will and Veronica dancing and their lip lock, and a ping of jealousy ran through her. She also saw Archie and Betty and got an idea.
"Make sure those four come to my after party. I'm in the mood for fun." Cheryl said as they smiled.
Line Break xxxxx
Will and the gang were invited to the after party at Cheryl's house and despite how uncomfortable Betty and Archie were to one another, they all decided to go. Will drove them in his Impala and parked in the Thornhill driveway as they saw the party was in full swing. They all entered the mansion and saw their schoolmates either drinking their fill in alcohol or making out in seclusion. Will pocketed his keys as they joined the party and Will got a beer. They all sat on a couch and engaged in some easy chit-chat and laughter when Cheryl walked down the stairs of the mansion in that beautiful red dress she wore to the dance. She walked into the room everyone was in and as she walked by, she ran her hand along Will's shoulder, causing him to jump in shock.
Veronica and Betty looked at her as Will quickly adjusted himself and Cheryl just smiled but she winked at him.
"It's game time at Chez Blossom, kiddies. We're going old-school tonight. Seven Minutes in heaven. Who wants to tryst in the closet of love, first? My vote is A for Archie." Cheryl said as they all looked at him and he wasn't for it. "Anyone care to second it?"
"Wait, actually…" "Yes, Andrews! Yes." Reggie said, interrupting him.
"All right. Gather round, kids. Let's see who's riding the ginger stallion tonight." Cheryl said as she spun a beer bottle on the table. Everyone was curious and worried as the bottle spun around on the table when it slowed down and stopped between Betty and Veronica.
"Oh, no way!" Reggie said, laughing.
"Oh, crap." Will said to himself as Cheryl had somehow made her way behind him.
"It's clearly pointing to the new girl. This should be fun." Cheryl said.
"Um…I'm not doing this." Veronica told her.
"That's up to you. But, if you don't, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." Cheryl said.
Will noticed the defeated and sad expression on her face and was about to intervene to try and stop it when Veronica spoke. "Ok, fine." She said as Cheryl smiled. She led them to the closet as Will held Betty's hand, gingerly as she tried to hold back tears.
"Willie, can I see you for a moment? I need your help with something." Cheryl said.
"Actually, I—ah." Will was caught off guard as Cheryl grabbed his arm and pulled him off the couch and away from Betty and the others. They made their way to another hallway as Cheryl pushed him against the wall and locked lips with him. Will froze for a second, then his body went on auto-pilot as he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. His hands made their way to her waist and held her close as her hands touches his shoulders, feeling his defined muscles as her hands made their way to his hair.
Will held her close as she moaned in the kiss and the intensity picked up when his brain rebooted, and he realized what was going and pulled away. "Cheryl, stop." Will told her as she whined.
"What's wrong? I've always wondered what kissing you would be like and now I finally know. Your lips are better than any drink or even a breath of fresh air." She said as he leaned in, to kiss him again but he stopped her.
"Cheryl, what are you doing?" He asked.
"Seems kind of obvious don't you think?" She asked. "I like you, and after seeing you kiss the new girl, I got jealous. And now I know why she kissed you…how about I make you forget her?"
"Cheryl, stop." Will told her as he held her back. "Look, I like you too but if this is how you wanted to show affection then you should know me better than to think this would work."
"Don't tell me you and Veronica are already an item after one night. Especially when she's with Archie right now doing god knows what." Cheryl said.
"What Veronica and I, are nothing but friends on a date and I'm not the guy who kisses another girl, even one he likes while that date is still happening. I'm sorry, Cheryl. Look, I get that you must be going through a lot and think this will help but it won't. The only way an alcohol induced whatever this was leading to ends, is with us both realizing that it was the wrong choice. If you really like me then you know me well enough to know how I would react, especially with how I told you I felt about the guys at school." Will said as he walked away, leaving Cheryl to her thoughts. He walked back into the room and saw Betty was gone.
"Will, dude how was Cher—" "Shut up, Reggie. Where's Betty?" Will asked.
"Uh, she left dude." Reggie told him.
"Crap." Will said as he ran out of the house and didn't see her around. "BETTY!"
Will got in his car and drove away, with the high beams on to see if he could find her and he found her walking down the road of Thornhill back to town. He stopped on the side of the road, got out of the car, and ran up to her.
"Betty, wait! It's too dangerous out here by yourself." Will said as he ran up to her and saw she was crying.
"It hurts so much." She said as Will held her close and she hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry." Will said to her as he held her close as she cried her eyes out. He kissed her head as she let out everything she's been feeling tonight.
"Why? Why doesn't he like me…the way I like him?" Betty said as Will sighed.
"I don't know." Will said as he held her face and looked at her. "But he must be an idiot if he can't see what an amazing girl you are. If he can't see that…maybe he doesn't deserve you."
"I love him so much." Betty said as Will held her close.
"I know." Will said as he held his best friend as she cried her eyes out over a love lost.
Will put her in the car and drove her home. He hugged her goodbye and offered to stay with her for a while, but she wanted to be alone now. Will, not in a mood to head home, went to Pop's for a late-night snack. He walked into the diner and saw his best friend and surrogate little brother, Jughead Jones sitting at a table with a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Will." Pop said.
