When Jason Blossom is presumed dead, Riverdale shifts on its axis. Letting in the horror, and darkness that had been held at bay.
Archie, Veronica, Clary, Jughead, and Betty grapple with desires, love, drama, and murderers all while coping with the...
Blossom dead. When he was, like, the only good quarterback we had." Reggie was running his mouth in the student lounge. Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, and most of the inner circle football guys were all present.
"Speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Moose. Because here's another unsolved mystery. What exactly were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh? Or does being with the sheriff's son give you a free pass?" Reggie continued, and I shot him a look that conveyed my disdain for his attitude.
"Keller?" Reggie turned to egg Kevin on.
"Reggie's just talking big, Kev," Betty whispered, and Kevin nodded in agreement. "I'm not paying attention to what he's saying."
"I mean, let's think about it. If someone at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right? Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid?" Betty and I exchanged a glance, and I slowly set my book down.
"Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak, like Jughead?" Reggie's accusation turned everyone's attention to Jughead, and I stood up. "Reg!"
"What was it like, Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like... After?" Reggie's words were venomous, and Jughead retorted coolly, "It's called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?"
Reggie lunged from his seat, and Archie intervened, pushing Reggie away. I moved toward Veronica, my anger simmering. "Hey, shut the hell up, Reggie."
"Boys," Veronica warned, trying to diffuse the tension.
"What do you care, Andrews?" Reggie goaded Archie.
"Just leave Jug alone, Reggie. He didn't do anything. He's been at Pop's all summer!" I snapped, feeling frustrated by the situation, but now everyone in the room, including Jughead, knew I'd been keeping tabs on him.
Reggie ignored me, continuing to taunt Archie. "Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?"
Archie pushed Reggie, who retaliated by shoving Archie violently into a vending machine. "Hey!" Jughead exclaimed, rushing to intervene. Football players tried to pull Reggie away, but he landed a punch on Archie's face before turning towards Jughead.
As Reggie prepared to lunge at Jughead, I stepped in front of him, seething. "If you touch him, we are done, Reggie," I warned, then turned to Betty. "Betty..."
"Yeah, I got him," Kevin said, rushing to Archie's side along with Betty.
The pep rally was a misty but enjoyable affair; the marching band played energetically while cheerleaders cheered in their short skirts. As I emerged from behind the bleachers in my stage outfit—a short mesh plunge dress with dark blue underneath and yellow bejeweled R's on my sleeves—I spotted Jughead and Archie deep in conversation.
