Chapter 3: Can't hear me scream from the abyss
Dante actually managed to sleep nicely, which is surprising. But he did wake up earlier than he needed to.
He was sitting on his bed and analysing the situation. He was trying to understand some things.
Why didn't Jason tell Cheryl about his involvement?
If Betty doesn't know that Polly is pregnant, does it mean that her parents don't know as well? And can he trust Betty with the information?
Was there something that Jason was not telling him? He hid things from his sister, so he could have hidden things from him as well.
Dante had new questions every day and very few answers.
RING, RING, RING.
The phone started to ring. Which was strange, it was eight o'clock in the morning. Dante stood up and walked downstairs, he picked up the phone and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Son."
"Dad?"
"Sorry, I know it's earlier but it's the only free time I got today."
"No it's fine, I wasn't sleeping."
"How's everything?"
"Not very good."
"Something happened?"
Dante paused a bit. "Jason died."
"What?!"
"Someone shot him."
"Jesus Christ."
"They're investigating."
"I'm sorry Dante."
Dante paused a bit. "I…. Met someone." He decided to change the subject. "A girl."
"Oh Really?"
"It's. …. Nothing serious yet but I think she likes me."
"That's great-" There was a small pause. "I have to go now."
"When are you coming back?"
"I don't know , sorry son."
"Okay, bye Dad."
"Bye Dante." He hang up the phone.
Dante's father is a member of the Marine Corps. He left two days before school started. Dante doesn't really know where he's at or what he's doing.
He waited a few more hours before leaving to go to Betty's house. He had some toast and coffee. Afterwards he put on a Black Henley shirt, black chinos, and black chukka boots. He left his house soon after. He left his skateboard at home today and decided to walk again, mostly because he wanted to delay the talk as much as he could. He still didn't know if he could trust Betty, not that there was anything wrong with her. It was her parents that he was worried about. While Dante walked towards their neighborhood, a small thought came to his head. What if they found out about Polly running away with Jason and sent her to this group-home in order to stop her? If that was the case, Dante needed to figure out where this group-home was and fast.
Dante arrived at the Cooper's home and waited a bit, he wasn't going to knock. It was better to wait for Betty, not that he was looking forward to the conversation that the two were about to have.
He waited for a minute until Betty saw him through the window. She signals him to wait a bit. After a few more minutes, she comes out. Dante starts to walk to the direction of the school and Betty chases him to catch up.
He and Betty walked in silence for a few minutes. Dante was waiting for her to say something.
"Are you ready to tell me now?" Betty asked.
"Tell you what?" Dante wasn't in the mood to speak to be honest.
"Really?! You gonna do this now?" Betty was angry now.
"I just don't know if I can trust you." Dante said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What exactly happened to Polly?" Dante asked.
"I told you what happened."
"Did you see it happen?"
Betty stayed quiet for a bit. "Look, I know Jason was your friend but he really hurt Polly." She told him. "After the two broke up-
"God, I thought you were smart." Dante snapped at her. "They never broke up, you moron."
Betty's eyes widened at what he said. "What do you mean?"
"You're parents and Jason's kept trying to get between them, so Polly and Jason pretended that they had broken up to get them off their backs." Dante explained. "Seriously, do you have any idea how many times Polly had to lie to your parents because they wouldn't let her leave otherwise?"
"I..." Betty stayed quiet. "Had no idea."
Dante now didn't know what to tell her. But he really needed help and Betty was the only one that could give it to him. "She and Jason were going to run away together." Dante decided to reveal it.
"What!?"
"Jason planned to run away with Polly. The entire story of him falling from the boat with Cheryl was just a lie to trick everyone into believing that he drowned." Dante explained to her. "He was supposed to make it into the other side and pick up a car, Polly was supposed to meet him and the two would leave together, I left the car there for them." Dante just explained everything and Betty listened to it closely. "But, when you told me about Polly being put in a group home, I went to check the car and I saw that it was in the same spot I left." Dante finished his explanation. "Whoever killed Jason, must have done it before he reached the car."
Betty stayed quiet for a bit, probably processing everything she just heard. She breathes deeply. "I'll find out where Polly is." She assures him. "But what was the condition you were talking about?"
