SMOKESTACKS
CHAPTER | TWENTY
Savannah didn't see Jughead again that night until Cheryl and Chuck cornered him at the door, the latter slamming it shut before he could leave.
"Where you going, guest of honour?" Chuck taunted, Cheryl smiling sickly at his side.
"Get out of my way, Chuck."
Veronica and Betty appeared at the door to the living room, their eyes locked on the scene that was unfolding before them, whilst Savannah started to make her way down the stairs from the bathroom.
"Oh, but you can't leave now." Cheryl beamed, a impish expression overtook her face. "We haven't even played our game yet."
"This can't be good." Savannah muttered to herself, moving to join Jughead at the bottom of the stairs. He glanced at her for a second before looking away, growing frustrated.
"Listen up, party people!" Cheryl called out to the band of drunken teenagers, "Everyone has their secrets. And we've all done our share of sinning. That's one thing my dear brother's death has revealed. So let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open."
Savannah suddenly started thinking of all the secrets that she could have hidden from her classmates. Her relationship with Jason was common knowledge now after his death, even Polly herself was aware of that.
Her situation with her parents? Only Cheryl knew that and she didn't see the girl being that vindictive, despite her little game.
"The game is secrets and sins." Cheryl continued, moving into the living room where everyone started to gather in a little circle.
"What the hell is that?" Jughead asked, growing more infuriated with each minute that he was forced to stay in that house.
"It's a variation on truth or dare." Cheryl explained as chairs were pulled up for Archie, Betty and Veronica to sit on. "In which we own our truths by telling it like it is."
This was an organised attack, Savannah realised in relief, as the three were shown to their seats. It seemed so sick, like animals led to the slaughter.
"I'll start the game with Veronica Lodge."
"Naturally." Veronica drawled.
"Let's begin with the day you and your mob wife of a mother came to town for a so-called fresh start." Cheryl started walking in circles, she and Chuck doing their own little devilish dance. "Tell us, Veronica. What's so fresh about defiling Archie Andrews in a closet?"
"That was your doing." Veronica pointed out.
"Moving on," Cheryl interjected quickly, "To dear Daddy Lodge. Isn't it true that your father, from prison, illegally purchased the drive-in land?"
Savannah's eyes flickered to Jughead, who looked almost betrayed by the news. She could see his eyes land on Veronica, who couldnt meet his gaze.
They were learning things about their friends that they didn't need to know. Secrets were secrets for a reason, and Savannah couldn't help but wonder how much worse this was going to get. After all, the game had only just started.
"Which makes me wonder." Cheryl pondered the thought aloud, "What else is he doing from behind bars?"
Veronica stared down Cheryl, "Well, I can't speak for my father, but I can think of someone with a very dirty secret. Specifically, Cheryl killing her very own brother."
"Veronica." Savannah hissed at her friend, taken aback in shock. It was a low blow, bringing Cheryl's deceased brother into the fold. "Everyone knows how much Cheryl loved her brother."
"Exactly." Veronica frowned at Savannah, feeling let down that she hadn't taken her side. "But did you love him maybe in ways that a sister shouldn't love a brother? And as you got older, Jason started to think it was strange, unnatural. So he chose Polly over you, and you shot him between the eyes with one of your father's many hunting rifles."
"This is riveting, I can't breathe." Kevin Keller, who lived for drama, whispered to his boyfriend.
"This game is sick." Dilton Doiley announced from the side of the circle. "I wanna go next."
"That's the spirit, Doiley." Chuck encouraged the boy, "What secrets do you have to reveal to us?"
"I saw Ms. Grudy's car at Sweetwater River the day Jason went missing." Dilton told the crowd, "I told Betty and Jughead, and then Ms. Grundy quit her job and left Riverdale, like two days later. And let's not forget that Archie was also at Sweetwater River that morning."
Cheryl whirled around to fix her beady eyes on Archie, "Oh my god, colour me shocked. Archie Andrews, is that why you became a mediocre musician overnight? Because you and Ms. Four-Eyes were pulling a Mary Kay Letourneau?"
