Chapter 4: Load up on guns, bring your friends
Dante knew that what he did would have repercussions, but he really expected it to be more on his side. Chuck was the school golden boy and the football star. Dante on the other hand was a loner that only wears the color black. He was expecting to get either most or all the punishment. His fight with Chuck became viral on the internet, and it didn't take too long for the ones who weren't at the Twilight Drive-In to see it as well. So there was no escape from it.
But to his surprise, thanks to the article that Betty published in The Blue and Gold, them presenting the playbook to the principal and most of the girls testifying on the harassment, Chuck and his goons got the majority of the punishment. The most ironic part was how he manage to escape the repercussions of the fight. Apparently one of the guys in the football team told Coach Clayton that Chuck was the one that set the entire fight up. Veronica's mother who was not happy at all about the whole Sticky maple situation, also spoke with the principal.
So at the end, Dante Parker for the first time in his life, got away with something.
He still couldn't believe it himself.
Dante wakes up at the same hour that he usually does. Takes a shower, eats breakfast and got dressed. Same routine. He put on black jeans, black long sleeve t-shirt, a black nylon jacket and black military boots. There's no school today, so he had no idea on what to do for the rest of the day.
Knock, Knock, Knock
Dante hears someone knocking on the door. He walks downstairs to check out. He opens the door.
"What the?" Dante opens the door and Dilton Doiley was on the other side. "Dilton? What are you doing here?"
"What the hell, Parker?" Dilton said. "You told the Sheriff about my riffle?!"
"Oh... yeah...ummm... sorry about that." Dante totally forgot that he told Sheriff Keller about his riffle. "Was it you who fired it on the fourth of July?" Dante asked him in curiosity.
"It was me, but that's not the point." Dilton kept talking.
"What the hell were you doing?" Dante asked. When the two of them do their practice, they usually go to a very secluded area. But then Dante remembered that Dilton was leading Riverdale's boy scout troop on a bird watching expedition throughout the woods located nearby Sweetwater River. Then Dante remembered that some of the people accompanying him were children. "Were you teaching children how to shoot?!"
"What? No!" Dilton quickly denied. "I was just showing them, I didn't let them touch the riffle."
"And you didn't think one of them could comment to their parents that you were bringing a fire weapon to a bird watching expedition?" Dante asked with a lot of sarcasm in his voice. Suddenly he doesn't feel so bad about snitching. "What happened to the riffle?"
"Sheriff Keller confiscated it."
"Why? Doesn't your dad have a permit for it?" Dante asked. Dilton just stayed silent. "He doesn't."
Dilton shakes his head confirming what Dante just said.
"What do you want?"
Dilton opens his bag and pulls out a box of 9mm bullets. "Can we do some Target Shooting today?"
Dante didn't really have anything better to do. "Ok." He signals Dilton to follow him. Dante walks outside of the house and goes in direction to the garage which was separated from the house. The two entered through the door and Dante turned on the lights.
"Holy shit." Dilton said as he saw the two cars that were inside.
Dante's father has two cars. A white Chevrolet Camaro 2010 and a red 1990 Ferrari Testarossa. "Those are my Dad's cars."
He signals Dilton to follow him again but he was just staring at the cars, he walks past them into a cabinet which was locked by a digit code. "Turn around." Dante told Dilton, who in turn obeyed. He then pressed the code to open, the code was 1911 which is basically his father's favorite handgun, the M1911. He opens the cabinet revealing his father's guns.
"Nice." Dilton said as he looks at Virgil Parker's collection.
Dante's father has got quite the arsenal in that cabinet. Several handguns, machine gun, assault rifles, shotguns and rifles. There were a few knives in there as well.
"Pick a handgun and nothing more." Dante quickly said.
Dilton obeyed and looked for a few of the handguns before picking the Beretta M9. Dante then picked up Springfield Armory XD.
After picking up their handguns, Dilton drove Dante to the spot where the two of them usually practiced.
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
The two of them kept shooting on a couple of glass bottles and cans.
"I can't believe that you beat up Chuck and got him banned from the team." Dilton spoke as he reloaded his gun.
"I just beat him up, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge got him cut." Dante said as he loaded his own gun.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" He asked
"I'm a black belt in Karate," Dante quickly answered as he finished loading his gun. "And I got into a few fights street fights back in Detroit."
