Chapter 5: Relationship Complications
And at once I knew I was not magnificent
Strayed above the highway aisle
Jagged vacance, thick with ice
And I could see for miles, miles, miles
Holocene by Bon Iver
"Oh, no way!"
Reggie's snickers were magnified in Rosie's ears. The bottle had landed on her. She and Archie were supposed to go in the 'Closet of Love' and…make out?
"It's clearly pointing to…the hipster new girl," smirked Cheryl. "This should be fun."
Rosie's fingers twisted around the hem of her mint green dress. She was beyond annoyed. Betty's pitiful gaze landed on the brunette. She was heartbroken, and Rosie knew that it would kill Betty if she went into that closet with Archie.
"Yeah, that's not happening," Rosie sneered at Cheryl, refusing.
The redhead simply rolled her eyes. "That's up to you. But, if you don't, house rules decree that the hostess gets to take your turn."
Archie shot Rosie a desperate glance. He was obviously not okay with that decree, or whatever Cheryl had called it.
Betty's eyes glazed over in tears. Veronica glared at Cheryl in annoyance.
"Fine," Rosie concluded shortly. "But just so you know, I think this game is ridiculous."
Cheryl shrugged smugly and waved a hand towards the closet door at the wall opposite her. "Just get going so that the rest of us can delightfully continue."
Before standing, Rosie put a hand on Betty's.
"Nothing is going to happen in there, Betty, I swear to you," she whispered intently. "Nothing."
Betty nodded, but still looked unsure.
Rosie sighed and followed Archie into the closet.
As he shut the door after them, Rosie shook her head in repulsion.
"I know her brother just drowned in a river, but Cheryl really is the worst person I have ever encountered out of any town I've lived in," she sighed.
Archie laughed quietly. "Yeah, she's not exactly my favorite person, either."
"How long do we have left?"
Archie pulled out his phone. "Six minutes and forty seconds."
"Great," Rosie complained, shaking her head. "What did she expect us to do? Make out?"
"I think that's the general idea of the game," chuckled Archie.
Rosie laughed, too. "Yeah, well, we're friends. I'm not doing that Betty."
The comment sobered up Archie quickly. He stared past Rosie's head at a rack of itchy wool coats. Rosie noticed the sudden grim atmosphere.
"It didn't go well tonight for you both, did it?" she inquired softly.
Archie was quiet for a moment. "I don't think it went the way she wanted it to."
"What did she say?"
"It was something about how she saw us as a power couple – you know, now that she's a River Vixen and I'm on the football team."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"And…what did you say?"
"I…I don't remember. It's all kind of a blur. I just…"
"What is it?"
Archie seemed frustrated at himself. "I just don't feel…whatever it is I'm supposed to feel with Betty. But you were right, Rosie. She likes me."
"She loves you," the brunette corrected gently. "She loves you as a friend. And more."
"That's the problem," Archie replied. "I love her only as a friend."
"Then you need to tell her that," Rosie urged. "Be honest with her. Listen with your ears and heart open. Be genuine and giving. But don't tell her something that's untrue. Her heart is already broken. You don't want to shatter it."
Archie nodded, looking down at his shoes as he leaned against the shelf of board games. His eyes locked onto Rosie's.
"I will," he said, determined. "Thank you."
Rosie smiled. "You're welcome." There was a beat. "How much time now?"
Archie laughed as he turned on his phone again. "Four minutes, thirty seconds."
"Let's play a game," Rosie suggested. "Ten questions."
Archie seemed satisfied with her suggestion. "Okay, okay…uh…do you miss Portland?"
Rosie's smile faded a little. "Yeah, yeah. I do. I miss the city more than anything else." She crossed her arms, thinking of a question. "What is your favorite music genre?"
Archie narrowed his eyes at her good-naturedly, shaking his head. "You know that's a difficult question for me."
"I know, but I need an answer!"
He leaned back against the game board shelf even more, stabilizing himself as the went through genres in his mind.
Unfortunately, the shelf had a mind of its own. As Archie shifted his weight against the woodworking, the entire piece of furniture decided to topple over.
