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Every town has one. The spooky house that all the kids avoid.
In the case of Riverdale, there was Thornhill, the Blossom Family's mansion, with its very own graveyard.
Trapped within its walls, like some gothic heroine, was Cheryl Blossom.
Still grieving for her beloved brother, Jason.
Linked in death, as they were in life.
One night, Cheryl snuck out of her room, and went into the room where Jason's casket was. She opened it up, hoping to see him one last time.
But there was nothing there.
When Cheryl turned around, the rotting body that was Jason was right in front of her. He was angry, and he had his arms out, as if wanting to eat her brains.
Cheryl bolted awake, panting. She felt relieved knowing it was only a nightmare.
She turned towards the door to see Penelope was there.
"I thought I told you, Cheryl," she scolded. "No more sleeping in Jason's bed."
"I was… working on the eulogy," Cheryl explained. "For Jay-Jay."
"Don't bother. You won't be speaking at the memorial. God knows what you'd say. Something to humiliate us?"
Penelope took Cheryl's eulogy papers and crumpled them up.
Archie set up a punching bag, then he wrapped some bandages around his arms. He punched the bag as hard as he could, fighting through the pain.
As he punched, he thought back to everything that's happened. The events at the river, Jason's death, Ms. Grundy.
He didn't notice Fred had come in until he had cleared his throat. Archie assumed his punching woke Fred up.
"Sorry, Dad," he apologized. "Just trying to get back in fighting shape for the field."
"So, this is all for football?" asked Fred.
"Coach Clayton's about to set the starting line-up, name a new captain. It's like you said. Football gets me a scholarship, which gets me to college."
Fred could tell there was more to this than just getting ready for football, but he also knew that he couldn't bug Archie about the recent events until he was ready. He left the room, allowing Archie to do his thing.
The next morning, Kevin set up a corkboard in the Blue and Gold room.
"This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom murder board before it was trashed," he explained.
"Any leads on who did that, what they were looking for?" asked Jughead.
"Nope. No fingerprints, but they stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audiotapes of police interviews."
That's when someone came into the room. Betty recognized it was Trev.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said.
"It's okay," Jughead assured. "We're just working on our murder board."
Trev gave Jughead a weird look, then turned to Betty. "Well, I was just wondering if we're still on for tomorrow."
"Yeah," Betty replied. "It's a date. I'll see you there."
Trev nodded, then left the room.
"You're going with Trev?" asked Kevin. "Will Mama Cooper find out?"
"Kev, I'm not on house arrest," Betty assured. "Mom's out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat. Anyway, it's not a date."
"You literally just said it was a date."
"That's just my cover. Really, it's an intelligence-gathering mission. We should focus on one thing we have access to that your dad doesn't. The kids at Riverdale High. Maybe Trev knows something about Jason he doesn't think is important."
Archie was on the football field, practicing. The quarterback passed him the ball, and he made a run for it.
Unfortunately, Archie was tackled after five seconds. It was the most painful thing he ever experienced.
Coach Clayton blew the whistle.
"Andrews, what the hell was that?!" he shouted.
Once practice was over, Archie leaned on his locker, still wincing from the pain of the tackle.
"Andrews, where were you just now?" asked Coach Clayton. "Because it wasn't my field."
"I'm sorry, coach," Archie replied, a hint of frustration in his voice.
Clayton turned to Reggie. "Mantle."
"Sup, coach?" asked Reggie.
"You wanna be captain?"
"Hell yeah, I do."
"Then this here is what we call a horse race, fellas. You've got a week to show me who wants the top spot more. Good luck."
Coach Clayton walked away. Reggie turned to Archie.
"Face it, Andrews," he said. "If anyone deserves to be the captain and wear Jason's number, it's me."
Fred entered Pop's Diner. Hermione was waiting for him.
"Here's your usual, turkey on rye, hold the tomatoes, to go," she said, handing Fred a bag.
"Great," Fred said tiredly. "Can I get a huge cup of coffee to go? I'm running on little sleep. Archie, up all hours. Listen, I was thinking we should take another stab at going on a date. What do you say? Dinner?"
