SEVEN
august 21st, 11:30am
Somewhere between the seemingly life-ending teen drama of Cheryl's after-party and the somber Saturday morning after, Riverdale had changed. Perhaps it was the heart-wrenching closure of chapters in friendships much like Betty and Archie. Or maybe it was the scathing sense of distrust that Veronica Lodge brought with her and wore like a badge of honour from her hometown in New York. It could've been the fact that Luke finally walked Lea home.
The most likely reason for the change in the small town was the body found in Sweetwater River in the early hours of the morning. The body of Jason Blossom. With a bullet wound through his head.
When Lea awoke that morning, it was like a bomb had gone off on her social media feeds. Everyone was talking about the appearance of the body like it was a new episode of their favourite TV show. There were articles and posts from surrounding towns - something that hardly ever happened. Riverdale news was exclusive to Riverdale, but not this time.
Leaked photographs circulated her feed, blurry and distant, but the bright red hair peaking out from under a white sheet on a gurney was unmistakable for a Blossom. Police tape littered the scene, weaving in and out of the surrounding trees. How the body was found was unknown. There were rumours of a passing jogger stumbling upon his legs peaking out from the water, or a dog walker noticing a strange floating object in the middle of the river, but no one really knew.
Lea had swapped shifts with another girl, Jess, who worked at the diner so that she could take the afternoon shift. She headed downstairs to grab her car keys, before leaving to head to work for the afternoon.
Walking into the kitchen, she found her dad sitting at the counter, watching the news report on the TV. The news reporters voice pierced the room as she grabbed her keys from the drawer, slow enough to keep listening.
'And now we return our breaking news story of the day: a body of a young boy was found in the town of Riverdale today, in the early hours of the morning. The body belongs to one of Riverdale's own founding families, and has been named as one Jason Blossom.'
Lea turned around, leaning against the counter to listen.
'The teenager was previously believed to have drowned in the lake, per witness of his sister, Cheryl. Police say the case has now re-opened and are looking for anyone who knows anything about the demise of Jason Blossom to come forward.'
"Pretty heavy stuff." Luke said, turning the volume down as the woman on the screen continued to talk.
Lea nodded. "I've been speaking to Luke all morning."
"How is he?" He asked.
"As you'd expect." Lea sighed, moving towards the door. "He's... upset, angry. He wants to bite everyones head off while giving them all a hug at the same time."
Her dad nodded, playing with the remote in his hands. "Give him some time, it's still new."
She hummed in agreement, heading into the hallway. "I'll see you later, love you."
"Be safe!" Luke called after her.
As Lea left, she heard the volume of the TV rise, returning back to the story on everyone's minds. Her walk to the car was silent, her footsteps echoing throughout the street. There were none of the usual kids playing in the street, or mothers tending to their front yards. It was as if the kids had been told to say in and the mothers decided they could let their flowers perish for the day.
The scene was repeated when Lea pulled into the diner parking lot. She recognised the older car that belonged to Pop Tate, for that was the only car present to recognise. She expected the diner to be quiet, but not this quiet. She walked through the front doors to the gentle jingle of the bell that rested above. There wasn't a single soul in the place other than Jess and Pop Tate himself.
There was still ten minutes before her shift started, so the took a seat at the bar where Jess was polishing glasses.
"Has it been like this all morning?" Lea asked, looking around.
Jess nodded with a somber look on her face. "To be honest, if I didn't have to be here, I probably wouldn't be either. My mom and dad are freaking out."
The blonde sighed. "You can finish now if you want. I'll takeover."
Within five minutes, Jess had wrapped her scarf around her neck and was walking out of the diner, leaving Lea behind the bar to serve the empty seats.
There was something about the eerie announcement of Jason's death that didn't seem to affect her at all, and she felt pretty bad about it. The town was in mourning, most of them, for a boy a lot of them didn't even like. Due to the constant theorising with Jughead over the past few weeks, it was like she had already made up her mind about what happened to Jason. Albeit, she never expected him to wash up on the shore of her town with a bullet in his brain. Lea was stuck on the idea that he had simply ran away, or had gotten involved in an accident. She knew there was a strange aura surrounding the whole case, but this was different. Someone was out for blood and they got it.
Sad was the best way Lea could seem to describe it. It had had a somber affect over the mood of the whole town. So much so that it almost didn't feel real.
It was nearing one o'clock when the first customer of the day entered the shop. To no ones surprise, it was a regular - both in the diner and in Lea's life. Jughead entered to the sound of the bell, immediately looking around to the empty place. He turned to Lea with furrowed brows.
"Are we in the apocalypse?" He asked.
