Happy new year!

Thank you to all of you that reviewed! I can't believe we've hit 50! I'm so psyched you have no idea...let's get it to 100, now shall we?

So, to all of you that made this happen: Boris Yeltin, Guest, Guest27, Guest, David12leca (for all of those reviews! You are seriously so awesome!), brighteyescoldheart, and Guest!

Guest: As soon as Juggie is on it...it's sort of all over haha. He's not one to just go 'hmm, interesting...welp, time to drop this entirely!'

Guest 27: Yeah, I'm leaning toward doing a different 'book'/sequel for the different seasons as well, cuz otherwise this is going to be extremely long!

Guest: Funny thing is I was going to update this last night...till I realized it was 6am. Oops.

Betty crept through the empty hallway, holding her breath. She'd gone back and forth about asking Sweet Pea to join, but in the end, he'd been busy anyway. And, she knew if she told him she was going into the empty school alone...he'd follow. Because of his role as her protector, or whatever. And, really, Betty was fine. She was learning her magic. Plus, was someone really going to attack her with all these other people around?

She glared at Cheryl, who had come uninvited, thinking that Cheryl just wanted to be around the drama. And this, undoubtedly, was drama filled. Betty had half a mind to set her skirt on fire, since she loved it so much. It was that darkness invading again, whispering to her, goading her.

Betty's fingers were inches from her hemline when Veronica broke her out of her revere.

"Hey guys! Get in here. Trev was right."

Veronica was holding the book in her hands, gripping the spine like she imagined it was Chuck, "They didn't even bother hiding it." She whispered.

There was a second when no one moved. the whole group, even Cheryl, held their breath like they weren't sure they really wanted to to know what lay beneath the cover.

Betty snatched it from Veronica's fingers. She had to show what sort of a person Chuck was. Veronica deserved that.

For a second, Betty just flipped. Thousands of names. Hundreds of lies. One book that was everything wrong with this school, with boys, with the world that didn't believe girls like Ethel or Veronica.

"New girl? Is that what I'm reduced to? Nine points?" Veronica asked, disgusted, her finger finding the most recent entry, with a 'SM' with a winky face next to it.

"Better than 'big girl'," Ethel grumbled, flipping back a page.

"Hey, uh, Polly's in this book. Next to Jason's name."

Betty snapped her face back toward the book.

"What?" She asked, her voice strangled.

"This isn't Jason," Cheryl said, snatching the book away in disbelief, "He would never-,"

"It's right there!" Betty exploded, "God, Cheryl! Your brother hurt my sister!" She said, feeling sick. Her parents were right. Jason was bad news. Jason did awful things, "This is what guys like Chuck and Jason think about women. Like us. We're objects, points in a book, notches on a bedpost." Betty continued, her throat closing up with tears. Why hadn't Polly ever said anything? Why wasn't she saying something now?

She was still at their grandmother's house, and all of Betty's texts had gone unresponded to. Did she think no one would believe her?

"They have zero remorse for the lives they destroy," Betty finished, her voice taut, thinking of how Polly couldn't come home and she wasn't in school and she was sick. Everything her parents had told her, she'd been hesitant.

Maybe they were right.

She expected Cheryl to argue. She almost did. Then, she glanced back down. Something changed on her face.

"Maybe I don't know Jason." Cheryl said, and Betty's fire just left her. Cheryl's brother was dead, but now she was losing him again, in a sense. It wasn't an apology, but it was something.

Betty hated Jason. She couldn't hate Cheryl for not knowing. Betty felt like she didn't know her own sister recently either.

"I'll take a picture. We'll show it to Wetherbee. It will be perfect for you to write about, Betty." Veronica said, pulling out her phone with a shaky finger. One hand kept it firmly on a page, unmoving. Ethel tried to flip back, but Veronica wouldn't let her. At first, Betty just thought it was to be able to take the picture of her own name.

Betty shook her head, "No. These girls deserve justice. You want vengeance, Veronica? Words won't be enough."

"Then...what?"

Betty hesitated, "I'm not sure yet." She admitted.

"I think I need to go home." Cheryl said, the most vulnerable Betty had ever seen her, even compared to when she was crying in the locker room.

"I'm glad I'm not crazy. I'm glad we found it." Ethel said, checking her watch, "My parents will freak if I'm not home soon. But, when you figure it out...whatever it is...I'm in."