Dante paused a bit. He was trying to decide if it was a good idea to tell her. She's her sister after all, but what if Betty tells her parents and they sent Polly to a different place with no possibility for him to track her down this time. "If you don't know." Dante really didn't like doing that. "Find out where she is first, then I'll tell you."
"Are you serious?!" She was angry.
"I don't trust you Betty, you might be Polly's sister but I don't know you."
Their conversation finally met it's end when the two arrived at school. Dante walked fast leaving Betty behind.
Dante was definitely not in the mood for class. Well, actually he was never in mood for it anyway. Dante is a B grade student, he could get A's if he wanted but he doesn't really care. Now he was sitting down in class just waiting for it to be over. Not that he had anything else better to do.
He was currently just thinking about what to do after school today. Maybe he can get one of his father's guns and do some Target Shooting. Maybe he can invite Doiley too. Dante was a not a friend of Dilton Doiley but the two would go target shooting together at times, Dante even gave him some tips. At first Dante didn't really want him to come along but Dilton and him made a deal that he would bring the ammo for the guns. Apparently Dilton knows someone on the Southside that gives him a discount in ammunition. Dante didn't really wanna take his father's ammo, because he would notice that Dante was taking them. Besides the company was somewhat good, and Dilton was a nerd when it came to fire weapons.
While Dante was listening to the boring lesson that the teacher was giving as usual, Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee entered the classroom and Cheryl stands up and says that they'd find out soon enough that she's guilty. She's stands up and follows the Sheriff and the Principal.
"What the hell?" That was all that Dante could say.
Dante quickly made his way to the principal's office to see what was going on. What exactly does Cheryl mean by being guilty? He knows that she didn't killed Jason so what the hell does she mean by that?
Dante didn't waste any time before going to the Principal's office. Dante stayed by the door to try to listen to the conversation that was going on inside. It was difficult due to the people in the hallway but he was able to listen to parts of it. Apparently Cheryl was confessing about helping Jason escape. Now Sheriff Keller was confronting her about the gun shot.
Dante remember hearing a gunshot that day while he was leaving the woods. He also remembers it being a riffle. And Dante also knows someone that owns a riffle. He quickly banishes it when the accusation becomes too drastic.
"Mr. Parker whatever it is, this isn't the time." Principal Weatherbee spoke.
"Actually it is, sir." Dante reply. "I was part of the plan to help Jason escape, and I happen to know who shot the gun you just mentioned."
Principal Weatherbee and Cheryl both widen their eyes at the revelation.
Sheriff Keller quickly stood from the table that he was leaning on. "Dante if you know who fired the gun shot, you must tell me."
Dante breathes deeply before saying. "It was a shot from a riffle, and Dilton Doiley has one."
"And how do you know it was a riffle?" Sheriff Keller asked me.
"I been shooting guns with my dad, ever since I was ten." Dante explained. "Believe me, I know what a riffle sounds like."
Before anyone could say anything else. Cheryl's parents, Clifford, and Penelope, interrupt the interrogation, angrily asking Cheryl why she didn't call them and telling her not to say anything else as they take her away. But before she walks through the door, she looks at Dante.
"Dante." Sheriff Keller calls him. "I'm gonna need you to come with me."
"Am I being arrested?" Dante asked. His face was neutral and calm.
"No, but I need you to answer a few questions." Sheriff Keller explained.
Whatever problem Cheryl would have had just got transferred to Dante. All the eyes were on her when she went to the Principal's office, but now they were all on Dante when they saw the Sheriff taking him away and putting him on his car. Not that Dante cared but it was still inconvenient. He was now sitting in the Sheriff's car and waiting to see where he was taking him.
The car finally pulls over and Dante is somewhat confused. They weren't in the police station, it was Sheriff Keller's home.
"Why are we here?" Dante asked in confusion.
"Because I would rather that this talk was private." Sheriff Keller replied.
The two quickly got out of the car and entered the house. The Keller's house is somewhat similar to Dante's with a few exception like colors and furniture. Sheriff Keller signalled him to follow him to his office. When the two got there he told Dante to sit down and he obeyed.
"Alright Dante. I'm just gonna ask this once." Sheriff Keller didn't really changed his tone or anything in particular. "Did you had anything to do with Jason Blossom's death?"