"Hey, Pops. Coffee, decaf?" Will asked as he nodded. Will walked over to Jughead and sat down across from him.
"Decaf coffee kind of negates the whole point of it." Jughead told him as Will smiled.
"Just need something to get the taste of alcohol out of my mouth." Will replied as Jughead smirked. "How you've been?"
"Good. Working on my novel and that editing software is a real-life saver." Jughead told him.
"Glad I could help. And I'd like to get a nice dedication when you publish it." Will said.
"Of course. To Will Detmer, who's software made my book what it was." Jughead said as Will chuckled. Pops came over with a cup of coffee as Will thanked him and took a sip. "Rough night?"
"What makes you say that?" Will asked.
"I know you well enough that you wouldn't come to Pops this late a night unless you needed to get something off your mind." Jughead said as he took a sip of coffee. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Just some unfortunate incidents today. Betty, Cheryl, Archie." Will said as Jughead nodded. "Still haven't talked to him?"
"No. Not since he bailed on us 4th of July weekend." Jughead said.
"Hey, it wasn't so bad. We still had some fun." Will said as Jughead nodded. 4th of July weekend, they and Archie were supposed to go on a road trip, but Archie bailed at the last minute so instead they hung out at Will's house. Watched old movies, played video games, hung out like when they were kids.
"Yeah. Thanks for that. A week of your dad's homemade cuisine made up for it." Jughead said.
"Your more then welcome whenever you want, Jughead. Your family, so you don't need to thank me. I'm happy to do it." Will said as Jughead smirked.
"Right, forgot who I was talking to." Jughead replied.
"How's your dad?" Will asked.
"Same old. Drinks all night, does whatever he does during the day." Jughead told him as Will nodded.
"He trying to stay out of trouble?" Will asked.
"Trouble follows the Serpents wherever they go." Jughead told him.
"Hey, if you need anything, just ask." Will said as Jughead nodded. "Try not to stay up too late. I'll see you later."
"Bye." Jughead said as he continued working on his book. Will made his way home and when he entered his house, he saw his dad sleeping on the couch with Raiders of the Lost Ark playing on the TV.
Will chuckled as he turned off the TV as his dad woke up. "Will, hey. You got in kind of late." John said.
"Yeah, a lot happened tonight, and I went to Pops to clear my head." Will said as John nodded.
"Anything you want to talk about?" He asked.
"Tomorrow, right now I could do with some sleep." Will said as John nodded, and they went to bed. Will got out of his suit, got into his boxers, and crashed onto his bed and fell asleep. Little did he know that while he was sleeping, Kevin had found Jason Blossom's body washed up on shore in the woods with a bullet hole in his head. Jason's death was now being treated as a homicide and it would entrap the town until every single dark secret became known. And Will would need to do whatever it took to keep his friends safe and get to the truth.
Line Break xxxxx
I think many of us, maybe even the entire town had been hoping against hope that somehow Jason Blossom hadn't browned on July 4th. That'd we come to school Monday morning, and there Jason would be. Or that we'd see him and Cheryl at a booth at Pop's. But that was before the undeniable, irrevocable fact of his bloated, water-logged body, a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead, and terrible secrets that can only be revealed by the cold, steel blade of a coroner's autopsy scalpel, or the telltale beating of a guilty heart.
Word of the discovery of Jason's body had spread through the town quicker than an influenza virus. It proved only two things: one, that Jason Blossom was murdered by someone in that week of July, and two, the killer was still out there. In a town this small, grudges and dislikes were enough to for people to begin speculating as to who could have killed Jason and for what reason. Was it an accident or was it personal?
The weekend Jason's body was found, Sheriff Keller made the rounds to everyone in town to figure out what could have happened. Will went over every single situation in his head to figure out what could have happened to his friend and who would want him dead. It was Sunday afternoon and Will was doing some training in the backyard against a training dummy. He was punching and kicking and after a few years of doing this, he was good at it.
"Ha! ARGH!" Will shouted as he punched the torso and raised his hand to block the arm before finally kicking it over. Will exhaled and controlled his breathing to calm down and put the dummy back where it was. He walked back inside the house and took off his fighting gloves and the tape that was wrapped around them while he got a bottle of water.
"Haven't seen you get a work out like that in a long time." John said as walked out of the studio.
"Yeah, just have a lot on my mind." Will replied as he drank some water.
"Yeah, I know it couldn't have been easy to see him like that." John said as Will nodded. "I talked to Keller, there's still no word about any lead on the killer. To be honest, in this town anyone with even a slight grudge or motive is a suspect."
"Does that even include us?" Will asked as John shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no ill will against the Blossoms and you and Jason were friends, but Keller will want to find out everything he can to help his investigation." Jason said.
"Is there anyway you can ask Keller for more details on what happened to Jason?" Will asked as John looked at him.
"Will, I don't think Keller is going to give anyone details on an active case." John said.
"I know, but can you try. I need to know what happened to Jason." Will said as John nodded.
"Don't get your hopes up." John told him as Will nodded. "Do you still have that taser in the glove box?"
