LAST SUMMER [ARCHIE ANDREWS] - DISCONTINUED

seven

"AND SHERIFF Keller's grilling me, Mantle the Magnificent," Reggie scoffed dramatically, "Cause I'd want Blossom dead, when he was like, the only good quarterback we had." Kara rolled her eyes at the tall, raven-haired jock. She had been distracting herself from the friends she really wanted to be with by sitting with Reggie and his gang all morning.

They were talking about Jason, sitting around during their free period in one of the student lounges. Kara felt Reggie's arm weighing down the cushions of the couch underneath her, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulder. She tried to seem nonchalant, but she was truly uncomfortable, trying to figure out her algebra homework before next period.

"But I should've directed the cops to you, Moose," Reggie commented, jabbing a finger at the bulky boy nearby, "What were you and Kevin doing at the river, huh? Or does being with the sheriff's son give you a free pass?" He looked over his shoulder where Kevin and Betty sat. "Keller?"

Kara vaguely heard Betty mutter something to her friend, while Reggie continued with his suspicions. "I mean, if a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not going to be a jock," he said buoyantly, "Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing manifestos to get laid?"

Across the room, Jughead rolled his eyes dramatically. Kara ignored Reggie, tapping her pencil against her leg. Veronica stared at her from her perch on the edge of Chuck Clayton's chair. "Some smug, moody, serial killer, fanboy freak," the jock said, a grin etching its way onto his lips, "Like Jughead."

His lackeys laughed and Kara looked up, her eyes watching Reggie carefully. "What was it like, Suicide Squad?" Reggie laughed, raising a cocky eyebrow, "When you shot Jason?"

Kara glared at him. Her voice tinged with warning, she said lowly, "Reggie, don't." Reggie just squeezed her knee gently, pushing himself up from the couch. "I got this," he assured her. Kara looked helplessly up at Jughead, starting to close her books. "You didn't like... do stuff, to the body, did you?" Reggie asked Jughead, sauntering over to his spot beside the vending machine, "Like... After?"

Jughead maintained his cool, not even considering Reggie's teasing. "It's called necrophilia, Reggie... Can you spell it?"

Reggie's temper was far worse than Jughead's and he surged forward, shouting profanities. Kara jumped from her seat, calling out, "Reggie, stop-"

"Shut up, Reggie," Archie growled, stepping in between Jughead and the jock out for his head. "What do you care, Andrews?" Reggie shouted in his face.

Kara put a hand on Reggie's shoulder, nearly having to stretch to reach him. He yanked his shoulder away and she stood, startled, behind him as Archie replied, "Nothing, just leave him alone."