Rosie had reached out to Archie to help him stand, but the sheer surprise of the falling shelf caught Archie off guard. He grabbed Rosie's outstretched hands to help pull himself back onto his feet, but Rosie wasn't strong enough to do so. Instead of helping Archie to safety, both he and Rosie were pulled down with the shelf, falling sharply onto the wooden shelves and uneven stacks of board game boxes. Archie landed on his back, while Rosie unceremoniously fell right on top of him. Her elbows dug into his ribs, causing him more pain. His arms were wrapped around her torso, a symptom of trying to catch her as she fell.
They both groaned from the sudden, jerky movements. But before they had time to move, the door of the closet was thrown open, revealing their awkward position on top of the dropped case.
It was Cheryl, who just giggled. "Getting a little too aggressive, aren't we? I didn't expect such vigor from either of you."
Archie and Rosie could barely move from the sudden shock of it all. Before they could shift positions, Betty and Veronica appeared behind the Blossom girl. Veronica's expression changed from one of astonishment to one of sheer anger. Betty slapped a hand over her mouth as tears began streaming down her face.
"No, no – Betty!"
"Betty, this is not what it looks like!"
Betty flew out of sight as Rosie rolled off Archie onto the floor beside the shelf. Veronica snarled at the both of them before stomping off after the blonde.
"No, no, no, Ronnie! Ronnie!" Archie shouted, boosting himself up onto his converse-clad feet. He immediately held out a hand for Rosie, who graciously accepted. He pulled her up so that she could stand. Then, the two scurried out of the closet as Cheryl called after them.
"What, you're not going to take up my offer of the room down the hall?"
Rosie and Archie hurried down the stairs, the brunette taking up the front. She didn't realize how easy it was to almost trip in heels on carpeted stairs.
"Crap! Betty's cell is off," Archie told her as they rushed out the front door.
"Already?!" exclaimed Rosie, panicking. "She's fast."
As they flung the front doors of Thorn Hill open, they saw Veronica stepping into a black car. She had called an Uber already.
The two friends ran towards the car, yelling for the two girls to stop and listen.
"Hey, hey! Veronica! Betty!" Archie called.
"Betty! Betty, please, I kept my promise!"
"Shady bitch!" Veronica spat in Rosie's direction as she slammed the car door shut.
And before they could reach the car, it sped off out of the driveway and onto the road. Rosie came to an abrupt halt, groaning and feeling like she could break something.
"I can't believe they thought we were – ,"
"I know," Rosie interrupted. "I just…I don't…ugh!"
She put a hand on her forehead, pacing back and forth. "What do we do?"
Archie shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets. "I have no idea."
The two thought deeply, Rosie pacing, her heels clicking on the pavement; Archie standing there, staring off at the path the Uber took as it drove off.
"We have to go after them," Archie finally said.
"And do what?" barked Rosie. "Apologize? Something tells me that Betty won't be receptive to anything I have to say."
"Then we go separately," Archie suggested quickly. "Me first, you second."
"Or I could go first," Rosie replied swiftly. "She'll take out all her anger on me, then she'll be more willing to listen to you."
Archie nodded, but whipped out his phone and pressed a few buttons. He held it up to his ear.
"Who are you calling?"
"Veronica."
"She's just going to yell at you."
But Archie didn't respond to Rosie's comment. Veronica had apparently picked up the phone.
"What do you want, you snake?" she yapped in greeting.
"What you saw was wrong, Ronnie," Archie pleaded.
"Oh, sure, you and Rosie Green getting it on and knocking over an entire shelf in the process? I think I saw it correctly, Archie Andrews," Veronica fought tartly.
"No, no that's not what happened," argued Archie. "It was an accident. Nothing happened between Rosie and I. I swear!"
"I don't think I believe you. And don't apologize to me, apologize to Betty," barked Veronica fiercely. "But she's not willing to speak with you right now, so don't contact her."
"Veronica – ,"
Nothing.
"She hung up on me," sighed Archie, staring at his blank phone screen.
"What did she say?" pressed Rosie.
"She said that she thinks we were…we were in the middle of doing stuff when we knocked over the game board shelves; that Betty doesn't want to talk to us right now…"
"We can't just leave this alone," Rosie said, shaking her head in disbelief. "We are innocent until proven guilty, which we aren't. I'm not going to let this go. Where would Betty go if she was upset?"
Archie's mind reeled for a moment. "Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe."