"Fred, I'm married, and you are too."
"I'm confused here. So, the drive-in wasn't a date? Totally my bad." Fred took the bag. "Gotta go. Catch you later."
"Fred, wait."
But Fred was already gone.
Betty, Kevin, Veronica, and Jughead sat on the bleachers during lunch period.
"Betty, you're positively radiating Nicholas Sparks," Veronica remarked. "Tell me everything about this Trev."
"Oh, there's nothing to tell," Kevin replied. "Just one of Betty's sources, there's nothing romantic in the offing."
"Why is everything weird here? Why can't a date just be a date?"
The four found Archie sitting nearby.
"What about you, Archie?" Veronica asked him. "How's life in a PG world?"
"Coach Clayton says I have a shot at being varsity captain," Archie replied. "So I'm not thinking about anything else right now."
"And you're back to being boring."
"Are you, maybe, throwing yourself into football as a way to avoid your feelings?" asked Betty.
"I'm not avoiding anything, Betty," said Archie. "I'm just trying to get my life back on track."
That's when Valerie from the Pussycats showed up and sat next to Kevin.
"Hey," she said. "I've been told Ms. Grundy has been tutoring you, but there's this amazing songwriter from New York, who's an adjunct at Carson College. His name is Oscar Castillo, and he's an incredible mentor. He does some coaching on the side and I told him about you. Wanna meet him?"
"Yeah, I'd love to," Kevin replied.
Valerie put a tiny piece of paper in Kevin's shirt pocket. "Call him if you want, but do it fast. His spots fill up really quickly."
"Thank you, Val."
Once Valerie left, Cheryl approached them.
"Sorry to interrupt your sad breakfast club," she fake-apologized as she handed them all black envelopes. "But I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend. To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest list. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be searching bags."
Cheryl left without saying another word.
Betty could tell Veronica wanted to tear up the invite.
"Hey, try to remember she's burying her brother," she said.
Veronica stopped herself then and there.
Later, Veronica found Cheryl in the halls.
"Cheryl, wait," she called. "You're in pain, this is a stressful week for you, so I guess that's why you're being particularly obnoxious."
"What's your point?" asked Cheryl.
"I don't want to be locked in a catfight-to-the-death with you. That'll only end one way: mutual annihilation."
"Agreed."
"So, can't we just be friends, or at least frenemies?"
"If you really want to extend an olive branch, come to a sleepover I'm having."
"Fine, sure. When?"
"The night before the memorial. I don't want to spend the night before I bury my brother alone."
The two went their separate ways.
Riverdale
Chapter 5
Heart of Darkness
After giving Mr. Castillo the call, Kevin visited him in his office at Carson College.
"Tell me about your music," said Mr. Castillo.
"I started writing songs this summer, Mr. Castillo," Kevin explained.
"Oscar."
"Sorry. Oscar. After this kid at my school died… it's his funeral this week… the first song I wrote was actually about him."
"How many hours a day do you spend writing?"
"At least a couple."
"That's going to have to change."
"And it will."
"You know, before I sold my first song, I was in the studio all day, waitering and bartending all night. There's no shortcuts unless you're a prodigy."
"Definitely not a prodigy."
"Can I hear any of your songs?"
"Yeah." Kevin gave Oscar a flash drive containing audio recordings of his songs.
"Where's your sheet music? I don't teach performance. I teach songwriting. I focus on craft, composition, lyrics. To even talk about your songs in a constructive way, we need to be on the same page, like, on actual pages."
"Okay, I'll write out my songs."
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
Penelope and Clifford led Tom to the memorial room. There were plenty of chairs set up for the guests, and a portrait of Jason was at the very front.
"Jason's memorial will be held in this room," Penelope explained. "Before he's laid to rest in the cemetery of Thornhill's grounds. We've invited everyone on the list."
"And what list is that?" asked Tom.
"The list of suspects, of course," Clifford replied. "People with grudges against us, many of them members of Riverdale's founding families, I'm sorry to say. Someone in this town killed Jason."
