Something about Her: Cheryl and Billy

Road-Trip to Riverdale

Cigarette smoke wafted out the window of Billy Hargrove's blue Camaro as he left in the twilight of the gray Indiana night.

He was sick of the drab life and people of Hawkins High, and Hawkins in general; it was time for a change.

He didn't really know where he was going, but he didn't really care either.

All he wanted was to leave Hawkins behind and look to something greater.

Around two a.m he stopped at a rest stop to sleep for a bit, and when he woke up, the sun was peeking over the horizon, beaming into his eyes.

"Shit!" He grumbled as he woke up to the sun blinding him.

He revved the Camaro's engine, and continued on the path of anonymity.

                                     .    .    .

After a pack of cigarettes and three cans of Red Bull, Billy pulled into a retro looking diner with a lit up sign reading, "Pops Chock'lit Shoppe".

It was four a.m and the lights were still on inside, which confused Billy, but he didn't question it.

He crushed his last cigarette butt under his black leather boot and walked into Pops.

High school millennials dotted the diner in booths drinking strawberry milkshakes and eating cheese burgers with crisply cooked fries.

He frowned at the scene, and walked up to the front of the diner where a somewhat portly man stood with a white cap on.

"Welcome to Pops, what can I get for you?" He asked cheerfully.

"Uh," Billy glanced around, "Can you tell me where I am?"

The man laughed nervously, still smiling, and then answered,

"Well son, you're in Riverdale."

"Riverdale?" Billy repeated, confusion blemished on his face.

"Yes, sir."

Billy stared blankly for a split second, then began laughing, even though nothing was funny.

"Well, isn't this great," Billy mumbled to himself, glancing around again.

"Do you mind me asking something?" The man behind the cash register asked.

"Sure," Billy answered, gritting his teeth.

"What are you doin' here in Riverdale?"

Billy sighed, and trying to hold himself together replied,

"Just taking a vacation."

The man chuckled,

"A vacation? In Riverdale? Why on earth would you come here for a vacation?"

As he was about to reply, the doors to Pops opened and a girl with plump lips coated with deep red lipstick and long copper colored hair dressed in a scarlet red romper entered briskly, her face blatantly fierce.

She strutted up next to him, initially focused on picking up her take out order, but then she noticed Billy, dressed in a denim jacket and denim jeans.

"This isn't the 2001 American Music Awards," She remarked while frowning.

Then she swiftly picked up her white paper bag emanating the luring smells of fast food, and disappeared into the dawn before he could say something insulting back.

"Don't mind her," the man named Pop Tate (he overheard the girl say it when thanking him) assured him, "She's like that to everyone."

"Who is she?" Billy asked, still watching the doors even though she was gone.

"That's Cheryl Blossom," Pop Tate responded, "The daughter of Cliff..."

He stopped, not finishing his statement.

"The daughter of who?" Billy questioned.

Pop Tate shifted uneasily.

"No one who matters anymore," He muttered.

Seeing that Billy wasn't content with that answer he added,

"Her father was Clifford Blossom. He...well..." He looked to the ground, "He killed his son, Cheryl's twin brother, Jason Blossom."

Billy's eyebrows furrowed and he took deep breaths.

It looked like Riverdale was almost as bad as Hawkins.

"Why did he kill him?" Billy asked, immersed in the story now.

Pop Tate opened his mouth, but instead said,

"It's all in the past now."

Billy wanted to question more, but Pop Tate gave him a face that read, I'm finished talking about this, so he didn't pry anymore.

The horizon was a water color painting, mixing and blurring warm tones together.

"Do you want anything to eat, son?" Pop Tate asked.

"Uh...yeah a burger with fries."

Billy ate in a booth by himself. The burger tasted great and so did the fries. But he couldn't stop thinking about Cheryl. Just something about her...