perfect family

five

The next morning I wanted to stay in my bed. My parents were out of the house and so was Betty. I had the whole house to myself. I put on a black skirt with pants underneath and a jumper from Jason. When I looked at the clock I saw that I had to be at school in ten minutes. I can never do that. I was about to make myself a coffee when the doorbell rang. Reggie was at the door. He walked past me into the house, grabbed my backpack, my skateboard and dragged me out of the house and closed the door behind us.

He opened his car door for me and I looked at him annoyed. "I still had no coffee." He sat me in the car and threw my things in the trunk. Then he sat down next to me on the passenger seat. He took a coffee from the holder in the middle and pressed it to me noticed how I started to grin, he knew me too well. "Thanks Reg!" He smiled at me again and then drove off towards school. Reggie parked quickly, together we started our way to the first lesson.

We sat down at Midge's table and started to write down what the teacher wrote on the blackboard. When the teacher stopped talking I looked up to find Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee standing in the doorway. Cheryl got up and began to speak. "You're here for me, aren't you? Because of the autopsy?" It was clear that it would come out at some point. "We don't need to do this in front of yor classmates, Cheryl." "It's allright, Principal Weatherbee. They'll find out soon enough." She stretched her arms forward. "Now, that won't be necessary." Veronica looked confused to Cheryl. "Wait, Cheryl? Find out what?" "That I'm guilty!" Everyone else in the class looked at her in shock. I knew she didn't mean guilty of Jason Blossom's murder but the lie about what happened on July 4th. Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller ushered Cheryl out of the rough. She looked at me one more time and then disappeared from my sight. I wanted to go after her, but my teacher forbade me. 

Since no one was listening to him anymore, the teacher ended the class. Like everyone else, I stood in front of the office and waited. When I saw Penelope and Clifford Blossom walking down the hall. 

At the end of the day I went home and waited for Cheryl to contact me. I was worried about how her parents would react. 

Betty and I sat in her room and talked. Suddenly my mother came into the room with a newspaper in hand which she handed to Betty. On the front there was an article entitled 'Cheryl Blossom guilty as sin!'. "Hot of the presses." I was shocked, I knew my mother sometimes wrote shocking articles, but that. "Mom. First you leaked Jason Blossom's autopsy report and now this?" At least I wasn't the only one who was shocked. "People are loving the coverage." "You have to stop sensationalizing this horrible thing." I yelled at mum, I was pissed. "It's news, Elizabeth and Katherina. We own the Riverdale Register. We have a responsibility to keep the people informed." Betty snorted in disgust. "Whatever Jason did to Polly, he's still a person." "You reap what you sow." I got up annoyed and walked past my mother. "Right, you reap what you sow." 

I went to my room and locked myself in and then  checked my cell phone I saw a call from Cheryl. When I called her back she didn't answer, but an hour later she called back and we talked all night.

***

When I woke up my parents weren't home anymore. Which I was pretty happy about because I was still pretty mad at Mum. I took a pair of black shorts and an oversized Nirvana shirt from my closet. I put on my vans and my denim jacket. Betty was already standing downstairs in the kitchen, ready for school too. "Shall we go to school together?" I asked her. She looked at me in question. "Isn't Reggie picking you up?" "He already had footbal training this morning." I tossed my wallet and sandwich in my backpack and headed for the door, turning to Betty. "Are you coming?" She grabbed her bag and the front door key.  

We headed to school together. "Kat?" "What is Betty?" She played with her hands and looked at them. I put my hand on hers and looked at her. "I asked Mom if I could see Polly and how she was doing and if she already knew about Jason. And she just evaded my questions." Oh yes, the big Cooper secret 'What happened to Polly?'. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you either, Mum evades my questions too. I just hope that she is fine." Betty was very interested in the subject, I took her in my arms and gave her a squeeze. We didn't talk the rest of the way, everyone indulged in their own thoughts. 

When we arrived at school, we parted ways and everyone started their first lesson. English luckily passed by quickly and I was able to sit down quickly with the others in the student lounge. I sit down next to my sister and looked at Veronica who was just starting to speak. "So are you a suspect now?" she asked curiously. "My dad says we all are, including me." said Kevin and eat his food. "Not me, girl. I don't know those people." 

"Guys, should we maybe rebinge Making a Murderer on Netflix tonight?" Very Funny Kevin. Betty laughed and answered: "Ha, ha. Sorry. Can't. Gotta stay late to work on the paper." "Count me out too. I've got a date tonight." Veronica answered. We all looked at her in shock and surprise. I looked briefly at Archie, who just shook his head. Who else? "You do?" Archie asked. "Which Riverdale hottie made the cut?" Asked Kevin curiously. Veronica grinned as she tried to start talking, she was interrupted. By none other than Chuck Clayton. "Hey V-Lo. I'll swing by the Pembrooke to pick you up at 8? " "I'll be waiting." "Cool!" 

Reggie who was standing behind grinned at me again and then left the room. Betty and Kevin asked in amazement at the same time. "Chuck Clayton?" "You're going on a date with Chuck?" Veronica smiled and leaned back. Even if I didn't like her, I don't think that's a good idea. "He's kind of a player. You know that? "I asked, Kevin interrupted directly. "Who cares? He's the hottest of hot. And he's the varsity football coach's son. In Riverdale, that's like dating a Kennedy." Veronica smirked. 

"Kat?" I looked surprised at Veronica, what does she want from me. "What's going on between you and Reggie?" She leaned forward to me. "We are only friends, believe me. We tried it once, but we decided that we stay best friends. " I don't know how many times I've heard this question. Slowly everyone left the student lounge, Betty and I made our way to the Blue and Gold together. We waited for Jughead. While Betty was cleaning up, I wrote with Midge.

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