Betty turned to leave too, but Veronica pulled her into a classroom, the Playbook still clutched to her chest.

"There's something you should see. Cheryl wasn't paying attention, Ethel was just looking for her name, Trev wasn't looking at the book because he's seen it, and I didn't want to bring its attention to the rest. Sweet Pea's name is in that book."

Betty blinked once. She swallowed a little harder than she intended to.

"Well, Archie's in that too. I bet it's like that. I mean, I don't think Archie is a part of this. They just record any of the football team's because that's what they do and I'm not Cheryl. Like, Jason was bad, she just couldn't admit it. Archie...Sweet Pea...they're good." Betty stumbled, all her thoughts coming out in a waterfall, unable to stop it.

Veronica's brow just wrinkled, "I believe that Archie isn't in on this." She hopped on her feet, "Betty, I'm telling you this because I know you two have a thing."

"We don't have a-," Betty squaked, but Veronica's sharp look quieted her.

"So, well, he's in here more than once. With other girls. About things he's done."

"If we did have a thing, we're not exclusive." Betty stiffened, but still felt a little left out that Sweet Pea didn't tell her about this.

"He also wrote things in here. Other people's claims. It's his handwriting," Veronica said, flipping to show that he'd marked that put in a few people's claims. At first, Betty wondered how she knew his handwriting, but that in itself didn't matter. Betty felt her mouth go dry an her stomach felt sick. She opened her mouth, but no defense came out, "And...you're in here. With him." Veronica finished, her fingers shaking as she flipped near the end.

"About that weekend?" Betty guessed, her legs feeling like jelly. If it was, she figured, she could deal with that. It would just help their covery story. She wasn't sure how to spin the fact that Sweet Pea seemed to be actively participating in this, but maybe-

"No, it's not. Well, it is, but it's tame. There's more." Veronica turned the book around to show Betty the back pages, where they ranked what the girls where, what each 'base' got you in addition and speciality clauses, like minus points if someone had 'an old lady's name' but add points if someone 'had a hot bod'. Really awful stuff like that.

Betty's name; 7 points. Extra points for being quiet and for being the younger sister of Polly, which apparently was significant. Extra, extra points if she was 'kinky'. Extra points if she was a virgin.

It wasn't so much that Sweet Pea's name was next to hers, it was that his handwriting was near this.

Someone had written, 'quiet, but I bet she's a freak in bed. Secret hottie too'. She didn't recognize the handwriting, which made her stomach quell. Maybe, in other situations, to be noticed would be nice. Not now.

It was underneath it that Chuck had written 'back off, not yours'.

And then, Sweet Pea had put, 'yeah. My conquest. I get her first.'

I get her first...

"Betty?" Veronica asked. She took the book back, closing it.

Betty sucked in hard, her whole body shaking.

"I, uhm, that's…" She shook her head, feeling like someone had just fogged across her eyes, and she was unable to see the road, to see anything, "That's...thanks for showing me."

"Are you okay?" Veronica asked kindly, "I knew that Chuck as going to say something awful about me in here. I didn't think-,"

"I'm fine. I just need time to process this." Betty was already backing up, "It's late. My mom is going to be wondering where I am." She said in a monotone voice.

"Betty? Really, maybe I should take you home." Veronica said.

"What do you think I'm going to do, V?" Betty asked quietly. In her own mind, a part of her was terrified she'd raze this school. She just needed to not think about it, which was hard to do. She half-expected having to keep down her emotions to keep from busting the pipes or something, but there was just nothing. She was just numb.

"I don't know." Veronica admitted.

"I'm hurt, of course," Betty forced something like a smile, "But now I know. Now I know."

XXxxXX

Betty and Veronica ignored Sweet Pea all the next day. Veronica not paying him attention wasn't totally unusual, but Betty ignored him with a fury that could not be missed. It wasn't so much that she pretend he wasn't there, it was that she would catch his eyes when he caught her attention, but then pointedly look away. When he texted her, she made sure to put her read receipts on, but would never answer. She'd shove past him in the hall, elbowing him just a little bit too hard. And, when he inquired about their magic meeting, Betty told him snidely that it would interfere with his football practice and 'he couldn't miss hanging out with the boys'.

She made it abundantly clear that she was pissed at him, but he couldn't figure out why.