"Don't say anything, Archie." Veronica advised from beside him. "Don't get in the gutter with them."
"Wait what?" Chuck exploded from the middle of the room, "Andrews was banging a teacher? Damn, I wish I would've known. I wouldn've added you and Ms. Grundy to the book of conquests."
"You're sick, Chuck." Savannah snapped from the doorway, "Polly was never Jason's conquest, Veronica wasn't yours either. You're just a pathetic excuse of a male who will peak in High School."
"Is that right?" Chuck drawled, his attention turning to her. "If you care so much about Polly then why were you screwing her boyfriend?"
Savannah waved it off, "Everyone knows that already, Chuck, hardly a secret."
"Classy, as always." Veronica added, directing the attention away from Savannah.
"Wait a second." Cheryl started speaking again, "That also explains why Archie can't keep a girlfriend to save his life. He's got serious mommy issues. Anything to say for yourself, Arch? Were you a victim or a perppetrator?"
"Dilton Doiley plays with guns." Betty butted in, attempting to deflect the attention away from Archie, who had shrunk back into his seat.
"Big whoop, Betty." Cheryl scoffed, gesturing to Dilton. "So, Doiley's a psychopath. Everyone knows that."
"Well, I guess it's my turn now." Chuck said, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Boy, do I have a twisted secret to reveal, starring Betty Cooper."
Savannah could recall how Betty had reacted to seeing Chuck in the cafeteria. She had stormed over to urge him away from Ethel, when their discussion turned out to be innocent. Her face when she returned to their table, looked haunted.
Because Veronica and Betty were hiding what really happened the night they spoke to Chuck, the night that they got him to retract what he'd said about Veronica and the sticky maple.
"Leave her the hell alone, Chuck." Archie warned, growing protective of his best friend.
"Shut up, Andrews." Chuck dismissed him, harshly. "Look, you may get a free peep show every night, but you do not know her. Hell, Betty doesn't even know herself. Everybody knows why I got suspended, but what you don't know she dressed up like a hooker, in a God-awful black wig, drugged me, handcuffed me in the Jacuzzi, and, well I almost drowned until she got me to say what she wanted to hear."
"Can't say you didn't deserve it." Savannah muttered to herself, furious eyes locked onto Chuck.
"And then, she really lost it. She actually thought that she was Polly. But hey," He turned to look at all of her friends, Archie, Veronica, before settling on Jughead. "You knew all of this, right?"
As Chuck turned to face Jughead, the dark haired boy, the lone wolf, slammed his fist into the side of Chuck's face. He fell to the ground with the blow that surprised everyone.
Jughead tried to hit him again but Chuck grabbed his arm and landed in a punch of his own, sending Jughead back into the table of food, knocking it down.
Savannah stormed forward, pushing Chuck back with a murderous look on her face, "What is your problem?" She shrieked, slamming her hands against his shoulders. "Huh? Do you enjoy making people miserable?"
"It's what you all deserve." Chuck sneered at her, causing the girl to slap him across the face, the sound echoing through the room.
FP Jones had pushed through the ground and latched onto Chuck, grabbing him roughly and throwing him toward the door. "Get out!"
"Hey, get your hands off me! Hey!"
"Get out!" FP yelled again, forcing the boy out of the house and down the stairs. "Go on." He watched as Chuck scoffed at the crowd behind him and sulked down the street, before turning to the rest of the teenagers. "What are you looking at? Party's done. It's over, go home!"
Kevin and Joaquin were the first to leave, the latter eager to follow FP's advice.
Savannah was shaking as she watched Jughead and his father talk, a moment between a father and a son that she should not intrude upon. Her body screamed at her to go and speak to Betty, to comfort her humiliated friend.
"Need a ride?" Piper asked, gesturing to Ryan. "She's sober, I promise."
Veronica would be with Betty, she assured herself.
"Sure."