"Yeah?" Will responded, remembering that his dad got him that taser if an extreme emergency situation ever happened. He had to get it registered with Sheriff Keller and it stayed in the glove box.
"Good. Look, I know how it sounds and believe me I don't like it…but until the killer is caught, make sure it's close." John told him. "I don't want you to end up like Jason."
"Yeah, ok." Will replied, not wanting to argue with his dad about how serious he sounded. "I'm going to head for a run, finish my training then come back."
"Be careful and take the taser with you." John told him as Will sighed. He saw Will leave when he got a text on his phone and grimaced at the message. We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow where you proposed. -R
Will put on a zip-up sweatshirt, tucked the taser in his pocket and went for a run through town. He ran through the suburban streets and even ran past the school and somehow made his way through to the shopping and restaurant area where there were fewer families out tonight, given what happened. Will stopped at a red light as he took a breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Will?" Will heard as he turned to see Veronica carrying some grocery bags.
"Veronica…. hey." Will replied, a little awkward since they haven't really spoke after Cheryl's party.
"Hey. What, uh…. what brings you here?" She asked.
"Running. Sunday, figured I'd get some exercise in." Will replied as she nodded, also feeling a bit awkward about what to do.
"Well…I'll uh, see you tomorrow." She said as Will sighed.
"Wait." He said, stopping her from leaving. "How about I walk you home? It's not a good idea to be out by yourself."
"I'd like that." She said with a small smile as the two walked down the streets together as Will held the bags. They walked for a few seconds in uncomfortable silence before Veronica finally spoke. "So, we haven't really talked since that night."
"Yeah, sorry. Just a lot on my mind at the moment." Will said as Veronica nodded.
"I know Jason was your friend. I'm sorry." Veronica told him as Will managed a small smile.
"You know, part of me kept hoping that Jason got pulled by the current and was somewhere else. Maybe in some crazy scheme to get away from Riverdale or he has amnesia and was picked up in another county. Just didn't think I'd see him shot in the head." Will said as Veronica gingerly held his hand.
"Yeah, this weekend was an eye opener in a lot of ways." Veronica said as she took a breath. "Look, Will about what happened with me and Archie—"
"It's ok, you don't need to justify yourself to me." Will said before she could finish. "It was just a date. It wasn't like we were going steady."
"No. I was with you that night, and…we had a moment. Then I kiss a guy I know even less than I know you at a party. It was a total Queen bitch move, something the older me would have done and I'm sorry." Veronica said.
"Apology accepted. Besides, I'm not really one to hold a grudge against a beautiful girl." Will said as she blushed. "But, I think it might be a good idea to just keep things as friends for now."
"I'd like that." Veronica said as they arrived at the Pembrooke. "Well, this is me. I'm sorry, again, Will."'
"And again, apology accepted. But now you need to focus on Betty." Will told her as she nodded.
"I'll make it right to her." She replied as Will handed her the bags and leaned in but stopped himself.
"Sorry, usually I would say goodbye with a hug but I'm kind of sweaty and it might not be a good idea. So, awkward wave goodbye." Will joked as he waved goodbye and continued his run as Veronica smiled, watching him run away.
"You continue to surprise me, Will Detmer." She said as she walked inside.
Will ran back home but stopped by Betty's first to see how she was doing. Will knocked on the door and Betty's mom, Alice opened it. "Will, I didn't expect to see you here." Alice said.
"Yeah, sorry. I was out for a run and wanted to check on Betty. Is that all right?" Will asked as she smiled.
"Of course, you're always welcome here." She said as Will walked in and she closed the door behind her. "I'm always going to be grateful for how you've looked after Betty, Will. Riverdale doesn't deserve someone like you."
"Maybe, but it needs me. How's Polly?" Will asked as Alice sighed.
"She's fine. She's still getting help." Alice said as Will nodded. "I know you want to visit her, but she needs some time to herself first."
"Of course. If you still have the address, I'd like you to send some pictures to her. Something to cheer her up." He said as Alice kept a smile on her face.
"Of course. Now, Betty's upstairs. Would you like to stay for dinner?" She asked.
"No, my dad's making his homemade Carbonaro and I've earned eating that tonight." Will joked as he walked upstairs. He slowly opened Betty's door and saw her sitting on her bed, doing homework. "Hey, beautiful."
"Hey, Will." She said as she walked over to hug him, but he stopped her.
"Eh, you might not want to do that. I'm kind of sweaty." He said as she nodded.
"Thanks." She said.
"How are you? I know you don't want to hear this, but I just wanted to check in." Will said as she smiled.
"And that's sweet, Will. But I'm fine now, really." Betty said as she sighed. Will walked over and sat down next to her.
"I really wish things could have worked out for you. I'm sorry, Betty." Will said as he held her hand and she leaned him, resting her head on his shoulder. "But it's his lost."
"You keep saying that." Betty told him.
"And it's true. Betty, you are an amazing woman and you deserve the best. And when the right guy sees that, if it's Archie or if it's some kind-hearted billionaire philanthropist in New York you'll meet on a whim, he'll never let go." He said as Betty chuckled and smiled.
"I think that's more your fantasy." She replied.
