Back In Black

Chapter Six: The Book of the Damned

//Kathleen's POV///

I'm sitting with Jughead at Pops when my phone rings. "Its Betty I got to take this." He nods and I get up. Betty quickly tells me to get to the Blue and Gold. I walk in to see Betty sitting on one of the desks with multiple girls sitting around her.
"Betty?"
"I'll explain when Veronica gets here, please have a seat" I sit beside her on the desk. A few minutes later I hear Veronica's heels clicking on the floor. She walks in surprised as hell.
"This story is bigger than we thought. I started asking around, to see if what happened to you happened to anyone else, and if anyone would go on record." Betty looks between Veronica and I while she explains.
"I will. 100%" the girl sitting in front of Betty looks at us. I recognized her face but couldn't remember her name.
"Okay" Betty sighs before looking back at Veronica "Its five guys on the football team. Chuck and his posse."
"Do we know if Mantle is one of them?" I look at everyone remembering the semi-formal and after party.
"I'm not sure yet" Betty puts her hand on my knee to comfort me. "But Ethel was about to tell us..." We all look to the girl who spoke earlier. She was so sweet and kind that was the biggest thing I knew about her.
"One day last year, Chuck and I talked in the library for ten minutes. I helped him with a pre-cal problem and nothing happened." she paused "But the next day, he..." Again she paused, this time I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder. I knew better than anyone how hard it is to tell your story. "He started telling people that I let him do stuff to me. like, sex stuff. and then he... or one of his goons wrote, Sloppy Seconds, on my locker." I stood up and started walking out of the room pissed when Ronnie grabbed my arm telling me to wait. That is when the red headed bitch walked in.
"Yes, yes, we've all heard your tragic origin story."
"I'm so, so sorry, Ethel. That's horrible." Betty tries to comfort the girl as I shoot daggers at Cheryl still proudly standing in the door.
"Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture-murder case, but we all have our crosses. In the meantime, River Vixen practice starts in five minutes, sluts so..."
"They're ruining our lives and to them it's just a game. They keep score."
"Wait, what do you mean, keep score?" I whip around looking at the hurting girl.
"Each conquest earns them points" She spits the word conquest like it was killing her to even think it. "They keep track in some secret playbook"
"Okay, we have to talk to Weatherbee." Betty is getting pissed.
"I already tried. Weatherbee said that he didn't find anything"
"Okay, we need undeniable proof" again Betty speaks up.
"Proof of what, Nancy Drew? That boys will be boys? and that play book reeks of suburban legend."
"How would you know, Cheryl?" Veronica turns to her as do I.
"Because Jason was captain of the football team before... And as always Cheryl thinks Jason can do no wrong." Cheryl's face drops as I glare over at her "Jason was like family, you both were. But even you can't deny Jason could and often would have any girl he wanted Cheryl. I loved Jason, not nearly as much as you did, I know but you dare walk in here and say all of these beautiful strong girls should shut up and roll over because 'boys will be boys' you have another thing coming Cheryl." I scream at Cheryl knowing if anyone could get through her bitchy exterior it was me.
"Well, I never met Jason, but I'm not lying about what happened to me. And Ethel's not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book, I am going scorched earth on these privileged, despicable miscreants. We both are." Veronica grabs my hand "You wanna get caught in that back draft, Cheryl? Call me, or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent women slut one more time." Cheryl backs out of the room.
"Damn Ronnie, even I was scared for a minute there." I chuckle as she pulls me into a hug.
"I'm not sure what happened to you, or who caused you pain. But I promise I will kill him for you."
"There's a list and you will have to wait behind me and Jughead to get to them, but thanks" I give her a small smile. I sit back with Betty as Veronica, Betty, Ethel, and I plan how we are getting that book.

**********

//Jughead POV//

I'm sitting in my regular booth in Pops just enjoying my coffee. I noticed awhile ago that the young scout who was looking at me earlier today had come in for dinner with his dad. His dad got up at one point so I walk over and jump across from him in the booth. I take the cherry off the top of his sundae, a part of me was wishing Kathleen was here to smack me for it. He dropped his spoon and held up his hands