Dante just shakes his head. "He wanted to run away, so I helped him." Dante explained. "I don't really know why would someone kill him."
The Sheriff breathes deeply. "Jason Blossom didn't die on the 4th of July, Jason's death was around July 11th." The sheriff explained to him and Dante was shocked by the revelation. "Someone held him captive and them froze him."
"Why are you telling me this?" Dante asked in confusion.
"Because you might wanna try to get involved and I really would prefer that you'll stay out of it, especially considering that you're father isn't around to stop you from doing something foolish." Sheriff Keller explained.
"What do you know about my father?" Dante asked.
"You're father used to live in Riverdale, Dante. " He told Dante. "We actually went to school together."
"Wh-What?" Dante was confused, he didn't know that his father used to live here. Though it would explain why he picked this town in particular to move to.
"Virgil and I were actually close friends. So I'm asking you to stay out of this and let the police solve it." The Sheriff told him.
Dante's father's name is Virgil Parker. He and Dante are very similar in appearance with a few differences. Virgil has light blond hair and his eyes are emerald green. He's also broader and taller than Dante.
Dante just stayed quiet. He wasn't really aware that his father used to live here. And to be fair, he never really asked why his father chose to move to Riverdale. "I'll stay out of it." He was lying.
"Good." That was all he said. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes please."
Dante stayed at the Sheriff's house for a few more hours. He told him stories about his father. Apparently his Dante's father was member of the Riverdale Wrestlers. He was unbeatable in the ring. He was also always in bad terms with another student, FP Jones. Saying that the two despised each other for some reason. He also said that Virgil was a ladies man, leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him. They talked until it was dark. Sheriff Keller offered a ride but Dante said that he would just walk. His home wasn't far, he got there pretty quickly.
The first thing Dante did when he got there was take off his clothes and start to work out a bit in his underwear. Dante was not an athlete but he was physically fit. He's a black belt in Karate but he haven't practiced since he came to Riverdale.
His workout is simple. A few push ups and pull ups, then he practices a bit on his boxing bag, then he does some karate Kata. After he finished, he had a shower and microwaved some mac and cheese.
He went to sleep soon after.
The next day came in a blink of an eye. Dante just woke up, eat breakfast, and put on the same outfit he wore yesterday and went to school. Today he rode his skateboard to school today. He got there quickly because of that. But the moment he entered, he noticed a few stares from the other students.
"Screw them." Dante said to himself as he walked through the corridors. Out of nowhere, Dante's cell phone vibrates. He picks it up from his pocket and checks on it. It was Betty Cooper.
Betty: Meet me in the Blue & Gold office.
Dante: Why? and how the hell did you got my number?
Betty: Just come please.
Dante didn't really know what she wanted, but may she has some new information about Polly. So he decided to meet her.
"What do you want Betty?" Dante asked as he enters the office.
Betty breathes deeply. "I need your help."
"With what?" Dante asked.
"I tried to ask mother and father where Polly was an-"
"You didn't tell them anything I told you right?" Dante interrupts her.
"No I didn't but they refused to tell me where she was and said that she'll only come back when she's better." Betty explained.
"I don't think I feel much comfort with whatever your parents mean by better." Dante replied. "If they won't tell us, we'll have to find out ourselves."
"Dante... Can you please tell me what condition she's in." Betty was now begging him for an answer.
"I'm pretty sure your parents know what it is and I'm afraid of what they might do if they know I know it." Dante dodged the question.
Betty rolled her eyes a bit. "You think my parents are going to kill or something?" She asked in a more sarcastic mater.
"No, they could sent Polly to a different place that would be even harder for us to find." Dante explained.
"You think that she's nearby then?" Betty asked.
"They needed to send her to a place where they could keep an eye on her." Dante explained. "So she is definitely still in Riverdale or somewhere close to the town." He came to that conclusion.
"Dante, If you want my help you're gonna have to tell me her condition is." Betty confronted him one more time.
Dante closes his eyes and breathes deeply. "Betty Cooper...you're going be an aunt."
Betty's eyes widen and her mount open at the revelation. "Wait... Po... Polly is pregnant?"
