Smokestacks - Jughead Jones [1] ✔

Chapter Seventeen

SMOKESTACKS

CHAPTER | SEVENTEEN

"Are you okay?" Savannah asked Betty the next morning, watching as the blonde applied a layer of pink lipstick over her lips.

"No." Betty sighed, putting down her lipstick and pressing her lips together. "Polly won't answer my calls or emails. I mean," She paused to swirl around in her chair, "I understand that she doesn't want to talk to my dad, but what did I do?"

"I don't know, B." Savannah offered a sad smile, picking up the nickname that Veronica had for their friend. "But we'll figure it out, okay? There's a reason for everything."

Betty nodded, determined.

"Up and at 'em!" Alice Cooper declared as she threw open the door, sauntering into the room. "Breakfast is ready."

"I'm not hungry." Betty insisted, sharing a look with Savannah, who merely shrugged in response.

"Oh, enough is enough, Elizabeth." Alice practically sighed, exhausted with her daughter's behaviour. "We have a big week ahead of us. The Blossoms have always been a thorn in our side ever since, according to your milquetoast father, Great-Grandpappy Blossom killed Great-Grandpappy Cooper. Well," She started folding some of Betty's clothes. "It's about time someone brings them to heel."

Savannah stuck her tongue out at Betty, behind Alice's back, to which the blonde bit her lip in an attempt not to smile.

"I'm writing a searing, no-holds-barred take-down of their clan."

"And you think that's going to bring Polly home?" Betty asked in disbelief.

"Maybe, maybe not." Alice placed Betty's, now folded, sweater back on her futon. "But it'll make me feel better. Word has it that the Blossom board of trustees has descended on Riverdale like some cabal of vampires. Why? Now that's a story."

Savannah shrugged and commented, "You do you, Ms. Cooper. Bring down the fearsome Blossoms."

Alice Cooper smiled an almost genuine smile before leaving the two girls in Betty's room.

"Why must you encourage her."

"Eh, why not? Things were getting too boring around here."

*

"Is it true?" She had asked the next day, the two of them sitting at a bench, her hands clasped in front of her atop the table. "About your dad, I mean."

"That he's a Serpent?" Jughead asked her, to which she nodded. "Yeah, but he said he didn't kill Jason Blossom, and I believe him."

"Okay." Savannah nodded simply, picking up her burger and continuing to demolish it.

Jughead frowned in confusion, "Is that it?"

"Yep."

"Uh, okay." The dark haired boy picked up his own burger, taking a hesitant bite whilst watching the girl, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Savannah tapped her phone before spitting out her burger in a hurry, "We're late."

"For what?" Jughead asked, his mouth still full of burger and bun. A piece of lettuce fell from his mouth.

"Attractive." Savannah scowled at the boy before jumping up and taking ahold of his wrist, "Veronica wanted us to meet them in the common room like ten minutes ago."

"Since when are you and Veronica friends?" Jughead chuckled, allowing Savannah to pull him along the hallway.

"Gosh, keep up." Savannah told him, her voice full of mirth. "Have you not learned that nothing stays the same in Riverdale?"