If it was someone else, he might let it go. He could be petty when he was at his worst, and no one held a grudge like he did. But, Betty, in a way, was part of his pack. When there was trouble in the pack, Sweet Pea fixed it. He made sure it was all okay. People did stupid things when they were completely human. People had the ability to do stupider and more dangerous things when they were magical.

He managed to catch her alone after football practice ended for him, and after cheerleading for her.

"Betty, hey. Can we talk?" He asked, grabbing her arm. She roughly yanked it away.

"Fuck you," She snarled, a passion leaping forth. Sweet Pea rarely heard her swear, so it did sent him back a few steps. More than that, it was the utter hurt underneath her anger.

"I...what...Betty?" He asked, squinting. She just locked her jaw and spun away, throwing her bag over her shoulder violently. He frowned, leaping two paces to catch back up to her side.

He could feel the dark magic that was wafting off of her, the way it was sucking back in too, filling her veins, her head.

He grabbed her and hauled her to the area behind the gym, where it connected to the school. Basically everyone had gone home, or was still in the locker rooms, so Sweet Pea was fairly sure no one would come around here.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Betty jumped back, spinning.

"Filthy?" Sweet Pea echoed, tring to keep his blood pressure down, "Oh, because I'm what, a wolf? A beast? A creature?"

"Yeah, but not the kind you think. Because you're just like every other boy out there and it's sick." Betty threw a finger at him. She seemed to be near hysterics. Her eyes were glistening, "God, I...I thought you were different! I'm stupid, so stupid."

Sweet Pea pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm left out. Please, just tell me why you're pissed at me." When Betty didn't respond, he tried again, "What can I do to fix this?"

"Just don't talk to me ever again."

"Betty-,"

"I'm not some conquest! Some foreign land to invade and take the spoils of war," Betty thundered, quieting him, "And if I was going to be someone's first, it would be my choice. And it wouldn't be a sick game, where you're just going to let anyone have a go at me next when I've pleased you, huh?"

Like a lightbulb, it clicked in Sweet Pea's mind. She'd seen the Playbook. He should have told her about it, come clean about it all, because now she was reading it entirely the wrong way. Which, would she truly do any differently?

Sweet Pea licked his lips, "Betty, let me ex-,"

"No! I don't want to hear anything from you," Betty's eyes were wild, "Tell Mr. Jones he can find me an actual protector, someone who's not going to take advantage of me!" She said, shoving him hard. The shock that she had so much pent-up rage did cause him to lose his balance. He fell back onto the ground, wincing up at her.

"I'm-,"

"What did I say?" Betty demanded, "And you're just going to not get away with it either. You just swoop in and befriend me, make me care, make me want to be around you. You're too good at this, huh? God, I just…" Betty began to shake. She choked back her quivering tone.

Sweet Pea felt something break, a part of him die, to know she thought so horribly of him.

"Betty…" He whispered, pleading.

"Go die in a hole, Jordan," Betty said, turning past him. Sweet Pea knew he had to fix this, right now. He reached out to grab her one more time, gently, but she seemed to anticipate it before he could do anything.

She turned, eyes burning and clenched her fists, tighter and tighter. Sweet Pea howled in pain, hitting his on his knees and grabbing his head. It felt like someone was shoving white-hot daggers into his brain, through his eyes. His brain was on fire, and his whole body exploded. It was like turning for the first time, but it was prolonged. Somehow, Betty kept him in that suspended state of just sheer agony. He blacked out for a second, and when he opened his eyes, Betty was gone.

XXxxXX

As soon as Sweet Pea's body hit the ground, Betty backed away. She ran to the girl's bathroom, slamming the door behind her and sliding against the door. She hadn't known she'd been able to hurt him like that, do whatever she just did.

A sob welled up inside of her, for trusting him, for even liking him a little too much. Her mother said she was naive, and truly, she was. God, even Jughead was right about him. She should have listened to her old friend.

She let it all out, all the sorrow she'd been holding in, because she had lost someone last night. She'd lost the person who was teaching her to navigate this and she didn't know what happened next, but she knew she didn't want to be around him at all.

After a couple minutes, Betty stopped, rubbing her nose. She had to be stronger than this.

The darkness that had entered her mind, that had helped her hurt Sweet Pea...that had been electrifying.

What could she do when she actually wanted to do it?

She stood, examining herself in the mirror. Doe eyes, upturned nose...picture of innocence. She'd have to change that.