Dante nods his head. "That's the reason to why they wanted to run away." Dante explained. "Jason told me a day before fourth of July."
Betty stays quiet and goes to chair to sit down. She processing everything she just heard. "I... I can't believe this." Betty spoke out loud.
He just approached her and spoke. "That's why I need your help." Dante started to explain. "I don't know what is going on or why, I just know that my best friend is dead and my other best friend is pregnant and missing and I really need you to help me find her."
Betty just looks at his face. "I'll find her." She spoke with a deep determination in her voice.
The bell for the next class finally rings. The two look at each other one last time before walking to the door.
The classes were as unremarkable as hell. Besides his talk to Betty the day was pretty unremarkable. He didn't even see Veronica that day which is a pretty bad thing in Dante's book. The rest of the day was composed by him spending his day at home doing absolutely nothing.
He did a few things. He played some old games in the consoles he got at home. His consoles were all Xbox, he spent the rest of the day playing the game Jade Empire on his original Xbox.
Dante was hoping that Betty would manage to discover something about his sister. He'll have to wait and see.
The next day came quickly. Dante fell asleep while playing the game, he quickly woke up and took a shower. After he put on the same pants and boots from yesterday but changed his black Henley shirt to a black sweatshirt, Dante left home and made his way to school.
While walking through the corridor, he noticed Kevin, Betty and Veronica talking beside the lockers. He approaches slowly until he's noticed by them.
"Hi Dante." Betty greeted him.
"Hey." Dante said in return. "How are you guys?"
"Well, Veronica was telling us about her date with Chuck Clayton." Kevin said.
Dante was surprised and annoyed by that.
"It wasn't a date." Veronica was quick to deny. "I just bumped into him at Pop's and he gave me a ride home."
Dante was instantly relived by hearing that. Not that he was jealous but, if he had a list of people he disliked in Riverdale, Chuck Clayton is in the top of the list. He thinks that Chuck is an arrogant asshole who views himself as above everyone else.
"But how was it?" Kevin asked.
Veronica laughs a bit. "Chuck has muscles for days, but his conversation is not the stuff of Oscar Wilde, or even Diablo Cody."
Dante laughs a bit at that.
"Hey, Veronica. How was the Sticky Maple you had last night?" A girl passing through said to Veronica.
"The what now?" Veronica asked in confusion.
"The Sticky Maple Chuck gave you?" The other girl beside her said. "How was it?"
"We had a brownie sundae, if that's what you hyenas mean." Veronica answers it.
Dante just stood there, hoping that he misheard what the girls just said.
Kevin's phone beeps. He takes it out his pocket and checks it out. "Oh, my God."
"What?" Veronica asked as she took the phone out of Kevin's hand.
Dante moves his head to see what was on the phone. It was a photo of Veronica and Chuck, but Veronica's face was covered in syrup.
"What the hell is a Sticky Maple." Veronica asked in frustration.
"Son of a…" Dante said. "It's basically slut-shaming in the lamest way possible."
Polly once told Dante, that Sticky Maple it's exactly what it sounds like. That it's a Riverdale slut-shaming stuff that some guys do to girls. Dante found the entire concept both disgusting and lame.
"I'm neither a slut, nor am it going to be shamed by someone named, excuse me, Chuck Clayton." Veronica assured them.
She starts to complain and said that she's not gonna let him get away with this. Betty tries to suggest that they go to the Principal but Veronica rebuffed by pointing out that he's the coach's son and the captain of the football team. Then she suggest to expose him in the Blue and Gold.
"No. Spoken like a true good girl who always follows the rules." Veronica spoke. "Well, I don't follow rules, I make them, and when necessary, I break them." She said before pushing the phone into Kevin's hand and storming off.
Betty follows her. Dante takes a quick look at Kevin.
"You better go too." Kevin said
Dante breathes deeply and started to follow them.
Dante tried to catch up with them as the two were entering the locker room. As they enter, Dante runs a bit before getting inside too. He enters and noticed several guys from the football team. He was bit annoyed because watching a bunch of naked douchebags was not on his list of things that he wanted to do today. He finally spots Veronica and Betty, with Veronica confronting a shirtless Chuck who had a disgusting smug look on his face.
