LAST SUMMER [ARCHIE ANDREWS] - DISCONTINUED

twenty-eight

"SO TELLING MY DAD about me cruising in the woods, so not cool." Kevin glared at Betty, sitting down beside her. Kara was smiling as she lowered herself into the chair across from him in the library. "But I've re-upped my online membership to redstatemeat.com, so there will be no cruising for the foreseeable."

Kara was glad to be out of the hospital and back in school. Her body still ached in several places, and her gunshot wounds were still very fresh. Her friends had been helping her integrate back into everyday life, and Archie made sure she never had to carry a single book from class to class. She had avoided thinking about the letters scarred onto her skin, or the whole incident in general. Until now.

Kevin caught eyes with Kara, and jabbed his head at Betty. The blonde was scratching at her neck, eyes flicking around nervously as she shuffled her stuff together. "Betty? What's up?"

Betty dragged her hands down her neck, sighing. "I was going through the Blue and Gold's mail, and... I got a letter from the Black
Hood killer." Kara's breath caught in her throat. "What?" she asked, frowning, "Wh-what did it say?"

Betty sighed heavily, her hands shaking as she lifted the paper to read. "'Betty, your words at the jubilee inspired me. The town's sinners must show their contrition.'" She let out a shaky breath. "'If not, there will be more suffering and bloodshed. Enclosed is a cipher. It details where I will punish the next sinner. It is a test. Only you can solve it, Betty.'" She moved the coded words to where they could see it.

Kara was at a loss for words. What could she say? It certainly wasn't Betty's fault, even if the serial killer in Riverdale said so. "My speech inspired him," Betty said, troubled, "My stupid speech."

Kevin purses his lips. "So, the Black Hood was at the Jubilee." Kara glanced at him, rubbing a hand through her curls. "The entire town was there."

"Well, we need to give this to my dad," Kevin said decidedly, like he'd already gotten everything figured out. Betty yanked the paper away from him. "The cipher yeah, but not the letter. We can't tell anyone about it." Kevin gaped at her. "It's evidence!"

"Kevin, if we give this letter to your dad, he will tell my mom, and she will make sure that I'm no where near this," Betty spat, packing up her stuff. Kara pushed away from the table. "I'm not sure that telling your mom is such a bad idea, Betty."

"No," she said firmly, "This is a test. He said so himself." The blonde gestured to the letter, now safely tucked into her AP Chemistry book. "What if the start of the test is to see what I do with the letter? Do I share it? Or not? Am I strong? Or am I weak? Am I worthy?"

"He's a psychopath who almost killed me and Archie's dad," Kara growled, standing from her chair. She knew Betty's intentions in keeping it all to herself, but she chose to ignore them. "And you're in high school, not the FBI. Turn the cipher over to your mother, or I will myself," she snapped, tugging on her backpack straps. Betty's face paled. "Kar-"