Chapter Seven: Auditions

"Name?" Kevin asks, trying to avoid eye contact with the cluster of serpents that had entered one by one.

"Black Eye."

"Um, can I have your real name?"

Black Eye glares "Black. Eye."

"Okay." Kevin looks down at his paper with slight fear and writes down the name. "Uh, and your range?" Black Eye raises an eyebrow. "Like what do you sing? Tenor? Bass?"

"I don't sing that fancy stuff." Black Eye says.

"Okay, well do you sing high or low?" Kevin asks.

"I sing high." Black Eye smiles, proud.

"Tenor..." Kevin mumbles as he writes it down. "Ready when you are." He smiles at Black Eye Who begins his song.

Meanwhile, Ellie waits outside the door, next in line, when a Ghoulie comes up to her.

"Go away." Ellie rolls her eyes.

"Can't do that. I got someone that wants to talk to ya." The Ghoulie says.

"Does this someone have long blonde hair, bangs, an attitude problem and is about yeah high?" Ellie asks, putting her hand up.

"Yes."

"Well then too bad. I don't want to talk to her." Ellie turns back toward the door.

"Look, girl, you're coming with me the easy way or the hard way." He cracks his knuckles. Ellie sighs, her friends had all already gone inside to audition so she was alone.

"Fine." She follows the Ghoulie round to the back of the school, unaware of the red-headed girl that was spying on her from around the corner.

"I brought her, as you requested." The Ghoulie says, jokingly going into a bow. Penny nods to the ghoulie as if to send him away and so he leaves the two women alone. Well, three women if you count the spy, Cheryl Blossom, who had followed Ellie and the Ghoulie outside.

"What do you want, Penny?" Eleanor glares at the woman.

"Wow, harsh. You act like you haven't seen me in eleven years!" Penny jokes.

"This isn't cool. I'm at school right now, you can't just show up. And sending a Ghoulie in to come get me?! Do you know what the Serpents would do to me if they see that?!" Ellie yells.

"I know what they've already done to you." Penny reaches forward and places a hand over a scar on Eleanor's cheek.

"That was my fault," Ellie says. From her corner, Cheryl takes out her cell phone and starts to record.

"Damn right it was. You've always let people walk all over you."

"I do not!"

"You let your father talk you into skipping town. How do you think your poor mother felt when you left?"

"I'm sure she didn't care."

Pennies hand drops back to her side. "Look, kid, I can keep protecting you, but you've gotta pay a price. It's bad for business if I look like I'm helping you out of the kindness of my heart."

Cheryl's mouths an "omg" and turns off the video and opens her texting app. "Goodbye, blondie. Sure would be a shame if Jughead got his hands on this video…" She mumbles, hitting send to Jughead "oops." She smiles and sneaks away but the conversation continues.

"Send as many Ghoulies as you want, I can take those Jingle Jangle fueled hoodlums with my eyes closed." Ellie glares.

"Hoodlums? Oh God, you really did go live with Steve." Penny wrinkles her nose.

"I never asked you to help me. So go ahead, stop." Eleanor turns to walk away but what Penny says next stops her.

"Fine, then I'll just tell Sharkbait to go right ahead in his plan to kill that Serpent girl. What's her name? Toni Topaz?" Silence falls between the two but Ellie doesn't turn back around.

"Go right ahead," Ellie says, charging off.

"Fine!" Penny calls after her like a toddler trying to win an argument. "I will!"

Ellie rushes into the auditorium and on stage with seconds to spare.

"Am I late?" She asks.

"Nope. Just on time." Kevin answers with a smile. "Name?"

"Eleanor."

"Can I have your full name please?"

"Eleanor Patel," Ellie says. Kevin looks through his class list.

"Sorry, it doesn't look like I have that name. I have an Eleanor-" his eyes widen and Ellie interrupts him before he can finish.

"Yes! That's me. That's my name. Can we get on with this please?" She almost begs. Kevin looks between her and the list and finally manages to stutter a yes.

"Range?"

"Soprano," Ellie responds.

"Alright. Show me what you've got." Kevin leans forward on his table as Ellie takes in a breath.

She sings her song as quick as she can and rushes through the monologue before leaving without a goodbye or anything.

She darts down the halls of Riverdale High and out the doors where she runs into Jughead.

"I need to talk to you." She pants.

"Yeah, so I've heard. Can't it wait till tomorrow? I gotta go." He heads towards his motorcycle.

"No." Ellie stands in front of his bike.

"Out of my way, Eleanor." He warns, kicking up the kickstand.

"Jughead you might want to know this before you go home," Ellie assures him, obviously nervous.

"Know what?" He looks over Ellie's shoulder and spies his dad, leaning against a motorcycle of his own. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." He looks between the two. "Please tell me he's not here for you?"

"Steve kicked me out after the fight. Trust me it's not my ideal situation either, but I don't have anywhere else to go. FP was my dads only friend in Riverdale that lasted through the years we were gone...I didn't know who else to call." Ellie takes a step back, half worried Jughead was going to run her over.

Jughead struggles to find his words. "No. No, this has to be a joke. Dad, we can't take her in!" He eyes FP who just shrugs.

"You heard her, she's got nowhere else to go." He says. Jughead tries to figure out something to say but can't and finally just starts the bike. "Come on, Ellie, it's getting late," FP says, tossing the girl a helmet.

Who would have known that auditions for a drama club would lead to such drama? Ellie didn't know the wrath she would have waiting for her when Jughead opens Cheryl's text. She didn't know the pain she would endure for telling Penny to let Sharkbait kill Toni. She didn't know that she had just started another war.

That night, while Ellie slept, Jughead opened his text from Cheryl. He looked over at the sleeping girl and thought about how easy it would be to kick her out right now. But he also thought about what his dad would do to him if he did. He figured he'd leave her alone, for now."

In case you didn't know you can read this on AO3 as well also a reminder there are 3 authors for this story but only I (Colormysoultraurig) is posting on FF so RiverdaleWitch had an update for you all "Hey! RiverdaleWitch here. I started an Instagram under the name RiverdaleWitch for some Riverdale edits and edits of the OCs from this story."

Link to AO3~ /works/16709212/chapters/39189382