SMOKESTACKS
CHAPTER | NINETEEN
"Ta da!" Savannah sang as she pulled a victorian sponge from the oven. It was slightly browner around the edges but with a coat of icing, no one would notice.
"You're a life saver!" Betty cried out, looking like she could kiss her. "I'll make some icing."
"Okay." Savannah chuckled, attempting to coax the cake out of the tin without chopping off a large chunk. With a cry of success, she settled it on a cooling rack.
Kevin came skidding into the kitchen, sliding on the tiles. "Archie just texted, they're on their way."
The two girls shared a look of utter horror as they glanced at the cake. Kevin hurried back into the living room where they were all setting up for Jughead's surprise.
"Go." Betty encouraged, holding up a bowl that she was mixing the icing in.
"Are you sure?" She eyed the bowl, the girl and then the cake, in worry.
"I'm sure I can decorate a cake without screwing up." Betty reassured her, lightly pushing her shoulder to encourage her.
"Okay." Savannah held up her hands and tossed down the oven mitts she still had on. "Good luck."
The girl could spot everyone in less than a heart beat, each of them awful at hiding. Ethel had hidden the doorframe, Kevin behind some balloons, whilst Veronica was helping herself to Fred Andrews' whisky.
The door opened just as Savannah had entered the room, leaving her directly in the middle. "Uh, surprise!" She cried out with the rest, the lights switching on as Archie and Jughead appeared around the door.
"Happy birthday!" Betty cried after the rest of them, bouncing into the room with icing powder on her cheek. She wrapped her arms around Jughead, who hugged her back.
"Hey, you really shouldn't have."
Savannah caught his eye over her shoulder and shrugged, holding up a plastic cup that Veronica had pushed into her hand. "Any excuse for a party, right?" She offered, to which he half-heartedly smiled.
Kevin appeared in front of Jughead, the latter murmuring a "Oh, it's Kevin.".
"Happy birthday, bud!" He beamed, hugging the boy who looked very uncomfortable. "This is my boyfriend, Joaquin."
"Hi!" Savannah butted in, allowing Jughead to breath. "I'm Savannah." She introduced herself to Kevin's boyfriend. "I'd say I've heard so much about you, but I don't listen."
Joaquin simply laughed.
"Nice to meet you." Jughead shook hands with Joaquin, before looking around and frowning. "Where did Betty go?"
He couldn't have timed his question better, just as the door to the kitchen opened and in came Betty, holding a cake with many candles. She started singing Happy Birthday when Savannah slipped out into the cool air to see Veronica on the front steps.
"You okay?" She asked the dark haired girl, watching in concern as she tipped the amber liquid into her mouth.
"Rough day." Veronica replied bluntly. "Why aren't you in there?"
"Jughead is clearly uncomfortable." Savannah let out a sigh and handed Veronica her own cup full of whisky. "And singing without music makes me cringe."
"Poor Betty." Veronica half-laughed, "She was so excited for this."
"He didn't want it though." Savannah insisted, "This is only going to end in disaster."
"What else would you expect?" The dark haired girl muttered, "This is Riverdale."
She couldn't help it. When Savannah saw Cheryl burst through the front door with Chuck and a couple of kegs, she broke out into a wide grin. It reminded her of old times when she and Piper would crash a party that the seniors were holding, somehow getting away with it.
Except Piper wasn't with her, she was standing with another girl with olive skin and dyed blue hair. Savannah couldn't say that it looked horrid because the girl was absolutely stunning in her leather dress and converse.
Piper and Kyle had broken up. It was official.
Savannah had barely seen Kyle, who would go to work and come home, locking himself in his room. They'd been dating for a while, it seemed so odd to spend all of your time with someone to suddenly never seeing them.
That happened last week, the breakup, and Piper didn't look anywhere near heartbroken.
"Hey friend." Cheryl gushed, her arm catching Savannah's. "Enjoying the party?"
"The one you weren't invited to?" She asked, void of malice. "Yeah, it's great fun. The kegs were a good idea."
Cheryl threw her hair over her shoulder with pride, "That was my idea. I have connections."
"Of course you do." Savannah nodded with a slight sigh, "Can I catch up with you later, Cheryl? I need to speak to someone."
"Sure." Cheryl winked, "Save me a dance."
Savannah waved her off as she pushed through the crowd that had accumulated in Archie's living room. She stopped dead in front of Piper and the girl, a scowl fixed on her face.
The olive skinned girl had caught sight of her and motioned with her head to Piper.
Piper turned to face Savannah and felt the blood drain from her face.
"Didn't expect me to be here?" Savannah asked boldly, growing angry.
"Not really, no." Piper said quietly, "I didn't know you and Archie were friends."
"Had to make new ones when you abandoned me for my brother, right?"
The olive skinned girl cut in softly, "I'm going to give you two some space."
Savannah didn't say anything as the girl slid past her, muttering apologies to people that she bumped into. Piper looked terrified, not of Savannah, but of something else that was plaguing her thoughts.
