I sat in a chair next to Veronica, watching the auditions for the Riverdale High Variety Show in the auditorium. Kevin was sitting in front of us, being the director, when he called out Archie's name for the second time. Archie was a nervous wreck. I could tell. He started to shake, getting his guitar ready as Kevin asked, "And what will you be auditioning with?"
"Uh, an original song, that I wrote, called I'll try."
Then Reggie, in the back with the rest of the football team, yelled, "Try harder!"
"Take your time, Archie, but we do have people waiting," Kevin reminded. I could tell, even from way back here, that he was shaking.
"Oh my gosh, what's happening?" Veronica asked, confused.
I leaned over, and said, "He's choking."
"Archie, clock's ticking," Kevin said, as Archie was just getting worse.
"Excuse me, sorry, I gotta go." Then he instantly ran down the stage, and out of the side door.
Veronica made to get up, but I stopped her, and said, "Give him some space." The football team finished applauding, and Kevin had another person get on stage. I stayed with veronica until the auditions were done for the day.
At lunch, we all sat at a table outside while Betty and Jughead were having a conversation; Val and Archie were talking music. So, I was just sitting there playing solitaire on my phone, until Archie asked, "What are you guys talking about? Anything I can help with?"
Jughead sighed, putting his bag of chips down, and said, "What we're attempting is a stealth operation, Archie. If we go in there with the entire Scooby gang, forget it. We're compromised."
"Well, don't you have to practice for the variety show, anyways?" Betty asked, leaning into the table.
"Uh, no, I don't."
"Except that, yes, you do. Thanks to a certain Veronica-ex-machina. Excuse me," Veronica said, as she stuffed herself between Val, and Archie. Kevin came over, and squeezed himself between Betty and me.
"What do you mean?" Archie asked, confused.
"Oh, nothing. Just that I had a few words with our director/host, and reminded him that he's heard you sing on numerous occasions," Veronica said, smiling, as she looked over at Kevin.
"Even though it compromises my artistic integrity," Kevin pointed out.
"Cutting to the chase, you have a spot if you want it," Veronica said, straightforward.
Then Archie said, "Veronica, thank you. But, you saw what happened."
"We all did," I pointed out, as I picked the sticker off my apple.
"Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up on that stage by myself…I'm not sure if I'm ready for that," Archie nervously said, looking around at us.
"If it's a partner you're looking for, Veronica Lodge is more than willing and able," Veronica said, talking in the third person.
"Veronica, I didn't know you could sing," Betty stated.
Veronica replied, nodded, "Like a nightingale. What do you say, Archiekins? Be the jay to my bey?" Archie looked around the table, with a look a little kid gets when he doesn't know if he should freak out that he got the toy he wanted for Christmas, or be professional and just say 'thank you'.
Then he chuckled, and said, "Yes."
After lunch, I went to the archery building, and started practicing. It was an hour later when I was about to line up another shot, and the end of school bell went off. I sighed, packed up my stuff, and made my way to my bike. On my way, I saw Veronica walking to the bus.
"Hey! V!" She looked at me, and smiled.
Then she made her way over, and asked, "Hey, Al. What's up?"
"Where are you going?" I asked.
She sighed, and said, "I'm going to take lunch to my mom. She's working at your dad's construction company."
"Yeah, I heard about that," I said, nodding. "Do you want a ride? I need to talk to my dad, anyway."
She instantly grew nervous, and said, "oh, I—I don't know. I wouldn't want to impose."
"Are you kidding me? It'll be great. Unless…unless you're scared," I said, with a little smirk. She instantly took that as a challenge, and then nodded. I nodded back, and gave her a helmet. She took it gratefully, and climbed on behind me. She held on so tightly that I could hardly breathe the whole time, but it was fun none-of-the-less.
The second I had the bike parked, she hopped off, and started to nervously chuckle. "See? You survived." She rolled her eyes at me, and we made our way down the gravel road to his office. We were almost there, when we had to stop for a forklift, and once it went past, we kept walking. I absentmindedly looked up, and stopped dead in my tracks.
"Al, what's up?"
"Look." I jutted my chin behind her, and she looked. There, in the window, was Mrs. Lodge being pinned to the bookcase by my dad while they were making out.
"Oh my…" Veronica said, as we both stared at them in disgust.
"I knew it. Come on," I said, and left before I saw anything I didn't want to see. I cut the engine outside of the Pembrooke, and she got off with shaky hands. She gave me the helmet in silence, and I held it in my lap. I bit my lip, and dropped my hand on the helmet with a sigh.
"Well, maybe it isn't that bad," I tried to convince her, but I think it was mainly directed toward me.
