Betty and Veronica drag me to cheer tryouts, even though I have no intention of ever being a 'Vixen'. The girls at Spence could barely keep up; there's no way that these backwater bimbos could hope to compare to me. Better to let them keep their second-rate dignity while giving me something to laugh at. But my sister and her new friend are gung-ho about this, so I suppose I can cheer them on.
They're standing in front of Cheryl and her cronies, pompoms in hand and mechanically dishing out a cheer that Betty claims is a Vixen favorite. The girls' performance is stiff, and I'm bored immediately. I survey the other candidates, none of whom were very talented, but at least they were more interesting than this.
I tune back in as Cheryl begins a scathing but accurate commentary of the girls' presentation. "Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" The apathy is clear in her voice. It's obvious that she has no intentions of making my little sister or Betty into her next cheerleading robots, and I almost feel bad. Not enough to step in, though.
Veronica looks at Betty and purses her lips before speaking. "Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet." Betty's just standing there like a rag doll as Veronica grabs her, drags her over, and plants one on her. I snort, and it's completely undignified, but I don't really care. That will never work!
Cheryl seems to agree with me. "Check your sell-by date, ladies. Faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994." She's not wrong. I thought Veronica would have better sense than that.
The red-haired captain steamrolls into the interview portion of the tryout, and I watch as she tries to pull out any dark side that Betty Cooper may be hiding. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work. Betty's about as dark as a California afternoon; that is to say, not dark at all.
Veronica quickly comes to her friend's defense once she's let on the team and Betty is voted off the island. "Wait, what? Why? Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch?"
Cheryl sighs. "I need girls with fire on my squad," she states derisively.
"I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are," Veronica retorts, "You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation." She crosses her arms under her chest. "You're rich, so you've never been held accountable.
"But I'm living proof!" she spits, "That certainty - that entitlement you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or..." She seems to consider her next thought, but I know my sister like I know myself. She's had most of this speech planned out since lunch.
Veronica steps forward, fire in her eyes, and I know where this is going. It's almost like watching a train wreck - you can't look away. "Maybe that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning is me." The silence in the gym is deafening. "Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cheryl Bombshell, my specialty's ice."
Both girls end up making the squad, and it's obvious Cheryl's not happy about the verbal assault that my sister's just handed her on a silver platter. I contain my glee and sit through the rest of the tryouts, even though Veronica stormed off with Betty in tow. A rich girl rivalry is just what Riverdale needs to make it interesting.
After tryouts are over, I pack up my things, intending to make my way outside. I'll have to wait for Veronica to finish playing dress-up with Betty and the other new Vixens before I can call for the car. It's been a long day, and I need a soak to get this hickville feeling off of my skin, so I hope she doesn't take too long.
Cheryl stops me in my tracks, a slick smile on her vibrant red lips and an evil glimmer in her eyes. "Gwendolyn Lodge, we meet again."
I raise my eyebrow at her, not planning on speaking until I know what she wants. I know her type. I am her type.
"Why didn't you try out for the Vixens?" she simpers. "I looked you up earlier. I've seen your competition tapes. You're a star."
I laugh. "Oh, because you would have let me on the team, right? No thanks. I don't feel like butting heads with you for the rest of the year." I'm lying, but she doesn't have to know that yet.
Now it's Cheryl's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?" she asks coyly. But I'm having none of her fake pleasantries. I'm already tired of these small-town people and their superiority complexes.
"We're both rich and beautiful, but I have more talent in my little finger than you'll probably ever have in your whole body," I idly explain, watching the faux kindness slide off her face, "I have better things to do than deal with your inferiority complex all the time. You'll have enough trouble from Veronica. No reason for me to get in the mix."
I walk away then, hopefully leaving a stunned Cheryl in my wake. This definitely isn't how I expected my first day at Riverdale High to go, and I'm actually irked by that. Riverdale was supposed to be a predictable quantity in my life, and it's proving to be anything but. How rude.