"What is that?" wondered Rosie.
"A diner, our favorite place in Riverdale," he replied. "We can go together. Let me get my truck and we can…"
"I don't think she wants to talk with us together," Rosie reiterated. "It would just make it worse. I might just…I might just go home. Let her sleep on it, then talk to her at school on Monday or sometime this weekend."
Archie sighed. "Alright. I'll take you home."
"Thanks," said the brunette quietly.
The two walked towards the Andrews' truck, not speaking a single word to each other.
As they left the Blossom residence, Rosie spoke up.
"To clarify something," she began, "I just want you to know that I don't think of you in a romantic sense. At all."
Archie nodded, agreeing. "I feel the same way. You're my friend. You're my music partner."
"Exactly!" Rosie nodded profusely. "You're cute, sure, but not my type. And having a romantic relationship with a music partner can end – ,"
"Can end really bad," continued Archie. "So we agree? We're only friends and we don't think of each other that way?"
"Yes! Yes, one hundred percent!" chimed in Rosie. "We need to make that known to Betty and Veronica. We need to explain the situation, tell them everything play-by-play."
Archie was on the same page. "I agree. Tell her what we talked about and how we ended up like that."
"Yes, that plan is spectacular," Rosie concluded.
They sat in complete silence again, listening to the rumble of the truck's engine as it soared down the roads of Riverdale.
"I feel like such an idiot," Rosie said as Archie turned the truck down her street.
"You shouldn't," Archie told her fervently. "What happened was a freak accident."
"I just feel stupid for even going to Cheryl's party in the first place. Parties…bad things always happen to me at parties."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean bad things happen to me at parties, Archie," chuckled Rosie darkly. "I'll tell you about my birthday soiree escapades some other time."
"When we're not in a complete mess?" he joked sardonically.
Rosie sighed as they pulled into the Green's driveway. "Yeah. When we're not in a complete mess."
He turned the key in the ignition, the truck's grumble dying down as the engine stopped whirring.
"I'll let you know how it goes with Betty," he told her solemnly.
"Thanks," she replied.
She opened the door and got out of the vehicle. Before she shut the door, she said, "Thanks for the ride, Arch. See you soon."
"Bye, Rosie," he replied.
Then, with a sad smile, Rosie swung the passenger side door shut, turned, and sulked up the front porch steps to the house.
She didn't look back as Archie drove the truck out of the driveway and out of sight. She did, however, look down at her phone clock to see that she was right on time for curfew, midnight.
There was a faint glow coming from the kitchen to her left.
"I'm home," she called out, not expecting an answer.
"Right on time for once, Rosie," her father replied.
She frowned slightly and went into the kitchen.
"And you don't look like a complete mess, either," said her mother.
Rosie was surprised to find Carol and Kenny Green up and cooking something that smelled heavenly.
It took her a minute to process the not-fully compliment compliments.
"Uh, thank you," she stumbled over her words. "What…what are you two doing still awake? And cooking?"
"Your brother is bringing home some friends tomorrow and we want to make sure that they've got some snacks to munch on," Carol explained.
"Is Will even home yet?" asked Rosie curiously.
Kenny shook his head. "Nope, but his curfew isn't until two. He's got lots of time."
Rosie sighed. Of course, her brother had a later curfew.
"I'm going to head to bed," she announced. "Have fun cooking."
"Night, Rosie!" Kenny said.
Her mother ignored her. But that was something Rosie was accustomed to. Her dad was more responsive towards her than her mom.
She trudged up the stairs towards her room: the attic.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she broke. Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of losing two of her new friends. And she was sure that Kevin would be told the next day, if not that night, and would turn on her, too.
Guilt pooled in the depths of her belly, making her stomach flare up in nausea. She knew she had done nothing wrong. She hadn't broken her promise to Betty. So why did she feel so terrible?
She slumped down onto her queen-sized mattress, pulling off the borrowed shoes and laying back onto her pillows. She rolled over onto her side and sobbed.
It was possible that Rosie had lost two, maybe three, friends that night. She worried anxiously about Archie's talk with Betty. She worried about what Betty would think of her. But most of all, she worried about what Veronica would think of her. She knew the crowd Veronica ran with in New York. She'd read the tabloids and articles on social media. She knew the type of girl Veronica could be. But she also knew the type of girl Veronica was trying to be. There was a fifty-fifty chance Veronica could go full on vengeful ice-princess, or understanding saint. No in between. It was either-or.
