The Last Blue Rose// Reggie Mantle (1)

Prologue

Caia Sinclair spent her entire summer break in the back corner booth of the small diner called Pop's with a double fudge milkshake and a book in front of her. It was a strange sight for Caia hated reading. Or at least so she said.

Caia was seated homey resteraunt on the Fourth of July, when the dark haired jock walked through the door. She was reading Nicholas Sparks, the author being correct for the situation that was about to occur.

Reggie Mantle wore a pained expression, as he had just been ditched by the only girl he had ever had something real with, or so it had seemed. But now, all alone, his eyes scanned the mostly empty building. His eyes landed on the small curly haired girl in the corner, her nose burried in a book.

Of course he knew who Caia was. She had been popular once. She had been best friends with Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper while somehow being Cheryl Blossom's co bitch at the same time.

She had been until freshman year, when she was suddenly on the outs with Cheryl. Her only friends were Archie and Betty and she didn't really talk to anyone else.

Reggie wasn't sure he ever liked Caia. She seemed too flaky to him. Like she was fake, two faced.

But now, in the dim lights of Pop's, she seemed like the perfect person to vent to.

The tall boy made his way over to the booth. He stood for a moment beside the table, waiting for Caia to look up. When she didn't, he cleared his throat to get her attention.

Caia looked up, startled at the sudden noise. She brushed a stray curl out of her face and stared up at Reggie. "Uh, hi."

"Hi." Reggie responded flatly. "Can I sit?"

Caia's eyes shifted over to the empty side of the booth and then back at Reggie. She hesitated for a moment before responding. "I guess."

Reggie didn't even hesitate a moment before sitting down. There was complete silence as the two teens stared at each other.

"What do you want?" Caia asked, setting her bookmark between the pages of the book and shutting the cover.

"A friend," Reggie replied, leaning forward. "I know I have quite a reputation of being a player, but I swear I just want someone to talk to. Someone who won't judge me."

Caia gave a small nod in agreement. "I respect that." She leaned forward and took a sip of her milkshake.

Reggie smirked. His eyes cut down to the book sitting in front of Caia. "Nicholas Sparks, huh?" He asked.

Caia's eyes trailed down to the book. "Oh yeah. Cheesy romantic books are the only ones I enjoy reading. Hard to stomach sometimes, but they always turn out good in the end."

"What about Romeo and Juliet?" Reggie questioned. "They end up dying."

Caia smiled softly. "I guess that's true. You know, I wouldn't have expected you to know that," she observed.

"I've got layers," Reggie shrugged.

"You know what?" Caia started. "Me too."

So there, in a booth at the only 24 hour restaraunt in all of Riverdale, an unlikely friendship started to blossom. Two kids, blinded by the facade of their supposedly perfect lives, realized that they had more in common than they thought.

But soon enough, they would realize that while they sat in peace in their small booth, Jason and Cheryl Blossom were at Sweetwater River, going out for a boat ride.

And in exactly two hours, Jason Blossom would be missing, supposedly having drowned in Sweetwater River.