ghosts // riverdale

[10]

Carrying secrets is exhausting, especially when you're hiding them from the people that you love the most. Most of the time we hide secrets out of fear of loss. Whether it's the fear of losing a job, the fear of losing the ones that we love and sometimes, even the fear of losing ourselves. Secrets can hurt. Secrets can be fatal.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in hiding our secrets so well that we accidentally release them ourselves. When they're released, enemies will hunt for them and hold onto them like vultures in the middle of the desert. While Riverdale was cold and the snow was blowing, there were vultures surrounding Riverdale, ready to sweep up every piece of a secret that they could find to dismantle (or dismember) their enemies. Unfortunately for some of us, the vultures had gotten lucky.

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The jazz music continues to sweep throughout the bustling crowd as Betty, Jughead and Archie stand in the corner of the room, their eyes all searching for Veronica. "And you tried calling her?" Betty asks Archie, his bright red hair perfectly coifed. Archie nods as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket once more looking to see if she's responded at all. Nothing.

"Normally Veronica is fashionably late," Betty shrugs, "but not this late." Their eyes continue to search the room as another familiar face enters the room. Hermione Lodge. Hermione's dark curled hair falls past her shoulders as she slowly enters the room, a small clutch placed between her fragile hands.

"There's Hermione," Jughead points out as all three look in her direction. "Veronica isn't with her," Betty whispers, her voice full of great concern. Archie shakes his head as he drops his cell phone back into his pocket. "I need to go look for her," Archie says as he begins stepping away from the group. "Let us know if you find anything," Betty says as he walks away. Archie stops and gives her and Jughead both a subtle nod as he escapes into the loud crowd.

"I hope she's okay," Betty mutters as she holds onto Jughead's hand tightly. "I'm sure she's fine," Jughead nods as he keeps her hand in his. Betty nods in agreement as Kevin approaches the two of them, a radiant smile spread across his face. "What a party, Betty!" Kevin smiles as he wraps his arm along the two of them. Betty gives him a faint smile as concern for her best friend continues to grow by the second.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asks as he senses the concern. "It's Veronica," Betty murmurs as Jug tightens his hand in hers, "we haven't heard from her all night." Kevin's smile fades as concern begins to fill him as well. "Oh," Kevin says with a murmur, "could it be because her dad is here?" Betty and Jughead's eyes both immediately fall on Kevin. "Hiram Lodge?" Jughead mutters, "He's here?"

Kevin nods as he takes a swig of some punch from a transparent cup. "Oh yeah," Kevin says as he wipes away some excess punch from the corner of his bottom lip, "he arrived a few minutes ago. He's a silver fox by the way....well, minus the silver. His hair is still black but you get what I mean." Betty releases her hand from Jughead's as she waves Kevin's irrational and sexual thoughts away. "That's great Kevin," Betty mutters, "where's Hiram? Maybe Veronica saw him, got upset and ran off."

"Why would she get upset if she saw her dad?" Jughead asks, still unaware of the issues arising in the Lodge family. "It's a long story," Betty groans as she waits for an answer from Kevin. "I don't know where he is now but he was heading towards the elevator a minute ago," Kevin shrugs as he looks to a confused Jughead and then back to Betty who pushes past him. Kevin and Jughead are quiet as Betty too escapes into the roaring crowd. "What was that about?" Kevin asks as his eyes stay on the mob of people to the side of him. "I have no idea...." Jughead mutters, just as confused as Kevin.

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A dusty blue dress drags across the carpeted floor of the elevator as the elevator doors are wide open. Brooke stands towards the center of the small space, her back pressed up against the back wall of the elevator door. Her hazel eyes stay forward as people pass the elevator, nobody else eager to escape into the quiet. She presses her sticky lips together as she breathes in carefully, waiting.