"Are you kidding, Alex? They were…they were making out! I mean, I mean how is it not clearer than a bell? Our parents are having an affair with one another while they're still married!" she exclaimed, as she put her hands on her hips, and started to slightly pace on the sidewalk by my bike.
"Alright, well, why don't you talk to your mom, and I'll talk to my dad. Find out what in the unholy inferno is going on." She nodded after a minute, and then turned, and walked into the building. I sighed, and then drove home after a minute.
I pulled up at the house, and cut the engine. I reached for the keys, but my fingers didn't move to grab them. I started to feel the emptiness, the darkness start to creep back up on me, and I let a shaky breath leave my lungs. Then I slipped my fingers up to the top of the handle bars, and let my head drop to them.
I shook my head, and squeezed my eyes shut as tears started to seep down my cheeks. This is how it starts. This is how I feel every time I slip back to where I was in Maine: Sad, angry, confused, miserable, and totally alone. Dad was useless to talk to, Archie would never understand, Betty and Jughead were always playing detective, and Veronica would just give some kind of motivational speech about how this happened to her in New York.
There were my friends on the Southside, but there're on the Southside, and I don't have their current numbers or addresses. I sighed, pulling myself away from the handle bars, got off, and headed into the house. I sat in a chair in the corner of the living room, lights off, waiting for Dad to get home.
Dad walked in the front door a few hours later, and slightly startled at my presence. "Hey, Alex. I love that you're getting settled in here, but, you do realize that's my chair, right?" Dad chuckled to himself, and walked into the kitchen.
I followed, and shot back with, "I love that you're happy again, but you do realize that you're still married, Right?"
He instantly looked at me, and asked, "What on earth-?"
"I saw you, Dad. I saw you with Mrs. Lodge at the trailer."
A look of shock and understanding ran across his face, and he said, "Alex, I am so sorry that you did."
"Why? Because you got caught, or you actually are sorry?"
"I am actually sorry, Alex. I know this is hard for you to grasp, given our resent skirmishes, but believe it or not, this is the first time we've even kissed before. Until today."
"What about mom?"
"I'm not sure. But, listen…we went our separate ways a long time ago, for a reason. And, and you can visit her, anytime you want. You can even go live with her, if that's what you want to do. But I can't tell you what this means, because I, I don't know myself. Okay?" I sighed, and closed my eyes. "I know you're mad, Alex, but…"
"I'm not mad, Dad…I'm just disappointed." I shook my head, and then turned, and went to my room without another word. That night, I waited until around ten o'clock, snuck out my window, and made my way to Marybeth's house. I walked up to her door, knocked twice, sat my two book bags down on the porch, and waited for someone to open the door. A minute later, the door flung open, and I smiled back at a smiling, and giggly Marybeth.
"Hi."
"Hey, come on in, Alex."
"Thank you." I picked my bags up, and walked inside. Her house was spacious, to say the least: six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a humongous kitchen, and a gigantic living room that overlooked Sweetwater River. The dining room was as big as my living room, and I slightly gasped when she showed me the guest room. It had a huge top to bottom window that, to my joy, also overlooked Sweetwater River, too. I walked into the room, and saw a king-sized bed to the right of the door, and a huge flat screen TV opposite it with a small loveseat and coffee table on the wall opposite the door. On the wall of the door, was a huge wardrobe that would make C.S. Lewis blush.
"Wow, Marybeth. This place is incredible."
She smiled, giggled to herself, and tucked one of her goldilocks behind her ear, and said, "Thank you, Alex. It's definitely not Thornhill, but we manage."
"I would thank my lucky stars that it isn't. That place gives me 'the creeps'." We both chuckled at that, and I sat my luggage on the chest in front of the bed. I sat down, and then her mom came in.
"Alex, Hi. I wanted to meet you at the door, but I was on a call."
"Oh, that's okay, Mrs. Fay. I was just saying how much I love your house. It's very…big." I smiled at her, and she chuckled, putting a hand on Marybeth's shoulder.
"Thank you, dear. Well, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work to catch up on, so…" She said her goodbyes, and then she was gone.
"Your mom seems nice."
She smiled, and said, "Yeah, she is. Well, I better let you get some sleep, we leave tomorrow at six."
"Okay. I'll be ready."
"Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Marybeth." She smiled one last time, and closed the door. I sighed once she did, and I texted Betty, letting her know I was safe, and going to bed. I had told her about my idea at lunch, and she said if someone asked her, she would keep up the act. I was about to head to bed, when my phone buzzed, letting me know I had a text. I went to my bed, and looked at my phone. It was a text from Fangs.
Fangs: Hey, are you there yet?
