Chapter 33: The Haunting Of Riverdale!
*Aria's POV*
It was about after school, which had started and it's been about 2 months after our last real mystery, and Archie had done another 'Weird Mystery' without me, because I refused to do a story as stupid as that, as I had decided to meet up with him and Jughead. Archie was going to be picked on by Reggie, I pointed that out when others laughed about it, and told me to meet him by his locker. I swear if he hid in his locker. Oh gumdrops he did. I got there just to see Jughead get pulled back by Reggie as he unlocked Archie's locker and out went Archie, right into Reggie, and let the humiliation begin just as I show up.
"Hey there Reggie. What's new?" Archie asked as I smacked my forehead.
"Here we go." I muttered next to Jughead. I love my cousin. I really do. But this was one of those times I wish I wasn't here.
"A little constructive criticism Arch. And glad your here for this too, Doll Face. This week's 'Archie's and Aria's Weird Mysteries' column has to be the lamest one yet! 'Always picking the slowest grocery store check out line. Just plain bad luck? Or government time experiment?'" Reggie read to us. That was why.
"That's a pretty 'Weird Mystery' if you ask me." Archie started with Jughead nodding behind him. I was now rubbing the part of my nose between the eyes as I tried to wish myself away.
"No matter how fast the line moves, it slows to a crawl. An eerie force, literally, slows time down." Archie said in a spooky voice. Nope. I was still here.
"It was bad enough when you were writing about werewolves and aliens and evil robots. But that's just pathetic." Reggie said as he shoved the paper in Archie's hand.
"Reggie you were there for that stuff though." I explained to him.
"That, as unbelievably ridiculous as those were, maybe true but that is a bad article for both of you." He stated.
"Hey! I sat that one out. Even I felt it was far fetched!" I said eccentrically to him.
"See Arch? Even she sat it out. That just shows how desperate you are for a mystery." He said as he then walked away. Ouch! Harsh.
"It's a good thing Reggie's your friend, otherwise he might not give you such constructive criticism." Jughead said as I lightly giggled.
"Oh Reggie's right. My column's boring." Archie said as the three of us started walking.
"It's not your fault Archie. It's been normal in Riverdale for almost 2 months now, which that within itself is weird, but at least your trying." I said as I tried to cheer him up.
"Maybe you could switch to a recipe column instead?" Jughead questioned him.
"Actually I'm trying to do that." I told Jughead with a shrug.
"No! Don't do that! Then your food and sweets wouldn't be special anymore!" Jughead nearly shouted as I laughed.
"Not my secret recipes silly, just some in general. Mainly tips, quick fixes, what's good for dates, stuff like that." I told him as he let out a breath of relief.
"That's good to know." Jughead said as he smiled.
"Back to me please." Archie said as we looked at him.
"Relax Archie, you'll get a mystery. As long as we don't get a short burst like last time then we should be fine." I told him as he sighed.
"I hope you're right, Otherwise next week's column is going to be just as boring." He said as he started to mope. We got to the car and headed to the Chock'lit Shoppe. Jughead was hungry, no surprise there, Archie was meeting the girls, no surprise either, and I needed to work, no surprise there either. I was working Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays after school from 4pm until 8pm, place closed at 9pm and closed on weekends at 10pm, and it still left me time to get homework and chores done along with spending time with people. We got there and I pulled my uniform out of the trunk and went inside. After going into the bathroom to change I punched in and got to work. Archie had left some time ago with the girls, Reggie had came in and flirted with me, BE greeted me and I chatted with her when I served her food, Greeted Moose and Midge on one of their dates, and I was soon off of work. Jughead waited for me by the door and I smiled at him. He insisted on walking me home and I let him. We talked, laughed, and soon reached home. We kissed goodnight and parted ways. I let Allegro out, had dinner, showered, did whatever homework I didn't do in school during my free time and then went to bed.
*Next Day Aria's POV*
I was a little tired. I kept having nightmares again. This was getting old. Archie and I were roaming the now empty halls on our way to my locker before our next class. No rush really. Archie, Jughead and I had free time and we were going to meet him outside anyways.
"The deadline for the next column is Friday. It's Wednesday Archie. Please tell me you have a good story." I told him as a reminded him of his deadline.
