Riverdale South Side

Chapter 1

I guess this story began where someone else's ended. You've heard it, I've heard it, the whole town of Riverdale has heard it. Jason Blossom went missing, assumingly drowned, on July 4th. That was only the push that led my father to move my brothers and I back to Riverdale. The rest fell into place following the murder, err, death of the preppy red headed boy that just happened to be next in line for an incredible fortune. And somehow this all had to do with my dad and his business with my godfather, FP.

I wasn't born yesterday. I know that my dad was in the marijuana business. I also know that my mother was murdered in Riverdale when my little brothers were two. That's why we moved. I knew that my dad was pushing drugs to FP safe and sound from the country side that we kept our little "greenhouses" in. But now FP might not be so safe, so we were heading back. That meant I had to move from all of my friends and everything I had grown to known. I had to move back to people I really didn't even know anymore besides facebook posts.

"C'mon, you and Juggie?" My dad said enthusiastically as he slammed the truck bed shut. The moving vans had already come and collected the majority of our stuff. My little brothers were as excited as ever. They were told they got to pick their rooms first, so this was all they cared about. "It'll be just like old times. Except, I'll be turning over in my grave before you two ever share a bath again."

"Dad, PLEASE!" I begged him to stop. I hadn't even seen Jughead since we were ten. It was at my mom's funeral. He sat next to me and held my hand while my dad tried to take care of the twins that had been throwing a tantrum for the past week because of the absence of our mom. I had Archie on my other side. He and his dad were there along with the rest of Juggie's family. Jellybean was anxious and kept whispering to her mother, asking what was going on. I don't think I fully understood exactly what happened until after the funeral.

"C'mon, follow me." Jughead told me later that day after we had buried my mom. We were in my house and I had changed into a tshirt and overalls. Archie joined us at the top of the three little stairs that led to the bedrooms, with Capri Suns for me and Jug. Our other friend Betty had to go home right after the funeral because her mother didn't like us playing together.

"You gotta get out of here. Riverdale isn't safe for you anymore." We heard FP say. I adored FP. I looked up to him more than my own dad sometimes. Me and Jellybean were his little girls. I always wanted to marry FP before I understood that that was not even in the realm of possibilities. My dad and he were always best friends, so Jughead and I went everywhere together. "Rosalina and the boys won't be safe." I perked up at the sound of my name.

"You can't leave." Archie whispered to me, only to be shushed by me and Juggie.

"I can't afford to start over. Living on two incomes was hard enough with the boys." My dad said, sounding defeated. I had never heard him sound like that before. I knew we didn't have money, but I wasn't aware of how bad it was.

"What about Marie's fortune?" FP asked my dad.

"We did our wills a few years ago before the boys were born. Rosalina gets every penny when she's eighteen. We just didn't think..." My dad sighed.

"Let me help you get started." FP pleaded. "It's not going to be easy, but you need to get the family away from here. Away from Riverdale." As if on cue, the twins started causing trouble and making noise.

"Just tell me what I have to do." My father finally gave in. I didn't stay for the rest because it dawned on me that we were moving and my family was in danger. I didn't even know why. I took my now empty Capri Sun and threw it on the floor of my room before I jumped on my bed and cried. Archie followed me right away and tried to comfort me. He was always sweet on me like that. Jughead was waiting in the doorway when my crying finally subsided.

"Our dad's aren't who we thought they were." He said. "And I think you're going to move."

"Juggie, no." I whimpered. He joined me and Archie on the bed and I held onto him. "I don't want to move. I can't leave you guys and Betty."

"Lina, someone hurt your mom. We don't want them to hurt you." Archie said.

"Arch is right." Jughead sighed.

And that was that. We moved a few states over and had limited contact with Riverdale. At first, I got a call from Jughead and Archie every day after school. This lasted until middle school. Then I started calling them every day. Jr high I got a call from each of them on my birthday. Then high school hit and I hadn't heard from them since. I figured I should give at least Juggie a call now that we were coming back.

"What are you up to?" My dad asked as I pulled out my phone and got in the front seat the boys were in the back of the car arguing.

"I'm going to give Jughead a call. I hope his number hasn't changed." I told him.

"You got his cell?" My dad asked.

"Nah, just the home phone." I replied as I pulled it up.

"Uh, honey, Jughead isn't living at home anymore." My dad spoke quietly as he turned on the truck and started out of our driveway.

"Where is he living?" I asked.

"Couch surfing from what FP told me." My dad replied. "Also, one more thing...FP doesn't know we're coming back."

"What?! Why not!?" I prodded. Why the hell wouldn't he tell FP?

"When we left..." He started as he checked the back seat to see that my brothers were watching movies now on their ipad. "We were in some trouble...but it seems that FP may have gotten into a little trouble himself. And since he helped us out at a crucial moment, we are doing the same. Family is family. FP is as close as we've got."

"At least I get to see Jellybean." I sighed as I put my phone down.

"Jelly Bean and her mom have gone to Toledo...FP hasn't been the same with everything going on." My dad said.

"Well fuck, anything else you'd like to inform me of?" I scoffed.

"Language, young lady." He warned. "Just take things slow, alright?"

"So that's why Juggie is couch surfing now. FP must've fallen off again." I said quietly.

"How do you know about that?" My dad asked.

"Juggie and I were young but we weren't stupid. We know why you and mom planned random sleepovers with us and Jelly." I admitted. It was quiet for a long time. "So how do you plan on breaking it to him that we are moving back."

"I figured you could make some of your famous cheesy potatoes and I'll make a roast then bring it over to him. Win him over with food." He offered. I swear all men are the same.

"Shouldn't we give him a warning that we're coming in...you know...just in case he is in one of his "moods"." I hated to think of FP that way. He had always been a hero of mine, but he was also the reason I stayed away from alcohol. Seeing what kept happening with him and how it was affecting Juggie, I just didn't really ever want to be in a position to do that to him.

"You're absolutely right. We're still about four hours out, do you think that'll be enough time? Plus we still have to get settled in." My dad asked. I could tell he was a little nervous. He always tried to do right by us, moving us away and whatnot, but I saw how he got when he talked about Riverdale. Him and FP ruled the South Side. I was a South Side legacy basically. He got the queen of Riverdale High, being the King of South Side, and then they never looked back. My dad stole my mom right out from under Clifford Blossom's nose. But that wasn't a name we used in my house. That was taboo. And I think I knew why... "So do you wanna call him? I think he'll take it better coming from you."

"Making me do the dirty work?" I laughed. Looking back, I didn't realize how real that question would get. Not that I was being made to do anything, but you gotta do what you gotta do to protect the ones you care about.