It's like she could see the dark magic creep across her, shadowing her face and darkening her eyes. Her pupils blew out and she felt something take hold deep in her magical core, constricting. It hurt, but it was a good hurt. It made her less emotional, less upset. When she thought of Sweet Pea, all she thought about was how satisfying that had been.

She texted something quickly to Ethel, a request, and once she got her reply, she texted Veronica. She practiced a face in the mirror; cold, hard, and seductive.

BETTY COOPER: I have a plan to get justice from Chuck. Full dark, no stars.

VERONICA: What about SPea?

Betty felt a smirk twitch on her lips.

BETTY COOPER: Already taken care of.

XXxxXX

The plan, on Friday, was being set into motion. Betty shielded herself against the wall of Pop's, near the back end, pulling out her phone and checking her reflection one last time. She dabbed at the corners of her bright red lipstick with a spare kleenex, making sure it was impeccable.

She'd never worn this bright shade before, certainly not outside. Wearing it, Polly's, made her feel like what she was about to do she was doing for her sister, for herself, for Veronica, for Ethel. She thinks, after all that's happened, if she could have talked with Polly about it, Polly would like this.

It's sexy. Betty had nearly gone with the deep wine shade in the very bottom of Polly's drawer, her darkness egging her toward the velvet fall shade, until she remembered her goal. Seduce Chuck Clayton.

Nothing said 'fuck me' like a girl in the devil's red, Betty told herself.

She gathered her wits. Veronica had offered to be the one to to this; to go to Chuck, saying she realized she'd just always been waiting for a big alpha like himself to show her where she belonged, but Betty resisted. This was her plan. And, she couldn't get revenge for her sister on Jason, Chuck would be the next best thing. Plus, Chuck had sized Veronica up. He might not believe her. There was no reason to not trust Betty; she never lied, right?

A part of her mind flitted to Sweet Pea. She dismissed it. She'd punished him today and that was the last she'd talk with him, she decided. She was done with everything involving him.

She ran her hands over her blouse, wincing as the the fabric caught on a sore part of her palms where she'd burned herself. Unfortunately, they hadn't been very far into potion making when she'd stopped talking to Sweet Pea, which meant that she was fumbling at best. The potion had been one of the easy ones, as he'd marked it, and she'd managed to create it last night, but not until a lot of efforts and near explosions in the portrait place. As it was, she'd nearly signed off all the skin on her left hand, but it would be worth it.

Skin would grow back. She was already prepping to make a healing potion anyway.

She played through some of her lines once more; like she was an actor about to hit the stage. She'd improved a couple. It had sounded almost ridiculous when she'd been saying it in front of her mirror, but now that she was here...no, they still sounded stupid. However, Chuck might be dumb enough not to notice. Here's to hoping, she figured.

He was at a booth, enjoying a burger, just like his Instagram story said he was. Betty, Veronica, and Ethel had all waited in a tense silence, waiting for someone to get a hit on his location, or for him to give himself up. Luckily, there was no shortage of girls who wanted some revenge on Chuck Clayton, so there were eyes all over town to make sure this plan went just right. When the darkness waned, it was a happy feeling that replaced it at that thought. Sisterhood against scumbags was unshakable. There were even girls out in Greendale, if Chuck wandered that far.

She gave him a warm smile, fingers trailing over the back of the booth, "Hey, Chuck. Can I sit?"

He looked up, giving her and up and down. He tilted his head.

"Not if you want to discuss Veronica." He said, narrowing his eyes. Subconsciously, he rubbed his nose, as though he expected it to start bleeding again. Betty doubted he knew it had been her, but maybe magic left memory marks? She'd have to ask Sweet Pea thi-fuck. No, she'd find out herself.

Betty bit her lip, just as Veronica had shown her, trying to look a little sultry, "Only insofar as...I've been thinking lately," Betty began, sliding- not sitting- in the booth. She leaned forward, just so that he could see the edges of her shirt undone at the top, "How I want to be more like...her." She breathed quietly, and she could see Chuck on the edge of his seat.

"A bad girl?" Chuck chortled, as though he couldn't believe it, "I guess it runs in the family. Oh yes, Jason told us all about your sister. Freak in the sheets, but you probably already figured that out." He said, "You're just like her, huh?"

Betty giggled, "Not yet. I was hoping, well, you could show me." She said, parting her lips slightly.