Lea shrugged. "Seems like it."
He shook his head and took a place on the bar stool, as opposed to the many booths readily available. His bag made a loud thud on the floor as he dropped it next to his seat, placing his sticker-clad laptop on the counter.
"So... what are we thinking?" Lea asked, knowing that he would already be on the case.
"I'm thinking... we are going to have a very tough Monday morning." He began to type.
She sighed. He was right.
"I feel weird." Lea admitted. "I don't know what to make of any of it."
"I don't think anyone does. How does someone like Jason Blossom end up with a bullet in his head?" Jughead mulled it over, gratefully accepting the coffee Lea handed him.
She shrugged, smoothing down her skirt. "I suppose the question everyone's gonna start asking is who was on the other end."
Jughead muttered a 'yeah' before fully diving into his writing.
That was how the duo spent the afternoon - with Jughead writing his heart out and with Lea wiping tables. A grand total of two people came in to collect orders, but no one dared dined-in. By the end of Lea's shift at six o'clock, the diner was barely half-full. Jughead was on his fifth cup of coffee and was readjusting his hat almost as often as he hit the spacebar on his laptop.
Lea had her coat around her shoulders, ready to leave, when Jughead called her name. She turned to face him.
"You not staying to conspire and theorise?" He asked. It was half a joke and half not.
"No." She answered bluntly. "You've got a chaotic energy surrounding you and I can't be present for when you reach cup number ten."
He chuckled softly. "That's fair enough."
"And besides, I'm gonna go see Cheryl. I haven't spoken to her since last night."
"Ah, yes." Jughead hummed. "The party that ended in disaster."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It was fine. Some people are just too sensitive."
He didn't comment, merely winced as she pulled her hair out of the collar of her coat.
"I'll call you if I find anything." Jughead said. Before Lea could agree, he started to backtrack in uncertainty. "That is, if you still wanna be involved in all of this."
She thought about it for a second, wondering if it'd be easier to live and ignore, or live and be present. It's not like they were detectives and this case was something the police would probably be able to solve within the next few weeks with the right witnesses and leads. They were signing up for child's play in a murder investigation.
She shrugged. "Why not?"
august 23rd, 8:14am
Riverdale High had truly never felt so strange. It was as though everyone was remaining so distant all while in the midst of the same conversation. Lea could've counted on both hands the amount of times she had heard the name Jason before she had even walked through the front doors of the school.
Today, she walked in, not with her friends, but with a group of freshmen cheerleaders following behind her as if she was their leader. This was usually Cheryl's sacrifice, but due to her meeting with Principle Weatherbee that morning, the duty had been passed on to the co-captain. Luke was also at the meeting, due to being so close with Jason.
Lea walked through the halls, her chin held high. The girls behind her gossiped loudly as though no one could hear them. A couple feet in front of her she saw Reggie accompanied by more footballers. She watched as her beanie-clad friend, Jughead, was shoved into as he passed.
"Watch it, Wednesday Addams!" Reggie called after him, not catching when the boy rolled his eyes and carried on walking away.
Before she realised it, Lea had stalked forward, coming to a stop in front of him. "What's wrong with you today, Mantle?" She raised a brow.
Reggie looked down from his position of towering over her. "I'm starting to fail math, what's your excuse?"
"I've got Heather, Heather, and Heather following me." She spoke quietly, her voice full of spite.
Reggie swung an arm over her shoulder, before beginning to walk down the hall with her and all of their friends in tow.
"I thought you liked being Queen B?" He laughed.
"Oh, I love it." She refuted. "I just don't love hearing who is screwing who in freshman year when someone was just found dead in a lake - "
Their conversation was cut short by the crackling of the school speakers, and the voice of Principle Weatherbee filling the school halls. Everyone seemed to stop and listen, for once.
'Good morning, students. This is your principle speaking. There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally, so let me state clearly: it is happening as scheduled.'
Lea and Reggie shared a look.
'Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller.'
The seriousness of the situation seemed to hit everyone at the same time at the mention of the involvement of the Sheriff.
'Most 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 - And may I interject?'
There was a sudden change in voice, one Lea recognised instantly as Cheryl's.
'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. Hashtag, Riverdale Strong.'
The speakers turned off again, only to return with the familiar voice of Sheriff Keller.
'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 Principle Weatherbee. A death like this wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down. Thank you.'
The speakers cut off, and the sound of chatter slowly but surely filled the halls. The sound of the class bell rung soon after.
"Science?" Reggie asked her, looking down.
"Math, but close." Lea elbowed his side, making him jolt away and remove his arm from her shoulders. She barely bid him goodbye as she walked away, now free of copycat Vixens lurking over her shoulder.
