Chapter 7: The Refresh Button
Bad news comes, don't you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans
We both got fired on exactly the same day
Well, we'll float on, good news is on the way
Float On by Modest Mouse
If anyone had seen Archie, Veronica, and Rosie all walking together in a line, they would have never thought that the three of them had anything in common. Each teen carried a unique persona, style, and charisma that couldn't be matched in a town like Riverdale.
Veronica, with her chic fashion sense and well-off upbringing, stood out because of her background. New York was a far cry from the hick town she considered Riverdale to be.
Archie was the new golden boy of the high school – varsity football that could lead him to many athletic scholarships in the near future. But closet musical genius? Yet another secret that was hidden away.
Rosie – the hipster new girl with a West coast style of clothing and aspirations bigger than the tiny town itself. Her honesty translated into every aspect of her life, including her music, which was nothing that the few students at Riverdale High had ever heard before.
So, what did these three teenagers from completely separate walks of life have to talk about? What brought them together that night? What commonality did they have?
The answer: Betty Cooper.
They had trudged down a good two blocks before anyone spoke. They were all too hesitant to start a conversation in fear of another argument breaking out. Rosie, nestled between Veronica and Archie, felt she may be able to be a buffer between them, and began to talk.
"Is Betty still mad at you?" she asked Veronica timidly.
The other girl sighed. "She's not even texting me. I feel like I'm back to being the shallow, toxic rich bitch who ruins everything in her path. Which is unfortunate, because even though I only just met Betty, it really felt like we were meant to be best friends. Like…like it was our destiny, and now…it's like there was this train heading to the rest of my life and I just missed it."
"I'm sorry," Rosie told her genuinely. "That may be partly my fault."
Veronica shook her head. "Rosie, you were right. I can't control what Betty thinks and feels. I may have trust issues when it comes to people stabbing me in the back, but…you didn't stab anyone in the back. And neither did you, Archie. I'm sorry for anything I said to either of you. You're innocent."
"Thank you," Archie replied.
"No need for thanks," the Lodge girl chuckled. "I needed to get over myself and I did. I said I'm trying to do a refresh of my life and this is part of it. Consider that old part of Veronica gone. Now onto a bright future of a girl who no longer assumes everyone is attempting to rid her of their group."
"You can't just refuse to consider your past experiences with friends," reasoned Rosie. "To completely forget your own experiences is foolish. You use your experiences to navigate through life. You're right to be cautious of people. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
Veronica smiled. "I'll do that."
The three were quiet for another few minutes, relishing in the fact that whatever drama they had before was gone. It was a new day for their friendships.
Rosie was particularly glad it was over. She was slightly stressed because of everything, and was glad that they could all go back to sitting at the same lunch table again.
"How long have you known Betty, Archie?" Veronica wondered. "She mentioned that you two have been friends since forever, but when did forever start for you?"
Rosie's eyebrows raised in the redhead's direction. She, too, was curious to hear their whole story.
Archie grinned, reminiscing. "Betty and I have been next-door neighbor since we were four. We've always gone to the same school, been in the same class. I remember in the second grade, I was having trouble reading, and my teacher, Mrs. Gibrock, told my mom and dad that I should stay back a year to get caught up. Betty was so against us not being in the same grade that she took it upon herself to tutor me every single day."
Rosie laughed.
"In the second grade?" questioned Veronica in disbelief.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Anyway, when I passed, thanks to Betty, I kissed her and I asked her to marry me."
Rosie laughed even harder. "Oh my gosh, that is the most adorable thing I've ever heard!"
"It was definitely an adorable moment," agreed Archie, laughing with her. "But she was like, 'oh, little Archie, we're too young. Ask me when we're eighteen and I'll say yes.'"
But then Archie's face fell. "I hate that I hurt her. I hate that I couldn't feel what she needed me to."
"You were honest with her when you needed to be. Give her time, Archie," Veronica comforted him. "That's all you can do. And don't despair. I don't think your story with Betty is over."
"And no matter what happens, I think your story with Betty won't ever end. You've known each other and been friends for too long," Rosie agreed.
Archie nodded, thinking over what the two girls had said. "Okay. I'll give her some time." Then, slowly, his expression changed to one of curiosity. "So now that Ronnie and I've spilled our life story, it's your turn, Rosie."
Rosie adjusted her bag anxiously and chuckled, trying to hide her emotions for once. "No, it's fine. My life hasn't been very interesting. You guys would just get lulled to sleep."
"A girl whose family moves every few years all around the world?" Veronica responded, doubtingly. "Yeah, I'm sure your life has been more boring than a nature documentary about soil."
"It's true," Rosie defended. "I was born in Portland and we moved away, then moved back, then moved here. Ta da! End of life story."
"Too vague," Archie commented.
