Always and Forever

Chapter 28: There Will Be Blood

I was sitting on the couch reading also watching Jughead going mad with his connect the dots map of Riverdale. Probably to figure out what Hiram's big plan is. I am worried about what Hiram is going to do, but Jughead is going overboard with this.

"Hey," Dad said as he walked through the door.

"Hey," I answered. He looked at me then looked over at Jughead's map of Riverdale on the wall.

"What's all this?" Dad asked.

"Hopefully, this is the article that saves the town from Hiram Lodge," Jughead said.

"In other words, he's going beyond crazy about this," I commented. "More than I am and that's saying something."

"Jughead..." Dad began.

"If I can fit the pieces together," Jughead answered.

"Boy, you need to drop this," Dad warned. "He rescued us. He bought the trailer park, forgave our debts."

"That's true," I said.

"What? He's the reason we almost lost the trailer park," Jughead pointed out.

"That's also true," I said as they both looked at me.

"Whose side are you on?" Jughead asked.

"Nobodies," I answered.

"Hiram's slicker than a bottle of snake oil, no doubt, but this is--" Dad started.

"Dad, Dad, please!" Jughead pleaded. "Hiram Lodge just bought The Riverdale Register."

"He's trying to silence dissenting voices before he makes his big play," I realized. "He's afraid. He's afraid of this exposure."

"Exactly," Jughead pointed to me.

***********************************************************************

A few weeks later I was getting ready for dinner with the Lodges that Archie and Fred have invited me to. I was in my room putting on make-up as Jughead sat on my bed. 

"I really don't want to go to this," I said. 

"Well, we need you to attend this," Jughead said. "Well, I need you too." 

"What do you need me to do again?" I asked. 

"Remember that mic you put on Betty's phone?" Jughead asked. "Well, I need you to put one under the table or something. Let it record to your phone once more and take notes. And then report back to me." 

"You want me to put a bug in the Lodge's home?" I asked. 

"Yes," Jughead answered. "I would prefer it in his office, but the dinner table will work just as fine." Later I was having dinner at the Lodges. I managed to stick a bag under the table without anyone noticing. Fred and the Lodges were in the middle of reminiscing about the past. 

"If you remember correctly, the only house in Riverdale with a pool was Thornhill," Mr. Lodge recalled. 

"There we were, two drunk, dumb teenagers looking to cool off," Fred recalled. 

"Why did you just go to the quarry?" Archie asked. 

"Or Sweetwater River?" I asked. They all started laughing. 

"Oh, what I remember is someone borrowing the school van for a joy ride, you and Mary," Fred brought up. 

"No, that was Alice, not us," Mrs. Lodge corrected. 

"Oh, my God, this sounds like an episode of Saved by the Bell," Veronica laughed. Everyone else laughed before it got quiet. 

"Hey, Fred, before you head off, why don't you join Hermione and me in the study?" Mr. Lodge suggested. "I have this 30-year-old rum. I think you'll love it."