perfect family

nine

Betty dragged me to Pop's where she wanted to meet Veronica, Kevin and Jughead. We sat down at a table and ordered milkshakes. Then Jughead started talking. "The drive-in closing, it's just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale. No. Forget Riverdale. In the coffin of the american dream. As the godfather of indie cinema, Quentin Tarantiono, likes to say ..."

Annoyed, Kevin interrupted Jug. "Please, god, no more Quentin Tarantino references." "What? I'm pissed? And not just about losing my job? The Twilight Drive-In should mean something to us. People should be trying to save it." Jughead was really pissed. "In this age of Netflix and VOD, do people really want to watch a movie in a car? I mean, who even goes there?" I grinned and replied, "People who want to buy crack." Jughead cut me off. "And cinephiles and car enthusiasts, right, Bets?" Betty looked up. "Totally!" Somehow Betty acted weird. "Anyway, it's closing because the town owns it but didn't invest in it. So when an anonymous buyer made Mayor McCoy an offer she couldn't refuse." At the word 'Anonymous Buyer', Veronica looked confused up. "Anonymous buyer? What do they have to hide? No one cares." If he buys anonymously, he probably thinks that it would bother someone. "I do. You guys should come to closing night. I'm thinking 'American Grafitti'. Or is that too obvious?" said Jug. "I vote for anything starring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." "Or the talented Mr. Ripley." Kevin added to Veronica's statement. "Betty, your choices?" Betty looked like she was torn from her thoughts. Like the whole evening. "Everything okay, B?" "Yeah, yeah. I'm just thinking. Um maybe 'Rebel without a Cause'." Jug and Betty both chuckled. There's totally something between the two of them. 

Veronica's mother came to our table. "Here you go, kids!" She put our food on the table. "Thanks, Mom!" She next went to the table of Cheryl and her Minions. She threw down the milkshake. Veronica got up to help her mum. "Cheryl." 

Veronica's mother just said. "Honey, I got this. I went to school with your mother. She didn't know the difference between having money and having class either." Then she went away, we all grinned.

After some time we heard the doorbell rang and when we looked up we saw Archie, Fred and Ms. Grundy coming in. "Now, that's an odd combo of people." I looked at Jughead in shock, who looked at me and then at Betty. "I'll be right back!" She got up and Jughead tried to pull her down. "Betty, no. Don't." Then Betty probably knows too. "Wait, what's happening?" Betty just ran off to the table from Archie, after a few words they left the shop together. We all turned to the window and watched her. "What's happening out there? Do we know? It is about me?" asked Veronica. "Veronica not everything is about you." I snapped at her. She ignored me. "I have a strong inkling. And no. Also, I'd let it go." She sighed. "Yes, but you're you, and I'm me. You do you, girl. I'll be back." "I would leave it!" I tried to stop her. 

"What was it like before she got her? I honestly cannot remember." Kev said. Jughead continued to burrow in his chair while I looked outside. I said goodbye to the boys and went outside. Before Betty could say anything else, a horn sounded and our mother drove up. "Get in the car, Betty, Now. And you too Katharina!" Betty got in to Mum's front while I sat in the back seat. "What have I told you about those two?" "Can we just go?" While I buckled up my mother drove off. "I expect something like that from Katharina, but you Elizabeth!" Betty didn't say anything and I just rolled my eyes. We didn't talk to each other the rest of the way.

At home, Betty quickly made her way upstairs. "How can you just let your sister hang out with friends like that?" I put my shoes in the closet and hung up my jacket. "You already know it's not my fault. These aren't my friends, except for Jughead. These are Betty's. And please don't be so dramatic." Before she could say anything else, I stormed up the stairs to my room.

***

When I woke up, the first few hours were over already. Panicked, I stood up, changed my clothes and grabbed my school bag. I entered the hallway when we were on break, I saw Jughead handing out drive-in ads. I went to him quickly. "Where have you been all morning-" Before I could answer him, Archie appeared behind us. "How hard would it have been to give me a little heads-up?" Archie asked him. "Look, I am, by nature, a conscientious objector. Not saying anything to either you or Betty was the most moral, apathetic choice I could make." he said as he continued to hand out flyers. "Kat?" he asked me. "I didn't know she knew. And I won't help you either. First of all, you broke my little sister's heart, one of the reasons was that relationship with Grundy and I generally don't really like you." I shrugged with my shoulders. "Jug, she's not gonna write about me and Grundy in the paper, is she? Like she did with Chuck?" "Dude. Seriously? Okay. Come on. Think about what you're asking. If there was even an iota of a chance that something could hurt you, in any way, Betty wouldn't do it." He paused. "Probably." Archie looked at him in shock. "I'm kidding. But maybe she has a point. What do you see happening with Grundy, long term?" "You can't have a real relationship with her, after all, she's your teacher. And of course your father is really cool, but I don't think he would accept if you had something with your music teacher. You know?" I joined the conversation again. "Ugh. I want to be with her. I don't know how, but I wanna hang on to what we have for as long as possible." I think he needs a therapist. "Yup, I feel that. I've been trying to hold on to something a lot older than me too." He said referring to the Twilight Drive-In. "Just if Betty's gonna do anything crazy, can you please let me know so I can stop it?" Jughead just nodded and then moved on.  Archie went away too, and I went to my next class. 

"Kat, Kat! Don't ignore me!" I heard Reggie's voice behind me. I ignored him and went on. Suddenly I was pulled back by my arm and stood in front of him. "I can understand that you're mad at me, but please don't ignore me, you are my best friend." I sighed annoyed. "I just don't understand why you did it, you know. My sister was in the book, and more than once. It's just gross. You treat women like objects and in case you've forgotten, I'm one too." "I know and I'm sorry. You know how I am sometimes, please just let me straighten this out. Please?" He looked at me with the puppy eyes look. I sighed. "OK!" Reggie's signature grin reappeared. He hugged me first and then put his arm around me. Together we went to our next class.

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