He gets a bit close and hears both Veronica and Betty saying a bunch of things to him. Chuck and the rest of his douchebag friends just stayed there with amused look on their faces. Dante just stood there being very annoyed by his disgusting arrogance. Calling it "badge of honor."
Dante decided to interrupt because this was a waste of time. He puts his hand in Veronica's shoulder. "You're wasting your time." Dante says to her.
"Oh hey, Parker, so you found a new owner to replace Jason." Chuck said with the smug on his face.
"Shut the fuck up Chuck, we both know that you're all bark and no bite." Dante stare at him with a very dark look.
Chuck just chuckles. "This scary emo shit you do might have worked in Detroit but you're on bulldogs' territory now." Moose barks like a dog in Dante's face. "So please fight back."
"Cool, should I beat you up here or do you want me to do it somewhere where your admires here can't see?" Dante quickly rebuffed while staring at Chuck in the eyes. "Oh and do you bark like that when you're with Kevin, Moose?" Dante said to Moose who quickly stepped back after some of the guys started to stare at him, including Chuck.
Chuck than returned his gaze to Dante. "Oh so Mr... what's that thing that Jason used to call you?... Dark Emo, Dark weirdo, oh right Dark Gentleman." Chuck started to mock Dante. "So Mr. Dark Gentleman wants to play white knight? If you want to get beat up for a New York girl with a bitch attitude, then be my guest."
"Wait, what are yo-" Veronica tried to speak but she was quickly interrupted.
"Whoever here wants to see me beat the shit out of Parker, be at the Twilight Drive-In at seven!" Chuck announced to anyone that could hear it. "Tonight." He spoke to Dante directly.
The rest of the guys started to cheer for Chuck, while Veronica and Betty exchanged worried looks.
The Twilight Drive-In is a local drive-in movie theatre in Riverdale. It's closed today so no one will be there.
"Fine." That was all that Dante said.
"Wait, you two just can'-" Betty tried to argue but Chuck just walked away from them but not before saying something at Dante's ear.
"Hope the bitch is worth it." He said low enough so only Dante could hear it. Dante closed his hand into a tight fist because of that.
Dante then started to walk out of the locker room with Veronica and Betty following behind him.
"You're not really going to fight him are you?" Betty asked.
Dante just stayed quiet and kept walking.
"Look, as much as I think that it was pretty sweet, I don't need you to defend me." Veronica spoke as well.
But Dante just kept ignoring them and kept on walking. Veronica just walked faster and stood in front of him.
"Don't ignore me!" She said to him in anger me.
The bell then started to ring.
"I have to go to class." He said in a low voice and walked passed Veronica.
Dante sat in class, not exactly paying attention. He was mostly thinking on why he acted so impulsively with Chuck. Was it because of Veronica or was it because he insulted him and Jason? Was it because he hated Chuck for being an arrogant douchebag who thinks that he's hot shit. Maybe it was all of that. He promised his Dad that he wouldn't get into fights anymore, he's going to have to apologize to him after he comes back.
"Psst. Dante." Dante heard someone whispering at him. He turns around and it's Cheryl. "Thanks to you, Dante, I'm not the Girl Who Cried Gunshot." Dante just stayed quiet while she talked. "You believed me when not even my parents did."
"Cheryl, if there's one thing that u was ever sure about you, is that you loved Jason more than anything and there's no way that you did anything to hurt him." Dante spoke to her. He may have a thousand of problems with her, but he knows how much she cared about her brother.
"Which is why I want to repay your kindness." She says to him.
"Cheryl, truly, that's not necessary." Dante didn't really want anything from her.
"Save the "aw, shucks" for Betty." Dante had no idea what that was supposed to mean. "I'm granting you one wish, Dante." She says while staring at him. "Nothing is off the table, except for my body." Dante noted that she bit her lip when she said that. "Jason would want you to be rewarded."
Dante just stayed quiet for a bit, he was wondering if he should ask her for help. Maybe ask her if Jason was acting strange at home or if he has mentioned something to her. He leans for it a bit but when he did, a student that sitting in front of him messing on his phone turned around.
"Hey, Parker, Is it truth that you and Chuck are going to fight at Twilight Drive-In tonight?" Dante quickly turned his gaze to the guy that was asking him that.