"A few fight?"
"I used to hang out with this guy back in Detroit and he was what you could call... Problematic." Dante started to explain.
"What was his name?" Dilton asked him.
"Kurtz." Before Dante moved to Riverdale and became friends with Jason and Polly. He was friends with a guy named Kurtz back in Detroit.
BANG
BANG
BANG
So far, Dante has been hitting several of the targets while Dilton was struggling.
"You're holding the grip too tightly, loosen up a bit." Dante advised him.
Dilton obeys and then makes his shoot.
BANG
He hits the target. "Yes!"
"Nice one." Dante congratulates him.
BANG
BANG
BANG
After a few more shoots, they ran out of bullets. Dilton drove Dante back home and they put the handguns back in place. Dilton then thanked him for the practice before going away. Dante then got hungry and decided to go eat something at Pop's. He walked out his house and rode his skateboard there.
It didn't took long for him to arrive, he quickly entered.
"Hello, Dante." The Owner of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, Pop Tate greeted him.
"Hey, Pop."
"The usual?" He asked him.
"Yes please."
The 'usual' is a cheese pizza, a very large portion of Chili Fries and a vanilla milkshake. Dante walked to sit at a table that was close to the window. He waited a few minutes until a waitress that looked very familiar brought his food.
"Here we go." She said as she put his food on the table. Dante was staring at her to try to understand why she looked so familiar. "Something wrong?"
"Oh... ummm... sorry, you look familiar." Dante clumsily said to her.
She looked at him for a few seconds before speaking. "You must be Dante." She said before extending her hand. "Hermione Lodge, I'm Veronica's mother."
Dante then understood why she looked so familiar. He shakes her hand before saying. "This is going to sound like the most cliché thing ever, but I can see where Veronica got her beauty and elegance."
She smiled a bit. "Ronnie did say that you were a gentlemen." She then took a good look at him. "You look just like your father."
Dante was a bit surprised by that. "You know my dad?"
"I actually studied with him." Hermione spoke with him.
"Umm sorry, waitress." They heard someone calling her from a table.
"I have to go back to work." She turns around and goes to serve.
Dante needed to have a long talk with Virgil when he comes back. He decided to just concentrate on his food. He picks up his phone from his pocket and puts on his earphones to listen to some music. He puts on the song Empire Ants by Gorillaz. He tries to concentrate on his food.
But. A flashback ends up playing on his head. A flashback of him and Jason siting on that same table, not long ago.
"What do you think I should get for Polly for her birthday?" Jason asked him.
"I don't know, get her something that symbolizes how much you care for her." Dante answered
"Like what?" Jason asked him again.
"Do you have any family jewel or something from you grandparents?"
"Not exactly."
"Give her this." Dante pulls a bracelet that was on his wrist. It was a really fancy looking bracelet and it looked expensive as well.
"Dude, is that a real diamond?" Jason asked which Dante just nodded. "It's a woman's bracelet, where did you get it."
"I was my mom's." Jason made a surprised face.
"I can't accept this man."
"Keep it, it's only a reminder of hate for me anyway." Dante replied.
"You never told me anything about your mother."
"I don't wanna talk about her, so please, never ask me about her." Dante said with a serious tone. "Look, this thing, I keep as a reminder of anger, but if you give it to Polly it can be something else than that." Dante puts the bracelet in Jason's hand. "Make it to her a reminder of how much you care about her."
Jason hesitated a bit but he decided to say yes. "Ok."
They hear the bell of the door. It was Polly.
"Dante?"
Dante suddenly heard someone calling him and he snapped out of that memory. It was Polly's sister, Betty.
"Oh, hi Betty." Dante then looked around and noticed that Pop's was full, he also noticed that some people were staring at him. By people, he meant, Pop, Hermione, Cheryl, Tina Patel and Ginger Lopez.
"Are you crying?" She asked him with a worried look.
He then noticed that there was a tear dropping from his left eye. He quickly wipes it off his face. "No, no I'm not." Dante quickly says. "So what are you doing here?"
"I... made plans with Veronica and Kevin to meet here." She said to Dante. He then looks out the window and noticed that it was already dark.