"Who was that anyway?" Savannah scoffed, having never seen the girl before.
"That was Ryan." Piper confessed, her eyes pleading as they met Savannah's shocked ones. "She's from southside."
Savannah was stunned.
In her mind, Ryan had always been a burly male who would tower over Kyle and had won Piper's affections. It was much easier to hate the girl with that image, but the truth? Was much harder to handle.
The arguments between Piper and Kyle made sense, when it seemed there was nothing to be angry about, Piper had been battling her inner demons. She hadn't known whether she could truly love Kyle when her eyes would lock onto a beautiful blue haired girl that smiled brighter than the sun.
"Ryan?" Savannah's voice cracked as she asked. "That's Ryan?"
"Yeah." Piper said weakly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"Me too." Savannah sighed, unable to look at her friend anymore. She turned and left her standing in the middle of the Andrews' living room, the blue haired beauty appearing at her side in an instant, concern clouding her features.
The girl burst out of the house and into the garden, where there were more teenagers pouring over the kegs, swarming her like bees. She tried not to choke on the stench of beer and BO as she pushed her way into the garage.
"Oh hello." She greeted upon seeing Jughead and Archie in the middle of a conversation. "I'm sorry, I'll let you guys finish."
"It's fine." Archie assured her, motioning for her to sit next to him. "Are you at least having fun?"
"No." Savannah said simply, "I found out that the boy Piper kissed is actually a girl, so that's great fun."
Jughead and Archie both frowned at that, the latter speaking, "I thought she was dating your brother?"
"Was." Savannah repeated, clarifying. "That's the key word."
There was a knock at the door and there FP Jones stood, a present under his arm and a hesitant look on his face. It seemed apparent that he didn't feel welcome at his son's birthday party - but that could be due to the drunk teenagers roaming about.
"Dad, hey." Jughead stood up immediately, the brunette female taking his place next to the dog.
"Happy birthday, Jughead." FP said to his son, meeting him in the middle of the room.
Archie stood up also, moving to greet the man. "How are you, Mr. Jones?"
"Happy to be here, celebrating with my son."
Savannah peered around the side of Jughead's form to see his father, "Hi Mr. Jones, I'm Savannah!" She looked at the dog and then back to him, "I'd shake your hand, but you know." She motioned to the animal.
"Nice to meet you." FP Jones offered, sending a small smile in her direction. "Didn't realise you had so many friends." He said to Jughead.
"I don't." Jughead told him, simply. "Fair warning, you're the only adult here."
"So I gather." FP nodded, shifting so the present under his arm slid into his two large palms. "Where can I put this?"
"There's a table in the den." Archie told him pointing in the general direction.
"Alright." FP started to move back out of the room when Jughead's voice stopped him.
"How - Dad?" The boy stepped forward after his father, "Did Betty call you?"
"Yeah." FP confirmed with another nod, "She came by too. She's determined, that one. Good friend."
Savannah scoffed from her position on the armchair, ignoring the three sets of eyes that turned to face her green monster. Of course, she was jealous. Jughead and Betty were just friends, but the way that Betty was behaving, did not seem very friendly.
"I'll be back." FP told them, leaving the garage with Archie hot on his tail, leaving Jughead and Savannah alone.
"What was that?" Jughead asked, taking Archie's empty seat on the edge of a speaker.
"What was what?"
"You scoffed, why?"
"Cause." Savannah shrugged, "Betty's not exactly being just a friend right now, is she?"
Jughead suddenly understood. She was jealous. "That's what this is about? You're jealous?"
"Duh!" Savannah snapped, her eyes narrowing as she scowled at him. "Come on, Jughead! Are you really so blind? I told you how I felt, you didn't say anything which was fine. But still, to this damn day, you haven't said anything!"
"I didn't know you expected me to." Jughead told her, honestly, holding his hands up. "I thought you said nothing had to change."
"It doesn't." Savannah sighed, putting her head into her hands, voice muffled. "I just - I just wanted to know how you felt, that's all."
The dark haired boy moved to sit on the armrest of her chair, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know how I feel." He murmured softly, coaxing her out of her shell to look up at him. "I don't know."
To Savannah, he had said everything that she needed to hear.
People had described it like gravity pulling them together, the power of eye contact a few had swooned as they gazed at their significant other, but it was chemistry. Something that the two, ironically, had together, in more than one way.
How they'd gotten so close to each other, Jughead wouldn't remember, his body inching forward, disconnected from his brain. It was as if they couldn't control it, lost in the moment that didn't come.
"Jughead!" Betty cried, the two springing apart just as the blonde burst into the garage. "Hey," She breathed, a smile on her face, "Can we talk?"
"I'll leave you two be." Savannah said quietly, her arms shaky as they pushed her up from the seat.
She could feel his eyes on her back as she left the garage, seeking out a wall to sink down against, attempting to gather her thoughts.
At that moment, Cheryl skipped past, her hand swooping down to grasp her own, pulling her up into a standing position.
"As I recall, you owe me a dance."