"That's our thought too, since whoever broke into my house knew I'd be at the drive-in…"
"Which means," Penelope interrupted. "There's a very real possibility Jason's murderer will soon be in this room."
Cheryl overheard the conversation.
"That's why you invited the Lodges?" she asked. "To investigate them?"
Neither of her parents replied. That gave Cheryl the answer she needed.
She scoffed. "And you think I'm manipulative and heartless and making things all about myself."
Betty and Trev had their little date at Pop's.
"I think it's great what you're doing for Jason," Trev remarked.
"You two were on the water polo team together," Betty pointed out. "Are you, like, close or anything?"
Trev started to feel suspicious of Betty's true intentions. "We're just talking, right? Just because, I kind of feel guilty about it. A few months ago, Jason started acting all, like, weird and secretive."
"Do you know why?"
"I thought it was about your sister to be honest. They've been dating for a few weeks when he changed."
"Changed in what way?"
"He stopped hanging out with us, he wouldn't call me back, and then… then he started selling all of this weird stuff. Anything he could sell for cash, he was hawking. Then I heard he was dealing drugs…"
"What kind of drugs?"
"Weed, pills, whatever, I don't know for sure, because by then, he stopped talking to me."
"And all of this happened after Jason and Polly got together?"
Trev nodded.
This is bigger than I thought, Betty thought to herself.
Kevin was in his room, writing his songs on paper. Valerie was there to help him.
Kevin played a small riff.
"Great," said Valerie. "Now write it down. Musical notation, not in tabs. It's kind of obnoxious, but Oscar's right."
Kevin wrote the notes down.
"You catch on quick, newbie," Valerie smiled.
That's when Tom came into the room.
"Hey, son, time to…" he was about to say before he noticed Valerie. "Oh, hi. I'm his old man."
"Dad, this is Val," Kevin introduced. "Val, this is my dad, Sheriff Keller."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Val," Tom said to Valerie. "Valerie, from Josie and the Pussycats, right? I'm a big fan. I saw you guys at Taste of Riverdale. You rocked hard."
"Thanks, Sheriff Keller," Valerie thanked.
"Actually, Dad, we're in the middle of some music stuff, so…" Kevin said.
"Oh, right." Tom shut the door. "I'm gonna close this, but not all the way."
"Thanks, Dad."
Betty found Hal in the garage, fixing up the car.
"Hey, great timing," he said. "Would you mind grabbing a wrench and tightening up that hose for me?"
Betty grabbed the wrench and started tightening the hose.
"Dad, every time I ask Mom about Polly, she shuts me down," she said. "Can we talk about it, please? What happened? What did Jason do that was so bad?"
Hal didn't say anything at first, but he eventually spoke. "Jason and Polly had a fight. I don't know what it was about, but afterwards, Polly was devastated. I came home from work one day, and I… I heard the water running in the bathroom upstairs. I went upstairs, knocked on the door, and asked if Polly was alright. She didn't say anything, so I kicked the door down. Polly was trying to hurt herself. That's why we sent her away, to stop her from trying to take her own life again."
Betty was horrified by this revelation.
The next day at school, Betty told Jughead everything in the student lounge.
"Betty, I'm sorry," Jughead apologized. "That's hardcore."
"I asked my dad if I could call Polly," Betty went on. "But then, when she heard about Jason's death, she had a big setback. He doesn't want to risk another one."
"Why would a rich kid sell drugs?"
"He was running away from his parents."
"Probably, or drug dealers."
"Is that possible?"
"It's a theory. Yours is better, but why would he have to run away from mommy and daddy?"
"Because they're monsters."
"But why specifically?"
"I don't know. We can't ask them."
"Which is why we have to ask Jason."
"Are you proposing a seance, or…?"
"No. Dead men tell no tales, but their bedrooms…"
Betty started to pick up what Jughead was putting down.
"Bulldog twenty-five, on two," said the quarterback. "Ready? Break!"
The Bulldogs got into position.
Archie ran to where the ball was tossed. Unfortunately, he was tackled before he even caught it.
