CHAPTER THREE: BACK TO SCHOOL
"Girls. This coming year is critical for colleges. Grades are important, extracurriculars, athletics. Maintaining a decent character is hugely important, they do look at that."
"Mom!" Ozzie and Betty yell in unison.
"We're sophomores!" Betty groans.
"You girls have accomplished so much, I don't want anything jeopardizing that. I mean, just think of your poor sister. She was such a shining star before she let that Blossom boy ruin her-"
"We are not Polly." Ozzie says, venom lacing her words as she leaves the room in anger.
"Ozzie-"
"I think I'll just walk to school today mother."
"So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and-" The new girl, Veronica Lodge says cutting Betty off
"And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently. Honestly, I feel like I'm wondering through the lost epilogue of Our Town."
"Pretty sure we both agree with you there." Ozzie says from her sisters side.
"So what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" Ozzie makes an unladylike noise at Veronica's question, as the one and only Kevin Keller comes to the rescue.
"A strip club called the Hoe Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo-"
"Friday nights, football games then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot-" Ozzie chimes.
"Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights... Thank God for HBO." Kevin says in one breath.
"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller." Betty introduces. "Veronica's New here and Kevin is-"
"Gay, thank god. Let's be best friends." Veronica says shaking his hand.
"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asks. Ozzie smacks him upside the head. "Ow!"
"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Betty makes a face and looks down while Ozzie nods her head yes. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High."
Betty and Ozzie give Kevin a look. He looks at them confused and shrugs.
"What?"
"Oh, and of course there's the Back-to-School semiformal dance this weekend-" Betty says as the turn into another hallway, only to be cutoff as Veronica pulls the blonde toward her.
"There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-head Angel Elgort." Ozzie holds back a laugh at the girls description of Archie. "Are you dating him?"
"No we're just friends." "No, he's strait." Both Betty and Kevin say at the same time making Ozzie laugh.
"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavour of boy but orange." Veronica asks Betty.
"Actually, to clarify... Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame." Kevin cuts in.
Now walking arm in arm with the lanky boy, Ozzie smiles and nods her head.
"You should ask him to the semi formal then." Veronica states.
"She should, but I heard it might be getting cancelled." Ozzie perked up at this bit of news. "Because of what happened to Jason." Ozzie immediately tensed at the mention of Jason Blossom. "They're gonna tell us at the assembly."
"Who's Jason and what happened to him?"
"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason." I shook my head and laughed at Cheryl's words. Her brother was an entitled, heartless monster who deserved what he got. He destroyed her sister.
However looking up at the podium at Cheryl dressed in black she couldn't help but think what if the roles were reversed and she had lost Betty? Born only nine months apart the two were twins in their families and Riverdale's eyes.
The guilt that crept in however didn't replace her hatred for Jason Blossom. That ran far too deep.
"... Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I've asked the School Board not to cancel the Back-to-School semiformal."
Clapping slowly with the rest of the crowd, Ozzie looked to her left to see Betty waving at someone. Following her line of sight she smiled and did the same until she noticed he wasn't looking at them. Following the direction her gaze stopped in Miss Grundy.
Not wanting to come to conclusions that could get people in trouble she searched the crowd, eyes finding a pair who seemed to be searching for someone when finally the landed on her.
Ozzie frowned at the emotion that crossed his face, having never seen it cross Jughead's face in all the eleven years they had been best friends.