"Way too vague," Veronica confirmed. "Come on, Rosie! Juicy details, please!"
The topic of her life in general made Rosie uncomfortable. She didn't like to talk about herself much, or her family. She didn't mind discussing music with people, including music she had written, but…story of her life? People didn't need to know how rocky those moves were for her. Sure, she could have just shared the basics, but 'juicy details?'
For the first time in a long time, Rosie was quiet. She didn't feel like the two needed to know anything else.
"You really don't want to talk about it?" Veronica wondered. "Was it that bad?"
"It wasn't bad," Rosie fired back rapidly. "I just…I just haven't had a super interesting childhood. That's all."
She stopped talking after that, staring straight ahead as she fiddled with the strap of her school messenger bag.
Archie and Veronica shared a puzzled look, but the Lodge teen didn't question Rosie's refusal any more. She was determined to find out more about the brunette musician, even if that musician wasn't willing to talk.
"Why don't we just stop here?" Veronica suggested, coming to a halt in her tracks. "The Pembrooke is down this road." She pointed to the left. "I'm guessing the two of you live over there." She pointed to the right.
Rosie nodded. "Sure."
"Thank you, Veronica," Archie said gratefully. "I'm really glad that we're all friends again."
"It was about time I saw the light," she joked. "I'll see the both of you tomorrow at school?"
"Definitely," smiled Rosie. "Have a good night, Veronica."
"You too, Rosie," the raven-haired girl smiled back. "Write some good music for me, alright you two?"
"We will," Archie laughed. "See you later."
And with that, the conversation that the three teenagers had been dreading ended on a surprisingly pleasant note.
Archie and Rosie watched Veronica stride off in the direction of her family's luxury penthouse, both shocked at the outcome.
"I thought she was going to flay us alive," Rosie admitted as the two began walking again.
"I did, too," Archie chuckled. "I thought she was going to fling us off a cliff!"
"Right? I was not expecting that to go as well as it did."
"And she apologized! After all we'd heard about how ruthless she was, and she says she's sorry!"
"I felt like the world would stop spinning from shock!"
"That was kind of awesome."
"I guess it was, wasn't it?"
The two walked and talked about the previous conversation, as well as music and homework, until they stopped outside of Archie's house. He still held the Pop's takeout in his hands, the bag smelling strongly of the delicious of burgers and fries.
"Do you still want to work on music?" he wondered. "I know I kind of threw it out there as an excuse to make Mrs, Lodge think we actually had something to do, but…"
"Of course!" exclaimed Rosie. "I'm always down for music."
All of a sudden, a loud rumble echoed from the Green girl's stomach. She winced. "I should probably go home and eat dinner first, though."
"Just eat with me and my dad," Archie proposed. "I'm sure he gets tired of just talking to me."
Rosie laughed, happy to accept the offer. She hated eating dinner with her family. Most of the time, it was just her mom and dad talking to Will about all the wonderful things he had done during the school day. "Why not? We could always do homework afterwards, then work on some songs."
"Great," grinned Archie. He started up the steps, but Rosie knew she still needed to say something about his relationship with Grundy.
"Archie, wait," she called.
He turned quickly, worried he had said something wrong.
"I just wanted to make sure you understood that I in no way support your relationship with Ms. Grundy," she told him blatantly.
Archie nodded. "I know. I understand why."
"I still want to encourage you to be cautious. In fact, my advice to you would be to break up with her."
The redhead was slightly taken aback. "Break up?"
"Think about it, Arch," she told him. "It's only a matter of time before another random student that's not me or Jughead walks past the music room and sees the two of you together. You heard a gunshot on July 4th. That could have bene the gunshot that killed Jason Blossom. To stay quiet in that is a federal offense. Did you know that? You can't keep that to yourself, Archie. The police could solve the mystery of Jason's death if you come forward. That doesn't mean I'm saying you need to tell them about your relationship with Grundy. You could leave her out of it – say you were alone working on songs or something. Ending things with her while everyone else is still in the dark will save you a lot of hurt and Grundy from a bunch of legal crap."
Archie didn't speak, but he nodded. "I understand. And you've made me think a lot about what I need to do. I do still have feelings for her, but…there are more important things right now. I'll work out a way to end the relationship. And I promise that I'll keep you in the loop while it happens."
Rose was so happy that she had gotten through to him, that she bounded over and gave him a bear hug. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's neck, squeezing him tightly.
"I'm so glad," she replied.
Archie laughed and hugged her back. He was glad to have a friend like her.
"Rosie?" called a voice from the front door.
In spite of their nice moment, both Rosie and Archie's reflexes got the better of them and they hurriedly let go of each other.
"Hi, Mr. Andrews," she said cheerily. Somehow, while Archie's face was tomato red, Rosie's complexion hadn't changed.