Around one thirty in the morning, Rosie's phone blipped. She rolled over to face her night stand, eyes dry and aching. She turned on the screen to see she had a text from Archie.
Talked 2 Betty. Not super happy with us. Heartbroken. So am I. I'm afraid I lost a friend.
Rosie sniffled and texted him back.
I'm so sorry, Archie. This is all my fault.
His response was immediate.
Not yours. Mine 2. We should have not gone in that closet in the 1st place. I should have listen 2 U that day you met her. U were right.
Rosie sighed.
Do you think we are guilty after all?
The response time was slightly longer.
No. Not guilty. Cheryl made it so much worse when she opened the door. Wait 2 talk to Betty until Monday. She needs time 2 think. Same with V.
Rosie agreed with him.
OK. I'll wait. Thanks, Arch.
U r a true friend, Ro. See U later.
Thus the end of their conversation.
Rosie sat up, her hair frizzy from the once perfectly coiled curls, her dress frumpy from laying down for so long. And all she felt was exhaustion. Not the type of exhaustion that makes you want to fall asleep, but the type of exhaustion that comes with being emotionally invested in people.
But despite the negative emotions she was currently experiencing, Rosie felt inspired to write a song. So she did.
By four in the morning, Rosie had a full song written. The guitar chords were perfect, the lyrics were tragically poetic, and the harmonies were exactly what made it great. Rosie was proud. She felt better, too. She hoped that she could talk about what happened with Betty and Veronica on Monday and that they would understand and forgive her.
But around four thirty-five, as Rosie was putting away her songwriting gear, her phone rang. It was Archie calling. Rosie answered immediately, concerned.
"Archie? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Rosie. But – but it's, it's Jason!"
"What?"
"Kevin found Jason's body at the riverbank with a bullet hole in his head!"
Rosie stood from the side of her bed, voice raising more than it should have at that time of the day. "Are you serious?"
"Kevin called me and said to get down there and bring you with me. Me and my dad are getting in the truck right now. We'll swing by your house on the way there."
"Okay, I'll be waiting outside."
And with that, Rosie quickly hung up, slid on a pair of white converse, and grabbed a jean jacket from her closet. She rushed down the staircase as quietly as possible as to not wake up her brother or parents. She snatched up her wallet from the table next to the front door and went outside to sit on the steps leading up to the porch.
She only waited a minute or so before the Andrews' truck arrived to pick her up. Both Fred and Archie's faces were grim. Rosie barely smiled as she stepped into the truck. She settled in between the two Andrews as they drove. Besides a quick hello, no one said a word all the way to Sweetwater River. She and Archie stared ahead at the road as Fred navigated the truck to a stop in a gravelly open space.
There were a few other cars present, one Rosie recognized as the Lodge's family car. She sighed as she got out of the truck after Archie. He noticed the vehicle, too, and the friends shared a worried glance.
Fred circled around the hood of the truck and put an arm around Archie's shoulders.
"Are you both feeling okay?"
"Worried, Dad," Archie replied glumly. "If Jason was shot, then…"
"I know," Fred interjected quickly. He put a hand on Rosie's shoulder. "How are you, Rosie?"
The brunette was truthful. "Sad to see a small town burdened by something like this. I feel bad for the Blossoms."
Even though Cheryl completely blew things out of proportion last night, she thought bitterly.
"Me, too," said Fred. "Let's go show them some support. Especially Kevin and his dad."
Rosie must have made a confused face, as Archie quickly clarified. "Kevin's dad is the sheriff."
She nodded, understanding how difficult it must have been for Kevin to find a body of a fellow classmate, and for his dad, the sheriff of Riverdale, to get a report like that from his son.
Rosie stuck close to the Andrews as they all trudged towards the riverbank.
The early morning sunrise was just beginning as the three reached their destination. Already there was Moose and his parents, Kevin, the Lodges, and, awkwardly, the Coopers.