"Hey, there are probably some kind-hearted rich people out there looking for love. What's wrong with hoping?" Will asked as they chuckled. "Just, don't give up. A heart that's been broke is also a heart that's been loved."
She chuckled. "Thanks, Will." She said as he smiled and kissed her head, like an older brother would, comforting her. "How come you haven't found the perfect girl yet?"
"Maybe it's not going to happen. Or she'll leave me once things get serious." He told her as she looked at him.
"Will, you know someone who never do that to you. I haven't, Archie hasn't, Jughead hasn't, Kevin hasn't, and even Cheryl hasn't. You've got to stop torturing yourself over this." Betty told him.
"It's a lot easier said than done, Betty." Will said as he sighed. "She still out there somewhere and she left because she had no reason to stick around."
"Well, I think she was dead wrong and if she could see you know, she would know she made a huge mistake." Betty said as Will smiled at her. "I'm always here for you."
"Likewise." He said as he hugged her. "I'll see you tomorrow. Want me to pick you up?"
"No. I'm going to walk tomorrow." She said as he nodded and left.
Line Break xxxxx
Monday came along, and the discovery of Jason's body loomed over all of Riverdale, especially at Riverdale High. Students had left flowers and cards by Jason's locker and a memorial was set up in the display case where his picture was. Will was dressed in his usual outfit of jeans, denim long sleeve, his jacket/hoodie, and his necklace as he walked over to Jason's locker and placed an old photo of the two of them from when they were kids.
"Sorry, Jason." Will said as Archie saw him put the picture there.
"Hey." Jughead said as he joined them. "Do you think I can use Jason Blossom's death as an excuse to get out of PE? Sorry Coach, I'm just too depressed and freaked-out right now to do pull-ups."
"Don't joke about Jason Blossom." Archie told him.
"What? Sardonic humor is just how I relate to the world." Jughead said.
"Then a lot of kids would be using that excuse for this week, Jug." Will told him as Jughead saw Reggie and his friends.
"Egh, look. It's the rich kids from the Goonies. All right, I'm out." Jughead said as he left when Reggie bumped him.
"Watch it, Wednesday Adams." He said as Will just shook his head and walked to his locker to get his stuff. He finished at his locker when the intercom system went off.
"Good morning, students. This is your principal speaking. There have been many inquires about the upcoming pep rally. So, let me state clearly it is happening, as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller." Principal Weatherbee said.
"Many of you already know the details, but your classmate Jason Blossom's body was found late Saturday night. So as of the weekend, Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation." Keller said.
"And may I interject, neither I nor my parents will rest until Jason's death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile to sit in Old Sparky and fry. I, for one, have my suspicions. #Riverdale strong." Cheryl said as Will sighed.
"Oh, Cheryl." Will said.
"If you know anything that could help us find and apprehend Jason's killer, or anything about what happened to him on July 4th, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately. You can speak with me or with Principal Weatherbee. A death like this, wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down." Sheriff Keller said.
After hearing the announcement, Archie splashed himself with water from a fountain. "Archie." He heard as he turned to see Jughead.
"Weirdest thing. This summer, the two of us and Will were supposed to go on a road trip over July 4th weekend. Which you bailed on at the last minute. Is there something you want to tell me, pal?" Jughead asked.
"No." He said as he left.
Classes went on as Will made his way to his third period Biology class, one of the few that all grades shared. He walked in and saw Jughead sitting at a table, Archie in the back, and Cheryl being questioned by her two friends: Tina Patel and Ginger Lopez.
"We were wondering, Cheryl. Back in July, you told the po-po that Jason drowned." Tina said.
"Yet, we come to find out that Jason didn't drown. He was shot. That's slightly suspicious, no?" Ginger asked.
"Are you living mannequins suggesting that I had something to do with my brother's death?" She asked.
"They're not." They heard as they saw Will walk up to them. "They're just being over inquisitive. Go on, get."
They got off the table as Will sat down next to her. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked.
"No, go ahead." She said as he sat down.
"I wanted to talk to you about Jason. I'm sorry." Will told her as he held her hand she squeezed it.
Her face softened, and her dark brown eyes filled with pain and sadness. "Jason was the best…" She said.
"If you need anything…" "That's sweet, Willie. But unless you were at Sweetwater River and know who shot Jason…" Cheryl asked.
"I don't. I'm sorry. But I also wanted to apologize for how I acted at the party." Will said as he sighed. "I didn't mean to come at you like that. I was out of line."
"It's ok." She said as Will held her hand.
"Cheryl, it's not that I don't like you. I've known you for years and I care about you, but you should know me well enough that coming onto me at a party and trying to get me to bed isn't the way." Will said as she looked at him. "Your amazing and don't sell yourself short by doing something like that."
Cheryl smiled as she looked at Will and saw how much she cared about him. "Anyway, I'm good at biology so I can take the lead on this if you don't want to." He told her, pointing to the dead frog
"Oh, you mean because my brother's being dissected with a blade like this one, probably right at this very moment? Don't worry, I'm fine. In fact," She said as he picked up the scalpel and stabbed it in the frog, slicing along it's stomach. "I'm amazing."
"Hey." He said as he held her hand with the scalpel in it. "We're gonna find who killed Jason. I promise you that…and I always keep my promises."