"We've got Pop's if you want to stay for dinner," the older man offered.
"Already made her stay, dad," Archie chuckled as the two headed up the steps to the house.
"Good," nodded Fred approvingly. "We always order an extra burger anyways. You should see how much this kid can eat, Rosie. He's like a dang vacuum cleaner!"
Rosie crossed the threshold laughing, while Archie complained.
"Dad!"
"What? I can't lie to the girl, Archie. It's true."
"I'm all for the truth, Mr. Andrews," she joked cheerfully.
The night went on to be one of the best in Rosie's life. Dinner was a delight, and not just because of Pop's scrumptious burgers and fries, but because Rosie felt as if she was one of the family. Fred asked her questions about school and included her in conversation. Both he and Archie loved hearing her jokes and harsh, but reasonable, opinions on the town, the high school, and the students that attended there. They listened to things she wondered about the town and what life was like for them as Archie grew up.
After dinner, she and Archie sat the kitchen table and did their homework, breezing through all the assignments their teachers had given them.
And, after homework, Archie made the excuse of going back to Rosie's house to check out her music setup. Apparently, he still hadn't told his dad that Rosie's equipment was actually in his separate garage out back. The two easily snuck out and immediately got to work co-writing a new song.
Rosie and Archie's friendship was solidified, and the two were quickly becoming best friends. It was a first for Rosie, and she couldn't have been happier.
The next day, Rosie awoke feeling as if someone had hit the refresh button on her life. Like Veronica, she was determined to make life in Riverdale different.
She threw on a striped t-shirt, baggy mom jeans, ankle books, a belt, and a black leather jacket, put her hair in her usual braid, and cheerily bounded downstairs to grab a quick breakfast.
Her parents weren't up yet, and neither was Will. She had gotten up earlier than usual, still excited about the song she and Archie had written, as well as the fact that she and Veronica had made up. She was anxious to tell Betty all about it.
She walked to school, stopping in town to grab a coffee along the way. It was still scalding by the time she walked into the student lounge to find Betty and Kevin on the couches, scouring over the geometry homework from the night before. The two smiled at her.
"Veronica told me all about your conversation last night," Betty told her happily, standing to hug her. "I'm so glad that it's all worked through!"
Rosie hugged her back. "Ugh, me too! I was so tired of all the stupid drama."
"It was a great show, though," Kevin self-proclaimed. "I have to admit, Veronica can be a bit of conniving bitch, but man, it was so entertaining to see you put her in her place! I loved it."
Betty and Rosie laughed.
"Glad to hear you think so, Kevin," the brunette chuckled as she shed her leather jacket and sat down on the couch next to them.
"Now that we've worked through that – what did you get for question three, Rosie?" Betty asked.
Rosie took out her textbook and notebook full of answers. "Um…twenty-four centimeters? Archie helped me. I don't really remember how we did it."
But something distracted her…Reggie Mantle loudly announcing his dealings with the sheriff while being pressed about Jason Blossom's death.
She glanced behind her to see the tall, dark-haired football player addressing a small crowd of fellow athletes, including Moose and another guy named Chuck Clayton, who Rosie recognized as the son of the football coach. Veronica rested against the arm of his chair, coffee in one hand, phone in the other. The raven-haired girl caught Rosie's eye and they shared a smile.
But Reggie didn't notice Rosie listening in.
"And Sheriff Keller's grilling me, Mantle the Magnificent. 'Cause I'd want Blossom dead when he was like the only good quarterback we had."
Archie walked past her, distracted by something on his phone.
"And speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Moose, because here's another unsolved mystery – what exactly were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh?"
Rosie rolled her eyes. And to think that Reggie wasn't as much of douche as she originally believed…
"Or does being with the sheriff's son give you a free pass?" The cocky football player spun in his seat to address the boy in question. "Keller?"
Reggie's eyes glazed over Rosie, who merely raised an eyebrow at him, silently telling him to back off. His smirk faltered for a moment, as if he regretted saying all of that out loud. But no one else noticed.
"Reggie's just being a blowhard, Kev," Betty told him firmly.
"I don't care what he says," Kevin replied, staring bitterly at the other teen.
"I do if he's picking on a friend," Rosie chimed in, glaring at Reggie with a certain amount of disappointment and sourness that could have curdled milk.
Reggie just shook his head at her and turned back around to talk to the only people that seemed to care – the other mindless jocks.
"I mean, let's think about it," he continued. "If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right? Now, let's be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid?"
Rosie huffed a breath of air, realizing who he meant. Her head snapped to the side to see Jughead leaning against the counter next to the vending machine where Archie was fervently trying to insert a dollar bill.