Rosie's breath caught in her throat as Alice Cooper looked her way. Rosie was not someone who was easily scared, but the resentment that Alice had in her eyes was one of the most terrifying things Rosie Green had ever seen in her life. There was a hatred that sprung from her pupils, wrapping Rosie in a petrified glare that made her cold to her core. Alice Cooper was not someone that Rosie knew to trifle with.
But Betty, being the ever-gracious soul, put a hand on her mother's. Alice's stare softened as she looked to Betty, who just shook her head, tears springing into her eyes. The mother and daughter turned away, leaving Rosie feeling gutted.
Archie put a hand on her upper arm. "Rosie?"
Rosie looked up to her new friend, a frightened look gracing her features. "Betty hates me, doesn't she?"
The flashing blue and red lights from the police cars reflected off of the boy's flaming red hair. He shook his head. "No. She doesn't hate you. If she hates anyone, it's me."
Then, as the sun peeked over the horizon, casting a pink light on a new, horrifying situation called the murder of Jason Blossom.
Rosie watched in sadness as they carted a bagged body, Jason's body, up off the rocky shore and onto the muddy, grassy bank. She hadn't noticed a well-dressed family standing closer to the water – the Blossoms.
Rosie could only imagine what they must have been feeling. To be processing a son's death, only to be greeted with the fateful news of his murder?
She looked around at the faces present. Cheryl, Kevin, Betty, Veronica, Archie…the dark-haired, crown-shaped, beanie-wearing boy from lunch a few days prior. Herself. They all had a part to play in the story.
And Rosie had a feeling that this was only the start of something she had never experienced before. The turmoil of what it meant to live in a town like Riverdale.
Rosie stood waiting anxiously by Betty's locker. She had been restless the entire weekend waiting to speak with the blonde about the misunderstanding at Cheryl's dance afterparty. She hadn't even gone to Archie's garage to record songs.
She tugged nervously at the maroon beanie on her head and adjusted her glasses. Her gray, three-quarters sleeve sweater was warmer than usual, and her black, skinny-jean overalls were tighter around the chest than she remembered. Was she that tense? Did she really feel that uncomfortable and guilty that even her usually perfectly fitting dungarees were…too small?
Rosie knew she was psyching herself out – a regular occurrence for her. She had a tendency to worry about things she had no control over.
Then, she saw a blonde head coming towards her. It was Betty.
Rosie's whole body tensed as the she approached.
"Hi," squeaked Rosie.
"Hi," replied Betty hesitantly.
"Betty, I am so sorry if you thought – ,"
"Archie explained everything this morning," the blonde cut in. Rosie had a hard time reading Betty's facial expression.
"He did?" she breathed, as if waiting for some kind of explosion.
"He did," Betty confirmed. A small smile broke out over her face. "Rosie, I know that you and Archie don't like each other that way."
Rosie smiled back. "Exactly! And what happened at Cheryl's party was a complete freak accident. We literally stood in that closet and joked about how much we didn't want to be there. We started just talking and Archie leaned back on that shelf and it just – it just completely collapsed. I tried to pull Archie back up as it fell, but it ended…well, it ended like how you saw."
Betty nodded, face fallen slightly. "I understand that."
Rosie felt like she needed to make her point clear. "But, Betty…I am so, so sorry if you ever thought I'd do that to you after I had just promised that nothing would happen. I love that I feel more accepted here with you and Veronica and Kevin and Archie than I do in my own family. I would never jeopardize my friendship with you in such a stupid manner on purpose. If you know me even a little bit, then you'd understand that I would never do that kind of thing."
Betty felt terrible that she had assumed such a thing in the first place, and reached out and hugged Rosie tightly. Rosie hugged back.
"I forgive you, I do. And I'm sorry that I would ever think that you'd pull something like that in the first place," Betty said as they let go. "I want to be your friend and I want to be there for you."
"Thank you for understanding, Betty," Rosie replied gratefully. "It was killing me all weekend."
"Thank you for giving me space to think," Betty nodded. "I really appreciate that you let me sit on it for a while to figure out how I felt about it all."
Out of the blue, there was Kevin, bounding up to the both of them.
"So…" he started, standing back as if not sure what to expect, "how are you guys?"
"We're great, Kev," Betty told him cheerfully. "We've worked it all out."
Kevin sighed in relief. "Good! Now, Rosie…kiss and tell!"