"No. Nothing. I can't find even a mildly odd story, let alone a weird one." Archie said as I sighed.
"Hopefully something happens soon." I said just as we saw Principle Weatherbee walking with, Wait. Reggie? He was in a tee shirt and underwear, an image to give me more nightmares, and his hair was….White? What? I grew worried as I went over to them, Archie followed close behind.
"What happened? What's wrong with him?" I asked Principle Weatherbee in shock. The only reason why someone's hair would be white would be through age, not likely, hair dye, not likely as well, or fear. Did something scare him this badly?
"Poor Reggie's in a state of shock Aria. The school nurse says after a couple days of rest he should be fine. He was trying to leave so I'm bringing him back to the nurse right now to rest until someone gets him." He explained as I grew worried. Archie then grabbed Reggie's shoulders.
"Reggie it's me, Archie. Speak to me." Archie said a bit loudly.
"Sh. We have to be quiet." Reggie said as he put his finger to his lips before putting it back down. Why did we have to be quiet.
"All those years we made fun of her behind her back. Now she's come back for revenge." Reggie said as Archie and I grew shocked.
"Who Reggie?" I asked him.
"You won't know her. Quiet Violet. She's coming. You better watch out Archie. Keep this safe for me?" Reggie explained and then warned Archie before handing him something. A piece of paper.
"Uh, good idea Reggie. Wouldn't want your overdue library book notice to get in the wrong hands." Archie said as I shuddered. The Riverdale library still felt weird to me. I wasn't sure why.
"Reggie must've experienced something really frightful to make him look and act this way." I voiced my thoughts aloud.
"I think you're right miss Andrews. I first found him wondering around the gym." Principle Weatherbee said.
"Weird." Archie replied lightly.
"The radio news says there's been 11 other cases just like this in Riverdale since last night. A real mystery." Principle Weatherbee said.
"A really weird mystery." Archie replied. I told him he might get one. I then thought about it.
"Principle Weatherbee, May I stay with Reggie until someone gets him?" I asked him as I grew worried. Reggie might me a pain and annoying but he was still my friend, sort of.
"I don't see why not. A friend by his side might help him through this." He replied to my question.
"Also may I have the radio turned on? I'd like to get the name of those 11 other people." I asked and explained as he nodded.
"Sure." He replied simply.
"Don't worry Reggie, We'll get to the bottom of this." Archie said as he then bolted.
"What a strange young man." Principle Weatherbee said in a confused tone.
"Quiet Violet will get him too if he's not careful." Reggie said in an eerie tone as I shuddered.
"Principle Weatherbee, is school being let out early because of this?" I asked him.
"At first I wasn't going to but, after seeing poor Reggie like this, I think it would be wise." He said as I nodded. I helped take Reggie to the nurses office to rest. Principle Weatherbee brought me the small radio and turned it onto the news for me. I thanked him as I sat by Reggie's side as he laid in bed. I heard the announcements come on saying school was being released and I sighed. The end of September and this is what's happening. I was listening to the names of the victims, Reggie Mantle now added on the list, before I heard a familiar name. Pop Tate. No. I had to wait before seeing him. I had calmed Reggie down as I stared at him.
"What can I do to help? Who is Quiet Violet?" I asked him. He was just staring at the ceiling.
"Reggie, please. You're my friend. Tell me who Quiet Violet is." I said to him.
"She'll get you too though. I don't want her to get you." Reggie suddenly said as I blinked in shock. I then heard the nurse talking with someone. I looked over my shoulder and saw Oliver, his older brother, as he came over to us.
"Man, he looks terrible." He commented towards me.
"He was found in the gym." I said to him.
"That's why he never came home last night." He commented as I grew shocked.
"Reggie. Your brother's here. Let's get you to his car." I commented as he looked at me and nodded. Oliver and I helped him up and brought him to the car. Oliver opened the back seat door as I walked Reggie over. I tried to get him in the car but he just clung onto me and wouldn't let go.
"Reggie, you need to let go. I need to check on Pops." I told him as he held on tighter.
"Don't go. She'll get you too." Reggie muttered out. He was so vulnerable and like a child at this point. I then had an idea.