"Oh... You want this table, because I can go if-" Dante tried to say before being interrupted.
"No! I mean, why don't you sit with us. Like we did the other day." She quickly replies.
"Umm... Okay." Dante said to her. "I have to go to the bathroom."
Dante then stands up from his table and walks towards the bathroom. He washes his face a bit, asking himself what the hell was he doing. How long was he sitting there? It was night already and it was still day when he sat there. Dante turned around and walked back outside but before he did, he heard Betty's voice.
"Umm... How long was he sitting there?" Betty asked someone.
"Three hours." He heard Veronica's mother say. "He just started to eat his food but then when he finished, he just kept staring at the other chair like there was someone there." Dante kept hearing her talk.
"Him and his friend used to sit there all the time." He heard Pop say.
"Jason." Betty was quick to say the name.
"The boy that died?" Hermione asked.
"Those two were always together, actually, it's strange to me too." Pop started to say something. "It's weird to see him sitting on that chair alone."
Dante started to think now. This was the first time he'd come to Pop's alone. The other two times that he came here since Jason died were accompanied by someone. Only now that he realised that it was awkward to go there without him. Dante then came out of the bathroom and the three stared at him.
"What?" Dante pretended that he didn't hear what they said. "Hey Pop, can I get a BLT Burger, Cheese Fries and a Pepsi?"
"Umm... Sure." Pop turned around and went to the kitchen.
Dante walked pass Hermione and Betty and sat at the same spot that he was. Betty quickly sat there as well. Then Kevin and Veronica enter the Pop's.
"Dante? What are you doing here?" Veronica asked with a smile.
"I bumped into him and invited him to sit with us." Betty quickly answered. "Hope you guys don't mind."
"No, it's cool." Kevin said.
Dante quickly sat close to the window to give space for Kevin, who quickly sat beside him. Veronica on the other asked Betty to stand up so she could sit close to the window as well.
The three spent some time together. Talking about the Twilight Drive-In, apparently someone bought the property and they're going to demolish it. Dante thinks that sucks, because he loved to go there. After eating another lunch, Dante decided that it was time to go home.
"It's getting late, I better go home." Dante said as he stood up.
"Dante, can I talk to you." Betty stood up. "Outside."
Dante just nodded, hoping that she was going to tell him something about Polly. The two walked outside and stood in front of the Pop's.
"What is it?" He asked her.
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
Dante made a confused look. "Yes, why?"
"Pop and Veronica's mom told me that you were sitting there for three hours, and you were crying when I walked in." Betty said to him.
Dante made a annoyed look. "What do you care?" He asked her.
"Because after all that has happened, I consider you as friend." Betty started to say to him. "I know we don't know each other very well but I'm worried about you."
Dante stayed quiet for a bit. Then he took a deep breath and started to talk. "While I was sat there, I kinda had a flashback." Dante explained to her. "It was a year ago, Jason and I were sitting there and he was asking me, what should he give to Polly for her birthday." He kept on talking and Betty listened closely. "Then I gave him an old bracelet that I had for him to give it to her."
Betty made a surprised face. "Bracelet? A bracelet with diamonds?"
"Yes, That's the one."
"That was yours? Polly never took off since Jason gave it to her." Betty smiled a bit.
"I'm glad she liked it." Dante said to her. He tried to toss that thing away so many times, he was glad that it made someone else happy. "Anyway, that was it, I just..."
"Hey, guys." He heard Veronica's voice from behind him.
"Hey." Dante and Betty said to her.
"I'm going to be direct, what's this I hear about you crying in that chair before we showed up?" Veronica asked him.
Dante was surprised and then he looked to the window where he sees Veronica's mother looking at them. Then he realised that she probably told her. "I wasn't crying."
"He had flashback of him and Jason sitting there and he got sad because of it." Betty quickly said to them, which made Dante stare at her with an expression of annoyance.
"Hey, seriously." Veronica said while putting her hand on his shoulder.
Before anyone could say anything else. A car stopped in front of them. Dante took a good look and saw that it was Betty and Polly's mother. She takes a good look at him. "Get in the car Betty, now." It was more of an order than anything else.
