A/N Hey, guys. Welcome back to more of the Riverdale fanfic focusing on the Hawthorne family. So first off, I hope you guys are taking care of your physical and mental health, making time to check in with your friends and loves ones, and continuing to follow the public health guidelines, wherever you guys are in the world. And secondly, the website's been acting really weird for me recently. Normally, I would get e-mails after I publish a chapter on my current projects I work on like the reviews, or the story updates I'm currently following from other users. And I'm not sure if it's affecting all of the users. But anyway, school's been really hectic for me, and I'm trying my best to make time to write more chapters. With that aside, this is chapter number fourteen, and yes, this is still the continuation of the first season's second episode, A Touch of Evil. In this chapter, the pep rally is here, the truth of Jason's death is revealed and most of all, Cheryl is brought in for questioning at the end of the chapter. So, this is chapter fourteen, and here we go.
Riverdale isn't mine. I really don't need to keep repeating myself.
After a few hours of what went down at the student council, the evening hours arrived, as the pep rally began in the football field. The school's marching band played their musical instruments, as the spectators cheered and feeling pumped. Among the attendees were Mr. Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller, talking amongst themselves.
Dressed in his football gear, Luke ran down the field and walked past Archie and Ms. Grundy, and he quickly gave a glance to his parents, who arrived to support him and his sister. Natalie smiled and waved at her son, and he quickly returned the smile and waved back.
While running down the field, he comes face to face with a certain friend he hasn't seen in the past seven years.
"Josie McCoy?" he questioned as he grinned.
"Luke Hawthorne?" she asked as she ran up to him.
The two childhood friends ran up and embraced each other.
"Oh, my God. It's been so long." she said.
"Yeah, it has. How are you?" he asked.
"I'm good. You didn't tell me you were back in town." she replied.
"I just moved back last week." he said as he pulled away.
"You haven't changed. Still the same look during our younger days." she commented.
"We have to catch up later." he said.
"Hey, Hawthorne! Let's get going!" Moose called.
"I'll talk to you another time." said Luke as he ran to join his teammates.
As he said this, Leia joined her squad, as she observed Archie and Jughead talking to each other in the bleachers. She wasn't sure if Archie is going to make it up to Jughead since that fateful summer.
"Hey, Ms. Hawthorne! Chop chop!" Cheryl called.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." said Leia as she quickly joined her squad.
"To kick off this pep rally…I'd like to hand it over to our very own Mayor McCoy." Principal Weatherbee announced.
He is standing on the stage with Coach Clayton and Sierra McCoy, Josie's mother, who is holding an umbrella.
"Thank you, Principal Weatherbee." said Sierra, smiling.
Daniel and Natalie gave a glance to their old friend, feeling surprised that Sierra is a mayor of the small town they spent their lives in.
"It is heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this. But a lack of heart and school spirit has never been the Riverdale way. Tonight's pep rally isn't like any other we've had in the past." Sierra continued.
"And we shouldn't pretend that it is. Which is why I would like to dedicate this evening to the memory of one of our brightest. Jason Blossom. We're with him tonight."
Cheryl exhaled at the mention of her own brother. Leia quickly noticed this, but decided not to say anything since they were at the pep rally.
"Now please, join me in welcoming to the field, our very own River Vixens, and their special guest stars, my daughter, Josie and her Pussycats!" The mayor of Riverdale declared, shaking her hips a bit.
The crowd cheered as Valerie, Melody, and Josie appeared on stage. Luke looked on in pride, feeling happy that Josie had formed a band. He recalled his last conversation with her in their childhood days.
Flashback (Seven Years Ago):
"Josie, what do you want to be when you grow up?" asked young Luke.
"I want to be a singer. A really good one. And I want to form my own band." young Josie replied.
"I think that's good. Like, show the world of your amazing career." he said.
"What about you? What do you want to be when you grow up?" she asked him.
"I want to be a football player. Perhaps an amazing one." he replied.
Now:
Luke and his teammates watched as Josie and her band sang Candy Girl, while Leia and the Vixens danced and cheered to the song. He watched as Cheryl stepped on the stage and finished with You Got Me Wanting You.
The crowd cheered as the Vixens finished their dance choreography while Josie and Cheryl embraced. Coach Clayton stepped on the stage next.
"All right, you all ready? Let's make some noise. Put your hands together for the Riverdale Bulldogs!" Coach Clayton declared.
Cheers and applause erupted, as the Bulldogs tore through the banner (held by the Vixens), running with Archie leading the way.
"Let's do this, gents!" Luke shouted.
Cheryl claps and smiles, watching Archie. Archie grins back at her. However, Cheryl's smile faded, for seeing Archie in Jason's number 9 jersey triggered a fond memory of Jason. For a moment there, Cheryl saw Jason running and grinning at her.
All of a sudden, the memories came flooding back to Cheryl, walking at the Sweetwater River with her brother, holding hands and wearing white clothing, looking at each other, and Cheryl ending up and sitting on the river's edge, soaking wet.
Feeling consumed by grief, pain, and despair, Cheryl quickly ran off the stage. Leia and her besties looked at each other, wondering what just happened.
"We should go after her." Leia suggested, running after the senior captain of the Vixens.
"Right behind you." Veronica agreed as she and Betty followed.
In the girls' locker room, Cheryl sat on the bench, crying.