Thankfully, Veronica and I don't have to go shopping for semi-formal dresses. There, I said it. I was actually dreading shopping for once. Me, who once shopped for twelve hours straight. But it isn't my fault. Riverdale doesn't exactly have the kind of stores I'm accustomed to. There are a few boutiques scattered around town, but they aren't quality enough to be worth my time.
We'd already bought dresses for the Spence formal months ago, before we knew that we were going to have to uproot our entire lives. Even though these outfits are way more than the people of Riverdale deserve to see, they're what we have, so they're what the school will get.
I'm clad in shades of blue, with an asymmetrical scoop-neck dress, a crystal-decorated blue box clutch, my favorite sapphire-and-diamonds earrings, and the best blue and silver manicure I could get in the area. I throw on a black-and-silver art deco cuff for a little extra bling, and keep my makeup simple (a smokey eye and soft pink lips) to offset the rest of the glam. I top it off with some patent leather Mary Jane pumps and a chic ponytail so I still look a bit relatable to the plebeians in this town.
Veronica and I ride to the dance together, but she abandons me when she catches sight of Archie and Betty waiting outside the gym. She had told me earlier in the day that they were both her dates to the dance, but I honestly hadn't expected her to put these new friends over our sisterly bond. At least they clean up nicely.
They make their way inside, Veronica on one of Archie's arms and Betty on the other. But I choose to wait at least a few minutes before following them in. I will not allow my baby sister to make a bigger entrance than me.
The dance decorations are tacky. There's a balloon arch, streamers on the walls, and posters of who I can only imagine is Jason Blossom hanging from the ceiling beams in several places. Definitely not my scene, but I can't back out now. Riverdale High clearly needs me to step up and take over.
I begin my rounds of the gym, making small talk with some people I recognize from my various classes. A few girls from third period Literature fawn over the real gems in my jewelry, and I smile graciously as I allow them to examine my accessories. I almost forgot how much I love being adored.
As the girls start chattering at me, I watch Archie talk with the music teacher. I don't know her name, but she's pretty enough. Their conversation looks strained and I wonder what that's about. They're probably discussing his songs, but why does she look like she wants to throw up? An investigation of that might be worth my time.
The crowd goes suddenly silent, and I watch as Cheryls ascend the stage where a band waits behind her to play. I'll admit, she looks hot in her tight red off-the-shoulder dress. It's definitely pricey, and it hugs in her just the right places. I pinch my arm and remind myself that this is the girl who I intend on overthrowing.
"Good evening, friends!" Cheryl says, "Are you all having a good time?" The crowd cheers, but I don't cheer with them. I have no reason to. I am not having a good time.
"As honorary chairperson and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal," I let out a small snort, "it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them it to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Jason and I were conceived."
Cheryl pauses for only a millisecond, but I catch it, even if no one else does. "This one's for you, JJ." It's clear to me that she's not handling this as well as she'd like everyone to think she is. "I give you Josie and the Pussycats."
The band turns around. It's three girls, and they break out into a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "All Through The Night". It's not bad. These girls are actually fairly talented. Who would have thought?
A boy asks me to dance, but I turn him down with a gracious "No, thank you." I'm still not sure who the alpha males of Riverdale High are. I assume they're the boys of the football team, but I haven't actually met them yet. We didn't have football at Spence, obviously, so I'm not entirely sure what a football boy looks like. Another thing for me to investigate.
I grow fairly tired of the dance early enough and decide to call it an evening. However, before I can make it outside, a bright-eyed blonde girl approaches me with a kind smile plastered on her face. "You're Gwendolyn Lodge, right?" she chirps. I smile back, although mine is much less genuine.
"Yes, and you are?"
"Penelope Glenn," she replies cheerfully, "I'm one of the River Vixens. Cheryl sent me over to invite you to the after-party."
I raise my eyebrow. There's an after-party? Maybe the people of Riverdale aren't quite the sticks in the mud I thought they were.
"It's going to be at Thornhill, if that helps!" Penelope says, and at my confused look, she adds, "That's the name of the Blossom house. It's beautiful. A little spooky, but mostly beautiful."
