The Damaged -RIVERDALE-DISCONTINUED

TWENTY SIX

Madelyn's mind raced, not understanding how anyone had found out Polly was pregnant, and not understanding why they would think Jason, of all people, would be the father.
Manic swallowed, Cheryl and her locking eyes.
"How'd you find out?" Manic finally asked, ignoring the Jason part for now.
"So you knew? And you didn't tell me?" Cheryl asked angrily.
"It wasn't my place."
"I don't give a damn if it was your place or not, Jason is my brother and that trumps whatever silly little relationship the two of you had. Jason's baby is my family, you should have told me you bitch!" Manic snapped at this, taking angry strides towards the taller redhead and glaring at her heatedly.
The Blossom girl flinched back from the serpent, knowing that she had pushed too far to go back now.
"That baby isn't Jason's, and I have no idea where you, or anyone else for that matter, got the idea that it was. It wasn't any of my god damn businesses telling anyone that Polly is pregnant, especially when I had promised not to."
Cheryl gulped loudly, sinking further into herself and away from her now livid friend.
"Then why did Alice Cooper just announce to the whole town that Polly is pregnant with Jason's child, and why was Polly running away with you two if the baby's isn't Jason's?" Cheryl questioned, knowing in her heart that the baby wasn't Jason's but not being able to give up her pride and admit it.
Madelyn scoffed.
"Maybe because Alice Cooper is a conniving bitch who's just worried about her and her families reputation? And because I'm not an entirely shity person and wanted to help a girl out?"
Cheryl left her redheaded counterpart's room in a flurry of mixed emotions, not knowing what to believe or what to do.

Night had turned to day and Cheryl and Madelyn were still not talking, the two silently moving about the Thornhill Manor as they got ready for another day of school.
Manic, having woke up long before Cheryl, left the house twenty minutes before the youngest Blossom.
The loud roar of Manic's Chevy Impala startled Cheryl, but by the time the Blossom had made it to the doorway of Thornhill Manor Madelyn was already gone.
However, no matter how much Madelyn wished to avoid her friend, it was seemingly impossible to do so at school. Not when they shared every class, and especially not when Cheryl was the only person Madelyn talked to at school.
Inevitably, Cheryl had found the girl after third period and had not let her friend leave her side since. The two stubborn redheads had still not spoke to each other, the blame for that falling more onto the serpents side than the manipulative Blossom's.
Cheryl had been trying to talk to Madelyn all day, but due to the fact that Madelyn was still pissed about Cheryl's accusations from the night before she had gotten no where.
The Jones girl had stayed by her friends side since she had been cornered, and continued to stay by her side as they approached Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge.
"She needs her family," Cheryl cut into the twos conversation, still not sure if the baby was Jason's or not but recognizing that either way that child would still be family. Madelyn had made a choice to accept Polly and that baby, to accept them into her family, and even if the two redheads were in a tiff Madelyn would always be considered Cheryl's family.
"What do you want, Cheryl?" Betty asked, angered.
"What we both want. For the baby to be safe, " Cheryl said, glancing at Madelyn as she spoke, "What can we do?"
Betty laughed, amused by the fact that Cheryl Blossom and Manic Jones would even claim to want to help anyone and not have some sort of ulterior motive.
"You can't. I don't trust you, Cheryl, either of you."
Manic laughed at this, the three girl flinching at the harsh sound.
"Your sister sure did trust me, funny how you can't. Isn't it?" Manic said, a smirk on her face as Betty's face dropped, "considering the fact that I was one of the only people who knew about the baby from her, I'm gonna have to suggest you rethink your thinking. Because let's face it darling, Polly obviously trusted me a lot more than you considering the fact that she didn't tell you squat."
Betty clenched her hands, something that went unnoticed by both Cheryl and Veronica but didn't get passed Manic. The Jones girl smirked even more at this.
Before Betty could bite back at her somewhat boyfriends sister, she was cut off by Cheryl.
"So don't trust me, tell me the barest minimum. Watch me like a hawk. But let me help you help Polly."
"You think Polly's crazy."
"I do, I think she's crazier than a serial killer on bath salts, but so what? She's carrying Jason's baby, and that trumps everything."
Everyone ignored Manic's scoff, the Jones girl rolling her eyes as Cheryl continued to believe the horrible lies the Coopers' had spewed.
At Betty's silence Cheryl continued, taking this as an unspoken acceptance.
"Do you know where she is?"
"If I did, I wouldn't tell you."
"Oh, my god. You do." Manic said, catching Betty's hesitation.
"What? No."
"You should know better than to try and lie to a serpent, especially when you're shit at it."
"Spare us the details, Betty. Just tell me what I can do to help my darling niece or nephew," Cheryl cut in.
Betty looked down before sighing.
"Okay, uh, Polly needs money. For a safe place to live, and medical stuff."
Cheryl practically scoffed.
"Cash? Is that all?" Cheryl asked, "I can talk to my mom and dad." She prepared to walk off but was stopped by Betty.
"What? Cheryl, no."
"Jason's baby is a game changer," Cheryl said, "we're all on the same team now."
The Blossom then walked out, her friend following her out but again being stopped by Betty Cooper.
"Manic," the blonde said, grabbing onto her shoulder, "I know you probably don't care and don't want to hear it from me, but please talk to Jughead. He needs his family, and so do you."
Manic's green eyes glared into Betty's.
"My family abandoned me, not the other way around. So don't you dare think you have any right to tell me what I do and don't need," Manic hissed, "because we are not friends, Betty. Hell, we aren't even acquaintances."
Betty swallowed loudly, nodded her head.
"Okay," She stuttered, letting the girl go and waiting till she reached the door before once more letting out a plead, "just, please, at least talk to him, because we both know that he's too stubborn to come talk to you."
Manic huffed, giving the slightest nod of her head before following after her friend.
As the two girls walked through the halls Cheryl finally swallowed her pride.
"I'm sorry..."
"I know."

Hours later Madelyn Jones was found at the doorstep to Archie Andrews house. The school day had ended less than forty minutes ago and after thirty had passed before Manic decided that the one thing she would listen to today was Betty's pleads.
The redhead nocked twice before talking a step back and crossing her arms, observing her surrounding as she waited.
Seconds later the door was opened by Archie Andrews, who stared at his friends twin in shock before turning around and looking for Jughead.
He placed his finger to his lips and dragged the girl inside, knowing that he had to ambush his friend in order for the two of them to talk.
Archie knew that as much as Jughead wished to fix things with his sister he was still one stubborn person, just like Manic was.
"Who was at the door?" Jughead asked as Archie entered the kitchen once more, looking up and taking notice of his redheaded twin behind his redheaded best friend.

I'm sick and feel like shit and sadly until my physical state is no longer worse than that of an eighty year old man with bronchitis this shall be all y'all get.