"Cheryl? Cheryl, what is it? What happened?" Leia questioned, walking towards the senior captain of the Vixens and sat down next to the red head.
"Jason. He's gone." Cheryl answered, her voice shaky.
She cried for her twin brother.
"I know. I know he is." said Leia quietly.
"No, you don't. You don't understand. He was supposed to come back." Cheryl replied sadly.
"He was supposed to come back?" Leia mouthed to herself.
Just then, Betty and Veronica entered the locker room and caught up to the brunette, watching the scene unfold.
"I'm alone. I'm alone." Cheryl wept.
"You're not alone. It's okay." said Leia as she placed her hand on Cheryl's shoulder.
The senior captain embraced and sobbed on the young Hawthorne's shoulder. Betty and Veronica looked on, and the blonde comes to a realization. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the Cheryl, griefing on the loss of her brother.
Returning to the football field, as the pep rally had come to an end, Betty and Veronica approached Leia, stashing some of her cheerleading stuff in her duffel bag.
"Hey, bestie." said Betty.
"Hey." said Leia as she looked up at blonde, her blue eyes meeting with her green eyes.
"I saw you and Cheryl. Not many girls would've done what you did." Betty commented.
"I think I had my fair share of mental breakdowns and full of disclosures." said Leia as she got up and slung the duffel bag over her shoulder.
"Do you want to get some milkshakes at Pop's?" asked Veronica.
"Yes, I am dying for some milkshakes right now." said Leia.
The three besties left the football field and went to the diner. Finding a table close to the window, a waiter arrived with their drinks.
"Here you go. One double-chocolate, one strawberry, and one old-fashioned vanilla." A male waiter sets down two milkshakes, in front of the girls.
"Thank you." the three girls said in unison.
"Betty, Leia. Can we make a vow?" Veronica asks.
"Sure." said Betty.
"I would love to take up on that offer." said Leia.
"That no matter what…no boy will ever come between us again. Deal?" Veronica offered.
"Deal." Betty agreed.
"Absolutely." Leia accepted.
The three cheerleaders clinked their milkshake glasses in a toast and then sipped. The door opens and bell rings. Seeing the look in Veronica's eyes, Betty turns around and sees Luke, Jughead, and Archie standing there in the diner.
"Ladies." Luke greeted as he grinned.
"Do you guys want to join us?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, but only if you're treating." Jughead replied.
He walks over as Luke and Archie followed. Leia, Veronica and Betty laughed at the outcast's reply. Taking a seat, the core six is then formed.
"Veronica Lodge." said the former socialite.
"Jughead Jones, the third." said the loner.
Luke sat next to Archie and Betty as Jughead sat next to Leia and Veronica.
"Jughead Jones, the third." Veronica repeated.
"So, what's up with you three boys?" Leia questioned.
"Nothing, really. Hey, Archie and Jughead finally made up and became best buds again." Luke replied as he jabbed his thumb at Archie and Jughead.
Jughead's narration: "To someone on the outside, peering in, it would've looked like there were six people in that booth. But I was there, and I can tell you. Really, there were only five. A blonde girl, a raven-haired girl, two brunette siblings, and the luckiest redheaded boy in the universe. For one shining moment, we were just kids…those bright, neon lights of Pop's keeping the darkness at bay. Giving way, as all nights must, to a morning of reckonings."
The next morning, Archie went to the principal's office, having made a decision to come forward and reveal the truth, but keeping Miss Grundy out of it. Before he can step foward, the door suddenly opened, quickly moving to the side, Mr. Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller came out of the office, and Archie wondered what was going on.
In biology class Luke and his sister sat at a table with Betty and Kevin while Jughead sat by himself and Cheryl and Veronica were at another table with each other.
"We're reviewing new systems of human biology starting with..." the biology teacher, Dr. Phylum started as he wrote on the chalkboard.
But before he can continue, Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee were standing at the door, and the students wondered what was going on.
"You're here for me, aren't you? Because of the autopsy?" asked Cheryl, as she stood up from her chair.
The twins, Kevin, and Betty could only glance at Cheryl, wondering what she was doing.
"We don't need to do this in front of your classmates, Cheryl." said Mr. Weatherbee.
"It's all right, Principal Weatherbee. They'll find out soon enough." said Cheryl, holding her hands out, waiting for the handcuffs to come out from Sheriff Keller.
"Now, that won't be necessary." said Sheriff Keller.
"Wait, Cheryl, find out what?" asked Veronica, not understanding what was going on.
"That I'm guilty." Cheryl simply replied.
Luke and his sister looked at Kevin and Betty in question, not sure if they heard those three words wrong. Jughead didn't need to be a genius to share the same thought. And just like that, Cheryl was escorted out of biology class by Sheriff Keller and Mr. Weatherbee, as Archie watched, wondering what was going on.
Jughead's closing narration: As shocking as those three words were, they were nothing compared to the secrets that Jason's body had given up during its autopsy. That Jason didn't die on July 4th, as we believed, but over a week later.
Uh-oh. The truth of Jason's death is now revealed. Will Cheryl tell the truth about her story that she made up or will this lead to more consequences for her? Anyway, this chapter marks the end of the second episode of A Touch of Evil. The next few chapters will be the start of season one episode three, Chapter Three: Body Double. In the next chapter, we will see Chuck Clayton. Let me know what you guys thought of today's chapter and I will see you in chapter fifteen.