The two shared an annoyed expression. Although Jughead had left the diner in a frustrated state, he appreciated the fact that Rosie had been able to get through to Archie in a manner that was more suited the redhead's way of thinking.
"Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak? Like Jughead?"
The group of football players cast their gazes on the beanie-wearing boy in the back of the room. Rosie rolled her eyes and slammed her textbook shut.
"What was it like, Suicide Squad?" mocked Reggie. "When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like…after?"
Jughead stared smugly back at him. "It's called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?"
Although the comeback had amused Rosie, she was more concerned at the fact that the football player had launched himself off the couch towards Jug.
"Come here, you little…"
Jughead braced himself for whatever beating was near, but, thankfully, Archie was there to save the day. "Hey, shut the hell up, Reggie!"
Both Rosie and Veronica stood, nervous to see what would happen next.
Rosie's heart pounded against her ribcage. Anger set fire through her veins. Reggie had been almost sweet at the dance. Now he was accusing Jughead of murder? Was it just guy talk or pure idiocy? She guessed the latter.
"Boys," Ronnie warned.
Reggie took a step back from where Archie had shoved him. "What do you care, Andrews?"
"Nothing. Just leave him alone," Archie snapped, not meeting the taller teen's eyes.
"Holy crap," Reggie said, as if realizing something, "did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?"
Rosie grit her teeth as both Kevin and Betty stood to watch the show.
Reggie got into Archie's space, and, clearly, the ginger had heard enough. He brought his hands up and smacked Reggie backwards.
Rosie's breath caught in her throat as there was a tense pause. Then, suddenly, Reggie rammed into Archie and smashed him up against the vending machine, glass shattering immediately upon impact.
"Hey!" Jughead yelled.
The struggle was short, though, as Reggie tackled Archie to the floor, Jughead doing his best to pull Mantle off his ex-friend. Moose attempted to join in by tugging Jughead backwards off Reggie. But before anything else could be done, Reggie's fist met Archie's eye.
Archie laid there in the broken glass, wind knocked out of him, eye throbbing.
Rosie had seen enough.
As Reggie began to harass Jughead, she decided to step in. She ran over and kicked the taller boy back with the flat of her boot.
Jughead held onto her shoulders, attempting to hold her back, but she shrugged him off.
"What the hell is your problem?" she screamed.
Everyone froze. Rosie was the opposite of loud. Her opinion was always loud and clear, but her voice never raised past the average speaking level. Even Jughead was a little terrified.
Reggie's eyes went wide. "What the hell is your problem, Green?"
"My problem?" she retorted, laughing darkly. "My problem is you messed with my friends. That's what. Now back the hell up and get the hell out of my sight before I do something we'll both regret."
Reggie laughed deeply, doubling over in front of the shorter girl.
Rosie snarled. She was fully pissed off now. No one picked on people that she cared about.
Then, she had a nasty idea.
"Like what, short stack?" mocked Moose as he and the other football players snorted their asses off.
Rosie smirked mischievously and popped the top off her coffee cup. The drink was still burning hot. She didn't respond verbally. However, in order to prove her point, she raised her cup and splashed scorching hot coffee on the two teenage boys' chests.
The student lounge had come to a complete halt as they watched the drink slosh across the start football player's bodies. And Reggie and Moose did nothing but squeal like little girls.
They sprinted from the lounge, most likely to the boy's bathroom to cool off.
Most people were laughing, and Rosie stood there triumphantly, now holding an empty to-go coffee cup. She tossed it into the trash and immediately was by kneeling by Archie's side.
"Are you okay?" she questioned quickly.
The ginger lifted his head off the ground and nodded.
"Can you stand?"
He nodded again.
Rosie helped him to his feet, making sure he avoided the prickly shards of glass on the worn-down carpet. She held onto his arm, making sure he was steady as everyone but Kevin, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead moved on with their day. The others still stood frozen, shocked at what had just taken place.
She stared back at them. "What?"
"Did you just throw a caramel macchiato on Reggie and Moose?" asked Veronica.
Rosie sighed. "Yeah. That probably wasn't my best idea."
"I think Dilton Doiley went to get Weatherbee," Betty announced.
"Snitch," Kevin pouted.
"We need to get Archie to the nurse," Jughead said grimly.
"I can take him," Rosie offered. "I'll probably have to go to the office anyways. I think I may have mildly burned two of Riverdale High's star players."
"They're not the star players, Ro," Archie grumbled, holding his eye. "We were all witnesses and they came at you."
"But they really didn't," she argued.
"I mean, five words against two?" Veronica reasoned. "That beats the odds, doesn't it?"
Rosie shrugged. "I guess so."
"You take Archie to the nurse," Betty told her. "We'll get your bags."
"Thanks," Rosie said gratefully. "Arch, do you need help walking?"
