Weirdo - Jughead Jones

19: Tangles

I had never been to a funeral before. I never would have thought that the first I would go to would be for a boy my age. A boy I almost knew.

I couldn't understand why I had been invited along with Jughead, Betty, and Archie; I barely knew the Blossoms. I haven't talked to Cheryl since third grade. But she was a good friend, even if she's changed now, and so was Jason. So I decided I would support her today.

As ashamed as I felt, the funeral was also part of our little investigation. Betty had recently gone out with a boy named Trev, but only to gather information. She found out that while Jason was dating Polly, he'd been cutting himself off from others, and selling his belongings. He was rumored to have dealt with drugs. He did this so that he could run away, but from what? Betty, Jughead and I were going to find out by looking around Jason's room when we got a chance. Maybe we would find something that would give us a clue as to why he ran away, which might lead us to his murderer.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I rarely wore dresses. This was a simple black one that I wore under a grey cardigan. I was wearing shorts underneath because I never felt comfortable with anything less.

I hadn't seen my mom since the fight. I knew she was okay, however. I'd heard her coming home late from work, where she was now.

I heard a knock at the front door and quickly went to open it. Outside it Jughead was waiting. I had never seen him in a suit before, and I was taken aback. He looked good. And even with this formal attire, his hat remained covering his head, which made me smile. "Hi."

"Hi," he said. I blushed with self-consciousness as he took in my appearance. "Would it be weird to say that you look nice? It being for a funeral and all?" Jughead seemed shy as he said this.

I chuckled. "Thank you. Not too bad, yourself."

I could see the tiniest hint of a blush as he looked away.

The Blossoms had a mansion called Thornhill; large gate, garden, private graveyard included. It was kind of creepy.

We'd carpooled with Archie's dad and met up with Betty when we arrived.

"How are we supposed to get into Jason's room?" Betty asked as we took our seats near the back. I looked at Jughead, not knowing how to answer.

"We'll wait for a socializing period," he nodded, leaning toward us in his chair. "If there isn't one, one of us will ask for the bathroom."

Betty and I nodded and turned to the front. The crowd settled down as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Soon there were footsteps coming from behind, causing everyone to turn.

There was Cheryl in a dress that was entirely white.

There were gasps as she walked down the isle, standing out from the mass of black clothing like a light in a sea of darkness.

The rest of us watched her as she reached the podium, unable to look away. Jaws dropped, including mine. Penelope Blossom stared at her daughter and, if looks could kill, there would be another Blossom funeral. But Cheryl's confidence never faltered. She asked the audience to sit as she began her eulogy.

"This is the dress I was wearing when I last saw Jason," she said. Her voice rang out clear across the room; it was like no one dared to breathe. "When I put it on, it feels like he's in the room with me." Cheryl smiled softly with watery eyes. "Even though we were twins, I used to demand that I have my own birthday party. Then one year, he wanted to combine our parties into one. Later I realized that it was because... no one wanted to come to my party." Her tears started to fall. "Jason protected me every single day. I wish I'd protected him—" She turned and put her hands on the coffin behind her, crying. "I'm sorry, JJ. We failed you. All of us."

It was then that Veronica rose and went to comfort her. A tight lipped Penelope Blossom stood and adjourned the ceremony, allowing the people to stand and socialize. We were all still shocked about Cheryl's actions. Seeing her like this made me feel worse about sneaking into her brother's room.

Jughead, Betty and I exchanged glances and got up with everyone else. We made sure no one watched as we disappeared through a hallway. I silently followed Jug and Betty as they came across a room that looked like it would belong to a teenage boy. We slowly stepped in.

Betty and I exchanged a glance as we felt chills. Something about being in a dead boy's room made the temperature seem to drop.

"Jug, what are we looking for?" I asked.

He walked farther into the room, opening cupboards and looking through shelves. "Something off. Something that'll tell us why he left. Something he was hiding."

"Where do teenage boys hide things?" Betty asked.

"Under the mattress, the closet, behind the headboard...."

"Hello."

The three of us jumped and spun around. I felt Jughead grab my wrist from behind Betty and I. My heart was in my throat. We looked to the source of the sound to see an old woman in a wheelchair, sitting in the corner by the door. Her hair was white save for a stripe of red. Her left eye was glazed over and white. It was Cheryl's grandmother, Rose Blossom.

"It's nice to see you again," Rose said. The three of us exchanged confused looks at the elder's recognition. "Well come, now. Let me see you, Polly dear."

She mistook Betty for Polly. Betty cautiously stepped forward and Rose took her hands.

"Oh, but you don't have it." Rose glared.

"I don't have what?"

"The ring, Polly." She sounded as if Polly had lost her mind. "That ring has been in my family's possession for generations." She pointed at Betty. "You keep it close. And let Penelope know I gave it to you. If she knew, oh, she'd come and snip it right off your finger!"

Betty jumped at Rose's movements.

"Such a shame," Rose continued softly. "That wedding was the last thing I was living for."

My jaw slightly dropped and I stared at Betty. I couldn't imagine what was going through her mind.

"That Parker man," said Rose scornfully. "He was supposed to be doing his job, wasn't he?"

My heart dropped. Jughead's hold squeezed tighter. Was my dad a part of Jason's murder?

"And now," said Rose. "I've lost a grandson, and you... the love of your life."

Betty's eyes were wide, her mouth open. "I-I..." She shook her head. "I can't— I have to go." She turned away from Rose Blossom and went straight through the door. Jughead and I followed quickly.

I caught up to Betty and pulled her in, hugging her. She took a deep breath, leaning into me. "I'm sorry, Mads. I can't...."

"I know." I pulled away. I was still shocked at the mention of my father. "Call me, okay?"

She nodded and left to find her dad. I turned to Jughead and we shared a look. The secrets of Riverdale were like one long string that was tangled into a threatening knot. Once we unraveled something, another tangle would present itself. We wondered how long it would take to untie this knot completely, and what it would look like when we did.