The New Girl In Riverdale

Four

"Audrey, just the person I wanted to see" Veronica said to me as she spotted me walking through the neighborhood about to go for a jog, dressed in grey leggings, grey hoodie and white nikes, my long dark hair piled up in a high ponytail.

I smiled back at her sheepishly. "Hey, Veronica, what's up?" I asked her, removing the headphones from my ears.

She waltz over in one of her signature black sleeveless dress, pearl necklace and designer handbag, looping her arm through mine as we walked through the neighborhood, passing Archie and Betty's house, where I could hear murmured arguments through the open windows.

I grimaced lightly at this. "Well, Aud, I just wanted to thank you again for having my back the other day during the election. Kevin told me you acted fast to find the flyers that Josie and Ethel were planning to hand out." she explained with a nod.

"Oh sure, it was nothing really. Um, how is everyone else taking it though?" I asked in a quiet voice, my eyes briefly scanning towards the Cooper's and Andrews' homes. Veronica sighed, her face dropping slightly.

"Not good. But karma's a bitch, am I right?" she replied, unlooping her arm from mine and digging through her purse.

I shrugged. "I guess so. But you didn't deserve that, at least in my opinion." I say sincerely walking towards the park.

She smiled, pulling an envelope out of her purse and handing it to me, as I held it warily.

"Um Veronica, you don't have to pay--" I started to say and she held out her palm to stop me.

"No, no. It's gift certificates to the spa, as a thank you, I want to bring you, unless you want to share it with maybe a sister or your mom or something?" she offered, and I shook my head, smiling at her lightly.

"Oh, no. Thanks I'd like to go with you. My mom is busy with work and my sister's in boarding school" I explained quickly, and she nodded slowly, curious.

"Okay great, I'll let you get back to your jog and I'll have Andre pick you up at say 2?" she suggests, and I nod before backtracking slightly as I shouldn't know who Andre was.

"Um, who's Andre?" I asked, putting on my best confused expression.

"Sorry, my driver, I'll be coming with too. See you then" she says waving goodbye and I nod, waving before I start my warmup before sprinting towards the park's running track.

I slip my headphones back over my ears, letting the strong bass beats of the music reverberate through my body, slowly matching my breathing to an even pace as I ran, the corkboard like running track bouncing off of my sneakered feet, focusing on my keeping my arms close to my side as I ran, my ponytail swinging wildly behind me as the trees became thicker and wider near the clearing of the park.

As I ran, I had the strange feeling I was being followed, but saw no one. I ran a few more laps, before moving to the grassy area of the park to stretch out, pulling one leg out and leaning towards it, and then the other leg. Standing up, I leaned forward touching my fingertips to the tips of my shoes, stretching out my spine when two figures suddenly rushed forward from the thicker brush area near to the forest, grabbing me from behind.