The New Girl In Riverdale

Nine

"Audrey! Who's this handsome young man?" Veronica asked with her signature grin, her arm looped through Archie's as the four of them stood near the student lounge.

Tim smiled politely, shaking both Veronica and Archie's hands, the latter of whom, looked a bit wary of the newcomer.

"Veronica, Archie, this is my friend Tim from Greendale. He just transferred here" I explained, and the two nodded in understanding.

"Well that's great, welcome to our fair Riverdale" The raven-haired girl said dramatically, making me chuckle and I smiled apologetically.

Tim cleared his throat pointedly. "Well, we better get going, but see you guys at the opening show later!" I called to the couple, before Tim and I waved to them, walking out of the school.

"She seems nice" Tim remarked with a half shrug. I nodded.

"Veronica's great. She has a flair for dramatics at times" I explained chuckling softly. As we walked across the parking lot, I spotted a small group of the serpents revving their motorbikes, dressed in their signature plaid button downs, as they were no longer allowed to wear their serpent attire on school grounds.

Sweet Pea seemed to sense our presence and turned to us, nodding once in acknowledgement before they sped off, leaving us in a cloud of smoke.

I coughed a bit, waving my hand in front of my face, before we continued on our walk back to my house.

"So, Aud. What's up with you and the tall biker dude?" Tim asked casually as he walked past Betty's house.

I raised an eyebrow at this before waving to Mrs. Cooper who was heading inside the house, looking rushed.

"What do you mean? We hung out once, we're just acquaintances" I explain to him with a nod, not wanting to mention anything of my kidnapping ordeal from before.

"If you say so." he says, shrugging before we reach my house, going in to get ready for the musical's opening night.

~

A few hours later, the whole town is piling inside the auditorium, murmured voices excited to see the play. Everything is going smoothly until it's almost the end, as Mrs. Cooper, playing Carrie White's mom, is singing.

"All right, Carrieta, time to come out of your closet" she calls in a cheery voice, and the curtain rises to reveal Midge, playing Carrie, stabbed with knives and scissors, against the backdrop wall.

I feel sick to my stomach, as Kevin, Cheryl, Jughead, and Sweet Pea, and Tim all gasp.

"Uh, Kevin, did you reblock the scene, why isn't she on her knees, singing?" Cheryl asks, confused.

"I don't think that's part of the scene..." Jughead says.

"Somebody help her! For God's sake, somebody help her!" Cheryl yells, distraught. Everyone gets up from their seats screaming and rushing out of the auditorium, save for Jughead who rushes towards the back stage to get Betty and make sure she's okay. Chic, is the only one sitting calmly.

Tim, SweetPea, and Kevin and Cheryl and I, join the rushed manic crowd out of the auditorium, trying to get as far away as possible.

We run and run as fast as we could and end up near the Sheriff's station, to catch our breath.

"Oh my god" I murmur, are close to tears. Cheryl gets a look of realization on her face and runs back from where we came from.

"Cheryl, wait!" we call back to her.

"I have to make sure Toni's okay!" she explains and hurries away, her fiery red hair flying behind her.

We sigh and walk into the sheriff station to make our statements.

"My dad is still at the auditorium but I think we'll be safest here for now" Kevin says as we all take our seats inside the station, hearts pounding.

"I...who's the black hood?" Tim asks, and Sweet Pea gives him a look like he's slow, and I nudge his knee with mine, warningly.

"He's new here remember?" I explain to Sweet Pea and sigh.

"The black hood is some massed manic murder that we thought had been shot by Kevin's dad a few months ago, but supposedly he's back" I explain in a rush.

"Damn." Tim says, unsure of what else to say.

Sweet Pea is taking his phone from his pocket, making phone calls to check if the other serpents are okay, while we just sit and wait.