At first, it was hard to tell who tackled him because of the helmet, but the moment Archie saw that grin, he knew it was Reggie.
Archie fought through the pain and tried again. Like last time, Reggie tackled him before he could get the ball.
The third time, though, Archie managed to get the ball and run a good distance before Reggie got him.
"Nice work, Andrews!" Coach Clayton complimented. "Great hustle!"
Reggie grabbed Archie's hand to help him up. Archie jolted in pain. Reggie grabbed the other hand and pulled Archie back on his feet.
"What's wrong with your hand?" Reggie asked, a hint of genuine concern in his voice.
"It's nothing," Archie assured.
"You're not playing with a busted hand."
"I said it's fine, Reg."
"Archie, sit this one out. You'll thank me later."
"Are you really that scared of me?"
Coach Clayton blew his whistle.
"Fellas, are we going to chit-chat or we going to play?" he asked.
"Let's play," Archie declared.
"Fine," said Reggie. "It's your funeral."
Veronica and some of the Vixens had just finished practice. They all walked down the hallway and talked to each other.
Then Veronica saw Archie sitting on a bench trying to apply bandages to his left hand.
She sat next to him and helped apply the bandages.
"Is this your playing hand?" she asked.
Archie nodded.
Veronica shook her head. "Archie, your hand is your instrument. You need to take better care of it and, you know, stop punishing yourself while at it."
"I'm not," Archie assured. "I got slammed because I didn't know the play. I didn't know the play because, like an idiot, instead of memorizing the plays, I was up late last night punching a sandbag to let out my frustrations."
Veronica had just finished applying the bandages. "There, good as new." She kissed Archie's knuckles. "But try to take better care of it. That hand will be worth millions one day."
Veronica walked away. Archie smiled and blushed as he processed the kiss she gave him.
Kevin returned to Oscar's office and gave him his sheet music.
"These are… fine," Oscar reviewed.
"I was up all night," said Kevin.
"Yeah, I can tell. These sheets are sloppy, rushed. I think they're… juvenile, repetitive."
"Are you saying I should quit?"
"I'm saying I can't help you."
Kevin nodded in understanding.
Veronica ate dinner with the Blossom family.
"Thank you for having me," she said.
"Cheryl invited you," Penelope replied. "I have no idea why you're here."
"Me neither. I thought there'd be other girls."
"Nana Rose, would you like some more ham?" asked Clifford.
Nana Rose, a half-blind, eighty-year-old woman, just sat there and didn't say a word.
Clifford turned to Veronica. "Veronica, would you like some more maple ham?"
"I'm good," Veronica replied. "It's delicious, though. You can really taste the maple."
"You do know that Riverdale was founded on the maple syrup industry."
"I didn't, actually. Fascinating."
"That's where Sweetwater River got its name. Perhaps you can ask your father sometime. How is he, by the way?"
It was taking every ounce of Veronica's being not to snap at that comment. "Okay."
"There are worse things than prison," Penelope remarked.
"Like this dinner party," Cheryl muttered.
"What did you say?"
Cheryl didn't say anything. Penelope shrugged and went back to her ham.
"It must have been hard for you," Clifford said, continuing his and Veronica's earlier conversation. "Watching your father being handcuffed and dragged out of your home, in front of all those neighbors and reporters."
"The worst part was how fast it all happened," Veronica replied. "He was just gone. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. That's why I think this is great. You all get to say goodbye to Jason."
"Not all of us," Penelope said. "Some people already got to say goodbye to Jason, while rowing him across the river… to his death."
She gave Cheryl a cold glare as she said that.
Cheryl just sat there, silently. Veronica noticed this.
Hermione was cleaning up the kitchen when she heard someone come in. She went into the dining area to investigate.
All she found was a cardboard box on the counter. She took it and opened it.
She jumped back once she saw what was inside. It was a serpent.
Betty woke up to the sound of someone giggling. It almost sounded like… Polly.
Betty snuck out of her room and went downstairs. The noise seemed to be coming from the basement.
She went down to the basement and opened the door.