"I have some ideas on who the killer is." She said as Will knew who she meant.
"It's not Polly, Cheryl." Will told her.
"She's the only one with motive." She told him.
"And she was taken away to get some help on 4th of July the same time you two were on the boat. Look, I know that you have this anger inside of you and you just want it to end but blaming anyone isn't going to make it go away." He said as he realized he use to act like that.
"Jason deserves justice." She said as he nodded.
"And he will. But Polly and Betty had nothing to do with his death. Believe me, if they did I would be the first person to notice something odd going on. They're just two girls caught in the middle of a family squabble. They don't deserve any of it nor do you. Hell, you two could be friends if you gave it a chance." Will said as she looked at him. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." She said as Will smiled.
"Then believe me. We will find out who killed him, I promise you and like you said, they'll take the green mile." He said as she managed to crack a small smile. "Good. A beautiful face like yours shouldn't have anything but a smile on it.
He got to work on the assignment as she blushed and looked at Will. How could someone this perfect be sitting right next to her?
While Will went to class, his dad was dealing with his own drama. He was at one of the nicest restaurants in Riverdale, Table Salts. It was a modern twist on European cuisines with a focus on French and Italian. Every weekend it was always crowded with a nice bar where the older of Riverdale often went to.
John sat at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hands as he waited for the person he was meeting, with smooth jazz playing in the restaurant. Then a blonde 40-year-old woman joined him, sitting right next to him. It was Rosaline Detmer, John's wife, and Will's mother. The one who left when Will was 2.
"Johnathan." She said as she sat down and noticed he still had his wedding ring. "You're wearing your wedding ring."
"Divorce men take them off. Widowers don't." he said as he pulled out an envelope filled with money and put it on the table. "I need you to leave town."
"And you thought you could pay me to walk away from my own son?" Rosaline asked.
"Last time, you walked away for free." He told her as she placed the money in front of him.
"No amount of money is going to keep me away from William." She said.
"It has been 16 years, Rosaline. Why did you show up now?" He asked.
"Now, I'm different. Now, I'm ready." She said, pleading with John.
"No. Now you're too late. Will is fine without you." He told her.
"You've done— "John flinched away from her when she tried to touch him, so she pulled away. "You've done a wonderful job, John. Better then I ever could, but Will needs his mother. Especially now with losing a friend…a loved one. That's not something you get over quickly. I would know."
"Would you?" He asked as he handed her the money. "You have 48 hours to leave Riverdale."
"I'm not going anywhere." She said as John left.
Lunch time came at Riverdale High as Will had some stuff to do during lunch and texted Betty saying to eat without him. He was in the art room talking to Mr. Marks about all the design and Art schools that apparently had contacted the school and sent brochures and pamphlets specifically for him. A small-town kid who helps design buildings for one of the most prominent designers on the East coast gets attention.
If Will kept up his grades and scored a minimum of 1450 on his SATs, he'd be able to get a scholarship to any of the Art schools. But he'd have to go through some interviews at the school and submit an art portfolio as well, but he wasn't that worried about that part. He was walking through the school when he saw Archie heading somewhere in a hurry.
"What the hell is going on?" Will asked as he followed Archie and saw him head into the music room.
"Will?" Jughead called to him as Will motioned him to keep quiet. Will and Jughead walked forward and they saw Archie and Ms. Grundy talking and then she held his hand, tenderly. She held his hands and closed in and looked like she would kiss him, or at the very least they were together.
"What the hell are you doing, Archie?" Will asked as he took out his phone and took a picture.
"This explains a lot." Jughead said as they left.
"All right, we're not going to the Principal yet because if we do then Archie's screwed." Will told him as Jughead nodded.
"Then what do we do?" Jughead asked.
"I'll talk to Grundy. You talk to Archie." Will said as he saw how Jughead wasn't happy about that. "I know what's going on, but this could explain a lot. Just figure out what's going on and I'll do my part."
"All right." Jughead said as he left.
Will went through the rest of his classes, but the thought of Archie and Grundy was still on his mind. What if that was the reason Archie was acting so weird this summer? Why he didn't come with them on the 4th of July. How deep did Grundy have her hooks in?
After school, Archie went to football and Betty and Veronica went to River Vixen practice. Will was going to check up on Betty at River Vixen practice, but he'd stop to speak to Grundy first. He walked over to the music room and saw her practicing and opened the door.
"Ms. Grundy?" Will asked.
"Yes, Will?" She asked.
"Can I ask you some quick questions? I was thinking about maybe going to Art school after college and music could blend into that so I was hoping to talk to you." He said, as a ruse.
"Sure, come in." She said as Will walked in then closed and locked the door behind him. "Why did you lock the door?"
"Because we need to have a private conversation." Will told her in a serious tone.
"Ok, but you don't need to lock the door?" She said as Will took out his phone and showed her the picture of her and Archie.
"I don't want anyone walking in when we're talking about this?" He told her as she saw the photo. "I have noticed Archie was acting a little strange lately and to be honest I thought it was something at home but now I know it's you."
"Will…" "You listen, I'll talk." Will told her, getting her to shut up. "When you first came to Riverdale last year you turned a lot of heads here. I guess that made it easier for you to pick which student you liked the most."