"How do you know?" Dante quickly asked.
The guy than showed Dante his phone with an announcement saying.
Clayton vs Parker brawl tonight at seven on the Twilight Drive-In.
"They sent it to the whole school." He said to Dante.
Dante then looked around and noticed that most of the classroom was staring at him. He turned around and noticed Cheryl who had just looked at her cell phone do the same.
"Shit." Dante said in a low voice.
The first thing that Dante did once school was over, was go straight home. He had to spent the rest of the day enduring either people staring at him or mocking him by saying that Chuck was going to kick his ass. It was pretty annoying. He was sitting down playing his Xbox again, trying to pass the time until seven. He wasn't really worried about it. It wasn't the first time he got into a fight with someone either bigger or stronger than him, and the guys he did were much scarier than Chuck Clayton.
While he was playing a game in the Xbox, his cell phone started to buzz. He pick it up and it was Betty sending a message.
Betty: Can you come to school?
Dante: For what?
Betty: It's worse than we thought.
Dante: What?
Betty: Veronica wasn't the only one that Chuck messed with.
Betty: The Blue & Gold office, please come.
Dante: Alright.
Dante puts down the controller and turns off the video game. He then put on his shoes again and left the house.
Dante quickly got to school again and bumped into Veronica at the entrance.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"Betty called me." Dante responded.
"Me too."
The two of them quickly entered and went to The Blue & Gold office. As they entered they noticed Betty sitting down with several other girls.
"This story is bigger than we thought." Betty said as Dante and Veronica entered the room. "I asked around to see if what happened to you happened to anyone else...and if anyone would go on record."
"I will. One hundred percent." Ethel who was sitting down said.
"It's five guys on the football team, Chuck and his posse." Betty told them. "Ethel was just about to tell us."
"One day last year, Chuck and I talked in the library for 10 minutes." Ethel started to tell the story. "I helped him with a pre-calc problem, and nothing happened." She paused for a second. "But the next day, he started telling people...that I let him do stuff to me." She paused again. "Like, sex stuff. And then he or one of his goons wrote "Sloppy Seconds" on my locker."
Dante was originally having second thoughts about the whole fight but now he had no doubts.
"Yes, yes, we've all heard your tragic origin story." Dante turned around and saw Cheryl at the door.
"I'm so, so sorry, Ethel. That's horrible." Betty said to her while putting her hand at her shoulder.
"Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture murder case...but we all have our crosses." Cheryl said while she entered the room. "In the meantime, River Vixen practice starts in five minutes, sluts."
"They're ruining our lives, and to them, it's just a game." Ethel said while sobbing a bit. "They keep score and-"
"Wait." Veronica interrupts her. "What do you mean, keep score?"
"Each conquest earns them points." Ethel replies. "They keep track in some secret playbook."
Dante had an urge to slap his forehead when he heard that. Jason mentioned that playbook to him once. Saying that Chuck writes everyone in the football team in there with or without their permission.
"Okay, we have to talk to Weatherbee." Betty quickly said.
"I already tried." Ethel quickly said back. "Weatherbee said that he didn't find anything."
"Okay, we need undeniable proof." Betty said. Dante was about to speak but was interrupted.
"Proof of what, Nancy Drew?" Cheryl started to talk. "That boys will be boys? And that playbook reeks of suburban legend."
"No, it isn't." Dante finally spoke up, getting everyone's attention.
"How would you know, Dante?" Veronica asked him.
"Jason told me about it." Dante respond it. "He said that Chuck writes the name of everyone in the football team with or without their permission."
"My brother never would've allowed it." Cheryl spoke to Dante directly.
"You think that is so easy." Dante spoke while looking at her. "Jason had to deal with those douchebags every day, Cheryl." Dante started to approach her. "Jason really didn't need or want to get attention for himself by exposing them."
"Dante?" Dante heard Ethel calling him from behind. "Is it truth that you and Chuck are going to fight?"
Dante just nodded his head. "Honestly, I was having second thoughts about that." Dante said to every girl in the room. "But after hearing this, I'm one hundred percent going to fight him tonight." He then moved his gaze to Ethel. "But not before doing something first." He turns around and walks past Cheryl. "Wait here a bit girls."