"I can walk, but…I may need some guidance. I think my eye swelled shut," he replied.
Rosie, still holding onto one of his arms, lifted the other hand he had over his eye. She peeked under to see that his eye was slightly swollen – just enough where he couldn't fully see.
"Hold my elbow and I'll lead us there," she said gently. "Come on."
She led him out of the student lounge and into the busy hallway. Jughead caught up to them, walking next to Rosie.
"You two are the biggest idiots in the world," he stated.
"It was worth it, Jug," Archie protested. "Reggie would have creamed you."
"Sure, fine, but, Rosie, that hot coffee thing was too far," Jughead admitted.
Rosie nodded and sighed. She regretted it. "Again, like I said – probably wasn't my best idea. I let my emotions rule my decision-making."
"Not that they didn't deserve it, though," the dark-haired boy smirked.
Both Archie and Rosie laughed.
"It's true, Ro," Archie agreed.
When Jughead and Rosie delivered Archie to the nurse's office, Principal Weatherbee was there, waiting in one of the uncomfortable plastic seats just outside the door.
"Principal Weatherbee," greeted Rosie casually, attempting to lead Archie in without any trouble.
"Wait a minute, kids," he called.
All three skidded to stop. She and Jughead shared a wince. They knew what was coming.
Weatherbee didn't exactly look pleased. His arms were folded crossly, a gleam of sweat trickling down his bald head. "How did this happen?"
"It was Reggie Mantle, sir," Jughead spoke up. "He was joking about Jason Blossom's death and blamed it on me. He tried to lay a punch on me, but Archie came to my defense. He told him to stop and Reggie got physical. He slammed Archie into the vending machine in the student lounge and slugged him in the eye. Rosie came over to help Archie and Reggie tried to hit her, too, so she threw coffee on them in self-defense."
"Is this true?" Weatherbee demanded.
Rosie and Archie nodded fervently. Archie clung to arm, wobbling slightly as he stood.
"Can we get past, please, Principal Weatherbee? Archie's eye is not doing well," Rosie squeaked hurriedly.
Weatherbee moved to the side. "Of course. I'd like to speak with you afterwards, Ms. Green, Mr. Andrews. Mr. Jones, is there anyone else who can be of witness to this act?"
"Yes, sir," Rosie heard Jughead reply as she and Archie entered the nurse's office. "Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and Kevin Keller were all there."
That night, hours before the pep rally, Rosie was upstairs in her room working on the chords for a cover of Havana by Camila Cabello. She had just filmed a video of a cover of one of her favorite mainstream songs (of the very few that she listened to) called All I Want by Kodaline, and was excited to upload it for her 350,000 YouTube subscribers later that week.
She heard a door slam from below and a pair of footsteps stomping up to her room.
She spun in her swivel chair to see Will standing in her doorway looking miffed.
"Uh…hi," she deadpanned. "What can I do for you?"
"Heard you assaulted Moose and Reggie today at school," he snarled, a scowl gracing his features.
Rosie scoffed, fiddling with her ukulele strings. "You were clearly misinformed, brother. Reggie came at me when I tried to help Archie."
"Don't lie to me, Rosemary," he bit back, taking a step into her room. "I know you purposely were trying to injure them. They've got a big football game coming up soon!"
"I wasn't trying to hurt anyone," she told him truthfully.
"Then why did you do it?"
Rosie, although not telling the complete truth, still defended herself. "I was trying not to get punched, Will."
"If you were going to get punched, you probably deserved it," he accused bitterly.
Rosie had been doing her best to avoid a full-blown argument with her little brother, but that was crossing the line. Deserved to get punched? Who the hell actually deserved to get punched? Not her! Not anyone! Especially no one in that student lounge.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she muttered, spinning back to her laptop.
All she wanted was for him to leave. She wanted to work on the song in peace.
"What's wrong with me?" exclaimed Will. "What's wrong with me? Rosie, you freaking tossed hot coffee on my friends and burned them!"
"Again, it was in self-defense," she reasoned calmly. She wasn't about to lose it on her brother. She knew the consequences of doing so. She had been slapped several times by both her parents for getting angry with Will. Self-regulation was something she had to learn early in life.
"Shut up!" yelled Will.
Rosie merely shook her head and stared at the chords, trying to ignore him. "Okay, Will. Now can you please leave? I'm working on a song."
Before she knew what was going on, Will had stomped over and snatched her ukulele from her hands.
"Hey!" cried Rosie. Panic rushed through her body, adrenaline pumping. She was afraid; afraid of what he might do to her or her precious instrument.
Without any other word, as if in slow motion, Will raised the ukulele by its neck and brought it down on the wood floor.
CRUNCH. CRACK.
In two swift strokes, the instrument was smashed into a million pieces.
"No!" screamed Rosie. "Will, what the hell?"