"Will, I never…" "What did I say about talking?" Will told her as she shut up again.
"If it were up to me, I'd show this to Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller now and have you in cuffs. But if I do that, Archie also gets thrown under the bus. So, let me make this absolutely clear to you now. If I ever see you and Archie together again, or if you sink your claws into any other kid here at Riverdale high, then I'll go straight to the Principal and the Sheriff and have you hauled out of here for everyone to see. Or I could always go to the Riverdale Register. I've known the Coopers for years and I'm sure they'd love a scoop like that. If you touch any student here at Riverdale High, they'll known the truth about you, and I'm sure the idea of having a pedophile in Riverdale won't sit well with anyone." Will told her as she nodded. "It's your only warning. I suggest you take it."
Will left shortly afterward and went to the gym to try and get his mind off it. He saw the River Vixens practice and Cheryl lecturing them about the Pep Rally and their performance. She left to make a call and he saw Betty and Veronica talking to one another and it was beginning to get heated, so Will stepped in.
"Easy, girls. Easy." Will told them, getting them to stop. "Let's not make a scene."
"No, I want to make a scene" Betty said as she tried to get past him, but Will held the two back.
"Easy, easy." Will said as he had Betty look at her. "Easy, Betty. This won't change anything."
"The Pussycats are in." Cheryl said as she butt into their conversation. Oh, sorry, everyone am I interrupting?"
"As a matter of fact—" "No, you're not." Betty said. "Actually, I was just coming to find you, Cheryl. I have a gift certificate for hers-and-hers mani-pedis and blowouts at Chez Salon. Do you want to come with me?"
"Don't do this." Veronica told her.
"Butt out, closet monster. You have forfeited your right to take the high and mighty road. As pour moi, Betty, but of course. I never say no to a pedi." She said as Will looked at her.
"Um, Cheryl, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked as she happily nodded.
"Of course. Betty, we'll leave in a bit." She said as she and Will moved over to the bleachers to talk.
"Cheryl, what are you doing?" Will asked.
"Nothing, just going to set up some girl time with Betty." Cheryl said.
"Really, Betty whom you barely tolerate your entire life. Cheryl, if this is about Polly, she didn't kill Jason. Believe me, I've known Polly a long time and she's not the girl who could do something like that to Jason." Will told her as she just kept a straight face.
"We'll see. Betty, come on." Cheryl said as she and Betty left leaving Will with a migraine.
"When did things get so complicated?" He said to himself as he decided to head to Andrew's construction to work his shift. He often worked there the seasons he didn't have Soccer or Baseball as a way to keep in shape and give Mr. Andrews help whenever he needed it.
After work, his dad texted him saying he sent in an order to Pop's for dinner, so Will would pick it up on the way home. Will drove his Impala to the diner and parked in the parking lot. He got out, dressed in his jeans and his denim button up was open to show his tank top underneath and his sleeves were rolled up. His hair was a bit messy, but it added to his overall charm as he walked in and saw Veronica sitting at the counter speaking to a woman who looked a lot like her, just older. Will figured it was her mother.
"Hey, Will." Veronica said.
"Hey, Ronnie." Will said as he walked in as Hermione saw the small blush Veronica had on her face.
"And who might this dashing heartbreaker be?" Hermione asked.
"I'm Will Detmer. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Lodge." Will said as he shook her hand as she smiled.
"Hermione, please. Oh, you must be John's son. My god you look just like him when he was your age." She said as Will smiled. "He always had the ladies after him. How's Rosaline?"
Veronica then noticed how uncomfortable Will was with the question. "She uh…passed away when I was two." He told her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hermione said as Will nodded.
"I'm picking up an order." He said as she nodded.
"I'll see you at home, Mom." Veronica said.
"Uh, wait. I'm sure Will would happily escort you home. I mean, you two went to the dance, a simple car ride home should be fine." Hermione said as she handed Will his order.
"Yeah, if your up to it. What are friends for." Will said as she smiled.
"Ok." Veronica said as they walked outside and got in Will's car and Will drove her home.
"I'm guessing things aren't better with Betty?" Will asked.
"I'm back to being the shallow toxic rich bitch who ruins everything in her path. Which is unfortunate, because even though I only just met Betty, it really felt like we were meant to be best friends. Like…like it was our destiny, and now…it's like there was this train that was heading to the rest of my life and I just missed it." She said.
"If its any consolation, I've known Betty her entire life. Hell, I've looked after her since she could walk." Will said as Veronica looked at him. "And she's never been one to hold a grudge. And I saw how well you two got to know one another on the first day. Just give her time. Don't despair, something tells me your time with Betty isn't over."
"I hope your right." She replied.
"I usually am. I know, Betty. You were sincere about wanting to be different, and I think she knows that. This just was a big moment she's been waiting for." Will told her. "How's your mom adjusting to everything here?"
"She's doing her best. Working at Pop's isn't what she envisioned herself doing." She said as she looked at him. "I'm sorry about my mom. I didn't know about your mother."
"It's ok, you couldn't have known." Will told her as they drove through town.
"Were you close to her?" Veronica asked.