Betty lifts her shoulders to them. But before going to the car, she put her hand on Dante's shoulder like Veronica. "It will get better." She said to him before entering the car.
"What have I told you about those two?" Alice said to her and soon as she entered.
"Can we just go?" Betty replies as she put the her seatbelt on.
They drive away quickly.
"She always hated me for some reason." Dante said as he watches the car leaving.
"That's her problem, not Betty's." Veronica replied.
"Yup." Dante then grabbed his skateboard. "I'm going home, see you tomorrow."
"Bye Danticho." Veronica said which made Dante stare at her.
"Is that Spanish?" Dante asked in curiosity.
"There aren't many nicknames for the name Dante, so I had to get creative." Veronica joked with a smile.
"Good to know." Dante gives her a kiss in the cheek. "Bye Ronnie."
He then rides away on his skateboard.
As soon as Dante got home. He took off his clothes and went to sleep in his underwear like he always does. But he ended up waking up in the middle of the night and was unable to sleep again, so he sat down and started to play his Xbox 360 until it was time for school. He played the game Fable 2 until it the sun came up, then he put on the same clothes that he was wearing yesterday.
Right before he was about to leave, his cell phone vibrates.
Betty: What is my mom's problem with you anyway?
Dante: How should I know?
Betty: She just kept telling me to stay away from you after we left Pop's.
Dante: I never liked your mother to be honest.
Betty: Can you meet me at my house?
Dante: Why? Did you find anything about Polly?
Betty: No. It's just to walk to school together.
Dante: I'll be there. But your mom won't be happy.
Betty: I'll handle my mother, don't worry.
Dante then put his cell phone in his pocket and left his house to go to Betty's.
Knock, Knock, Knock
Dante arrived at Betty's house quickly enough. Though he was not exactly looking forward to see her parents. Dante never really liked Hal and Alice Cooper, they were just too... perfect. A fake kinda of perfect that Dante found pretty disgusting.
The door opens and reveals Alice Cooper. To Dante's misery.
"Dante? What are you doing here?" Alice didn't even try to disguise the annoyance she was having with his presence at the door.
"Is Betty ready?" Dante decided to be direct. "She asked me to meet her here."
"Betty, asked you to come here?" There was a certain disbelief in her voice.
Luckily, this conversation was cut short. Betty finally appeared in door as well.
"Let's go Dante." Betty said and walked passed her mother.
Dante just turns around and starts to walk away from the house with Betty beside him. He could tell that she was still staring at him. Which was pretty annoying for him.
Betty and Dante walk in the street together quietly. None of the two said a word. Dante for the first time decided to start a conversation with her.
"It's because she and your dad are fake." Dante spoke out of nowhere.
"What?" She asked in deep confusion.
"Your parents have this obsession with playing the perfect suburban family act, that's why I never liked them." Dante explained to her. "I mean, that's why Polly liked to hang out with me and Jason, she didn't have to play the perfect daughter or anything when she was around us." Dante looked at her. "All she had to be was Polly."
Betty stayed quiet for a bit. "I can understand that."
"Of course you can." Dante replied.
She looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You are the one who tries the hardest to appear perfect." Dante told her. "The perfect girl next door."
"I hate when people call me that." Betty made an angry face.
"I don't doubt it." Dante quickly spoke. "But if not the perfect girl next door, then who are you Betty Cooper?"
Betty stayed quiet again but this time it looked like that she was thinking deeply. "I...I don't know."
"Then let's find out who the real Betty Cooper is together." Dante told her with a smile. "Because if she's as awesome as the real Polly Cooper then that's a girl that I want to hang out with."
Betty chuckled a bit. "Wow, now I understand why Polly liked you so much."
The school day was unremarkable at best. Dante spent most of the day waiting for the classes to be over. He was currently sitting in the music room. Dante was a decent guitar player, though he considered himself as more of a music listener rather than a music player. Him and Jason were part of Ms. Grundy's independent music program, but honestly, Dante only accepted because Jason insisted.
Jason once joked that Ms. Grundy was attracted to Dante. He laughed when he said that.
Right now, Dante was trying to play the song Baltimore's Fireflies by Woodkid
Dante closes his eyes and lets the music flow. He started to sing.
"What are the words that I'm supposed to say?
Your white skin, swirling fireflies.