She knelt down next to the broken uke, hands rifling desperately through the remains. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had spent a whole summer working at a coffee shop in Portland saving up money for that instrument. It was one of her favorites to write songs with. And now…it was gone.
"Serves you right, moron," Will spat in her direction as he exited her room. "Don't mess with my friends."
The tears left Rosie's blue eyes and she broke down. Her glasses were fogged and splotchy, her nose running a marathon of snot.
She had cherished that ukulele. She had written many songs with it, one of them being Luminescence, the song that she had written before the start of school in Archie's garage.
How had it happened so quickly?
She sobbed over the uke debris for a few minutes, angry with her brother…but mostly angry with herself. Maybe Will was right. Maybe she deserved to have it broken. She did injure his friends after all.
But she knew she didn't want to stay home any longer.
She dried her tears, gathered the pieces of the ukulele in her arms, and tossed them in the trash.
She grabbed her leather jacket, small, across-body strap purse, and slid on her boots. She locked the door to her attic room and left the house.
She considered calling Archie or Betty, but figured they would be getting ready for the pep rally. They both were performing, in a way; Betty with the cheer squad and Archie with the football team.
She also considered calling Kevin, but didn't feel like telling him everything that had happened. So instead, she walked alone.
Every so often, a tear would slip from an eye, but she brusquely brushed it off her cheek. She didn't feel like weeping and walking.
Rosie's stomach rumbled as she approached the school. She only hoped the concession stand was already open and had something she could munch on.
As she walked onto the field, she realized that Josie had asked her to be there early anyways to help set up the sound system for the Pussycats. As it turned out, she was right on time. Coincidences are funny, aren't they?
Rosie sighed as Cheryl flounced up to her.
"Rosemary! Just the girl I wanted to see," she purred.
"Hi, Cheryl," she replied shortly.
"Josie needs you to help balance out her vocals against mine."
"You can sing?" Rosie responded bluntly.
"Don't be so doubtful, my summer Rose, yes, indeed I can. However, the town will not be of witness to my delightful vocals tonight. I'm rapping during the song. Didn't I tell you before?"
"You didn't. But that's fine. Where's the booth?"
"Right this way, summer Rose," sang Cheryl, gesturing to a small tent settled to the side of the makeshift stage.
The tent was just a head covering in case the weatherman on channel 7 was correct.
As Rosie and Cheryl went towards the soundboard, Ms. Grundy appeared out of nowhere. The sight of the teacher made Rosie sick to her stomach. She knew Grundy's secret. And to think that this teacher was the one that Archie had gotten all choked up over annoyed her.
"Rosie! Perfect. I'm glad you're here. I don't know if Cheryl already told you, but the marching band will also be joining in with Josie and the Pussycats' song."
Rosie, eyebrows raised, shook her head. "No, I was not informed of this."
"Well, sorry for not telling you earlier. Now you know," chuckled Ms. Grundy awkwardly. "My drum major is directing, so I'll make sure she gets in contact with you."
"Sounds spectacular," griped Rosie, doing her best not to sound sarcastic.
"Are you feeling alright, Rosie?" Cheryl wondered as all three women came to a pause at the soundboard booth.
Rosie's nose scrunched as she frowned. That was as genuine as Cheryl had ever sounded before.
"I'm fine," she lied. "Now where are Josie, Valerie, and Melody? We've got to get this soundcheck underway and make sure it's all balanced with the marching band."
"I'll grab Ethel," Geraldine muttered, speed-walking away towards the brightly colored band.
"And I'll grab the Pussycats," concluded Cheryl.
Rosie sighed, sinking into the uncomfortable wooden chair they had set in front of the table with the various soundboards.
The scene with her brother continued to play through her mind as she sat staring into space. She was ashamed of her actions earlier in the day. She was even disappointed in herself for defending Archie and Jughead like that. She shouldn't have thrown that coffee on the boys.
Sure, that wasn't the smartest move in the history of planet earth, she thought. But what is wrong with standing up for your friends? Didn't they deserve it? They called Arch and Jug murderers and accused them of awful things. Why not take some revenge? Why not be more irrational with your actions once in a while? Why think through everything you do?
But then a conflicting voice in her mind, which also happened to be her own, argued back.
True, but you kind of earned that uke destruction. I mean…what gives you the right to toss coffee on people? Not exactly helping you make friends. Then again, you kind of suck at making friends in general because you're too honest.
Maybe that was the problem with Rosie. Maybe she didn't even deserve friends…
The band was blasting from the track in front of the bleachers, which were packed with people of all ages. Rosie figured the entire town had shown up to support the high school football team. This amused her slightly, as she was used to big cities where no one cared much about such sports.
She spotted Fred Andrews in the crowd, and he waved at her once he caught her eye. She plastered on a grin and waved back.