Rosie laughed. "Kev, you do realize that Archie's lips never even got close to mine, right?"
Kevin's face fell. "Oh. Really? Are you sure?"
Betty and Rosie both shared amused expressions.
"Pretty sure," Rosie chuckled.
The three started walking down the hall together.
"Okay, so now that romance is off the table, are we sure that Archie is 100% straight? Because no straight man has that body," Kevin decided dreamily.
"Speaking of bodies…" Betty said, flipping the conversation and lowering her voice, "Have you recovered from finding Jason's?"
"Yeah, how are you feeling about that, Kev?" Rosie wondered.
The Keller boy's dark eyebrows shot up. "It was more traumatizing explaining to my dad what I was doing with Moose at the river. Yet another perk of being the sheriff's son."
Kevin and Betty crossed the hall and entered the school office. Rosie followed.
Sitting on the front desk was a large bouquet of yellow roses. The scent of florals drifted through the small space.
Kevin immediately charged full steam ahead towards the flowers. "Oh my god, those are gorgeous. Are those for Betty, Mrs. Phillips?"
"That's why I called her," replied the elderly secretary.
Rosie and Betty arrived next the roses as Kevin plucked a notecard from the top of the bundle. His forehead wrinkled as he read the message out loud.
"'Dear Betty, there are plenty more fish in the sea. Your heart will mend. With love, XOXO, V."
Rosie's anxiety returned in full force, slamming her chest with impending pressure. She had forgotten that there was a possibility of Veronica's wrath and the damage that it could do. Sure, it was nice of her to get Betty flowers, but Rosie had a feeling that she wouldn't reason as calmly as their blonde friend.
She inhaled sharply, earning a quick, but concerned, glance from Betty, who was focused on the confusion written all over Kevin's face.
"V? Who the hell is V?" he questioned.
Betty smiled. "Veronica."
Just to Rosie's luck, there the Lodge girl was, grinning brightly and holding a fancy ivory box. Her name synchronized in dialogue with Betty's.
"The yellow is for friendship," she told them happily. "I just wanted to make sure that you felt supported, B. After that basic bitch move that Rosie made –,"
Rosie's heart skipped a beat as Veronica's gaze landed on her. The raven-haired girl's eyes became like daggers, piercing through whatever self-defense Rosie had left.
"Betty," she snarled through grit teeth, "why is she with you?"
Rosie scoffed, annoyed, yet scared out of her mind, at the same time.
Betty held up a hand and spoke evenly. "It's okay, V. Rosie and I worked it out. It was all just one big misunderstanding."
"That's what she and that male chauvinistic pig want you to think," she snapped.
Rosie's blood was boiling. What made Veronica think that she could step in and break what she and Betty had just mended?
Before she could say anything, Betty cut in.
"Veronica, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I trust Archie's word," Betty explained calmly. "And I trust Rosie, too. There is no reason for her to do whatever it is we thought she did. Especially after everything she told us that day on the bleachers."
Veronica sighed, seemingly defeated.
Kevin was enraptured by the drama that was playing out in front of him. He was like a kid in a candy shop – enamored with everything going on.
Rosie sighed, too. "Veronica, I'll tell you what I told Betty. Archie and I are, and will ever only be, friends. Period. You know I am an honest person. I tell things like they are, not to be rude, but to help myself and others gain perspective. What you saw was Cheryl trying to pit us against each other. She's envious of our new group. She's green with envy towards you in particular. She wanted to endanger whatever new relationships we were creating and move in for the kill – you. We were the prey and she was the predator. But here is the absolute, unbiased, sound truth: Archie and were talking. We were playing ten questions and he tried resting against an unstable shelf and it fell. I tried pulling him away from it and we ended up being pulled down with it. I apologized to Betty for whatever anguish I, me, myself, and I, caused."
Veronica seemed unsure. Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor, her fingers drumming lightly over the white package in her hands. She had admitted conquest.
"Fine," she concluded. "If Betty is happy, I'm happy."
"That's great, Veronica," Betty replied giddily. "I'm so glad we got this all worked out."
"Are you going down to the student lounge? I was headed that way, too," asked Veronica.
"Yeah, we'll join you," said Betty.
And the two left the office together, chatting about the weekend and whatever plans they had made later in the week.
