SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | FIFTEEN

He hadn't answered her calls that morning.

Savannah had begged Piper to take them into school early that morning and despite the blonde's protests, she found herself roaming the halls a half hour before the bell would ring.

She sought out the Blue and Gold work room, tossing her bag down on one of the desks with a sigh. Having searched the rest of the school for him, she'd relented, deciding to wait for him to find her.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and Savannah pulled it out, relieved to see that she had a text from him, Jughead.

Where are you? Saw Piper in the hallway. - Jughead.

She smiled softly and quickly shot back a reply, only to look up and find a horrific sight.

Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller were stood by the door, the latter's eyes were locked onto their murder board. She swallowed thickly.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes." Principal Weatherbee responded cooly, the two of them moving further into the room, the Sheriff inspecting their board further. "Where is Mr. Jones?"

"Why?" Savannah couldn't help but ask, almost rudely.

The Principal looked at her in disappointment, but the Sheriff responded. "That's none of your concern, Miss. Clarke."

Savannah glared at the man, her eyes flittering across their murder board. Did it look suspicious? Of course it did.

"Awfully interested over there, Sheriff."

"Miss. Clarke!" The Principal said firmly, his eyes full of warning.

The Sheriff looked at the girl over his shoulder, "My own board was just like this."

"Hmm." The girl murmured thoughtfully, "Guess Keller's think alike."

Sheriff Keller frowned at her, before back at the board, knowing that he had been involved in their detective work. "Someone broke into my house and stole the evidence. Wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Savannah slid further back onto the table, crossing her legs and resting her elbows atop her jean-clad thighs. "If I did, it would be right there on that board."

The Sheriff turned away from the board, moving a few steps closer to her. "You were close to Jason Blossom, weren't you?"

Savannah smiled sweetly, "Should I get a lawyer, Sheriff?"

It was at that moment that Jughead appeared at the door, throwing down his own bag and assessing the situation with a pit in his stomach. "Hey." He greeted the three. "Whats up?"

"I'm gonna need you to come down to the station with me." The Sheriff said to him, casting a glance back at the enraged girl.

"Based on what evidence?" She cried, jumping down from the desk.

"Miss. Clarke!" Principal Weatherbee snapped, his eyes alight with anger. "My office."

Savannah's eyes narrowed, but she picked up her bag all the same. As she passed by Jughead, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, leaving the room with the Principal hot on her tail.

She could tell that everyone was staring at her and Principal Weatherbee as they passed, but the attention would shift when they saw Jughead and Sheriff Keller leaving the school. He'd asked Betty and Archie to call his dad, and without another word, he was gone.

Principal Weatherbee had wanted to give her lunchtime detention for how she had spoken to authority, but she'd pleaded for it after school. She had a study period next and planned on racing to the police station as soon as he'd let her out of his office.

She'd have to miss Chemistry, but prayed that her partner would let her copy their notes.

Betty and Archie were already there, along with Archie's dad, who was speaking to the Sheriff.

"What's going on?" Savannah asked Betty, who simply let out a sigh and shrugged. "Is he okay, did you speak to him?"

"Yeah." Betty nodded. "They're questioning him because he spent time in Juvy when he was younger."

"He did?" Savannah gaped in disbelief. "What did he do?"

"They said he tried to burn down the elementary school." Betty scoffed, shooting daggers at the back of Sheriff Keller's back. "He said he was playing with matches. He was young, they can't seriously blame him for that."

"That's circumstantial evidence." Savannah said firmly. "They can't pin this on him because of something he did years ago."

Betty shook her head, "They said that the football team was bullying him. Guess who was on the football team?"

Savannah let out an exasperated sigh, "Jason. So now he has a motive."

"Exactly."

Praise Fred Andrews, Savannah had inwardly cheered when he insisted that Jughead had been working construction for him over the summer, when she knew that he hadn't. Jughead had spent most of his time at Pop's, she'd seen him.

He was released all the same and Savannah had jumped on him before he'd taken two steps.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "I didn't know they would show up, if I did, I would have warned you."

"They would have found me anyway." Jughead murmured, very aware of the group watching them. "It's not your fault."

Savannah nodded and stepped back, taking Betty's outstretched hand.

They all left the police station together, Sheriff Keller watching as Savannah cast a glance behind her. She'd been put on their radar now, he'd be watching her. He knew about her relationship with Jason and now he'd seen her with Jughead.

It could be twisted into some kind of tragic love triangle. Or square, rather.

"Jughead!" She heard a man shout. He was scruffy, bleary eyes and was wearing clothes that were creased, as if they were slept in. "Sorry, I came as soon as I got your message."

This was Jughead's dad.

"My phone, the freaking battery. I forgot to plug it in last night." He awkwardly laughed, "What the hell happened?"

"Nothing." Jughead said quickly, causing Savannah and Betty to frown at him. "It's fine now. Mr. Andrews took care of it."

"What jacked up crap did they accuse you of in there, huh?" FP Jones pointed a dirty finger at the police station, "Those bastards trying to throw you in jail like they did your old man? Well, screw that!"

His voice echoed around the square.

"I'll rip Keller a new one for trying to pull that on you -"

Fred Andrews moved in front of FP, holding him back, "FP, settle down."

"Hey! Hey!" FP pushed him back roughly, yelling, "He's my son! He is my son, Fred! You'd do the same for your boy!" He pointed at Archie.

Jughead reached out for his father, grasping onto the front of his shirt and stopping him in his tracks. "Dad. Don't make things worse. Please."

As his hand slipped from FP's shirt, the man nodded solemnly, shaken back into reality by his teenage son.

"Yeah. Yeah, alright then." He started to move away from the group, "You, uh? You coming home with me?"

Savannah couldn't help but frown at his choice of words. Where else would he go? Had he been staying somewhere else?

"He - He can stay with us, Mr. Jones." Archie told the man, "We already offered."

"Is that what you want?" FP asked his son, who had a blank expression on his face. "Maybe that's for the best, if - if you don't mind, Fred."

Fred Andrews was looking at Jughead, his eyes locked onto the boy who had such an unfortunate upbringing and that part of it was because of him. "Whatever you want, FP. It's between the two of you."

Jughead. The boy who wished to be no burden on anybody, muttered, "I'll - I'll go with you, dad."

He passed by then, walking toward his father, who planted his hands soundly on his shoulders.

Savannah couldn't hear what FP Jones said to his son, but she supposed that was for the better. That they didn't need to hear the words that were exchanged between a father and son, the bond between them so tattered and broken, and yet they'd still do anything for each other.

They hugged and FP walked away from his son, leaving him in the capable hands of what was now, his family.