Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Most of Riverdale gathered by Sweetwater River on the morning of July fourth. Half the crowd wore pajamas, while others were dressed like they knew that they would have to go to a river in the early morning.
Margo Owens stood in flannel pajama bottoms and a sweater over her top. Despite the usual summer heat which plagued Riverdale at that time of year, the morning was cold, although Margo wasn't sure if it was because of the the temperature or the somber occasion which had them gathered.
Cheryl Blossom sat in shock on the deck of the police boat, between her two parents. Her usually perfect mascara and hair were messed up, a mix of the water which she fell into and the tears which came after. Her lips were still frozen after saying one of the few things which she said since everything started. Jason.
The morning was mostly a blur of exhaustion, but Margo understood the story. Cheryl and Jason went down to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride. Why? Margo didn't know. Cheryl dropped her glove. Jason leaned over to get it. The boat tipped. While Cheryl was able to swim to safety, Jason didn't make it. He was gone.
Margo took a small step closer to Mitch for warmth, who was standing on the bank with her, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Their parents stood behind them, one of their father's hands rested on Mitch's shoulder. Jason's death caused them to form a rocky truce until things cooled down.
The reason that Margo and the rest of the Dabney's were obliged to stay and wait for the body to be found was because of the strange friendship between the Blossoms and the Dabneys. Margo's mother, a lawyer, helped the Blossoms with a lawsuit when some kid choked on their maple syrup because it hardened into a chunk which the kid tried to swallow. The friendship only started once Margo's mother won case. Margo didn't know how the two families stayed friends, but it happened. Luckily, besides having dinner every so often and Cheryl and Jason not treating Margo like scum, as they did for some of the other kids in the school, the friendship didn't do much.
Margo saw Betty's parents standing on the shore a little ways away, looking grimly satisfied. They hated Jason because they blamed him for ruining Betty's sister, Polly's, life. For a while, they didn't like Margo because of her closeness with the Blossoms, but they deemed her a good influence as she was in yearbook, got decent grades, and didn't have red hair.
After two hours of scouring the waters for Jason's body and having no luck, the boat pulled over to the shore where Cheryl climbed shakily out, following her parents. While Cliff and Penelope went to talk to Margo's parents, Cheryl went to Margo.
Up close, Cheryl was in an even worse condition than Margo thought. Even though the girl was wrapped in a blanket, Margo still slipped off her sweater and handed it to her.
"Thank you," Cheryl whispered as she pulled the garment on, and Margo nodded.
"I don't know how to ask you this without it sounding unfeeling and generic, but how are you holding up?" Margo asked and Cheryl sighed.