Polly wasn't there. It was just Hal watching an old videotape of Polly dancing.
Betty shed a tear as she remembered that day.
Cheryl showed Veronica a scrapbook of her and Jason as kids.
"I hope this isn't weird, but Jason was crazy handsome," said Veronica.
"The handsomest," said Cheryl. "Something tells me he would've liked you."
"Why did you invite me tonight? You could've picked Tina or Ginger. Aren't those your besties?"
"Yet last night at the pep rally, after I had my panic attack, you helped me, not them."
"Cheryl, you're allowed to say goodbye to your brother, but why does it have to be…"
"In front of people?"
"Yeah."
"Everything about Jason is public. Everyone has an opinion, and has been gossiping, saying he got what he deserved or he didn't. I just… want everyone to know that I'm… I'm sorry, and that Jason deserved a… a better family than what he got."
"Then do it. I'll help you. Let Penelope and Clifford Blossom do their worst."
"Oh, they will. They'll kill me."
Veronica gave Cheryl a sympathetic look, but Cheryl acted like what she said was completely normal.
Fred just disposed of the serpent for Hermione.
"I'm here for you whenever," he said. "But why didn't you call the cops, or animal control?"
"It was a message, for me, from the serpents," Veronica replied. "I didn't call the police because I don't trust them, or half the people in this damn town. Just you."
"Which is why you tell them why the serpents…"
"It's Hiram. He owes them money."
"How much?"
"That's between Hiram and the serpents. Thank you for helping me tonight, but I don't want to get you any more involved than you already are."
The next morning was the day of the funeral. Betty put on a black dress and jacket to fit the theme of the funeral.
Jughead came in wearing his own black suit and tie.
"Ready to enter the belly of the beast?" he asked.
Betty looked at Jughead's outfit and blushed a little.
"It's the best I could do," said Jughead.
Hermione arrived at Thornhill. Penelope was at the entrance.
"Penelope," said Hermione. "I just want to offer my condolences."
"Hermione, that's so kind," Penelope said with a fake smile.
The two hugged each other, though Penelope had a tight hold on Hermione.
"You think you're so clever coming here and offering your pity?" she asked.
"What are you talking about?" asked Hermione.
"So you came here to gloat, with warmest regards from your husband, I'm sure."
Penelope let go of Hermione.
Cheryl had just finished getting dressed.
"You ready?" asked Veronica.
"Just about," Cheryl replied. "You go on ahead. I'll be down."
Veronica walked out. Cheryl stayed put and looked at herself in the mirror.
An idea came to her mind. She knew her parents wouldn't like it, but she didn't care.
Archie sat down and waited for the funeral to begin. He saw Penelope walking in. He stood up and approached her.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Blossom," he said, offering Jason's varsity jacket. "I want you to have this."
"You're so much like him," Penelope remarked, taking the jacket. "Thank you, Archibald."
Archie sat back down.
"That was really sweet, what you just did," said Betty.
"She deserves it more than I do," Archie replied.
That's when Veronica approached them.
"Days like today really put things in perspective, huh?" she said. "I mean, at least we're here, alive."
Betty noticed Hal and Clifford sharing a drink, talking to each other.
"You gotta prepare yourself, Hal," said Clifford. "It would be very unseemly to get a DUI on your way home, wouldn't you think?"
That's when the music played, marking the start of the funeral.
Play "Shout" by Tears for Fears (Think Up Anger version)
Everyone turned around to see Cheryl walking down the aisle. She was wearing a white dress, completely contrasting the black outfits everyone else was wearing.
Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on
"Oh my God," Veronica reacted.
"Yes," Kevin smiled.
Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on
Cheryl stood in front of the altar.
"Welcome to Thornhill," she said. "Thank you all for coming. If you'll kindly take your seats…"
Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on
Those who weren't sitting already took their seats.
"I'd like to start the memorial with a few words about Jason," Cheryl continued.
Penelope stood up, but Clifford stopped her.
Veronica shot Penelope a warning stare. "You're only going to make things worse."
Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on
"The last time I saw Jason, I was wearing this dress," Cheryl went on. "I know it's impossible, but I swear, when I put it on, it's like he's in the room with me. Even though we were twins, I used to demand I have my own birthday party, until one day, out of the blue, Jason convinced me we had to combine them into one. It wasn't until years later I found out why. No one wanted to come to my party, and Jason didn't want me to know. He protected me, every single day. I wish that day of the river that I protected him." She turned to the casket and cried. "I'm sorry, Jay-Jay. We failed you. I failed you."
Veronica stood up and hugged Cheryl to comfort her.
End "Shout"
Penelope got up and got on the altar.
"I think we'll adjourn now," she said. "Go to the Winter Salon for a light supper."
Fred ran into Hermione on the way to the dining room.
"Hey," said Hermione. "I didn't think you were gonna make it."
"Yeah," Fred replied. "I got off a little late from work, but I wanted to pay my respects. Also, I realized something last night. The bookkeeping position of my company you applied for is still open. No snakes, if you're still interested."
"Yes! Yes!" Hermione hugged Fred tightly. She then realized what she was doing and let go. "Um, thank you."
The two looked away from each other, blushing.
Betty and Jughead entered Jason's room.
Despite Jason being dead for months now, his room was still well decorated, his bed was still made, and it was like Jason was still here.
The only thing that felt off was the cold gust of air.
"Is it just me, or did the temperature just drop like it does in horror movies?" asked Betty.
"That's just the icy chill of the dead," Jughead replied.
Betty looked around. "Where does a teenage boy hide things?"
"Under the mattress, maybe the drawers, or the closet."
The two checked all of those things. They couldn't find anything.
"Hello," came a voice.
Betty and Jughead jumped back, only to see it was Nana Rose.
"I'm so sorry," Betty apologized. "We were just leaving."
But Nana rolled closer to them on her wheelchair.
"How lovely to see you again," she said in a witchy voice. "Come closer. I want a good look at you."
"The horror," Jughead muttered.
"Come closer, Polly, dear," Nana begged.
Betty got closer and sat on the bed.
"It's nice to see you too," she said, playing along. "I'm sorry it had to be under such terrible circumstances."
Nana took Betty's hand and examined it.
"Of course you're not wearing it," she said. "God bless."
"Wearing what?" asked Betty.
"The ring, Polly. That ring has been in the Blossom family for generations. You keep it close to your heart, always, but don't tell Penelope I gave it to you, or she'll likely come and snip it off your finger!"
Betty had to resist flinching. "I won't, I promise."
"Such a shame. Your wedding was the last thing I was living for. I lost a grandson, but you lost the love of your young life. Poor child."
Betty couldn't handle any of what she was hearing. She bolted out and left without saying another word.
Penelope dragged Cheryl into her room and threw her onto her bed.
"I had to!" Cheryl cried. "It's what Jason would've wanted!"
"No, Cheryl!" Penelope yelled. "As always, it's what you would've wanted!" She took a breath, calming herself a little. "I hope you enjoyed yourself, because after tonight, there will be no more River Vixens, and if not for the fact that no one would have you, I'd be shipping you off to a boarding school in Europe tonight!"
She didn't realize she left the door open ajar, allowing Veronica to overhear what was happening.
Kevin was with Valerie at Pop's. He just told her about Oscar rejecting him.
"What is Ms. Grundy was lying?" he asked. "People lie all the time. Maybe she wanted to spare my feelings. Well, it doesn't matter. Castillo thinks I don't have the chops."
"Well, Ms. Grundy said you're good, and you thought you were good," said Valerie. "Now Castillo says you're bad, and you think you're bad? I want to get this right."
"You wouldn't understand."
"Who wouldn't? You think I wanna sit here and wallow with you. I don't have the time."
"You have a band backing you up, Val. It's not that easy…"
"No, it's hard, almost impossible. Let me ask you this. What's stopping you? Is it Castillo, your teachers, or is it just you?"
Kevin realized Val had a point.
Betty and Hal had just gotten home.
"You dragged me out of the Blossom house?" asked Hal. "And you don't speak to me the whole way home?"