"You should go with your brother to rest. I'm sure your niece is worried." I said to him. After a short bit he let go of me.
"You're right." He muttered out quietly as I then got him in the car.
"Thank you for being there for him." I heard his brother tell me.
"Just make sure he rests." I told him as he got in the car and drove off. Once out of site I went back into the school to grab my bag and skates and skated to the hospital. I got there and asked for Pop Tate. I explained I was an employee and a friend and they led me into the back to see him. His hair was white as well. He looked so afraid and vulnerable.
"Pops?" I called his name lightly. He looked up at me. Man he looked awful.
"Hey." I said as I walked over to him.
"Aria?" He asked quietly.
"Yeah. It's me. I came to check on you." I said as I sat in a chair next to his bed.
"What happened? Who or what scared you this badly?" I asked him quietly.
"Quiet Violet." He said to me. There was that name again.
"Who's Quiet Violet?" I asked him as he shook his head. I then saw a piece of paper in his hands.
"Pops? What is that?" I asked him quietly. He started shaking.
"May I please see it? I'll give it back." I told him. I waited a little bit before he handed it to me. I looked it over. An overdue notice for a library book.
*Just like Reggie.* I thought as I gave it back to him. He clung onto it as if his life depended on it.
"Pops, is Quiet Violet a librarian?" I asked him. He nodded yes. What was so scary about that. Unless.
"Is she deceased?" I asked him.
"She's not supposed to be around anymore, yet she came and gave me this. She's not, It's just, I don't." I muttered before he laid down in a fetal position.
"It's alright Pops. Archie and I will solve this. Is there anything I can do in the meantime?" I asked him quietly as I calmed him down.
"Don't anger her." He told me as I nodded.
"I won't." I told him as I then left. I had to find Archie.
*He said she was not supposed to be around anymore. That means she died. She's a ghost. A librarian. Why stay? Is her spirit attached to a book or the library itself? Maybe something unfinished? But then why is she turning bad? Being a spirit to long?* I had so many thoughts as I decided to head to the Riverdale Library to investigate who Quiet Violet was. It had taken me a long while but I finally got there. I saw a bunch of people leaving the library as I grew curious.
"Excuse me. What's going on?" I asked someone as they looked at me.
"The library's haunted, that's what's going on." They said before leaving. Uh oh. I darted inside and found Archie with Betty and a woman in her 20's, the new librarian no doubt, as I ran over to them.
"Archie! Pops had a notice as well. Is it the ghost of a librarian nicknamed Quiet Violet?" I asked him.
"Yeah. She just left inside the painting." He said as I turned and saw a picture of a kind elderly lady with the sweetest smile. I could see she was a nice person.
"She looks sweet though." I said to him.
"She was." Betty said as I thought about it.
"She must've been a ghost for so long that she doesn't see the harm she's doing nor know how bad her anger can get." I said as I voiced my theory. Archie took the time to explain to me what had happened and I was shocked.
"Aw!~ I missed the good stuff." I pouted as he sighed and shook his head.
"I'll let you handle the next one." He told me as I shrugged. We then decided to leave, after Archie and Betty checked out paranormal books because I refused to get a library card until all of this was over, and drive home, park in the garage and start reading. We needed to find a way to get rid of the spirit without destroying the library or me guiding her to the light like I did with Leviathan. I tried to tell him that I might be able to but he said it was too dangerous and that Dr. Beaumont said it might hurt me or worse next time, so we read.
"Maybe sage?" Betty said as I shook my head.
"If she's been there for a long while then sage wouldn't do any good. It'd be like trying to distract a werewolf with a chew toy." I commented as I set down a book and picked up another. This was dumb.
"Archie, none of these books are useful. Most are actually outdated. The only other thing I can think of is talk to the ghost, find out if she has any unfinished business that might be holding her here and, if so, try to help her finish the deed so she could cross over." I told him as he sighed.
"I think you might be right on this one." Archie confessed as I turned and gave him a look.
"No duh!" I said to match my look.
"I just can't believe that Miss Stanhope's ghost really means to scare all these people." Betty suddenly commented.
"It's most likely not her fault, I mean, remember Leviathan? It's possible she, like him not wanting to be alone, doesn't want to leave the library alone." I commented just as Jughead walked in.
