Author's Note: Hey guys! Welcome back! Thank you for all the amazing reviews 3 BTW, who else CANNOT wait until October for season 3?! I'm so excited! Anyway, happy 4th of July and enjoy!

~Sofi

*DISCLAIMER*
I DO NOT OWN RIVERDALE I AM JUST BORROWING THE CHARACTERS

Chapter 4: Evil Confessions

Everybody knows that feeling, the feeling of being watched, and the anxiety slowly crawling up your spine until it reaches your neck. You look around to see if your suspicions are true, as your palms grow sweaty.

But the time when this feeling abandons us is when we should need it most.

Local mean girl Cheryl (Bombshell) Blossom and her significant other, Antoinette (Toni) Topaz, had not experienced the harrowing feeling. Maybe it would've helped, or maybe it would've changed nothing.

Thistle House's lights dimly illuminated the atmosphere of dusk as Cheryl and Toni resided anxiously up on the second floor. The document was placed tightly in Cheryl's grasp, the contents more valuable than gold. Toni laid a hand upon Cheryl's shoulder as Cheryl hesitantly opened the document.

The first piece of paper held a list of names neatly written: Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Kevin Keller, Josie McCoy, Fred Andrews, FP Jones, and Alice Cooper. The remaining three pieces of paper held Hiram's downfall. The October Surprise, the Black Hood attack on town hall, his corruption of the police department, anything terrible he's done was confined to these pages.

"What should we do first?" Toni questioned, reading the atrocious deeds.

"Well, let's start by taking pictures. We have no way of telling who might find out about this, and if they do, they may try to mess with it." Cheryl grabbed her phone from her bedside table and instantly began to snap several photos of each page.

"Good. I'll contact the people on the list with the info and send them the photos." Toni replied, pulling her phone from the back of her ripped jeans. Toni's phone lit up with the pictures from Cheryl. She tapped each contact and pasted the photos and sent. There it was. Hiram's secrets were out.

A small 'thump' came from Cheryl's doorway.

"What was that?" Cheryl exclaimed, standing up from her ruby red bed cover. "Nana Rose? Was that you?" Her heart skipped a beat as she raced to the frame and peered down the hallway. Nobody. A concerned expression tinged her face and she closed the door to her bedroom. "I don't think it's safe to talk about it aloud."

"Yeah," Toni responded as her aspect molded into one identical to Cheryl's. "Let's just send these and call it a night."

Cheryl walked back to her spot on the bed and locked the door on her way.

Down the stairs, Penelope Blossom let out a sigh of relief. Once the door closed, she bolted from Thistle House, never forgetting what she had heard.

. . .

It was 7:37 in the morning. Bird song filled the early morning air outside of the Cooper residents. The house was reticent, stagnancy filling the atmosphere. With a cold cup of coffee in hand and a somber look plastered onto her face. Alice Cooper, not knowing what to do, sat silently at the living room table. The steam from her beverage ceased to drift away a while ago. Dark bags clung low beneath Alice's eyes as she lifted the cup to her lips. She felt tired. So tired, that Alice couldn't fall asleep. If she could fall asleep though, she was almost certain she'd sleep for eternity.

"Mom?" Polly entered the kitchen, Juniper held up in her right arm. The baby was fast asleep cradled with her. Alice looked up as Polly stepped towards her and sat down. "I wanted to talk to you."

Alice set down her container, right on top of the ring from her cup before this one. "What is it Polly?"

"Well…" She started nervously, "I was thinking… you haven't really been taking this whole situation well, so I was thinking…" Polly cleared her throat and adjusted the sleeping infant. "Maybe you should come to the farm with me?"

A confused expression clouded Alice's face. "Polly… I'm fine…"

'"Mom, you are definitely not fine. You mope around the house every second of everyday and it's sad! You don't eat, or sleep, or do anything! I hate to see you like that," Polly held Alice's hand in hers. "It wouldn't be forever. Will you at least consider the offer?"

"...Fine, I'll consider. But what will Betty do?"

"She can take care of herself, mom." Polly smiled in efforts to comfort Alice, which did seem to work. "I've got to get Juniper to bed, but I hope you make the right choice." With that, Polly got up from her seat and traveled up the stairs.

"...It's for the best…" Alice mumbled, bringing the cold cup to her lips one more.

. . .

The woods were quiet, quieter than usual. The trees seemed to loom taller, broader. The branches had been stripped of their leaves, taken by the wind and swooped to the ground below. A thin, crisp cool breeze traveled through the trees and shook the branches. Amongst it all, two teenage boys, hiding a secret, stand together hand in hand.

"Moose, we can't tell anybody about this." Kevin muttered, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

"...Why? We already got busted from finding Jason," Moose questioned, confusion lacing his voice.

"First, you kinda just got with me after Midge, and that's a little harsh, not to be harsh." Kevin took a deep breath and stared at the towering creations of nature. "...And, my old boyfriend's back in town."

"What?" Moose stopped in his tracks and looked towards Kevin. "Who?"

"Joaquin… and he's a Southside Serpent." Kevin avoided locking eyes with Moose.

"Kevin, what the hell? What were you doing dating 'Southside trash'?"

Kevin raised his voice. "Hey, he is not that bad, and he actually cared for me."

"Why-"

A deafening scream echoed through the wood. It sent shivers traveled down the partners' spines.

"What was that?" Kevin uttered, looking around.