Unlike usual, Lea walked into her math class alone. She took her seat at the back, next to the window. It was a place where she could read better due to the light, and somewhat discreetly use her small coloured overlay. She had lied when she told her dad she didn't use them anymore. Except, she didn't like the obnoxiousness of the bright red, so she cut it in half, then half again. Numbers was something that came easier to her than longer, unnecessary words, which she was grateful for.
Although, nothing came easier to her than cheerleading did.
Lea had pulled through the day, feeling mostly alone. She hadn't seen Luke once, and had only seen Cheryl the moment before they met in the locker room before practice. Surprisingly, Cheryl was her usual, bitchy self. She had left Lea to organise the first half of cheer practice while she pulled herself together in the locker room.
"5, 6, 7 8!" Lea called, pressing play on the speaker in the gym.
The team of girls broke into their routine Cheryl had put together, and if Lea was being honest - it sucked. Pretty bad. It was awkward and painful to watch, and it certainly didn't echo the words of Cheryl. She wanted fire, and this felt more like a flicker of a match.
The team parted to make way for Veronica, she strutted forward, making brief eye contact with Lea as she gave the routine her all. Amongst everyone else, Lea had to admit, she looked the best. But, it was hardly cheerleading - the River Vixens were turning into an amateur dance group.
Mid-dance the music was cut, and Lea turned to see Cheryl taking her finger off the stereo button.
"Stand down, Vixens, and listen up." She called. The team had come to a halt. "The weather's predicting a downpour the night of the rally, but already, you're raining on my parade."
Lea snorted and looked down.
"With Jason so present in our collective consciousness, all eyes will be on me." Cheryl continued, pacing back and forth in front of the team. "Will this beautiful, exotic, hothouse flower drown under the town's scrutiny, or be swamped by her emotions? The answer, ladies is no and no."
Everyone was stood, leaning into their hip. Whether or not they were actually listening to Cheryl's words was unclear.
"That said, I need star power. I need the Pussycats. Stay loose and limber, ladies, while I make a call." With that, Cheryl pulled out her phone and walked away. Straight past Lea and straight towards the bleachers.
Everyone stood around, swinging their legs or looking at the floor. Lea turned back to them.
"Take five, go and stretch." She called. No one moved. "Well, go!"
The Vixens dispersed. Freshmen listened to their co-captain, using the benches to stretch their legs. Sophmore's and above abided loosely, chatting while barely even stretching their arms. Lea sighed, watching them all.
She decided to stretch herself, all while keeping an eye on her team. Cheryl's routine needed to be refined, and most of it needed to be changed. So, with the Blossom out of the room, Lea took it upon herself to start adjusting it.
That's all they did while their captain was away. When Lea turned around in a mid-turn, her skirt swaying past her legs, she found herself looking at a train-wreck waiting to happen.
Veronica and Betty were no longer stretching, or drinking water. They were feet apart in an apparent disagreement, and Lea would only need one guess to know what it was about. It amazed her how quickly two girls, who didn't even know each other two weeks ago, could have such a mass falling out. Although, she had a sneaky suspicion it was all down to a particular Lodge and her ways.
Lea hardly noticed when Cheryl walked in, immediately taking note of the discourse and making her way over. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she loved doing it. The last thing she expected, however, was for Cheryl to walk away, holding Betty's hand, leaving behind a seething Veronica.
Cheryl walked over to Lea, Betty in tow.
"Betty's gonna be up in the front now." She smiled.
Betty looked traumatised and began to stutter.
Lea scoffed in disapproval. "Uhm, no she isn't."
"Yes," The redhead crossed her arms. "She is. Betty, let me go over the new part you'll have to learn."
As Cheryl began to walk away, Lea grabbed her shoulder. "Cheryl, your routine is a mess. As co-captain, I'm not agreeing to letting Betty in the front."
"Well, then, it's a good thing, co-captain, that the captain is here to overrule you."
They were inches apart, both of their arms crossed and their eyes like splinters. Betty watched awkwardly from the sides, almost like she was a child, watching both of her parents argue over her.
Cheryl lowered her voice. "Frankly, Lea, I saw the moves you were adding as I walked in, and we both know that this team isn't fit enough to be doing them."
Lea pursed her lips and looked at the group of girls in the gym, knowing she was right.
She stood up straighter. "Fine. You can keep your routine, and you can let Betty in the front, but starting from now, I choreograph what we do."
Cheryl took a moment, staring. "Fine, Veruca Salt. It was your idea to let half of them on anyway."