"Hey guys? What's up?" Jughead asked us as I got up and hugged him.
"Usual research for a weird mystery. Turns out the ghost is a librarian named Violet Stanhope, Aka, Quiet Violet." I said as Jughead gasped. Before I could process anything Jughead had me looking at him as he started shaking me back and forth.
"Are you insane?! Forget this mystery! Don't go against Quiet Violet!" He said as he stopped shaking me. I was seeing stars at this point. Oh look a blue bird. And another. Maybe I'm seeing birds as well.
"Don't do that again. I'm seeing stars and birds." I said as I tried to recover before I found my face in Jughead's chest. Man did it feel firm and slightly muscular. I could smell the burgers from the Chock'lit Shoppe as I then thought of Pops. Him, Reggie and 10 others needed our help to stop this from happening to others.
"Calm down Jughead. What's gotten into you?" Archie asked in a worried tone.
"Jughead, we need to help before others become like Pops and Reggie." I said as I pulled away from him and held my head.
"Just promise me you won't go back to that-that-that library!" Jughead said as he grabbed me. He was filled with fear.
"Jughead. Are you afraid of Quiet Violet?" I asked him as he nodded.
"What did she do? Why be afraid?" I asked him.
"What do you have against the library Jughead?" Betty asked as Jughead then held me close.
"Eep!" I squeaked out as he held me close to him like a teddy bear. Geez he must be scared if he's getting like this.
"I've never told anyone this story before but, for my girlfriend, I'll tell." Jughead started off as I blushed a deep read color. He'd tell for me?
"I was only six years old. It was my first, and last, visit to the library." Jughead started to tell as I pictured a cute little version of him roaming the library. I bet he looked adorable.
"It was fun at first, so many different things to see." He explained as I pictured him playing with a globe.
"Thenshe came by and started to ruin it." He added as I imagined her stopping him from playing with it and telling him it wasn't a toy.
"There was this really interesting book but Quiet Violet wouldn't let me enjoy it." He said as I pictured him reading a book that she took away from him. She might've told him to go to the children's section after that.
"Even that couldn't spoil it for me." He added in as I pictured him trudging along looking upset.
"Later there was an even better book in the children's section. It was so funny, I couldn't stop myself from laughing." He continued as I imagined him there and getting all excited over the fun looking area and getting a bright colored book to read and laughing from it. Oh my goodies I bet he looked super adorable!
"But Quiet Violet wouldn't let me enjoy the book." He suddenly said as I then thought of her taking, or trying to take, the book away from him while saying something along the lines of 'Be quiet.' and 'No laughing in the library.' to him. I could picture his little face growing sad and tearing up. Poor guy.
"I felt as low as a little boy could. I decided to leave the library before I started crying. But she wasn't done with me yet." He said as I imagined him running to the entrance of the library, probably with the book, and the possibility of Quiet Violet chasing him. Jughead shuttered and let me go.
"I never went back to the library after that." Jughead said as he looked disappointed.
"That's nothing like Violet Stanhope at all. She loved children, she helped me get my first library card." Betty explained as she got out of the car and went up to Jughead.
"Betty might be right, I mean, most librarians love kids. They encourage them to read more and help them grow." I said as I remembered the librarian back in NYC. She was older but kind and sweet. She died two years ago but I still remember her.
"Then why haven't you gotten a library card? Why have us get books?" Betty suddenly asked.
"Because that library felt off and I was right. I said it once, and I'll say it again. I will not get a library card until this mystery is solved and Quiet Violet is put to rest." I said as I crossed my arms.
"All I know is that, if she was that bad in real life, than she must be 10x worse as a ghost." Jughead said as he crossed his arms and turned around to look away from Betty.
"I can't understand why she would still be haunting the place." Betty said as I sighed. Before I could say anything Archie beat me to it.
"Here's something. It says 'A ghost will sometimes haunt a place it it has unfinished business.'" Archie said.
"That's exactly what I said Archie!" I said in annoyance. I then thought about something.
"I'll take you home Jughead. This is getting stupid and I'm done repeating myself." I said as I took Jughead's hand and got him to left. Once we got further away I turned and looked at him.