Darkness has surrounded Baltimore bay.
Why don't you open your blue eyes?
Are they things that water can't wash away?
How can your absence leave no trace?
As I let you sink in Baltimore bay.
I drown myself deep in disgrace."
Unfortunately, Dante plays the wrong note which ruins the song.
"Shit." Dante said as he stopped singing because of it.
Clap, clap, clap.
Dante started to hear a few claps coming from the door. He looks to it and notices that is Valerie Brown.
"Shame you played the wrong note, cause you were nailing the song." Valerie said as she entered the room.
"Not everyone can be as talented as you, Josie and Melody." Dante said to her as he put the guitar down. "What are you doing here?"
"The Pussycats are going to have a rehearsal, I came here to prepare the equipment." Valerie quickly answered.
"Oh, Okay." Dante stood up from the chair that he was sitting down. "Better not get in the way of the actual talent then." He said with a smile.
"Hey, you're not bad." Valerie said to him. "You just have to put some more time into it."
"Nah, I always preferred to listen to good music than play it." Dante said. "Like that one that you girls played at the Pep Rally."
Valerie smiled at what he said. "The song is called Sugar, Sugar." She started to set up her musical keyboard .
"Did you write all of the songs?" Dante asked with curiosity.
"Yup." She answered as she started to test the Keyboard.
Dante then hears steps coming from behind him. It was the rest of the Pussycats.
"Excuse me, this is a close rehearsal." Josie spoke to him.
Dante just ignores her. "Well, have a good rehearsal." He said to Valerie before turning around to leave.
"Thanks Dante."
After class was over Dante just walked out of the school. He didn't bring his skateboard today because of his talk with Betty. So walking it was. Not that he minded. As he walked he ended up passing through the Twilight drive-in and saw a sign.
Closing night.
It had tomorrow's date on it. It will be his last time seeing a movie in there. It sucked, him and Jason would go there all the time. Sometimes with Polly, sometimes just the two of them. It was going to close and he can't go with either of them. Dante was just a bit upset.
"Dante?" Dante turns around to see who just called his name, it was Betty.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Dante asked her.
"Going to the Register, I have to speak with my mom about something." Betty answered.
"You better get ready for an annoying lecture about walking around with me." Dante told her.
She chuckles a bit. "I'm already ready for that."
Dante approaches her. "Mind if I tag along with you?" Dante asked.
"Ummm.. sure." Betty said with a confused look.
The two started to walk in the direction that Betty was going.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you, is just that... I just need to clear my head a bit." Dante said as the two walked.
"It's no bother but, is there something bothering you?" Betty asked him.
There was something bothering Dante, but he didn't know if he should tell her. While his friendship with Betty is new, he doesn't fully trust her yet. The thing that is bothering Dante is that, he's been thinking a lot about whoever killed Jason and what if he goes after Polly. Dante should invent something so Betty doesn't pry anymore.
"I'm a little upset about the Drive-in, Jason and I used to go there a lot." It wasn't the best excuse but it was good enough.
"I heard that it was bought by an anonymous buyer." Betty said to him.
"He's probably gonna transform into something else for money." Dante said to her. "What a waste."
"Are you going to the Closing night?" She asked.
"Probably."
"Kevin and V are going." She told him.
"I though Kevin was gay." Dante joked with a confused look.
She laughs a bit. "Not like that dummy, V thought that she might bring Kev some luck."
"Well, He can't do worse Moose Mason right?" Dante said in a sarcastic note.
"I hope he finds someone good to him." Betty said as they are almost arriving at the Register.
"We're here." Dante said. "Is better that I don't get too close."
"You're probably right." Betty said in return. "Thanks for walking me here."
She starts to walk towards the Register. But as she does, Dante has an idea.
"Hey, Betty." He calls for her.
"What?" She looks back to ask.
"You wanna go to the closing night with me?" Dante was planning to ask Veronica as a date but since she's going with Kevin. Betty is the only other person that he can ask to go with him, it wouldn't be date, just as friends. "We can meet Veronica and Kevin there."
"Umm.. Sure." She hesitates a bit before accepting.
"Cool, I'll pick you up by tomorrow." Dante is gonna pick one of his father's cars.
