Anarchist | Riverdale

The River's Edge

Our story is about a town. A small town. And the people who live in the town. From a distance it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. Safe. Decent. Innocent. Get closer though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town is Riverdale. And our story begins, I guess with what the Blossom twins did this summer. On the Fourth of July, just after dawn, Jason and Cheryl Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride. The next thing we know happened for sure is that Dilton Doiley, who was leading Riverdale's Boy Scout Troop on a bird-watching expedition, came upon Cheryl by the river's edge. Riverdale Police dragged Sweetwater River for Jason's body but never found it. So a week later the Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled as an accident as the story that Cheryl told made the rounds. That Cheryl dropped a glove into the water and Jason reached down to get it. And accidently tipped the boat. And panicked. And drowned. As for us, we were still talking about the Fourth of July tragedy on the last day of summer vacation when a new mystery rolled into town.

"Are you excited, nervous, both?" Ellie asks her sister.
"I've not seen him all summer." Betty replies.
"Which is why nerves are acceptable, but we agreed, Betty it's time." Ellie is desperately looking through her sisters closet to find something for her to wear but their fashion senses are very different so she feels everything is way to modest and covered up. "You like him, he likes you."
"Then why, Ellie, has he never said or done anything?" Betty sighs, fixing her ponytail.
"Because Archie's swell, like most millennial straight guys, he needs to be told what he wants. So tell him finally."
"Well, we'll see. I mean it depends." Betty responds as her sisters walks over to the window that faces onto Archie's and she notices something that makes her jaw drop. Archie pulling on a top.
"Oh my god."
"What?" Betty rushes over and sees the same thing.
"Archie got hot. He's got abs now. Six more reasons for you to take that ginger bull by the horns tonight." Ellie smirks at Betty, actually kind of jealous seeing what he looks like now.

Ellie was adopted by the Cooper family when she was just a newborn. She is now eighteen and going into her Junior year, she was held back as the principal didn't think she'd pass her SATs at the rate she was going. She wasn't happy about it at all but she had no say. Polly isn't spoken about, she can't bare it. They grew up right by each other's side, they're literally months apart and for her to just be gone was absolutely heart breaking for Ellie.
But Ellie is very different from your standard Northside girl. She's in no way full of pastel colors, innocent and sweet. She's very much the opposite but Alice Cooper loves her none the less.

It's the first day of school which means the 'back to school pep talk' from mom, which luckily Ellie didn't find to long and annoying as last year. Yet she stands in the door way, handbag nestled in the crook of her arm, listening and silently giggling at Betty getting the yearly chat.

At lunch, Ellie heads to sit down with her best friend, Jughead Jones. The two come as a matching pair, as soon as they met they just clicked, they both feel like the rejects of Riverdale high so they stick together most of the time. Jug tends to get picked on but Ellie's normally the one to sort out the people picking on him, which he finds really embarrassing but she finds happiness in it.
"How's your book coming along?" The blonde says parking herself next to her friend.
"Good, here read." Jughead passes his laptop from his lap to Ellie's and she starts reading the page quickly.
"I'm impressed Jug, it's gonna be good I know it." Ellie smiles and passes the laptop back then unwraps her sandwich. She looks over and sees her sister sitting down with Archie, Kevin and some girl with black hair she's never seen before.
"Ooo, new people fun." Jug says spotting the same person.
"Let's not be rude, come on." Ellie sighs, getting to her feet and slinging the long strap of her handbag on her shoulder.
"Talking to strangers? Not my thing, I'll stay put." He offers his friend a small smile before she walks away understanding his issues with new people and not willing to push him. Before the elder Cooper girl could reach the table, Archie has walked off so she nicks his seat.
"Veronica, meet my sister Ellie, she's in the grade above." Betty says once Ellie had made herself comfy.
"Nice to meet you, I love your handbag is it Louis V?" Veronica asks.
"It is, I can tell we'll get along just fine." Ellie smiles at the new girl, already taking a liking.
"We will." Veronica smiles back. "Last name's Lodge by the way."
"Well Veronica Lodge, I can tell we both have an amazing, expensive taste in style and I love that." Veronica giggles slightly at this comment and agrees. Betty and Kevin share a look of confusion as the two girls gossip like they've known each other for ages.
"So how is your first day going? Good?" Ellie asks.
"Not to be a complete narcissist but I thought people would be more..." Veronica begins before Kevin buts in.
"Obsessed with you? Any other year you'd be trending number one for sure, this year though, it's all about Cheryl Blossom trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow." Kevin says as he spots the Blossom girl coming this way. Ellie rolls her eyes, she hates this girl. She gets her brother died and everything but it doesn't give her a get out of jail free card to do whatever she wants and act however she wants.
"Veronica Lodge, I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom." The red haired girl says walking up to the table. "May I sit? Betty, Ellie, would you mind?" She asks not even waiting for an answer before squishing next to the two sisters on the bench. "So, what are you four hens gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?" Betty shakes her head at this, not wanting anyone to know she likes him.
"Extracurriculars. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few." Veronica saves the conversation.
"Cheerleading you must." Cheryl exclaims. If there's one thing Ellie hates more than Cheryl Blossom, it's those stupid River Vixens. "I'm senior captain of the River Vixens." She says with a weird hair flip which makes Ellie snigger quietly before being elbowed by her sister.
"Is cheerleading still a thing?" Kevin asks.
"Is being the gay best friend still a thing?" Cheryl replies, making Ellie choke on her orange, earning another dirty look of Betty. "Some people say it's retro, I say it's eternal and iconic."
Ellie literally couldn't take hearing any more so she walks off back in Jug's direction, but once she gets a text from a certain someone she starts walking the complete other way.