But for some reason, Rosie's anxiety didn't melt away. Although some had disappeared, a sliver of it remained.
Kevin looked at her with a worried expression. "I don't think she's as over it as Betty thinks."
"I feel the same, Kev," Rosie exhaled. "Something tells me this isn't over yet."
During the first class of the day, the loudspeaker crackled on.
Rosie looked up from her work in advanced calculus to focus on the announcements.
"Good morning, students. This is your principal speaking," Principal Weatherbee's voice echoed through the school. "There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally. So let me state clearly, it is happening, as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller."
A new voice began to speak. Kevin's dad, 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."
Rosie's eyes flickered around the room from person to person. Many seemed concerned, while few others seemed truly distraught.
"And may I interject," a fervent female voice interrupted, "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."
Of course, she's being overdramatic, Rosie thought, rolling her eyes. This is just a spectacular start to the week.
Sheriff Keller spoke once more. "If you know anything that could help us to 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 Principal Weatherbee. A death like this wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down."
"Thank you, Sheriff Keller," said Weatherbee. "Please resume class as scheduled. Thank you and have a good day. Go Bulldogs."
And with that, the loudspeakers went quiet.
A hushed mumble fell over Rosie's class. Her desk partner, Dilton Doiley, the only other sophomore in the class, fidgeted awkwardly. He wouldn't meet her eyes as she looked over at him.
"Are you okay, Dilton?" she inquired suspiciously.
"I'm fine," he retorted.
Rosie frowned and lowered her voice. "Are you sure?"
This time, he made firm eye contact. He stopped fidgeting. "Yes."
I don't believe you, she thought, annoyed, as the two went back to their own quiet work.
Biology class was Rosie and the group's last period before lunch. Rosie dreaded both. The former because she got sick from smells easily and they were dissecting a frog that day; the latter because Veronica didn't seem fully convinced of her innocence regarding the closet incident.
As she approached the classroom, Archie caught up with her. She smiled, feeling more comfortable in her friend's presence.
"Hey, Rosie," he greeted.
"Hey. I haven't seen you in a couple days," she replied.
"I know," he smiled. "Weird not to work on music this weekend."
"It was," she agreed. "I've got some chords I want to share with you later if that's okay."
"Definitely." Then his voice lowered. "So…how did it go with Betty?"
Rosie nodded slightly. "Betty was ever-gracious, kind soul she's always been. But Veronica?" She puffed out a breath of air in exasperation. "I've seen lions with less bite than her."
"Is she angry with you? Is she angry at me?"
"That's just it…I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," relayed Rosie, "that when Betty laid it all out on the table, Veronica didn't seem as willing to forgive and forget. I mean, yeah, I have trouble with that, too, but we didn't do anything wrong. She doesn't seem convinced of our innocence. Mine, specifically." She tugged on the end of her brunette braid. "I'm not sure what's going to happen."
"All we can do at this point is wait it out," Archie reasoned. "Betty is the one you were most worried about. It's her that was affected, not Veronica. If Betty's okay, then Veronica will be, too."
"You're totally right," admitted Rosie. "That helps ease a little of my anxiety. Thanks, Arch."
Archie laughed. "You're welcome."
As they entered the Biology lab, they overheard Cheryl defending herself loudly to her ladies in waiting.
But, as they passed the front of the room, Archie nodded to someone Rosie recognized: the crown-beanie wearing boy. Their eyes stayed glued on each other as Rosie walked by.
She shook it off as Cheryl's voice grew steadily in decibels.
"Are you living mannequins suggesting I had something to do with my brother's death?"
"We're just curious. What do the police think happened?"
"I'll tell you what I told them, which is that Jason did fall into the water. We both did. I made it to the shore. He didn't. Maybe he made it to the other side of the river and someone shot him there. Who knows?"
As Rosie sat down at an empty chair in the back with Archie, the teacher hurried in, searching through his briefcase for papers.
"Seats, everyone. Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up."
"I need to talk to Cheryl," Archie muttered to Rosie. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she replied. "There's someone I need to talk to, too."
As others paired off around her, Rosie beelined towards the crown-beanie at the front of the class. Cheryl's posse started towards him, too, but Rosie beat them to it. She plopped down next to the dark-haired boy, whose eyebrows raised.