"Okay." She quickly answers. "Pick me up at the end of the street."
Dante made a confused look. "Okay."
"See you then." That was all she said before turning around and walking to the Register.
After dropping Betty at the Register, Dante went back home. He spent the rest of the day playing the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords on his Xbox.
Dante woke up the next morning slightly later then he should have. He spent the rest of the night playing the game and he ended up sleeping later then he should. He quickly got up and left without eating breakfast. It was kinda of stupid of him to do that since the school day was dull as ever. Basically some classes that Dante couldn't pay attention to because he was hungry.
After class was over, Dante walked back home to get ready for later. But the moment he arrived there. He saw Betty's parents at the door. He got closer to see what they wanted.
"Umm...Hello?" Dante greeted them in confusion while they knocked on his door.
They turned around and saw him. "Oh, Hello Dante." Alice Cooper greeted him back but Dante could tell that she was annoyed by his presence. "Do you know where your father is?"
"Nope." That was all that Dante said.
"Do you know when he comes back?" She asked him. Dante was wondering what exactly she wanted with his Father.
"Nope." Dante repeated the same answer. "My dad is probably shooting someone in Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever they have needs for marines." Dante was exaggerating but he wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to those two. "What do you want with him anyway?" He asked them.
"We're sorry to come unannounced, Dante." Hal Cooper finally spoke up. "It's been a rough couple months for us. But Alice and I-"
"We think you and Betty should stop spending time together." Alice didn't allow her husband to finish what he was saying. "This relationship isn't good for her." Dante just stood there listening to the nonsense shit that she was saying. "And her respective behavior reflects that."
"If by "Respective behavior" you mean, not wanting to play to perfect girl next door role that you keep shoving on to her," Dante started to speak. "I'm afraid that I can't do that, because I can't risk Betty having a mental breakdown like Polly did." He knows that the mental breakdown story is bullshit but they can't know that he knows.
"Listen Dante, that is not what Alice meant by that." Hal tried to speak again.
"Mr. Cooper, I'm one hundred percent sure that she means everything that she ever says." Dante quickly rebuffed what she was saying. "Like when she said that Polly was no longer her daughter when she was dating Jason." Dante then walked pass the two and went towards his door.
"Stay away from Betty." Alice said the moment Dante opened the door.
Dante just closed the door without bothering to answer the woman. The first thing that Dante did as soon as he entered was pick up his phone and sent a message to Betty.
Dante: It's official.
He waited a few minutes before getting a reply.
Betty: What?
Dante: I really hate your parents.
Betty: Why? Did they do something?
Dante: They just came to house and told me to stay away from you.
Betty: WHAT?
Dante: Your mother's words "We think you and Betty should stop spending time together. This relationship isn't good for her. And her respective behavior reflects that."
Betty: Respective Behavior? What's that supposed to mean.
Dante: It means that you're not playing the perfect girl next door role as you should.
There's a small pause.
Betty: Are you still taking me to the Drive-in?
Dante: Yes.
Betty: Good, I want you to pick me up at my place.
Dante: Betty, not that I wouldn't love to annoy your mom, but do you really think that's a good idea?
Betty: No.
Dante: If you say so.
Not long after. It was time for Dante to go pick up Betty for the closing night. He put on some decent clothes. Black chinos, Black t-shirt with a black overshirt and black sneakers. He then went to his father's room to get the keys for one of his cars. He takes the key for the Camaro, his father doesn't mind when he uses the car but he made it absolutely clear to never drive the Ferrari without his permission. Dante then leaves the house and opens up the garage. He enters the car and drives off to Betty's house.
He arrives there pretty quickly then he waits outside a bit. He picks up his phone and sends her a message.
Dante: I'm outside.
Dante then sees her in the window upstairs signalling him to wait. He sits down a bit until Betty comes out of the house. But the moment she does, Dante notices Alice yelling at her for something but Dante can't hear it. He doesn't care to be honest. Betty then opens the door and he can hear Alice screams.
"Elizabeth Cooper, get out of that car right now!" Dante had a small urge to say something but he noticed that it would be a waste of time.
Betty simply closes the door. "Can we go?"
Dante nodded and then started drive away.
"Who's car is this?" Betty asked.