"I don't remember. She died when I was two. I barely have any memories of her." Will said as Veronica noticed the sadness in his voice. "But it was fine. I had my dad and he's amazing. I wouldn't the man I am now if it wasn't for him."
"And after meeting you, he sounds too good to be true." Veronica said as Will smiled.
"Play your cards right and it'll happen on a night he makes some homemade cuisine." Will said.
"Your dad's a cook?" She asked.
"The best in Riverdale. We have people over often for dinners." Will said as they arrived at the Pembrooke.
"Well, I look forward to that day. See you tomorrow." She said as she got out. She smiled and waved at him as Will waved back and drove home.
Will walked in and saw his dad sitting at the kitchen counter with a glass of whiskey in his hand, but it was full. "Dad, you ok?" Will asked as John looked at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" John asked.
"Because you're nursing a glass of whiskey on a weekday. I've never seen that before." Will said as John nodded.
"Yeah, it's just uh…a lot on my head." John said as he decided to dump the whisky in the sink.
"Everything ok?" Will asked as he put the food on the table.
"Yeah. I'm fine, Will. Don't worry." John said as they took out their burgers. "Oh, it's been a while since I've had a Pop's burger.
"Yeah. Not that I mind eating Pop's, but we usually eat this on the weekend. Are you sure everything's ok?" Will asked as John smiled.
"I'm sure. Everything's fine, Will. Don't worry." John told him as Will nodded and they ate dinner.
Line Break xxxxx
The week went on as Sheriff Keller continued with his investigation and began interviewing students at Riverdale High for possible motive or any insight into the case. Betty and Archie still weren't speaking and Jughead told Will that he and Grundy were at Sweetwater River the day Jason got killed and heard a gunshot, possibly the one that killed Jason Blossom. Archie said he liked her and she told him not to say anything about the gunshot they heard. And Archie was too blind to see that Grundy was just trying to protect herself and Will couldn't do anything because it would implicate Archie. He'd need to figure out a plan.
It was Friday, the day of the big game and Pep Rally as Will and Jughead were in the student lounge with everyone else as Mantle told them Sheriff Keller grilled him about Jason's death.
"And Sheriff Keller's grilling me, Mantle the Magnificent. Because I want Blossom dead. When he was, like, the only good quarterback we had. And speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Moose. Because here's another unsolved mystery. What exactly were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh? Or does being the sheriff's son give you a free pass, Keller?" Mantle asked.
"Reggie's just being a blowhard, Kev." Betty told him.
"I don't care what he says." Kevin replied.
"I mean, let's think about it. If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right? Now let's be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak…like Jughead?" Mantle said as Will growled and put his sketchbook down which Kevin and Betty noticed.
"Will, don't do anything stupid." Betty told him.
"What was it like, Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like…after?" Mantle asked.
"It's called necrophilia, Reggie, can you spell it?" Jughead replied.
"Come here, you little…" Mantle shouted as he jumped over the couch, but Will got up and pushed Reggie back before Archie could.
"Back off, Mantle." Will warned him as everyone got up.
"What do you care, Detmer?" Mantle asked.
"Back off, Mantle. I'm not going to ask again." Will told him as he clenched his fist.
"Will, easy." Jughead told him.
"Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?" Mantle asked. "Or maybe you did it? Jealous of Jason or maybe your dead mommy told you to do it, Norman Bates?"
That was the final straw as Will socked Mantle across the face with a sucker punch, knocking him back. Mantle tackled Will into a vending machine, causing the glass to break as Reggie tried to take him to the ground but Will kneed him in the gut three times before throwing him over his hip and onto the ground. Will got on top of him and began punching him across the face as Jughead, Moose, and Archie tried to pull him.
"Will, enough!" Jughead shouted trying to get him off but Will pushed them back.
"Will, stop!" Betty shouted as Will finally stopped after the seventh punch. Will's knuckles were bruised, and Reggie had a bloody mouth and most likely a broken nose as Will's breathing got heavy, overcome with anger. He looked at his hands and at everyone before pulling Mantle's head up.
"Say anything like that about my mother again, you'll find it hard to play football with a broken leg." Will warned him as he socked him across the face one more time and knocked him out. Will got up, grabbed his bag, and left leaving everyone froze in shock after what they just witness.
"Whoa, wasn't expecting that." Veronica said as Moose and Chuck got Reggie to the nurse's office. Will went to the bathroom to rinse the blood off his fist, showing the new bruises and cuts he had now. Afterward, Will went to the Principal's office, knowing he would get called so he decided to head their first.
He sat in a chair in the Principal's office as Principal Weatherbee looked at him, having been told what happens from the nurse. "Mr. Detmer, you and Mr. Mantle had an altercation that resulted in him being sent the nurse's office. Now, I've been told that Mr. Mantle started the conflict but that doesn't justify what you did." He told him.
"I know, Principal Weatherbee. I know. Once he mentioned my mother the dam broke." Will said as Principal Weatherbee nodded. He was one a few adults who knew the truth about Will's mother. "But I'll take my punishment."
"6 weeks of detention." Principal Weatherbee said as Will nodded. "Now go head to the nurse and have her look at that hand."