"I'm not sure, but we better go check it out. Someone could be hurt," They both headed off into the direction of the scream, not knowing what awaited them upon arrival.

. . .

"I don't...I don't know who gave it to me!" Fresh tears stained her cheeks as she threw her hands into the air.

"Then how did you get it?" Jughead pressed on, clearly very angry.

Betty calmed down and looked up towards him. Oh how his heart ached every time he saw her cry, every time she wasn't okay. She took a deep, shaky breath and told her story. "When I, uh, got home last night, there was a knock at my door. When I went to see who it was, an envelope containing that not was at my doorstep."

"Why didn't you tell me right away?!" Betty flinched as Jughead raised his voice. He didn't want to scare her, but he wanted to know everything he could, he wanted to protect her. "Betty, you could've been hurt last night, or this morning! How would I know if you were okay? Do you realize what this could mean, Betty? We don't know who sent it! It could be anybody!"

"I know!" Betty snapped, now causing him to flinch. "I was scared, I was! But we don't know if it's a prank, or a trick. We don't know enough about this, Jughead! It was late, my mom and Polly were with me. I didn't want to worry you! Your already so stressed, and this would be another dumb thing to be concerned over!"

"Betts," He calmed his voice as to extinguish the argument. "Your write, we don't know enough about this, which means we can't rule out that this is dangerous! It's definitely not dumb if this puts you at risk. I'm your boyfriend; it's my job to worry for you. Betty, i just want to make sure you're safe," Safe. That's all he ever wanted for her. He wanted to see her smile, to hear her laugh; he wanted her to know that she was safe and alright. He had that overwhelming feeling of protection over her, to make sure she was safe.

"I know Juggie, I'm sorry I didn't tell you…" She tilted her head down apologetically. How did he always know just what to say?

"It's okay, Betts, glad you at least told me," Betty gave a small smile that made his heart soar. It soared higher and higher until it met Betty's, up in the clouds. He moved to hug her; Betty's arms wide open and ready to embrace him. He placed a kiss to the top of her head. Why can't anything go right for them?

"Well, at least I've got 'Big Bad Jughead Jones' to protect me," She smirked, looking up towards her boyfriend. He gave a small chuckle and planted yet another kiss onto her lips.

When they parted, Betty's phone buzzed in her pocket. A familiar fear clouded her mind. No, it's not him Betty. He's gone. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Betty snatched the phone from her pocket and observed the screen. She let out a long awaited sigh.

"Everything okay?" Jughead asked sternly.

"Yeah," Betty replied, "It's just my mom. It'll only be a sec." Betty ventured out into the hallway to take the call. Jughead watched her leave. How he wished all of this would go away. For her sake.

. . .

"Hiram, I'm home," Hermione's voice rang through the apartment's empty halls. She placed her coat neatly atop the coat rack and walked further into the home. Her heels clapped loudly against the floor. "Hiram?"

Hermione heard a soft 'hiccup' from the living room and headed over. The quiet cackle of the fire filled the atmosphere with a slight calm. She could see Hiram slumped over on the couch, glass in hand, still containing some alcohol. An expensive-looking ornate bottle of rum stood atop the side table beside the sofa. "Hiram, are you alright?"

"Just finee," Hiram responded, a slight slur lining his voice. He swirled the glass around in his hand, the rum within moving and splashing about. He coaxed Hermione to join him on the couch.

Her nerves settled as she realized he had just gotten drunk. She followed his gesture and sat, upright, beside him. She took the glass from his hand, preventing him from drinking any further, and set it down on the coffee table in front of them. "What is it, mi amor?"

"I've, *hick*, gotta tell you somethin'," He coughed, turning his head harshly towards her. "It's about, *hick*, Archie,"

"Yes?" Hermione began, a nervous feeling churning in her gut.

"I framed him,"

"...What?" She couldn't comprehend what he was saying. Her brows tightly knitted together in confusion.

"Andre actually, *hick*, killed him, they broke in and Andre, *hick*, shot 'em," Hiram's voice slurred heavier. Hermione quickly got up and headed to the office, continuing to piece what he had just revealed together in her mind. She rummaged through a few draws until she found what she was looking for: a tape recorder. She rushed back to the sofa, concealing the device, and sat beside Hiram.

She clicked on the recorder. "I don't understand, what did you do?" He curved his neck uncomfortable in her direction.

"Archie didn't, *hick*, kill that boy, Andre did," Hiram slumped lower into the sofa. "I framed 'em, so they wouldn't, *hick*, rat me out,"

"Are you absolutely sure?" She pushed, making sure she wasn't dreaming as he said this.

"Would bet my life on it, the truth," Hiram whispered, drifting closer and closer to sleep.

She clicked the off the recorder. "Well, let's get you to bed," Hiram grumbled as she helped him up towards the bedroom. A million thoughts traveled throughout her mind. Hiram wouldn't do that to Archie, would he?

She set him atop the mattress and changed into her nightgown. Before retreating to the pleasantness of sleep, she made her way to Veronica's room and kissed her upon her forehead. Hermione returned to her bedroom and lay down next to Hiram. The thoughts continued to race in her head. It was going to be a long night…

To be continued…

Author's Note: Yeah, A LOT happened in the chapter. I hope you enjoyed, and it would be very much appreciated if you left a review, I would love to hear your thoughts on my story so far! Thank you and I hope you return next week!

~Sofi