"Rosie!" called a voice.
The Green girl watched as Kevin jogged over to her in the sound booth tent.
"Hey, Kev."
"Can I stay in here with you? I don't really feel like sitting with my dad and Weatherbee."
"Sure."
"Thanks…Are you feeling okay? Your eyes are red."
Rosie brought a hand up and rubbed her right eye. "They are?"
"Only a little," Kevin replied. "Were you crying?"
Just to Rosie's luck, a blonde appeared.
"Rosie! Kevin!" she greeted happily. She waved her pom-poms cheerfully.
"Betty," Kevin grinned. "Definitely Betty Draper season one!"
He gave her a thumbs-up.
She laughed. "Thanks, Kev."
"Are you excited for the pep rally?" Rosie asked, attempting to be enthusiastic about the event.
"As much as I can be under Cheryl's hawk vision," joked Betty. "How about you? Everything sounded great during rehearsal."
"I'm eager to get this over with," she replied quickly. She fiddled with one of the levels of the mics. Josie's was a little too high…again. She assumed the lead singer had snuck over during Rosie's bathroom break and raised the small button up the board.
A whistle was blown.
"Oh, that's Cheryl. See you both after the rally?" questioned the blonde hopefully.
"Yeah, I'll be here," nodded Rosie.
"I've got dinner with my dad," Kevin told her grumpily. "Break a leg, though!"
Betty shook her pom-poms as a goodbye before running back to the squad.
Kevin looked wistfully into the crowd. "Ugh. There are the Blossoms and Betty's parents."
Rosie followed his line of sight to a pair of ginger-haired adults sitting on the very bottom bench. They were solemn and turned their noses up at everyone else, as if they knew they were above them. She also saw Hal and Alice Cooper, who she recognized from the riverbank that early morning where Jason's remains were discovered.
Her mood fell even further into what felt like Mariana's Trench when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her own parents and brother taking their seats in the stands. They gawked over Will, even as they sat down. They all laughed together, joking about some pun Kenny must have made.
A lump popped up in Rosie's throat, threatening to bring more tears to her eyes.
"Are you kidding me? My dad is waving me back to him," Kevin complained. "Sorry, Rosie."
"It's okay, Kev," she told him, doing her very best to not cry in front of him. "It won't be super exciting over here anyways."
The Keller teen patted her shoulder, told her that he'd see her later, and left.
Rosie turned her back to the crowd, several tears slipping down her cheeks. Seeing her parents so happy with Will made everything hurt so much more.
Since moving to Riverdale, their love for will and hatred for her seemed to have grown. They didn't care much about her, only that she adhered to their rules. They talked down to her, almost as if she was in kindergarten, while Will was held to a standard of a college senior.
The incident from earlier in the day still replayed in her mind.
Wasn't this supposed to be a refresh? Wasn't she supposed to make her life…better?
Little did she know, Archie was quickly making his way over to her to tell her the good news. She didn't notice, as she was still turned away towards the back of the field.
"Rosie," he said.
She sniffled loudly; loudly enough for the ginger to notice something was very, very wrong.
The girl hastily rubbed the tears away, trying to compose herself.
She spun on her heel to greet him. Despite her rotten mood, she was glad to see that his eye wasn't swollen any more, but simply black and blue.
Archie immediately knew that something had happened.
"Rosie, what's wrong?" he asked immediately.
She shook her head, still wiping away the water that wouldn't stop streaming from her eyes. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong, Archie."
"Rosie," he said, voice low. He stepped under the tent. "What happened? Was it Veronica again?"
She shook her head, finally clearing her eyes of any tears. "No. No, it wasn't Veronica."
"Who was it?" he demanded softly.
She sighed. Archie was familiar with her bad relationship with her brother. "Will."
Archie grit his teeth, shoving his helmet under his arm. His eyebrows drew together to form a frown. "What did he say?"
Rosie refused. "Archie, we can talk about it later. You're supposed to be happy for the football game coming up. School spirit and all, remember?"
"I'm not leaving this sound booth until you tell me what the hell he did," he told her firmly.
She sighed, grateful to have such an amazing friend. A friend she didn't deserve.
She crossed her arms, not looking him in the face. She spoke slowly. "Will…smashed my ukulele."
There was a pause. Rosie didn't see the shocked, yet disgusted look on the Andrews boy's face.
"He what?" he deadpanned.
"I said it," Rosie grumped.
"That doesn't make it okay, Ro," declared Archie. "You spent a whole summer working to get money for that ukulele! He can't do that to anyone – especially you! You're his sister. He should know better than anyone that your instruments are an important part of your life."
"That's why he did it, Archie," she responded. "But maybe I deserved it…"
Archie scoffed. "Deserved it? What the hell made you think that?"
