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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Clarissa Cooper
"THE POLICE REPORT SAID FP WORKED ALONE" BETTY READ FROM THE
newspaper.
"No mention of your dad, Ronnie. That's good news, right?" Archie asked, looking to Veronica for confirmation. She nodded thoughtfully.
"I can't stop thinking that... Maybe my dad hired another Serpent to plant that gun," Veronica pondered aloud, her voice tinged with concern. We all sighed in response.
"It's surreal, isn't it?" Kevin remarked as he sat down at the table. "How's Jughead doing?"
"Not good," I sighed, leaning forward with worry evident in my expression.
"He's not coming in today. He's at the station," Archie explained, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Being grilled by your dad," Veronica added, her tone sympathetic.
"Who's just doing his job? I mean, of course he's gonna ask Jughead questions," Kevin defended his father.
"Okay, well, he's wasting his time, Kev. Because FP didn't kill Jason," I snapped, frustration bubbling up.
"Clary, he confessed," Kevin countered, trying to reason with me.
"Or he was coerced. Or he's protecting someone, maybe a Serpent. My mom saw him and Joaquin together..." Betty began, but Kevin cut her off sharply.
"Don't! Do not drag my boyfriend into this."
"What're you..." Betty started to ask, but Archie interrupted, his expression grave.
"Oh, no."
"What?" I turned to where Archie was looking and saw my boyfriend solemnly walking toward Cheryl.
"What happened to him not coming in today?" Veronica questioned as I stood up, concern flooding me.
Jughead sniffed amidst the whispers, apologizing to Cheryl. She reacted by hitting him, pushing and smacking him until I rushed over and intervened. Archie quickly stepped in to restrain Cheryl.
"Enough!" Weatherbee's voice boomed over the commotion. "Mr. Jones, you need to come with me. Right now."
"He was apologizing. He didn't do anything wrong!" Archie protested loudly, frustration evident in his voice. I sighed heavily, realizing Cheryl's turmoil, and ran after her.
I found her in the Vixens' bathroom, visibly upset and wiping away mascara.
"Cheryl?" I approached her gently.
"I barely touched him," Cheryl sniffled, her emotions raw.
"It's not his fault, Cheryl. Even if his dad did do it, it's..." I paused, searching for the right words.
"Everybody keeps coming up to me, and hugging me, and telling me that I must be so relieved that my brother's killer has finally been caught. That this nightmare is over," Cheryl said, turning to me with tears in her eyes. "Then why doesn't it feel that way?"
"Because you and I both know it wasn't FP. I think we both know who did this, deep down, but we're too afraid to admit it," I said softly, trying to offer her some comfort in the midst of the chaos.
I waited for Jug outside Weatherbee's office, anticipation knotting in my stomach. When he finally emerged, his expression was stormy, and I hurried to catch up with him.
"What happened in there?" I asked, my voice tinged with concern, grabbing my bag as we walked.
"My second interrogation of the day," Jughead replied bitterly. "Don't know who's more of a dіck, Keller or Weatherbee."
"Don't listen to them. Everyone else is wrong. Your dad's innocent, and we just need to prove it, Jug," I reassured him, hoping to lift his spirits. But Jughead came to a sudden stop, and so did I.
"Who killed him, then, Clary? Tell me. If it wasn't my dad, who killed Jason Blossom?" Jughead's voice was raw with emotion as he leaned in closer. "He said he did it, and you know what? I've been waiting my whole life for that man to do the right thing, and I'm done. You should be, too."
"Jug..." I started, reaching out to him, but he walked away abruptly, leaving me standing in the hallway, feeling the weight of everyone's stares upon me.
