sleuth ≀ jughead jones

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By that next monday, Chuck and his goons were kicked off the football team. After Veronica's mom haggled Principal Weatherbee into a lesser sentence for Noah and her, the goons had their own walk of shame.

Betty, Veronica, Noah, and Ethel waiting at the end of the hallway. As many other students snapchatted and took pictures for their instagrams to post, that they suddenly had switched to the more popular opinion. Noah and Chuck held eye contact, the entire time.

"Thanks, Betty. Thanks, Veronica. Thanks, Noah." Ethel turned to the girls.

"Thank you, Ethel, for going on the record." Betty replied.

"It made all of the difference with Weatherbee." Veronica told.

"You're the bravest of them all, Ethel Muggs." Noah held Ethel's hand.

"Hashtag JusticeForEthel." Cheryl actually agreed.

~

Noah had one thing on her mind. She brought the playbook out of her locker and with the gasoline from auto shop, she lit it on fire in a trash can just outside of campus.

She knew Cheryl had been following her, watching as she threw the match into the trash can. So she was unphased when Cheryl started to speak: "Whoever killed Jason hurt him. Maybe Jason hurt people, too. If he hurt you, I'm sorry."

"Me too." Noah exhaled. She left without watching the book burn any longer. The thought of what happened to her that still etched into the back of her eyelids as she blinked her hard exterior away. The flashback of Chuck, Moose, Reggie, Andrew, Dylan, and Jason watching her... and did nothing.

~

"If you publish a story saying I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the Adventure Scouts, and charged with a misdemeanor." Doiley sat in the Blue & Gold office, sitting in a chair by himself across from Noah, Betty and Jughead. Jughead with a notepad, Noah with her camera, "So, what if I have a better story? If I tell you what I know, promise me the gunshot stays between us."

"You have our word." Betty answered, Jughead sighed. He had tried so hard to get the truth, "As journalists."

"I saw something at Sweetwater River. Something nobody else saw." Doiley leaned in, lowering his voice, "Ms. Grundy's car. By the river's edge. She was there."

~

By Wednesday, as Noah watched the floor as she walked, she was interrupted by Jughead.

"Did you know?" Jughead asked, his face serious and frustrated.

"Know what?" Noah was confused, continuing walking alongside Jughead.

"About the drive-in. Your dad called me last night to tell me he sold the property, that-that it's closing." Juggie was obviously upset.

"Jug, I promise I had no idea. This is the first time I'm hearing this." Noah stopped, looking up at him, returning his concern, "I mean, that place was my childhood. I knew things weren't going well but I never thought he would sell."

"Yeah, and now its going to be demolished." He pouted, about to walk away. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Hey, wait. What if we went to talk to my dad after he got home from work?" Noah asked. Jughead looked down at her hand, and she retracted quick.