Will went to the nurse's office who gave him a roll of bandages and some ointment and stuck him outside on the bench because she was tending to Mantle. Will sat on the bench in the hallway as he dabbed the bruises and cuts on his knuckles with the ointment.
"Damnit." Will said as it stung a bit as he dabbed his knuckles.
"Will?" Will heard as he saw Cheryl in the hall. She looked down and saw the bandages and Will's bruised and bloody knuckles. "Oh my god! What happened?!"
"Nothing. It was nothing." Will said as he hid his hand, but she ran over and pulled his hand to see the bruises.
"This doesn't look like nothing." She said as she sat down next to him. "Who did this?"
"It was me. Mantle pushed my buttons today and that earned him a beating." Will told her.
"Oh, Will." Cheryl said as she took the ointment and dapped it on his knuckles with a cotton swab.
"Ah." Will said as it stung a bit. "Maybe I should just wait for the nurse."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Cheryl said as she dabbed the bruises. "Some of the River Vixens have had some nasty falls and I've helped. This is a piece of cake compared to that."
"I must be seeing things because Cheryl Blossom is going out of her way to help me." Will said as Cheryl pressed hard onto his knuckles causing him to jump in shock. "Ow."
"Don't forget I have your hand here." She said as Will held her hand.
"Thank you." He told her as she smiled.
"You've helped me and Jason so many times, this is the least I can do." Cheryl said as she finished cleaning his bruises and then began wrapping his hand with the roll of bandages. "So, what did Mantle do or bring up to warrant one of Will Detmer's famous beatings? You don't go out picking fights."
"My mother." Will said as Cheryl looked at him. She was one of the few friends who knew the truth about his mother because he told her. "Once he mentioned her everything went out the window."
"I'm sorry, Will." Cheryl said as she wrapped her hand with the bandages. "You know, my offer still stands to help find her. My parents have a lot of connections, I'm sure we can do something."
"It's ok, Cheryl. You don't need to do that. Besides, you have enough on your plate as is." Will told her. "I don't want to go peeking down the rabbit hole."
Cheryl looked at Will and saw how the usually chipper and smiling Will was actually vulnerable and sad. "Anyway, enough about me. How have you been doing?"
"I'm fine." Cheryl said as Will saw past that.
"You don't need to lie to me, Cheryl." Will told her.
"Things at home…haven't been great. I miss him so much." She said as he nodded.
"I know. And I know how badly you want to find out who killed him, and I promise you we will." Will told her as she smiled and finished wrapping his hand. "But if you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask. And my doors always open. I think my dad's starting to miss how much you and Jason use to come over?"
"I don't think so." Cheryl replied.
"No, he is. He told me over the summer, where is that young red-head that spoke her mind? Spunk like that is hard to find here." Will joked as he and Cheryl chuckled.
"How can a guy like you exist in Riverdale?" Cheryl asked as Will smiled.
"I'm just that unique. And I like to think that Riverdale deserves me…and I'm not leaving anytime soon." He said as Cheryl smiled. Veronica was walking down the hall to check on Will and saw him and Cheryl talking on the bench, both very close to one another. She saw them talking and how close Cheryl was to him and a ping of jealousy ran through her. Before she could do anything, the bell rang, and students began pouring into the hallway to head to their next class.
Classes went on as usual and at the end of the day, Will walked through the halls with Cheryl as he was going to meet with Jughead and Betty. He saw them up head along with Archie and Veronica before they would all separated to go head to football or River Vixen practice.
"Mr. Detmer!" Will heard as he turned and saw Principal Weatherbee in the hall. "There's someone here to see you."
"Who is it?" Jughead asked.
"No idea." Will replied as said person stepped out into the hall in clear view of Will and his friends. Will froze as he dropped his sketchpad on the floor. Betty, Jughead, Archie, and Cheryl looked in the direction Will was looking and they all froze in shock.
"Oh my god." Betty and Archie said as Veronica was confused.
"What's going on? Who is that woman?" Veronica asked.
"That's Rosaline Detmer." Archie told her.
"Detmer?" Veronica asked.
"Hi, William." Rosaline said as Will slowly stepped forward.
"Mom?" Will asked.
End of Chapter 1
And that's chapter 1. It was just a test for how I want to approach the story since I've never done one like this. My stories have been more action orientated but Riverdale was interesting, and it seemed like a fun challenge so tell me what you guys think. Again, it was really just the first 2 episodes, so nothing has happened yet.
OC Characters:
Will Detmer: Steven R. McQueen
John Detmer: Sam Worthington
Rosaline Detmer: Leslie Mann
Next chapter, new discoveries into Jason Blossom's death have Will and his friends playing detective and more secrets in Riverdale rise to the surface. And Will has to juggle that with the newfound drama in his life with the return of his mother and someone he didn't know even existed.
The pairing is till up for debate so if you guys have any ideas on who Will should be paired with, please vote in the poll. I'll be up for a while so please vote on your two choices and that'll help me choose because I've basically come up with a way that Will can end up with Betty, Veronica, or Cheryl and they all work so now it's just time to choose and your votes would help a lot.
Till next time!
Disclaimer: I don't own Riverdale or any properties, songs, or such that were used in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.