Chuck wavered. He seemed unsure, "You know, Karan, he's-,"

"I don't want Sweet Pea," Betty forced out his name with minor difficulty, hoping Chuck didn't notice the stumble, "I want you. Please?" She asked, begging with a slight pout to her lips.

"Baby, all you had to do was ask," He said, his voice rough. Betty saw him shift in his seat, a little uncomfortable. His breathing picked up, just slightly, "When?"

"Wanna ditch that burger?" She asked, but her eyes never left his, "Ethel, she owed me for a favor I did last year and her parents are going to be gone all weekend."

"Ethel Muggs?" Chuck asked, not like he was unsure, but as though he couldn't recall her. Betty wanted to say 'but you apparently went to second base with her in the library' but choked down the words.

"You know, a little awkward, curly hair…" Betty tried to describe her, "Doesn't matter. Her family, they have a pool...and a hot tub." She purred. She leaned across the table, inches from his ear, "And with no one there, who needs suits?"

Chuck's breath hitched.

Betty pulled back and was pleased to see him nearly fall face first as he leaned forward to get closer to her.

She stood, "Meet me there in an hour? I have to go home and prepare, big boy." She said, winking.

"Yes! I mean, yeah, whatever. Um, hey, and don't worry," Chuck said, almost seeming decent, just for a moment, "I'll be gentle."

Betty gave a trill of laughter, "Oh, Chuck. If had wanted gentle, I would have asked Archie."

As Chuck's grin grew feral, Betty let the darkness curl deeper inside of her.

Chuck would wish he were never born.

XXxxXX

"Sweet Pea? What the hell?" Toni asked as he stalked back into the Sunnyside Trailer park. He was still trying to wipe the blood from his nose that painted his entire chin red, with little success. By this point, it had mostly dried a cakey, brownish mess.

"Don't ask," He snapped, slamming his trailer door closed. He went straight to the bathroom, filling his sink with warm water and wiping at his skin roughly.

"Oh, oh no. You know I can't just not ask." Toni said, hands on her hips, watching him in the mirror, "It's nearly dark. Where the hell have you been?"

"On the floor at Riverdale, waiting until my brain solidified again," He grouched, "And I think that I mean that literally."

"You...think?"

"Well, I mean, gray matter wasn't pouring out my ears but, yeah," He said. After Betty had left, Sweet Pea hadn't really been able to move. He'd shoved himself across the floor enough so he was out of the way of people, in a classroom, and laid on the ground. It was like the worst hangover of his life, if he'd also been dropped from a cliff, ran over by a bus, and then shot into space without a space suit. He'd left a pretty suspicious blood trail from his location where Betty had attacked him to the classroom, so he was just glad the janitor was too busy doing not his job at this particular time.

"Sweet Pea...what happened." Toni demanded.

"Betty Cooper-," Sweet Pea hadn't even finished when Toni's eyes flashed yellow.

"I'm going to drag that bitch around by her ponytail. How dare she!" Toni said, slamming his door of the trailer, with what seemed like the intention of going to the Northside.

"Back off her, Toni," Sweet Pea said, jumping a head of her, "It's not her fault."

"Was she forced under duress? Didn't think so!" Toni said, crossing her arms.

"It's a shit situation, so would you just listen to me? Sit on the couch, have a bag of doritos while I change." Sweet Pea said, shoving her back into his house.

"Fine, this better actually be worth it. If not, FP's right, someone will try to kill her. Me. 'Cept, unlike whatever idiot attacked last time, I'll succeed." Toni threatened.

"Thanks T, if I wanted you to do that, that is," Sweet Pea threw the bag of chips at her, "Stay."

"What am I?" Toni asked, popping open the bag, "A dog?" She said, a hint of amusement in her question. Sweet Pea stripped off his t-shirt and found a mostly clean new one, catching sight of himself in a mirror that there were still traces of dried blood he hadn't managed to erase.

"If the tail wags…" Sweet Pea replied, poking his head out from the bathroom. He returned, plopping down on the couch. He reached for the bag, but Toni held it above her head.

"Not with your bloody fingers," She said.

"It's my chips!" Sweet Pea argued, but she went as so far to stand on the couch to keep it above his reach, or what he was willing to reach from his spot on the couch. Stubbornness was a trait that was shared by mostly all wolves, but Toni was one of the worst.

He rolled his eyes. He hadn't wanted them too much anyway. With a wet paper towel, he cleared the rest of the the blood from his chin. When you were a wolf, blood was an occupational hazard. He'd gotten used to seeing his own blood long ago.

