Issues ▷ Reggie Mantle

ELEVEN

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ELEVEN; HOMECOMING: BLAST FROM THE PAST

"HOMECOMING DANCE is coming up soon. Are you willing to be super desperate for my sake and accompany me?" Lucas asked, strolling alongside Kalani.

"You can't get a date?" She responded in pure bewilderment.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Of course I can get a date. You've met me, right? However, after the whole Cheryl debacle, I think I'd rather play it safe and go with my loving cousin." He grinned while she rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright. You're very charming, you know," Kalani said, raising an eyebrow.

Lucas simply winked and took off down the hallway. She sighed and watched him rush off. Her phone buzzed from her back pocket and she received a text from Betty, who was asking Kalani to meet her in the news room.

Slightly suspicious, Kalani entered the room with a leering gaze. She caught sight of Alice with Betty, and her eyebrows furrowed. Veronica walked in right after her, also confused by the situation.

"Oh, finally! Close that door," Alice instructed while Veronica complied. "Ladies, I need you to look around the room. Whoever is not in this room is on the table as a possible murder suspect, including those Pussycats."

Betty shook her head. "Oh my God, mom."

Alice ignored her and turned her attention to Veronica. "Now, let's talk about your father."

Veronica didn't seem slightly pleased, but she divulged into her father's background. "He has an epic grudge against the Blossoms, so yes. It's totally within the realm of possibility that he hired someone from jail to kill Jason. Maybe Jughead's dad." Her expression turned apologetic as she spoke the last sentence to Betty.

"You really believe that?"

"My dad paid Jughead's dad to trash the drive-in," Veronica emphasized. "Maybe he paid him to-"

"Commit murder," Alice finished, no ounce of remorse laced in her tone. "And, for all we know, that gay Greaser Serpent is an accomplice."

"And what are you basing that off of? That you saw F.P. and Joaquin talking?" Betty defended.

"It didn't look like they were talking. It looked like they were conspiring," Alice shot back.

"Joaquin has been very sketchy, Betty," Kalani mentioned. "I mean, he just showed up out of nowhere and we don't know anything about him. I think that all Kevin really knows is that he's a good kisser."

Betty was still defensive. "Yeah, but what would F.P. and Joaquin be conspiring about?"

"That's what I need you to find out," Alice pointed at her. "Either through Jughead or F.P. directly, without raising suspicion, of course. Which is why I have prepared a seemingly innocuous list of questions." Alice pulled up a piece of paper from behind the desk. Kalani raised an eyebrow at her.

"I already asked Jughead, point-blank, if he thought his father had anything to do with Jason's death, and he said no," Betty stepped up. Kalani exchanged a hesitant look with Veronica, who was also not convinced by Betty's argument. "And I believed him, and I still believe him."