"Did you take that book from the library when you were younger?" I asked him as he thought about it.
"Yeah, I did. I didn't mean to though." He said as I sighed.
"Do you still have it?" I asked him as he went wide eyed.
"Yeah. Yeah I still do." He said as I looked right at him.
"You need to give it back. Maybe that's why she's haunting the place. You can do it tonight but you need to. It has to be you since you took it." I explained as he sighed and got worried.
"I can meet you somewhere near there. If she chases you I can bring salt to make her go away." I assured him.
"But what about aunt and uncle?" He asked as I smiled.
"I'll make up something." I said as I comforted him.
"Alright. Let's do it at 9 though. It's going to rain tonight so no one will be around. Plus the library will be closed then." He said as I smiled and nodded. I hugged him and headed back home to be ready. That night I threw on a black coat over my outfit and put on the hood and left. I was a few blocks away from the library when I heard screaming. I ran with the salt and ran to the screaming. I saw Jughead running my way with a ghost chasing him.
"Ah!~ Keep away!" He yelled as I went right at them and threw a handful of salt at her. She screamed before she vanished. I grabbed Jughead's hand and ran for it.
"Where are we going?" He yelled out as I turned down an ally.
"Home!" I yelled out before ending the short cut. After a while we made it back home as I ran inside and slammed the door shut before locking it.
"Aria?!" Archie yelled out as he ran down the stairs. He saw Jughead and me covered in water and panting.
"Quiet Violet! Not at rest! She chased us!" I panted out. Archie let Jughead sleep on the couch as we went to bed. We'd figure it all out tomorrow.
*Next day Aria's POV*
School was closed today. There were more attacks on a few students. Only 3 this time but still enough. The four of us were heading to the library, well we were until Jughead figured it out. Now he was hiding in a trashcan while we were trying to coax him out.
"You two go on ahead. Jughead? Can you come out? I won't take you to the library." I said as he popped opened the lid a bit and looked at me.
"Promise?" He asked me.
"I promise I won't take you right now. We might have to later but right now I need to show you something." I said in a stern voice. Jughead sighed.
"When they leave." He said to us.
"We'll catch up later." I said as they nodded and left. Once they left Jughead popped up and looked around before climbing out. I then guided him to the hospital.
"Why are we here?" He asked me.
"Just come on." I said as I asked a doctor if he was still in his room. When he said yes I pulled Jughead to the room I needed. There we saw Pops. He was dressed and seemed ready to go home but he still looked distorted.
"Pops?" I asked gently as he turned and looked at us. His hair was still a little white but he was looking better. Jughead gasped when he saw this.
"Well hey there you two." Pops said with a gentle smile.
"Feeling better?" I asked in a quiet voice just to be safe.
"Yes, still can't handle loud noises though. But don't you two worry, I'll have the Chock'lit Shoppe running soon." He said with a light smile.
"Take the time to rest though." I said as he smiled and patted our arms before we left.
"Pops was one of the first 12 that were attacked along with Reggie. Last night, after saving you, 3 more students were attacked as well." I explained as we left the hospital and headed near the library.
"I still don't want to go back there." He said as I looked at him.
"You'd rather be a coward than help those, like Pops, and future others?" I asked him as he stopped and looked at me.
"No, but-" He started before I interrupted him.
"I know you're afraid, I get that, but fear can not hold us back forever. Sometimes we must face our fears in order to do what we feel is right in the world." I told him as he looked me dead in the eyes. He knew I was right. He knew I had been afraid many times, and yet, I still did the right thing countless times. Just then Archie and Betty showed up to try and convince him to show up to the library tonight.
"I don't think I can. If Aria wasn't there than that ghost would've chased me down for half the night." He said as I rolled my eyes.
"Jughead, you do this and I'll buy you burgers from Pop Tate's for a month." I said as he looked at me.
"Will you serve them to me?" He asked me.
"When I'm working yes." I said as he then swooped me in a spinning hug before putting me down and looking courageous.
"What time do you need me here tonight?" He said as we smiled. We told him the time and went to prepare. Soon it was dark and, with Aunt Mary's permission, we went to the library to be rid of the ghost. The librarian opened the door before looking at the 4 of us.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" She asked us.