"I suppose I can grace Cheryl with my presence," I muse, "Tell her I'll be there." Penelope nods happily and then practically skips away. I guess my night's just beginning.
Veronica and Betty ride to the party with me. Archie takes his own car, and he'd offered to take either of the girls, but they'd quickly turned him down. I thought it suspicious at first, until they start breaking down some conversation between Betty and Archie once we get in the car.
"So he didn't say anything?" Veronica asks, wide-eyed.
"No! I just stood there looking like a complete idiot," Betty groans, shoving her face into her hands. I have to admit that I'm interested, so I peer around my sister's head and look at the blonde girl that looks like she's in serious pain.
"What are you talking about?" I inquire. Betty says nothing, so Veronica has to fill me in.
"Betty told Archie that she thinks they should be a power couple, and he didn't give her an answer," she explains. I cluck my tongue.
"Poor Betty. Maybe you should cozy up to him at the party," I say lazily as I pull out my phone, "Boys aren't exactly the brightest bulbs. He probably needs time to process."
Betty lets out a disgruntled moan, never removing her head from her hands, and we let the topic drop for now.
A bunch of us are sitting in a circle in one of the many Blossom living rooms when Cheryl saunters over, a wicked grin on her face.
"It's game time at Chez Blossom, kiddies. We're going old-school tonight." She brandishes an empty bottle at us. "Seven Minutes in Heaven. Who wants a tryst in the Closet of Love first?" She looks around, as if she's considering her options, but I feel like she already has a plan. She's that type of girl. "My vote is 'A' for Archie. Anyone care to second it?"
Archie tries to protest, but another guy yells over him, and it's decided. "All right. Gather 'round, kids. Let's see who's riding the ginger stallion tonight."
Cheryl places the bottle on the coffee table and gives it a quick spin. It goes around and around, and I feel a girl next to me let out a little gasp of hope as it starts to slow. But it ends up pointing right between Betty and Veronica, and Cheryl's grin grows.
"It's clearly pointing to...the new girl. This should be fun."
"Um...I'm not doing this," Veronica declares. Cheryl pretends to pout.
"That's up to you. But, if you don't, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." Her grin is positively wicked. Betty and Veronica look at each other before Veronica stands up and tugs Archie away.
Betty looks devastated, and I feel bad for her. I'd be worried too if the boy I liked was stuck in a closet with Veronica for seven minutes. She's beautiful, and we Lodge women are pretty irresistible. Archie's going to have a hard time if he plans on keeping his hands to himself.
While we wait for them to return, Penelope comes over to sit with me. We chat about the math class we realize we share, and I'm having a pretty decent time. Then the boy that encouraged Archie earlier leans over the coffee table and grins salaciously at us.
"Pen and Gwen...two beautiful girls...how do you two feel about sharing?" he asks. Penelope tilts her head in confusion, but I know exactly what he's asking for. I glare at him, and when that doesn't get him to leave us alone, I stand up and walk away, Penelope right on my heels. We head to a room closer to the front door, and we end up chatting with some of the other Vixens. They seem nice enough, and I'm almost kicking myself for not trying out.
As I consider this, I hear the front door slam. I pull back a curtain and watch Betty sprint away from the house, clearly in distress. I guess she couldn't handle waiting for Veronica and Archie to come out. Poor girl.
A few minutes later, Veronica comes racing toward me, a frantic look on her face. "Gwen! Have you seen Betty?"
"She ran away," I tell her, "Sprinted out the front door like a bat out of hell. Did you and Archie kiss?"
She glares at me. "That's not important! You need to help me look for her!"
I shrug, the very definition of nonchalant. "No thanks. I'd rather stay here. You can take the car, though. I'll get a ride with someone."
Grumbling, Veronica stomps off and I turn back to the Vixens. "Now, where were we?"
A/N: New chapter! Episode 1 is finally done! Hope you guys enjoyed. I'll try to not take as long to get the next chapter up.