Rosie shrugged. "Will? He did it because I threw coffee on Moose and Reggie."
"Rosie, you did it to protect me and Jug! We can't thank you enough for what you did. Your brother has no say in that situation because he wasn't a part of it," argued Archie angrily. "If you ever think that you deserved to get your ukulele broken again, then tell me and I'll talk you out of it."
Rosie was so taken aback that all she could do was nod.
"I did want to tell you that I decided to tell Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee that I was at Sweetwater River on July 4th."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You and Jughead are right. I can't stay quiet anymore. It's wrong."
"I'm really glad, Archie," she smiled genuinely. "I'm proud of you."
Archie smiled back, chuckling slightly. "Hey, Jughead and I were planning on heading to Pop's after the rally. We want you to come with us."
Rosie laughed. "You do?"
"Well, yeah," replied Archie, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're one of my best friends, Rosie."
Rosie's heart stopped beating, her breathing coming to a complete halt for a single second.
"We've known each other for barely two weeks," she squeaked, voice tight.
"So?" shrugged Archie. "Who cares about time?"
Coach Clayton began yelling down the field.
"That's me," said the ginger. "Find Jug after! My dad is taking us!"
Rosie didn't even have time to respond before Archie ran back to the blue and yellow colored, football jersey-clad boys he called his team. Her heart swelled. Best friend. That adjective had never been used to describe her before. And it felt wonderful.
It made sense to the brunette musician when Cheryl bolted from the stage. She was overwhelmed by the loss of her brother at an event where his name was used so frequently, as well as a place where he used to be praised up and down the bleachers.
But after the game, when even she was still drying from the pouring rain, she was surprised to see her family completely dry. What was going on with them? Had they not watched the whole rally?
She rode to Pop's in the bed of Fred Andrews' pickup truck with Jughead. Archie and Fred rode in the carriage. There wasn't room for the four of them on the single bench.
She and the boys entered Pop's expecting to sit alone, but instead, they saw Betty and Veronica already seated with milkshakes in front of them.
Betty turned and grinned. "Do you guys want to join us?"
Rosie shared a smile with Jughead and Archie.
"Yes," Jughead replied cheekily, "but only if you're treating."
The blonde and raven-haired girls laughed. The two slid down their benches, making room for the three to sit comfortably.
"Veronica Lodge," she introduced herself.
"Jughead Jones, the third," he replied, hopping over the side of the booth to sit next to the other new girl.
"Jughead Jones…the third?" Veronica giggled, as if in disbelief.
"So, you're the third unfortunate who has been burdened with such a name," joked Rosie as she plopped down next to Archie, who had settled next to the blonde.
For some reason, they all found that funnier than it necessarily was. Archie threw his arms over the back of the seat, forming a barrier between Rosie and Betty against the other booths.
"Burdened?" Jughead proclaimed sarcastically. "I'm offended, Rosie."
Pop walked up, smiling widely to see his favorite customers all together. "What can I get you crazy kids?"
"I'll take a strawberry milkshake, Pop," Archie requested.
"Can I get fries and a mint milkshake?" Rosie told him. "Thanks, Pop."
"Usual, Jughead?"
"You know me too well, Pop."
"That'll be out in a jiffy," he replied merrily.
"Mint?" asked Betty suspiciously.
"Don't knock till you try, Betty," Rosie replied quickly. "At least my milkshakes aren't bland."
"Ooh!" Archie, Jughead, and Veronica laughed.
Betty mocked offense. "Vanilla is classic."
"Classicly boring."
"What kind of milkshake is mint?"
"Unique, that's what."
And in that moment, the world was right. Rosie had found her best friends in the universe. She realized that even if her parents and brother didn't care about her, her friends did. Maybe they were the family Rosie had always desired. The family that she needed.
But little did all five of the teens know, their worlds were going to get darker. Darkness quickly descended the next day. But that night? Their happiness kept the darkness at bay.
We are finally through with episode 2! I can't wait to write onto episode 3. Did that seem to take forever for you guys, or was it just me?
But here we are with another update! Quick, right? I'm hoping that I'll be on a roll and finish up episode 4 before I go back to school for spring quarter.
Now, onto review responses:
silentmayhem: I've already responded to your PM, but I have to say that I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your genius insight on Rosie and her role in Riverdale as a whole. I hope you're a writer, too, because you think like one. It's incredible how much you've been spot on in everything you've written. I can't thank you enough for being such an incredible reviewer and reader of this fic. I love you. 3
BehindBlueEyes7: Ahhhhh thank you! I love it when I'm able to get people addicted haha! 😊
Hopefully I'll talk to you all soon! I'm already working on later chapters! Thank you so much to everyone reviewing, favoriting, and following. I love you all.