Dante quickly left and came back to the The Blue & Gold office holding something in his hand. He quickly hands it to Betty. "I present to you, Chuck's lame playbook." All the girls were surprised by what Dante said.
"You knew where it was?" Betty asked him.
"Jason told me, I didn't really care about it until now." Dante answered to her. "Whatever you do with it, do it tomorrow." Dante told her before turning around. "Oh... and Jason and Polly's names are there but that's Chuck's handwriting."
"Where are you going?" Veronica asked him.
"To prepare myself, I have an arrogant douchebag to beat." Dante said as he walked towards the exit.
Dante made his way back to his house. He took a cold shower and started to warm up. He changed his clothes to something more flexible.
He put on black kung fu pants, a black tank-top and black low tops. Dante was about to leave his house to go the Drive-In but he hears someone knock on the door.
Knock,Knock,Knock
Dante was confused because no one comes to his house. Only Jason would go there from time to time but besides him, no body visited. He got downstairs and walked towards the door.
He opens it.
"Kevin? What are you doing here?" It was the sheriff son, Kevin Keller.
"Betty and Veronica asked me to pass here to see if you need a ride for the brawl." He spoke like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Where are they?" Dante asked.
"Betty is finishing an article for the Blue & Gold about Chuck's playbook and Veronica went back home to change her clothes for the brawl." Kevin said to him. "They both said that they'll be there." Kevin then took a look at Dante. "Nice outfit, especially the pants."
"Thanks, I guess." Dante then closed the door behind him. "Let's go then."
Dante and Kevin got into Kevin's car and started to drive to the Drive-in.
"Are you ready?" Kevin asked him.
"Sorta."
"It's just, this is so... romantic." Dante made a confused look. "It's like, you're about to brawl a guy to defend the honor of our raven haired friend and every other girl that he humiliated."
"They told you about it?"
"Betty called me and explained everything." Kevin quickly responded. "I'm one hundred percent rooting for you."
Dante smiled a bit at that. "Hey, Kev."
"Yeah?"
"You're too good for an asshole like Moose Mason."
"He isn't so bad."
"He isn't so good either." Dante starts to look at the road. "You should be with someone that isn't afraid to be seen with you."
"I know but... It's kind of hard."
"It always is, but if he really cared for you, how hard it is shouldn't matter."
"You're probably right."
They drove a bit more until they finally arrived at the Drive-In.
"Holy shit." Kevin said when he saw the number of people that were there. "The whole school must be here."
Dante just looked around in shock. He knew that some people would go to see it, but he didn't expect this much. There was loud music coming from the cars that were parked there and people drinking and eating. All sitting at their cars or standing beside them, waiting for the main event.
They both got out of the car and started to walk to the center. The music was very loud and most were hearing different songs so it made it a bit confusing. As he and Kevin passed through the cars, Dante started to hear a bunch of things.
"You're gonna die Parker."
"Chuck is going to break that pretty face of yours."
"Good riddance, weirdo."
"The hell is this creep wearing?"
"I knew the he was a homo, he and Jason were probably fucking."
The insults went on as Dante kept approaching the center. There was a circle in there, made by the cars, probably Chuck's idea. As he gets closer, he sees Cheryl standing with some of the vixens. They then see Veronica and Betty.
"Hey." Veronica said to them. "Nervous?"
Dante just shakes his head.
"It's not too late to walk away." Betty tried to argue.
"Don't worry about me." Dante quickly rebuffed.
"All of the girls are here." Veronica said to him. "They all cheering for you, hell even Cheryl is cheering for you." That surprised Dante since he thought the whole Cheryl being nice to him was just temporary.
Before they could say anything else. They see Chuck arriving.
"There he is." Dante spoke. He started to walk towards the center but before he could do it, Veronica pulled him into a kiss. They pulled back and stare at each other's eyes. "For luck."
Dante just smiled before finally going to the circle. He passes through the rest of the cars, hearing some insults but also some cheers for him. He walks passed the last car and sees Chuck and his goons.
"I WAS STARTING TO THINK YOU WOULDN'T COME." Chuck screamed loud for him to hear, he then takes off the leather jacket that he was wearing.