"Dad, Jason and Polly were engaged," Betty explained. "Did you know that?"
Hal didn't respond.
That told Betty what she needed to know. "Of course you did. Is that what you and Clifford were talking about?"
"That is none of your business," Hal replied.
"Yes, it is, so stop avoiding it and tell me what's going on!"
"Clifford and I were arguing because he and his filthy clan were this close to destroying our family." He put the tip of his thumb and index finger just an inch away from each other. "Your little friend, Cheryl's, great-grandfather… murdered yours, Betty."
"Why?"
"The same reason they do everything. Greed and hate." Hal sat down as he continued. "They were in business together, selling and trading maple syrup, then one day, Grandpa Blossom decided he didn't want to share the profits. He murdered my grandfather in cold blood."
"So that's why you hate Jason? Because of some blood feud that happened before you were even born?!"
"They stole our livelihood! I didn't want them to steal my daughter too."
"Where is she?!"
Hal bolted up. "She is sick, and Jason made her sick! She's not coming home until she isn't sick anymore. Fair warning, stay out of it."
Hal walked away, leaving Betty alone to process that.
At the Pembrooke, Veronica asked Hermione about her argument with Penelope.
"There's not a lot of love lost between your dad and Clifford," Hermione explained. "Or me and Penelope for that matter. Still, that family, to lose a child that way…"
"I just spent the last twenty-four hours in the gothic horror story that is Cheryl Blossom's life," said Veronica. "And it just reminded me how lucky I am to have a mom that protects me."
Hermione took Veronica's hand. "Then I need to tell you about what happened last night at Pop's."
When school started again on Monday, Archie and Reggie were called to Coach Clayton's office.
"I saw a lot of fire and hustle from both of you this week," said Clayton. "It was almost too close to call." He picked up the varsity jacket. "Reggie, your time will come, but for this season at least…" He unfurled the jacket to reveal the number seventeen. "This is a new number, seeing that you took it upon yourself to retire Jason's. That was the right call. It's exactly what a captain should do."
Archie hesitated.
"What are you waiting for, man?" asked Reggie. "Take it."
"I can't," Archie replied. "I love football, but your starting lineup deserves a captain who loves football more than I do. Someone like Reggie."
"What?" Reggie quickly regained his composure. "I mean, yeah."
"Are you quitting on me, Andrews?" asked Clayton.
"No," Archie answered. "I freaking love being a Bulldog, but I think Riverdale needs a new captain, someone different from Jason."
The coach nodded, signifying he understood.
Every town has one. The house on a haunted hill all the kids avoid.
Now that Jason was buried in the earth, it would only be a matter of time until something poisonous bloomed, in that long, cold shadow cast by his death.
Whatever grew in the rich black soil of the Blossom soil always found its way into the town, whether it was murder, or love, or secrets, or lies.
While Jason's body was buried in the Thornhill cemetery, Cheryl swore she saw him standing there, right next to Nana Rose. He smiled at her kindly, like he did back on July 4.
"Jughead, I don't even know who my mom and dad are anymore," Betty admitted to Jughead in the Blue and Gold room.
"Betty," said Jughead. "If your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about."
"What do you mean?"
"Your dad said he would do anything to protect Polly. So the next logical question is, how far would he go to protect her?"
Betty realized something then and there. "Jughead, whoever broke into Sheriff Keller's house, wasn't at the drive-in. My dad wasn't at the drive-in."
Jughead wrote a small note and gave it to Betty. While a little hesitant, Betty pinned the note onto the board.
'The Coopers.'
Riverdale
A.N.
Now the plot's starting to kick in.
We got Jason's funeral, the first showcase of Cheryl being abused, and the bombshell that Jason and Polly were engaged.
Here, there's also setup for Archie and Veronica, as well as Kevin and Valerie. The latter of which sadly won't last long, but still.
There's also Betty starting to develop a crush on Jughead, but I've said it before and I'll say it again. Jughead's asexual in my version, so Bughead is never gonna happen.
Thanks for reading.