𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒

𝐈|𝐊𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑: 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘

"This is insane." He breathes into the hectic air. Everything is beautifully chaotic. It's the kind of stuff you can't make up if you tried. What would be the chances that he's the only person already with his phone out recording when the proverbial shit hits the biggest fan? He doesn't know what kind of bomb it is going off, only that it's going off at the worst, read greatest, possible time ever. The auditorium is packed with all of the most popular sophomores in attendance. Cheryl Marjorie Blossom in all of her scarlet glory is here along with her newest bestie Antoinette Topaz of the Southside. Reginald Mantle has deemed the competition worthy of showing his face along with his muscle-headed group of Brently Westfield and Averman Jackson. Kevin briefly wonders where Archie Andrews is as this all goes down. Elizabeth Cooper the running Vice President and best friend has also managed to appear in the nick of time just before everything went south. This was going to be a historic rally regardless, but the passing of those flyers have epically changed the course.

The whispers start. They travel like a moving physical thing. The first word Kevin does catch audibly is "Liar." It's swiftly followed up by a gasp of "She's the reason they're here." Kevin's curiosity is piqued so he glances down at one of the flyers Ethel has going around even as he keeps his camera recording the stage expertly. All he can manage to see is a picture of one Veronica Lodge with horns. He sees words written that he can't make out as his eyes dash back and forth between the crowd and where Ethel Muggs stands trading words with Veronica. He wants to hear those words. He's aware Ethel had a prior grudge with Veronica and the Lodge family, one that resulted in the throwing of a strawberry shake not too long ago, but he had clearly been falsely informed it was over and squashed. As his feet move him closer to the stage he sees on her face how devastated Veronica looks. His joy is quickly dashed away. Everyone is calling her names and none of them are the friendly teasing kind. The crowd is a hostile one. Kevin looks behind him expecting Betty to charge in and help her best friend, but she only stands there looking hurt and upset too as her eyes roam the paper in her hands. Kevin is briefly astonished by that reaction as Veronica cries out Betty's name and chases the now fleeing blond.

Kevin fights his inquisitive instinct to follow them into the hallway. Instead he grabs one of the flyers that has been discarded. It reads some of the harshest gossip that he has ever laid eyes on and that is saying more than a lot. It says Veronica knew about the Southside prison and helped her parents steal it from the Southsiders because she owns a stake in the company and will profit too. It says she knew they were closing Southside high and being sent here. That would make Veronica's attempts to help the Southsiders fit in part of an elaborate coverup, it would make her an accomplice. No matter which side of the Serpent argument you fall on, it would rub you the wrong way. The Southside sympathizers have to be angry she helped their home get uprooted from under them. The Southside opposers have to be angry she's the reason they came here in the first place. Kevin himself doesn't know how to feel about this news, he only knows he doubts the truth of it. Veronica wouldn't do this. He saw how tight she has become with the Serpents with his own two eyes. Nobody who's gotten to know them would do something like that to them, and even if the other students are too stupid to believe it, Veronica Lodge is a better person than that. The flyers also say Veronica has an intimate relationship with criminally sexual deviant Nicholas St. Claire. A fact that Kevin also knows to be the furthest from the truth. Assuming Ethel is the one who actually made the flyers herself, she's either a wilful liar or embarrassingly misinformed.

"You're such a selfish bitch!" Kevin hears who he swears is Valarie Brown scream behind him. He turns just in time to catch a slap heard round Riverdale. Valarie Brown just slapped the literal cat ears off of her life long friend and band mate not to mention Kevin's soon to be step sister Josephine McCoy. Oh what a historic rally this will truly be remembered as. Another Pussycat fallout. And it comes before Kevin can even properly circulate the news of their reconciliation. Valarie looks enraged, Josie looks abashed, and Melody looks disappointed.