Dante just stayed quiet and walked towards the middle of the circle. Chuck gives his annoying smug smile and also walks towards the circle. Everyone around them started to cheer. The two stared at each other eyes, Dante had a neutral expression on his face but Chuck looked like this was all a joke. Cheryl Blossom then started to walk towards them.
"Alright, boys." She said and the two stare ate her. "A clean fight, no dirty tricks."
"I don't need to fight dirty to beat this asshole." Dante spoke.
"Alright them." Cheryl turns around and starts to get away, but then out of nowhere she turns to them again and gives Dante a kiss in the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. "For luck." She whispers in his ear.
Dante could hear people talking about what just happened but that wasn't important right now. "Now boys, to each other's side." Cheryl said while staying away.
Dante and Chuck obey and each go to the end of the side they were on. Dante was trying to understand how exactly it got to this mess. He could see everyone with their cell phones on, ready to record everything. There will be no denying it afterwards.
"Ready." Cheryl spoke. "FIGHT!"
Both Dante and Chuck charged at each other. Each got into a fight stance when they met in the middle.
Dante made a traditional Karate stance while Chuck made a clumsy boxer stance.
Chuck throws a fake left jab at Dante, who moved his head back a bit. He throws another one but Dante didn't move this time. He throws a third fake jab but this one was followed by a right hook that hits Dante in the jaw. The punch makes Dante move a bit to the back.
Dante resumes his stance and goes at Chuck. He throws a jump front kick at Chuck's face that makes him fall into the ground.
"Get up! No ground fighting!" Dante spoke in anger with his lip bleeding from the hook he received.
Chuck stood up and resumed his stance. Dante tries to throw a roundhouse kick into Chuck's ribs but he grabbed his leg and threw a punch to his face, making him fall into the floor. Chuck stayed put rather than kicking him on the floor, so Dante quickly got up again.
Chuck tried to throw more punches at him. He threw three hooks at him but Dante blocked them with Karate blocks, and threw a straight punch at Chuck's nose. The punch made Chuck step back. He covers his nose a bit, but when he removed his hand, Dante saw blood. He looked Dante with a face of pure rage.
He charged at Dante again but this time tried to tackle him into the ground. Chuck was stronger than Dante, so he pushed him into the floor with ease. He used a double leg take down. Dante quickly covered his face and used his legs to keep him from mounting him and to defend the punches that Chuck started to throw at him. He then managed to use his legs to push him off of him.
Dante stood up again and prepared to fight again.
"C'mon, Parker or should I call you Jason's dog." Chuck said while signalling Dante to come at him.
This time, Dante was angry. He charged at Chuck and threw a Jumping Spinning Heel at his face. The kick hit Chuck on the cheek and he fell back at one of the cars which he held himself, to not fall into the ground.
"Goddammit, my cheekbone." Chuck said in a painful low voice.
Dante ignored what he said and grabbed him by the shirt and threw him into the ground using a hip throw. He then mounted Chuck and started to punch him using his right hand. He hit his face with punch after punch after punch.
"Parker! Enough!" Dante stopped and looked behind him. It was Moose calling him. "He's had enough!"
Dante came off of Chuck, who was knocked out on the ground. He then looked around and notice everyone talking.
"Shit, he beat the shit out of Chuck."
"Didn't see that coming."
"Is he still alive?"
"Good riddance."
"Chuck is an asshole anyway."
And it kept going and going. Dante got tired of it and started to walk towards his friends. He's quickly approached by Veronica, Betty, and Kevin. Veronica quickly grabs a handkerchief and uses to wipe the blood on Dante's lip.
"Jesus, Dante." Betty spoke. "I hate the guy but was that necessary?"
"Can we not talk about it." It was all that Dante said to her. "Kevin, can you give me a ride home?"
"Sure."
"We can make a stop at Pop's to get something to eat." Veronica spoke to him.
"I didn't bring any cash." Dante said.
"I'll pay for you, don't worry." Veronica said to him.
Dante didn't really had the energy to argue and he was hungry. "Okay." But Dante was somewhat fearful for tomorrow because he knew that what he did was going to have consequences.
A/N: To answer a question of a reader. Yes, the cover image is what Dante looks like.