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...
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Jughead Jones
MORNING INEVITABLY YIELDED TO A DAY OF RECKONINGS
"You're here for me, right? Because of the autopsy?" Cheryl's question hung heavy in the lab as Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller entered. Clary glanced up and then nudged my knee.
"We don't need to discuss this in front of your classmates, Cheryl," Weatherbee interjected calmly.
"It's okay, Principal Weatherbee. They'll find out soon anyway," Cheryl replied, her hands gesturing as if anticipating handcuffs.
"Now, that won't be necessary."
"Wait, Cheryl, find out what?" Veronica's voice cut through the tension.n
"That I'm guilty," Cheryl confessed, her voice tinged with apprehension, leaving everyone stunned.
As shocking as those words were, they paled in comparison to the revelations unearthed during Jason's autopsy: he hadn't died on July 4th, as initially believed, but over a week later.
Guilt, innocence. Good, evil. Life, death. As the shadows around Riverdale deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted. "I'm guilty," Cheryl said in Biology class. But of what?
"When did Cheryl last see her brother?" The question hung in the air, weighted with uncertainty.
The narrative unfolded, revealing layers of deception and desperation, each revelation casting a new shadow over the truth they thought they knew.
"Is print journalism dead? Then what am I doing here?" I asked as I entered the old newspaper room where Clary had summoned me.
While most guys might have thought it was a setup for a sleazy rendezvous, I knew Clary's aspirations in journalism and art made it something more meaningful.
"The Blue and Gold isn't dead, Juggy. It's just dormant," she declared, spinning around a dusty desk. "But it's waking up. You're working on a novel, right? About Jason Blossom's murder?
"Yes," I affirmed. I held up a magnifying glass playfully. "Riverdale's own In Cold Blood."
"That started as a series of articles," she noted, taking a breath. "I'm hoping you'll join the Blue and Gold."
Her smile and offer made me stutter. "I'm not sure the school paper fits my voice."
"Juggy... Jason's death changed Riverdale. People don't want to admit it, but we all feel it," Clary said earnestly, stepping closer. "Nothing this bad was supposed to happen here, but it did. I want to know why."
"Would I have complete freedom?" I asked cautiously.
She nodded. "I'll help, edit, suggest. But it's your story, your voice."
"Not quite complete freedom," I observed, earning a pout from Clary. "But... I'm in."
Clary beamed and clapped her hands. "Great! I have your first assignment. There's someone who was at the river on July 4th that no one's talking about.
"Dilton Doiley and his Scouts," I guessed immediately.
"Exactly," Clary confirmed. I turned to leave, already planning my approach.