Me: No. I'm at my friend's house. We'll be leaving to go to Greendale at six.
Fangs: Ok. Hope you do well.
Me: Me too.
Fangs: Talk to you tomorrow?
Me: I suppose. Goodnight Fogs.
Fangs: Goodnight Alexandra.
I put my phone away, and went to sleep. I woke up at around five-thirty, took a shower, and got ready. Then I walked downstairs and saw Marybeth picking up her bag, and hugging her mother goodbye.
"Ready?" Marybeth asked. I walked to her, nodded, and then we left. We walked about a quarter of a mile to the bus stop, and then saw the other two boys and Mr. Kaine showing up right as the bus did. We all piled in, and we made our way to Greendale.
I slept all the way there. Marybeth nudged me awake when we arrived; I got my stuff, and got off. Once Mr. Kaine made sure we were all here and accounted for, we walked in. The actual thing started at ten, so we had a few hours to get ready and get our hotel set up. Marybeth and I were sharing a room, and the boys were across the hall with Kaine.
I sat my bags down on my bed, and sat down while Marybeth checked out the view. I pulled out my phone, and texted Fangs.
Me: Hey, just got here. The regionals start in an hour. I'm so nervous.
Fangs: You have no reason to be. You're a genius. You'll rock it. Good luck.
Me: I hope so. Has the whole town gone out searching for me yet?
Fangs: No, not yet. But I'm sure it'll be a matter of time.
Me: Ok. Thank you.
Fangs: What for?
Me: For being here for me. I don't think I could've gone without your encouragement.
Fangs: Yes, you could've. I gotta go. Serpent business.
Me: Ok, bye Fogs.
Fangs: By, Al.
Mr. Kaine knocked on the door, telling us to go. We quickly changed, and met them at the hotel's front doors. We went in Mr. Kaine's car to the school. They're holding the regionals at an 'all girls' school' on the other side of the river from Riverdale. We walked in, and saw all of the teams already at their tables getting ready and hyped up. We sat down, and Mr. Kaine went behind the stage to talk to the judges.
"Ugh, I'm so nervous," Doug said, as he looked at all the other teams.
I smiled, and said, "Don't be. We'll do great." He smiled in thanks, and then a judge went on stage.
"Welcome to Greendale's Fifteenth Mathematic Regionals. Without further ado, let's kick things off by doing the timed-round," The judge, Miss Madison, said, with a tired smile; the regionals were underway.
We stopped at three for a lunch break, and we all filed out to the cafeteria. I sat down with my sandwich when my phone went off. I looked at the caller ID, and saw it was Dad. I sighed, and silenced it. Two minutes later, I got a voicemail from him, and I listened to it. His voice was shaking, and he was talking over himself. He was trying to get a hold of me because he hadn't heard from me all day, and given our conversation last night, he had a right to be worried.
"Are you going to call him back, Alex? He sounds worried." Mr. Kaine said, peeking at my phone from over my shoulder.
"I'll call him later." He nodded at that, and I continued to eat. The first day of regionals got over around five, and we headed back to the hotel. I got out of the car, and my phone buzzed again. I looked at it, and saw it was FP. I cursed under my breath, and debated whether to answer or not. If he's calling, then Dad must've gotten a hold of him; which, my guess, is that the whole town has been sent out in a search party for me already if Dad's talking to FP.
I closed my eyes, and answered. "FP, before you—"
"Where on God's green-earth are you?" he said, his voice stern, tired, and worried.
"Where are you?" I asked, nervously.
He said, "At the trailer, with your dad. He's worried sick."
"Can he see your face?"
"Yeah, why?"
"When I tell you, don't make any outward expression. I'm in Greendale at the regionals I told you about." There was a pause, a few scuffles, and then I heard a door close.
"Why doesn't your old man know?"
"I asked if I could go, and he forbade it. This is really important to me, FP. Please, if my dad finds out, he'll come get me and he'll send me away again. Please, don't tell him." There was a plea in my voice that I had never shown to him before, and he sighed on the other end.
"What does he already know? What do I need to tell him?"
"All he knows is that we got into a fight last night, and that I probably ran off. You just have to tell him that I'm somewhere safe, and not to worry; I'll come back in a few days."
"A few days?"
"Yeah, just say that I'm in a different town but that I didn't tell you where. Alright?"
"You are going to owe me big, kid." There was a nervous chuckle on the other side, and I sighed.
"Thank you, FP. Truly."
"Yeah, just be safe, okay kid? If you need anything, just call."
"Yeah, yeah. I will. I'll see you in two days."
"Bye." Then he ended the call, and I sighed. I walked in the hotel with Marybeth, and collapsed onto my bed.
