Iridescent - Jughead Jones [2]

Chapter Eight

IRIDESCENT

CHAPTER | EIGHT

Thankfully, the town of Riverdale was putting the past behind them, and along with their Christmas decorations, they were packing away the Black Hood, just in time for a new start and a New Year.

Cheryl was attempting to overcome the fact that her mother was selling her body for money, and was spending more and more time with the oldest Clarke sibling. Kyle. They had went on their second and third date, the fourth in the near future.

She'd even put a heart next to his name now that they were actually dating, still not yet official. He was taking it extra slow and it was aggravating the girl.

At the end of their second date, Cheryl had leaned up for a kiss and he'd placed it on her cheek. It was their third that their lips actually touched and it was over as soon as it started.

Cheryl frowned, looking down at her phone with a sigh. He hadn't replied to her text, and she had sent it yesterday. She considered speaking to Savannah, but perhaps speaking to your friend about her brother, who she was dating, would count as telling on him.

Instead, she opened a text from Veronica, inviting her to the SoDale Gala Opening. Cheryl sighed. Since Kyle hadn't asked her out that night, she supposed that she would go. 

On the other side of town, Betty was still sleeping with a box of old secrets under her bed. She'd started burning the newspaper clippings and the hood that Mr. Svenson wore when he was killing the sinners of the town, but a voice whispered to her that this story wasn't over yet.

So she put it back. The ghost, the memory of him, still looming in the back of her mind. It wasn't something that she was going to forget very easily. There was something in this tale that didn't seem quite right, and she wouldn't stop until she could place her finger right on it.

*

"Mayor McCoy has seemed Southside High a public health hazard, due to toxic fumes from the methamphetamine lab in the basement."

"Cool." Savannah gaped at the notice that Jughead was reading to her and his father. "You guys had a meth lab? I thought it was awesome that we had a vending machine."

Jughead gave her a look, "There was no meth. Just jingle jangle."

"What even is jingle jangle?"

It looked like her boyfriend was going to explain it to her, but decided that it probably wasn't worth it. Or perhaps, he didn't even know.

"So the worm turns and it's back to Riverdale High, huh?" FP Jones had his arms folded, standing at the table that his son and his girlfriend were sitting at.

Savannah clapped her hands lightly and snuggled further into Jughead's arm, that was thrown over her shoulder. The boy looked at her and couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.

"Something smells fishy."

"Damn straight, something smells fishy." FP agreed, "But you're glad to be going back, admit it. You get to spend all that extra time between classes and during study breaks with your girlfriend."

Savannah beamed as she was mentioned, "We can have our Thursday burger breaks again!" She piped up, looking at her boyfriend for agreement.

Jughead nodded and let out a sigh, "It's going to be so awkward though. With me and Betty, and you." He looked at Savannah, her smile fading.

She had finally told him what had happened before the incident in the woods. Where Betty couldn't quite admit how she felt about Jughead, and that she had been trying to drive a wedge between them.