"So, start from the beginning." Toni instructed, coming back down.

So, he did. From the night of the Pep Rally, where Chuck had recruited him. The Playbook and the rules. Jason, and that Chuck might know something. that this was how he got in. That he had to play the game. About Wednesday, with the date and the Sticky Maple. About Veronica's stand off with him. Basically, everything up until the point where he pulled himself from the floor and came back home.

When he was done, Toni's eyes still burned.

"So, yeah, I guess...be sorta mad at her, but you don't need to go kill her."

"Kill her?" Toni's voice was shrill, "God, Sweet Pea, I sort of want to tear your jugular out right now." She said, glaring at him with pure venom.

"Me?"

"Yes! You!" Toni hit him twice on his arm, hard. She was shaking, "How dare you let something like that go on?"

"Toni, Chuck-,"

"Fucking hell, Sweet Pea. I don't want excuses." She said in a long exhale, "You've built yourself up to believe that you're in some war, some fight. But the truth is? Sometimes a murder is just a human bullshit issue. Even if FP is holding out, why would it make a difference to us? Maybe he just doesn't want us to get caught up in whatever shady shit the Blossoms do? And, still, women's reputations, their truth is not a casualty of war. They're people, and you did nothing about this."

"What was I supposed to do, Toni? Turn it in to Wetherbee? He doesn't care, someone tried that last year!" Sweet Pea shot back, "And there is something more to this Jason thing, whether or not you see it!"

"You could have done anything. Literally anything, Sweet Pea." Toni looked up at the ceiling, biting her lips hard, "If I were Betty Cooper, I wouldn't want to talk to you either. You'll be lucky if she ever breathes in your direction again. And for what? Nothing."

"I-,"

"You have nothing, Sweet Pea." Toni said quieter, "This gamble sucked, Chuck hasn't told you anything and you can't trust him even if he did. You really, really fucked up. Even if what you wrote wasn't true, that doesn't fix it."

"I know." Sweet Pea said quietly, "I do."

There was a moment between them of just silence, only interrupted by Toni chewing on a dorito.

"So, Betty managed to do that, even if she was using the dark stuff." Toni said, looking at him, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"She is who FP claims her to be. A super powerful witch." Sweet Pea agreed, "And she's barely begun training."

"Damn."

Toni checked her phone, scowling, "Okay. Okay. FP will skin your hide if someone's not watching her, and she deserves to hear the truth about the situation."

"Yeah," Sweet Pea sighed, hoisting himself up, or started to. Toni shoved him back down.

"Nuh-uh. She might actually kill you if you approach her again. I think it's time for me to meet this Cooper witch." She said, cracking her knuckles and shaking out her shoulders, preparing to leap into her wolf, "And, if I think she might talk to you again, I'll let you know. But, until then, you stay the hell away. Got it?"

"Yes wolf mom." Sweet Pea said, a term that the wolves at Southside High had begun to refer to her as, ever since she took over his old job. She flipped him the finger, slammed the door to his trailer, and vanished into the forests.

XXxxXX

In the bathroom of Ethel's poolroom, Betty adjusted the wig she'd picked up at the dollar store today. For a dollar, it wasn't bad. It had been a last minute impulse buy, after feeling like she needed something more than just her bright red lipstick.

The dark magic whispered 'yesssss' when she looked in the mirror and while taking advice from dark magic seemed strange, Betty was pleased.

She could hear Veronica talking with Chuck outside. Betty adjusted her outfit, wondering briefly, how far she'd go for the truth? Her mother always told her a good journalist would stop at nothing. So, she wouldn't either.

Betty would stop at nothing to hurt Chuck the way that he'd hurt Polly. She shook her head, correcting herself; the way he'd hurt Veronica.

Just a slip of the thought, she mused, blinking to herself.

Furtively, she peeked in her palm to check to see if the potion was still there. Sweaty, but yes, in a little pill-like capsule. She rolled it on her burnt skin, waiting for the right moment.

"Shouldn't we wait for Betty to get here first?" She heard Chuck ask from behind the door. Ah, what a perfect entrance.

Show time, a voice whispered that was her but not here at the same time. Instead of fearing it, Betty grinned.

Show time indeed.

XXxxXX

Alice Cooper had a bone to pick. Alice often had a bone to pick, but this one was...different. This one was personal.

