Smokestacks - Jughead Jones [1] ✔

Chapter Twelve

SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | TWELVE

"My mom and dad don't wanna get the police involved." Betty told them, the morning after the Variety show, recalling the night before when they'd found Polly's room empty. "They don't want anyone to know she ran away, or about her shameful condition."

Savannah shared a look with Veronica - something that felt very foreign to her, being on good terms with the Lodge girl.

The former wanted Polly being pregnant to be a secret for as long as possible. She couldn't stand being stared at as she walked through the hallway, everyone whispering about how she had been the other woman.

"Please." Veronica broke the eye contact between them and turned her attention to Betty, "What decade is this?"

"Well, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think she burned it and that if she did -"

"- she could be the murderer covering her tracks." Jughead finished for her.

"Who did burn the car then?" Archie asked. The million-dollar question that no one knew the answer to.

"Sheriff Keller says it's possible that someone was following us."

Savannah shivered at the thought.

"Oh my god." Veronica shook her head in disbelief, "Honestly, guys, we - we should just move."

"I'm on board with that." Savannah said quietly, staring down at her shoes.

The group all glanced in her direction before exchanging anxious looks. Archie watched the girl as she let a sigh, masked by the conversation that had been swiftly picked up again.

He remembered when Penelope Blossom had stared at him as if he were Jason and wondered if Savannah felt the same way. The thought had crossed his mind that maybe he was causing the girl unnecessary pain if when every time she looked at him, she saw Jason.

Archie shook the idea from his head and looked over at Betty, "Even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police."

"Seconded." Kevin said loudly, "We can talk to my dad together about how he has to be discreet."

Jughead frowned and ran a hand through his hair, "No offence, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God."

"The Blossoms." Savannah voiced her thoughts aloud. "He'd go to them first, they're too powerful."

"And if there's anyone to keep this a secret from, it's the Blossoms." Betty concluded with a sigh, leaning back into the pillows on the couch. "They'd twist it around and go after Polly out of spite."

"How can we help?" Veronica asked her friend, "Tell us, B, we'll do it."

*

"Hey, can we talk?"

Savannah had broken into a fast walk when they all left the common room, but clearly, she wasn't fast enough. One of the two that she was trying to avoid had caught up to her in seconds. Damn Jughead and his long legs.

The brunette twirled around to meet him, attempting to keep a neutral look on her face. "What's up, Jug?"

"I'm sorry that we left you behind at the school, we thought you were behind us."

"I was." Savannah said simply, "I chose to stay."

Jughead frowned with confusion, "Why did you choose to stay?"

"Because I have no interest in finding Polly." Savannah told him honestly, not blinking once. "I'm just not ready to meet her yet, it's all a bit too much."

He opened his mouth to speak but Savannah cut across him.

"It was a damn love triangle, and all of it, was toxic." She breathed, feeling the swirling in the pit of her stomach start to subside as she spoke, the words tasting like smoke as they fell past her lips. "I'm washing my hands of anything to do with Jason Blossom, and that includes his damn baby."

"You don't mean that." Jughead pleaded with her, glancing over his shoulder at where Betty was confiding in Veronica.

Savannah followed his gaze toward the blonde girl and she gave him a soft smile, "At least for right now, I do. It would just hurt Polly to see me."

Jughead turned his attention back to Savannah who was starting to walk away from him. He made to go after her, but she stopped suddenly and whirled around to face him again.

She had an odd expression on her face, almost as if she was determined. "Seeing as I'm being completely honest." She paused, debating whether to continue or not. "I like you, Jughead."

"I like you too." Jughead replied instantly, confused.

"No, Jughead." She said slowly, as if to help him understand more clearly. "I like you."

He'd always believed himself to know how to react in any scenario, he'd learned after his dad started heavily drinking, leaving him no choice other than to expect the unexpected. But this, her, Savannah, was unexpected - and he had no idea what to say.

Savannah smiled widely at him, let out a little laugh of relief and continued on down the hallway, taking a more leisurely stroll as opposed to her previous ankle-breaking pace.

Jughead was ashamed that he let her walk away, and watched as she disappeared round the corner, probably on her way to Chemistry. They were no longer partners. Their teacher had given them all new partners, perhaps thinking it make it easier on Cheryl if everyone had a new one.

*

She had meant it. Honestly and truly.

Savannah sat on the couch beside her brother, attempting to throw popcorn into his mouth, failing miserably. She had missed the days when they'd have fun, doing silly things that brothers and sisters would do, like having movie days.

Their cheerful atmosphere, however, was suddenly shattered when Hal and Alice Cooper appeared on their TV, Betty lingering behind them.

Alice Cooper pleaded with everyone not to believe what was being spread - thanks to Cheryl's tweets - about Polly being Jason's killer. Savannah had rolled her eyes and tried to ignore it all, until the woman announced to their quaint little town that Polly was pregnant. With Jason Blossom's baby.

Kyle's eyes locked onto the TV with horror, rolling off the couch and crawling over to the screen where he continued to stare, wide-eyed.

"Oh my god."

"Yeah." Savannah mumbled from the couch, hugging the pillow that she'd earlier hit him with.

She had meant it. Savannah wanted nothing to do with Jason or Polly.

Otherwise, she'd lose her mind.