Rosie shot him a smile.
"Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'm Rosie."
The beanie boy smiled in confusion, eyes narrowed slightly. He introduced himself. "Jughead Jones. And I know who you are."
"New girl status?" she wondered as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves.
"Nope. Archie Andrews."
Rosie frowned. "How do you know Archie?"
"We grew up together," Jughead replied. "He's my…ex best friend."
Rosie's scowl deepened. "Ex?"
"Long story," he told her.
They were silent as they prepared for the dissection.
So beanie boy has a name…and was best friends with Archie at some point, Rosie thought. What kind of story could this be? What led to the ex in the title? Does he know about the supposed Archie and Grundy affair?
"I've got a weird question for you," she whispered.
Jughead was intrigued. "Which means I'll probably have a weird answer."
"Have you noticed anything going on between Archie and…Ms. Grundy?"
Jughead looked taken aback at the inquiry. He tore the scalpel from its holder with uncertainty. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, was there anything that happened this summer that made you suspect something…fishy going on with him? I noticed that he and Grundy share a strange relationship that's not educationally sound policy-wise," Rosie told him quietly.
Jughead thought for a moment. He knew very little about this new girl, only that she and Archie had become fast friends and bonded over their love of music. But to come to him about something as strange as a student-teacher relationship? That involved Archie Andrews and Geraldine Grundy? This wasn't something to take lightly.
Before he could respond, they heard a loud SMACK. The two spun in their seats to see Cheryl butchering the frog on the table in front of her and Archie. He seemed concerned, and even more puzzled by the fact that his ex-best friend was partnered with his producer/lyricist friend.
Rosie and Jughead turned back to their own frog. Rosie glanced over at the beanie-wearing boy in anticipation, waiting for his verdict.
"Meet me at Pop's after school," said Jughead quietly. "We can talk then. If Archie really is having an affair with Ms. Grundy, then maybe we can put a stop to it. Together."
Oh my gosh, I can't believe we're on to the second episode! Yay! It seemed like I was stuck on the pilot for forever. And we got some Jughead in it! Yay! I promise, there will be a lot more of him in this next chapter and in the story from here on out.
I know this chapter was full of a lot of different stuff. I'm not going to lie, I LOVE writing Kevin/Rosie interactions. I feel like they're so much fun together.
What did you all think of the whole resolution between Rosie and Betty? What do you think will happen between Rosie and Veronica in this next chapter? Let me know in the reviews! I love hearing your predictions and ideas about the changes Rosie is making in this story.
Here are my responses to all your lovely reviews:
xenocanaan: Thank you! What do you think of Betty and Rosie's relationship after this chapter? Thank you so much for your review.
thebestpeopleinlifearefree: I hope you liked this chapter! And yeah, I'm actually pretty proud of that cliffhanger. What did you think of the whole closet situation? And I'm enjoying the Kevin relationships, too. I wish he was included more in the show, because he's honestly one of my top three favorite characters. Thank you so much for reviewing! 😊
Guest (1): I actually am going to explore Rosie's relationship with some other characters. However, my ending goal is to have Rosie and Archie together. And thank you! I am very proud of the dialogue. 😊 I hope this chapter met your expectations!
Guest (2): Thank you! I hope you loved this chapter, too!
Roisinnib: Thank you so much!
silentmayhem: You've hit Rosie's character right on the mark! I love your prediction. I totally understand how I could have made Betty react. I love that input! On the other hand, I feel like having her be more understanding about the situation is more like start of the show Betty. Betty was a lot more timid at the start of the show. She even says to Kevin that she took the path of least resistance when Veronica gets her those flowers and cupcakes to apologize for kissing Archie. I feel that her character has developed a lot since then, just because of everything she knows now. Veronica, on the other hand, still was getting used to being the 'new Veronica' in the beginning, which is why she reacted the way she did in my story. I hope that explains a lot. 😊 Thank you so much for your predictions and for your review! Let me know what you think will happen next, because I really love reading suggestions and predictions. 😊 You're awesome!
I am honestly astonished by the amount of follows and favorites this story has gotten! Thank you all so much! You are all wonderful and I appreciate every single one of you. 3
I will do my best to update again very soon!