The Last Blue Rose// Reggie Mantle (1)

Chapter One

Reggie Mantle walked down the hallway like he owned it, backpack slung over one shoulder, a backwards hat on his head.

He spotted the signature red hair of Archie Andrews and made his way to him, leaning on to the lockers beside Archie as he began to talk.

"Bro, you are ready for football." He stated, referring to Archie's newly developed muscles. "I'm not kidding you, dude, you got ripped. Dude, you're a beast. Look at this arm, its diesel!" He squeezed his biscep. "How much you benching? Like 220? 225? You gotta give me some tips, man." He continued talking as Archie took things out of his locker. "Romanian deadlocks right? Taking some tea? Ginsing? Mockarue?" Reggie's eyebrows arched.

Archie shut his locker and started to walk down the hallway, Reggie close on his heels. "Tirbulous Treasterous?"

"It's from working construction, Reg." Archie finally explained. He started to put on his jacket.

"Oh yeah yeah yeah, that's right." Reggie replied. It had just dawned on him that that was what his red haired frenemie had been doing all summer. He spotted another jock by the lockers and called out to him. "Yo Moose!"

Moose, who had been talking to some girls, joined the small group. Reggie hit his arm in greeting. "Look who grew up over the summer," Reggie observed, referring to Archie.

Moose looked back at the girls he had been having a lovely conversation with. He made the phone motion with his hand until he realized that they couldn't call him because they didn't have his number. He mentally groaned.

"Yo, be honest with me," Reggie continued his conversation with Archie. "Work on any houses? Any private homes?"

Archie chuckled at what Reggie was getting at. He smiled to himself. "Yeah, a couple."

"Did you, tap some cougar ass this summer?" Reggie's questions would have been strange to anyone else, but to those who knew him, it was just his nature.

Archie turned to face him. "You know what, I think everyone would be more interested in all your little diner dates with Sinclair, Reggie." With that, he turned and walked down the hall.

"Dude," Moose exclaimed, looking to Reggie in astonishment. "Caia Sinclair? She's a total smoke show. You get in her pants?" His eyebrows were arched in wonder.

Reggie grinned and playfully pushed Moose away. "Nah, man, it's not like that. See you later, Moose." He turned and started walking to his next class. Anyone who would have seen him would have wondered what the stupid grin on his face was from.

For Reggie was thinking about Caia Sincliar.

Caia on the other hand, had not started her first day off very well. She was already late and she hadn't even met any of her teachers yet. She shut her locker and looked down the hallway, groaning as she realized the lack of people in the hallway supported her suspicion that she was late. Suddenly, Caia spotted Betty Cooper exit the office with a girl she had never seen before.

Caia started walking down the hallway to them and met up with Kevin Keller on the way. "So what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" She heard the dark haired girl ask.

Kevin passed by Caia so he was in front of the two girls. "A strip club called the HoZone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, football games and tailgate parties at the mallmart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the bijou and you better get there early because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights-"

"Thank God for HBO." Caia cut him off, smiling. Kevin threw his arm around Betty's shoulder.

Betty motioned to Caia and Kevin. "Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller and Caia Sinclair. Veronica's new here and Kevin is-"

Veronica cut her off. "Gay, thank God, let's be best friends." She exclaimed, shaking both of her new friend's hands.

Kevin, being the huge gossip he is, decided to bring up what everyone had been talking about. "Is it true what they say about your dad?" He asked. Caia elbowed him in the ribs and he glared at her.

"That he's the devil incarnate?" Veronica finished. Caia was surprised that she would just come out and say it. "I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Based on the silence and the look on all the faces around her, Veronica got the gist that everyone did know. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the blue Jasmine of Riverdale High." She started walking down the hallway. Betty, Kevin, and Caia followed closely behind.

"Oh, and of course there's the back to school semi formal this weekend," Betty added as they turned the corner. Veronica saw something down the hall and pulled Betty back to her.

"There's the hottie you were with last night." She observed, referring to Archie Andrews, who was meandering down the hallway. "The red-headed Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?"

"No we're just friends," Betty answered at the same time Kevin said "No, he's straight," which he said at the same time Caia answered "No, that's disgusting." All three looked at each other and chuckled after they replied.

"Well in that case, mind putting in a word?" Veronica asked. "I've had every flavor of boy but orange." Caia raised her eyebrows at Kevin. They both wanted Betty and Archie to get together and did not want Veronica to get to him first.

"Actually, to clarify, Betty and Archie aren't dating but they are endgame." Kevin stated, voicing what had been thought by all.

Veronica flicked her wrist. "You should ask him to the semi formal, then." She suggested.

Caia nodded in agreement. "She should, but I heard it might be getting canceled cause of what happened to Jason. They're going to tell us at the assembly." Kevin said.

Caia hadn't been able to contribute much to the conversation so she added, "I doubt it."

"Who's Jason and what happened to him?" Veronica asked. All three of the others shared a look. Explaining was too hard.

When the four entered the gym, Caia suddenly found herself without the trio of friends she had been walking with before. She scanned the bleachers and didn't find Kevin, Betty, and Veronica, but Jughead Jones instead.

Caia climbed up the steps and plopped herself down next to her friend. He glanced up at her for a moment but then turned his attention back to his laptop, which he was tapping away on, not minding that she was sitting next to her. "This should be interesting," he mused.

Caia nodded. "It's not every day someone dies in a small town."

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat and Caia turned her attention to the front, where Cheryl Blossom was standing. Everyone went silent at the sight of her.

"Thank you for that moment of silence," she started. "Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason." Caia scoffed internally. She doubted the Blossom boy would have even known her name if not for Cheryl, much less thought she meant the world to him. "I loved my brother. He was and is and always will be my soulmate." Caia shared a look with Jughead. That wasn't weird at all.

"So I speak with the confidence only a twin could have. Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I've asked the school board not to cancel the back to school semi formal." There were a few cheers. Cheryl smiled. "But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively. And celebrate my brother's too, too, short life on this mortal foil. Thank you all." Cheryl finished her speech and everyone started to clap. Caia did too, but her clapping slowly stopped as she noticed something very wrong. Archie was staring at the music teacher, Ms. Grundy. And she was staring back.