The end of cheer practice left a sour taste in Lea's mouth. That wasn't the way she wanted her first conversation of the day with Cheryl to go. They didn't have a second one after that, and instead of walking home, like she had planned all day, she headed to the diner.
The familiar jingle of the bell was comforting, as was seeing the diner return to its business as usual busyness. She wasn't there to work, but to meet Luke, who had some business after school. They hadn't seen each other all day, so they decided on a place to sit and unwind. It had been a long day - dreary and argumentative.
Lea smiled kindly at Pop before strolling into an empty booth. Her bag landed with a heavy thud on the seat as it held all of her books and the clothes she wore that day - she hadn't bothered to change out of her cheer uniform. She pulled out her English literature textbook, along with her already busy notebook, and waited for a server to come over.
"Andrea Lawson?" A voice spoke from above her.
Lea looked up at the sound of her mother's name, to see an older woman with darker hair and a sickly sweet smirk. Instantly, the woman realised she wasn't who she thought she was.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled. "You must be her daughter, you look so much alike."
Lea didn't smile back, merely nodded. "Yes, I'm Lea."
"Nice to meet you, Lea. When you get home, tell your mom, Hermione Lodge said 'hi'." She pulled out her notepad and Lea hummed. "What can I get you?"
"I didn't know you were working here." Lea said, closing her book over.
"Oh, I started over the weekend. A new start for me and my daughter." Hermione tucked a hair behind her ear.
"I see." Lea nodded slowly. "I'll have a mango smoothie." She returned to her books.
Hermione could sense that the younger girl wasn't exactly enjoying her company, so with a smile kinder than any she had received, she walked away with the order.
Lea watched as she walked away. She saw a walk that was familiar to the one she had seen for the past week in the school hallways. She didn't know if it was the New York City-entitlement, or if they really did just think they were better than everyone they walked past. Lea and her family had never exactly struggled for money, but she could only assume that's what a lot of it did to your ego.
All of a sudden, in the midst of her thought, a figure pulled themselves into the booth across from her. Bewildered, Lea looked up to see the most unfortunate unfamiliar face she could've wished to see in that moment. One of the Serpents from a few weeks ago.
"Excuse you?"She scowled, looking from the pink strands in her hair to the neutral look on her face. "Get out of my booth."
"I didn't realise you owned it." She said. "This is usually where me and my friends sit, too."
Before she could say anything, Hermione came back with Lea's drink, tentatively placing it on the table. She smiled at the two, not noticing the tension, before offering the girl across from her a drink.
"Chocolate shake, please." She said.
Hermione walked away without noticing the back of her jacket.
"So, what's your name?" The Serpent asked.
"None of your business." Lea snapped. "Can I be left alone to do my homework?" She leaned forward and spoke quieter. "Do you know what that is? Or do Southsider's choose gun fights over school?"
"Watch it, blondie." She warned, leaning forward. "Your prejudice is showing."
"And I'll shout it from the rooftops." Lea shot back.
By now, their faces were mere inches apart. All they did was glare at the other, not moving even when Hermione came to place the milkshake on the table. This time, the older woman did sense the tension, and left fairly quickly and awkwardly.
"Have you ever thought about loosening your ponytail?" The girl finally sat back, grabbing her milkshake and moving her lips around the straw.
Lea was practically shaking, before deciding to take a deep breath. "I'm ignoring you." She returned her attention back to her book, attempting her very best to read quickly.
"Ok, then just listen."
Lea pretended like she wasn't.
"I know you don't like us, Serpents and the Southside - whatever. And I know one of your own was just found dead. But, I need you to know that it had nothing to do with us."
The cheerleader looked up from rereading the same word ten times, her expression was incredulous.
"Why are you telling me this?" She asked.
The girl sighed. "You're Lea Lawson aren't you?"
Lea's brows furrowed further.
"Everyone knows that you hate us. More than the usual amount thrown our way." She had finished her milkshake, and was finally getting up from the booth. "And no one wants to see a face that pretty being proved wrong."
She left. She left. She left without paying her bill.
Lea was left alone in the booth with her mouth hanging open, watching as her pink hair fell across the snake on her back.
All she could think was how dare someone come onto her side of the tracks, and try to tell her what to believe. If anything, the last ten minutes had raised her suspicions about the Serpents and their involvement with Jason's death.
Like clockwork, another figure sat down across from her in the booth. This time, however, it was the face she wanted to see.
Luke sat there, his bulldog jacket draped over his shoulders, bags under his eyes. The two of them looked like a middle-class mess.
"Have you had a bad of a day as I have?" He asked.
Lea deadpanned. "Let's take a bet on who had it worse."