"This is the only option we have of getting rid of this ghost." Archie said to her.
"Trust someone who's dealt with a haunting before. We'll handle this peacefully without bricking up the library." I told her, reassuring her, as I looked at Jughead while shooting down his opinion he most likely had.
"It scares me when she knows what I'm about to say." Jughead muttered as the librarian let us inside. I then noticed Jughead trying to sneak out.
"Oh no you don't!" I scolded as I grabbed his shoulders and yanked him in. He gasped as I forced him to the front desk.
"But I forgot to pay the meter." He said as he came up with an excuse.
"You don't own a car." I scolded as I put him in front of Quiet Violet's picture.
"She should be showing up shortly." I said to them.
"We have this figured out." Archie added in.
"And if you don't?" Jughead asked us.
"We're ghost toast." Archie said as I sighed.
"Not helping." I muttered out.
"Look." Betty said as she pointed to the picture. That's when she started coming out of the picture.
"Library hours are closed. Go away you trespassing vandals." She said as she then floated to us. I clung onto Jughead and he did me.
"Miss Stanhope. We're not vandals, we're here to help. This is the little boy you've been wanting to see for so long." Archie said as he motioned to Jughead and myself.
"The little boy?" She moaned out.
"Archie! You've baked me out to a ghost!" Jughead said as I let him go.
"Trust him. Archie explained everything to me." I told him as I comforted him. She then stopped floating and stopped looking scary as she looked like her living self, only see through.
"My how you've grown. And you have a girlfriend? How nice." She was saying, making me blush, as Jughead tried to calm down while hiding behind me.
"The growing up part is up for debate." Betty said as I giggled.
"It's a trick. She's just acting nice so she can get the chance to grab me." Jughead said as he poked his head out from behind me.
"Jughead, you've got it all wrong. She won't hurt you." I reassured him.
"You poor dear, I don't know why you found me so frightening." She said sweetly. I bet she really is a nice person and Jughead just viewed her differently because of him being a child. That's when Jughead pointed at her.
"Well, you were mean. You wouldn't let me play with the globe!" He said to her as she looked at him.
"I wasn't being mean." She said while shaking her head. She then looked at him.
"The globe almost fell over on you, I was only warning you to be careful." She said as I re-pictured the scene where she was more worried and the globe wobbling.
"Well, what about that book you snatched from me?" He asked as he hesitated his question. I pictured him reading the book she told him not to read and imagined it differently as she explained further.
"That book was waiting to be repaired. All the pages were coming loose, that's why I took it from you and gave you that other book from the children's section." She said as Jughead gasped a bit.
"You gave me that book? I don't remember that." He asked in wonder before confessing his loss of memory at that part. I pictured she guided him to the children's section to enjoy the book.
"Well, you seemed awfully scared of me, maybe you blocked it out." She confessed sadly. I was feeling so bad hearing this story and I knew Jughead was too.
"Well you did make me stop laughing. That was really mean." He added in as I pictured him laughing because of the book.
"Do you remember how loud you were?" She suddenly asked. Now that I think about it, Jughead can laugh kinda loudly sometimes. I pictured him laughing but it becoming louder and louder and disturbing others in the library.
"You were making quite a ruckus. A little happy noise in the library is okay, but you were really laughing up a storm there, and there were other people in the library who were studying and needed quiet." She explained as I imagined her quietly shushing him but Jughead got upset from it all.
"I guess you're right about that." He confessed sadly.
"But I should've realized just how intimidated you were, I felt so horrible when I saw that look on your face." She said as I pictured her feeling bad and going to try to comfort him but he ran away from her and never came back after that. I kinda wanted to cry now. I then heard Jughead sniffling.
"Well, I still don't understand why you chased me after I left the library. That was scary." He explained to her.
"You were leaving with that library book. I needed to give you a library card so you could check it out, but you were out the door too fast." She explained as she gently smiled at him. Jughead had come out of hiding and looked at her with sad eyes.
"I never stopped waiting for your next visit at the library. I wanted so much to show you how enjoyable our library was, but you never came back." She said sadly as Jughead then walked over to her to be near her.
"I thought you wanted to get me. I guess I was wrong about you. But you looked so mean." Jughead explained to her as she frowned lightly.