"My dad's." Dante answered. "You know that she'll probably come after us."
"How do you know?"
"She did it with Polly once."
"What?!"
After Dante told Betty a short story about how he, Jason and Polly once went to a concert in Greendale and Alice followed them all of the way and dragged Polly back home. Jason and Dante had to go alone to the concert and Polly's angry rant the next day was epic. But Betty really did not like what she just heard.
They arrived at the Drive-In. Dante kept looking for a spot to park the car to see the movie.
"That's Kevin's truck." Betty told him while pointing at the truck.
Dante drove in that direction and and parked the car beside the truck. Dante then roll down the window to greet them.
"Hey guys." Dante greeted the two of them.
"Hey." The two said when they turned their head to see them.
"You didn't told me you were coming Danticho." Veronica quickly said to him which made Kevin chuckle.
"Danticho?" Kevin asked Veronica.
"I can't call him Dark Gentleman like everyone else." Veronica quickly answered.
"I think it's adorable." Kevin said in return. He then looked at the car that Dante and Betty came with. "Who's car is that?"
"My dad's." Dante was quick to answer.
After they finished greeting each other, they quickly stopped talking when the movie started. They didn't talk much just one or two commentaries as the movie goes on. The only thing that distracted them, was Cheryl arriving in her red car. Which caught the attention of all four of them.
"Make some room, outcasts." Cheryl said as she climbed onto the truck and sat beside Veronica.
Dante was confused but decided that he didn't really wanna know. He just sat back to watch the film with Betty beside him.
"Did Polly came here often?" Betty asked Dante in a low voice.
"Sometimes." Dante answered. "Once we all came here to see Princess Bride."
"Jason loved that film." Dante heard Cheryl say.
Dante turned his head to look at her. "Yeah, he did."
Cheryl makes a somewhat sad face before looking back at the scream.
Then they start to hear some noise on the back. Dante looked to see where was it coming from. It was the Serpents, sitting on the back fooling around.
They started to laugh and Kevin snickered a bit. "Southside trash." Kevin said.
"They've been doing that since the opening credits." Veronica said.
"Shh!" Kevin shushes them.
"Screw off!" One of the bikers said "Nice haircut, you dweeb."
Everyone around them started to shush them as well.
Dante had enough and opened the door of his car and stepped outside. "Hey! You know what happens when an Eagle eats a Snake?" Dante said to them. "Shut the fuck up, or you'll find out!" Dante yelled at them before re-entering his car. But when he did. Everyone around them started to applaud him for what he said.
"I cannot believe you just threatened a gang." Kevin spoke to him as soon as he closed the door of the car.
"I've dealt with worse in Detroit." Dante rebuffed. "Once, a group of twelve guys chased me and my friend Kurtz through eight blocks."
"Why?" Veronica asked him.
"Well, Kurtz was -" Dante started to tell the story but out of nowhere. Alice Cooper knocked on the car window on Betty's side
"Get out of the car Betty." She spoke in a calm voice.
"Mom, don't start." Betty quickly rebuffed.
"Betty, you going to get out of this car and you going home with me now or I'll scream so loud that even the people that didn't come here today will hear it." Alice spoke in a calm voice that definitely did not sound like a bluff.
Betty exhales deeply before getting out of the car. "Fine." She spoke with a very annoyed tone. She turns around to look at Dante. "Thanks for inviting me Dante."
"No problem." Dante smiled at her a bit.
"Let's go." Alice said and started to walk away and Betty followed her after.
Betty waved at Kevin and Veronica who waved back.
"Jesus Christ, what's her problem with you anyway?" Kevin asked Dante.
"My theory is that I don't fit the boy next door archetype." Dante joked but this was one of his theories.
"No, you fit that archetype more." Veronica said to him while pointing at James Dean on the screen.
"But James's haircut is better." Kevin joked. "Though I have to admit that you have a similar dressing style."
Dante chucked at that.
"Though it would look better if he wore any color that wasn't black." This time it was Cheryl who said it.
Veronica then picked up the popcorn bowl. "How about a refill?" She tells Cheryl then hands her the bowl.
"Yeah, Kev, how about a refill?" She gives the bowl to Kevin. "Cherry cola, as always."