Very often, Alice treated the stories she ran as though it was something that affected her daily life, because if you cared about a story, others did to. It was simple psychology and it's what sold copies. But this story? Well, she didn't have to pretend like it hit close to home.

Somehow, the entire school knew how that vile boy had ruined her Polly. Her dear, sweet Polly. Her first born daughter, who she could imagine just yesterday playing dress up in her old prom dress, paint smeared across her face like makeup. Her bright, smart daughter who certainly had been bewitched by Jason, for there was no other explanation.

Her daughter, now going to be always different, always scarred.

Yes, Alice Cooper went to the Taste of Riverdale looking for a cat fight. Or, at least, to ruffle the devil's feathers.

She saw the target of her attack and smoothed her dress out. How dare they be out and about, after their son died? If any of Alice's children perished, she would not leave home for a year, she figured. It was awfully suspicious of them to be so put-together, as though it were any other night. They were wearing black, but that wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Penelope Blossom. I thought I might run into you. Would you like to give me a quote regarding-,"

Before she could finish, Penelope leapt at her with a passion that Alice was pretty sure she'd never seen Penelope exhibit.

"How dare you Alice, Cooper! Printing my son's autopsy? He was tortured and shot, and thrown in the river like a piece of garbage. You monster!" She shouted, being held back by her husband. Alice stalked up to her. Hal grabbed her arm, but she shook him off. Penelope was inches away, and spat at Alice.

"After all we did for you," She hissed, "The gall you have."

"You broke it first, Penny." Alice taunted, using her much hated nickname from high school, "What, a child for a child? I should say the gall you have. Despicable. Ruining one of my daughters wasn't enough?"

Penelope seemed to blanch.

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, likely. Off record, admit it. Admit that you-,"

"Hey!" Sheriff Keller pulled the pair apart, "Not tonight. This was supposed to be a nice community event. I'll kick you both of you out if I get another whiff of this. Stay away from each other." He said with a 'business as serious as ever' tone. Alice held Penelope's hard glare for a second, before turning and stalking away. It didn't matter that Penelope didn't say she'd done it. Alice knew. A mother always knows.

She spotted Hermione Lodge over by Pop's stand.

"Oh, Jesus, Alice," Hal muttered, "Haven't we had enough reunions tonight?"

Alice, once again, ignored him.

"Park Avenue Princess to cater-water."

"Alice Cooper. And, that's queen to you," Hermione said, forcing a smile that was a smidge too sweet, "I'd heard you'd married Hal, but I couldn't quite believe it."

"No one was surprised about Hiram," Alice said, "and I would say you feel under that spell of his, but we both know it's exactly what you wanted. Tell me, Hermione, for a piece in The Register. How do you keep your skin so flawless? So young looking? Blood of orphans, perhaps?"

"You were hardly funny back then, you're not now. Hal, you should keep your wife on a shorter leash." She shot back sharply, looking to Hal.

"Oh, darling." Alice laughed, "I've been out of the game for years now, but I'd start back up again if you cause an trouble."

Hermione crossed her arms, "From where I'm standing, the only one causing a ruckus tonight is you, Alice. Would wan't things...getting out of control, now would we? Breathe easy, right?"

Alice raised her chin, smirking.

"It's been a long time since that's worked, Hermione, and it's not going to work tonite. Come on, Hal." She directed, vanishing back into the crowd.

I apologize for how late this is! December was crazy for me, as I graduated from college and applied and then got into a grad school. I do hope to get back onto my track of updating about every 5-7 days now, since things have cooled off a bit.

From the general consensus, I'll be doing longer chapters and making season 2 the sequel/second book and so on. However, all the places I've pre-written are cut off at places that are super good and can't be cut off elsewhere, so it will be as I continue to write it will be shooting for longer chapters. At that point, which I'll let you know, I'll update consistently once a week!

The only little note I have about this chapter is that the brain thing Betty does is sorta like in The Vampire Diaries where witches can give vampires just aneurysms over and over, but since they're already dead it's just super painful. I imagine it's something like that here, where Betty is like bursting their brain but since they have super-fast healing, it's just healing at the rate of her attacks and so on. Hope that sorta makes sense!

Oh! There's also a new cover for this story, up on my tumblr youngbloodlex22. I'll be changing it on here probably tomorrow or tonight!

Hope to see you all back, even after this very long break :)