"People, like books, should never be judged by there covers." She explained to Jughead as he looked at me for a moment. Wait, why me? Maybe he thought about how I've said my parents can seem nice to others but were really horrible people? Maybe.
"I never meant to frighten anyone." She explained to us.
"But the problem is you have. When you gave out those overdue notices you put several people in a state of fright and when you attacked Archie in the library it frightened off everyone in here. Now nobody wants to come here since it's haunted. I could feel you roaming the library and, because of that, it prevented me from coming here and enjoying these wonderful selection of books." I explained to her as she grew shocked and sad.
"That's awful! I only wanted to help, I didn't mean to frighten those people or anyone else. I didn't mean to make you not want to come here at all." She said as she aimed the last sentence towards me.
"It's time for you to move on now. Miss Herera will take good care of the library for you now." Betty said as Violet smiled at us.
"You're right. Of course I'll leave, under one condition." She said as she looked at me and Jughead.
"That these two, finally, get there library cards and promise to visit more often." She said as Jughead and I looked at each other before looking at her.
"I promise." Jughead said.
"I promise too." I said right to her. It was the least both of us could do.
"Goodbye then." She said as she began to go to the picture but then stopped and looked at us.
"What are your names?" She asked us.
"Jughead. Jughead Jones." Jughead replied.
"Aria Andrews. Archie's cousin." I replied casually.
"Enjoy reading these books Jughead Jones and Aria Andrews." She said before she went into the picture and disappeared. I could feel her presence had left for good.
"She crossed over." I said lightly as Jughead and I teared up.
"Is it possible to miss someone you never got a chance to know?" Jughead asked as I remembered Leviathan.
"Yes." I squeaked out as Jughead and I dried our tears.
"You can get to know her from her book." Betty pointed out as she sowed us the book. I smiled lightly at that. We decided to leave our information with the librarian and got our cards before leaving. Jughead and I lingered behind Archie and Betty as we talked.
"Thanks for getting me to come here. I never would've if it wasn't for you." He said as I smiled lightly.
"Not a problem. You'd do the same for me." I said as he then held me close.
"Tomorrow, after school, wanna read the book with me? We can take turns reading it to each other." He said as I smiled brightly while staring into his eyes.
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." I told him as I then rested my head on his shoulder/upper arm and continued to walk on. We brought Jughead home, then Betty parted with us as we walked inside our home. We then decided to change before writing up the mystery column.
"And so everything is as it should be. The ghost of Violet Stanhope no longer haunts the library, But her good influences will never go away. ~Archie. And the best part is Jughead has rediscovered the library after years of avoiding it. I have discovered the library after over a year of avoiding it as well. Cook books, Adventure stories, Mysteries, we're reading them all! But there is one book we both enjoy reading to each other the most. Our favorite book written by Violet Stanhope. ~Aria. It's pretty good. You should check it out next time you're at the library. ~Archie…..In a little town called Riverdale! ~Archie and Aria!"
We finished the column and I was happy with it.
"Sorry I took up most of the ending review." I told Archie.
"It's fine. You rarely ever do and it looked great the way you wrote it down. I might not have done that well." Archie said while I shrugged.
"By the way, I bet your going to go through your savings for a month huh?" He asked me as I looked at him confused before I remembered my promise to Jughead.
"Oh no!" I yelped out as I smacked my forehead and pull my hand over my eyes as I nearly forgotten my promise. Archie just laughed as I took his pillow and threw it at him.
"Shut up!" I yelped out as he laughed harder. I decided to leave him to his laughing as I went to bed. We still had school tomorrow.
*Next day Aria's POV*
Reggie wouldn't leave me alone.
"Reggie Mantle I said leave me alone!" I shouted as I was leaving school for the day.
"Aw come on Doll Face, admit it, you care about me." He said as he slung his arm over my shoulder.
"I'm regretting our odd friendship more and more with every passing second." I told him as I shrugged his arm off my shoulders. Jughead soon swooped in and saved me from him. We went to the library and read the book Violet Stanhope wrote and we both enjoyed it so much. We made it a date to get a book and read it somewhere or in the library at least once a month. This one, however, was our favorite no matter what.