Kevin picks up the bowl and gets out of the truck. Dante is also out of popcorn so he decides to get one as well. "Hold up." He tells Kevin.
"Can we get a refill?" Dante asked the guy and handed him his bowl and Kevin's.
Kevin looks around and stops to look at something. Dante turns his head to see that he was looking at a couple kissing.
"And some gummy worms and a cola." Kevin asked the guy. He looks at the couple again. "And a hot dog? Who am I trying to impress?"
"Can you stop looking at them?" Dante finally spoke up. "It's kinda of creepy."
"We're out of dogs." The guy said to him.
"Figures." Kevin spoke up.
"Sorry, no comforting eating for you today." Dante joked to him.
"I can always go to Pop's." He joked to Dante.
Dante smiled. "Come on, our lady friends are waiting."
Dante and Kevin then picked up the bowls and made their way to back to their cars. But when they did, a guy with a slim build, tan skin, medium-length black hair, and very light blue eyes stops in front of them. "Not so tough without your beard, huh?"
Dante quickly stood in front of him and stared in his eyes. "You wanna a problem?" Dante was quick to say.
"No, I just wanna get to know this one better." He spoke while looking at Kevin.
"Hey, Dante, It's okay." Kevin spoke to him. "Get this to the girls." Kevin gave Dante his refills.
"What?"
"Just go."
Dante was confused but he decided to obey Kevin. He walked back towards the car where only Cheryl was sitting. He looks around and doesn't sees Veronica.
"Where's Veronica?" He asked while he handed the popcorn to Cheryl.
"No idea." She said while she looked at the film.
Dante puts the popcorn on the seat of his car and looked around. He then sees Veronica peeking from behind a wall. Dante decides to go to her and check.
He approaches her slowly and poked her shoulder. She gets a bit spooked and turned around.
"What's the problem?" He asked her in a low voice.
"Look." She answered her.
Dante then peeked as well and saw Hermione Lodge speaking with a men in a Leather Jacket. He picks a paper bag from her hand and checks.
"Where's the rest of it?" The man spoke.
"The rest of it?" Hermione asked. "It was my understanding that was the agreed-upon amount."
He closes the bag and speaks. "In that case, maybe we need to have a word with your husband."
"Good luck with that." Hermione quickly rebuffed. "As long as Hiram's in jail, you'll be dealing with me."
"Mmm-hmm."
"Is that a problem?"
"Enjoy the movie, Hermione." He said to her "We'll be in touch." He turned around and left her there.
Dante turned to Veronica and signalled her to follow him. She does without asking questions. "In my car." Dante spoke to her as the two made their way back to the Camaro. They entered and closed the windows of it.
"Do you know who that was?" Dante asked her.
"No, but Cheryl said that they spoke before at Pop's."
"Why is your mother giving money to a Serpent?"
"No idea but I'll find out." Veronica quickly spoke to him. She then looked around. "Nice car by the way."
"I told you, It's my father's." Dante repeated what he said to her and Kevin.
"What does he do?" She asked him.
"He's a Marine."
She makes a surprised face. "What? Your father is in the military?"
"Yes, what's the problem?"
"It's just that... you don't look like the type." Veronica spoke.
"Type?"
"Back in New York, I met a lot of guys who's fathers were in the army." She started to explain to him. "And most of them were like... a literal walking propaganda of Goody Two-Shoes." She told him.
Dante laughed at that. "Kevin's father was once in the military, I think and his mother oversea in the navy and I don't think he fits the type either."
"Speaking of him, where is he?" Veronica asked.
"He's either hooking up with or getting beat up by a biker." Dante said to her which made her confused. "Whatever it is, he told me to leave him alone with the guy."
"I see." Veronica spoke.
When they finished speaking. The two looked at the scream and saw the credits rolling.
"You wanna ride home?" Dante asked. "Cause I don't think Kevin will be back in a while."
"Sure." She said with a smile before putting on the seat belt.
Dante the rolled down the window to tell Cheryl that they were leaving. But the moment he did, he saw her driving away in her car. Dante then turned on the car and drove to the exit.
"Goodbye Twilight Drive-In." Dante said.
"It's shame, I wouldn't mind coming here again."
Dante started at her and smiled, she smiled back.
He then drove away.