Helpline ((Jughead Jones)) 2

20

Like the Red Death showing up in an Edgar Allan Poe story, the Black Hood had come to Riverdale.

Jughead was sat typing away on his laptop, continuing his novel of Riverdale's mysteries, after choosing not to stop after Jay-jay's killer was found. Me head was resting on his shoulder. Every now and again, he leant over and kissed the top of my head, either when he was thinking, or when he was reading back through a section. It made me smile every time he did it.

With that grimmest of reapers looming over us, how did we cope? In the case of Archie and Veronica, it was through carnal defiance. With every kiss and embrace, they seemed to be saying: "You have no power over me, Death." In fact, Varchie became the opposite of death. In Archie's bedroom. In his garage. Even in the Pembrooke. After all, if our young lovers dared to defy the Black Hood, why not risk Hiram Lodge's wrath as well?

"Sorry, there's no service in the bowels of city hall." Jughead was meeting me in Pop's. After the truck driver stanger guy suggested a link to Jughead between the Riverdale Reaper and the Black Hood, it was all he could think about. Like the case of my brothers murderer, he wanted to solve the mystery before the police, or at least help.

"So what has Sherlock found? The truth about this murdered family?" I asked him, leaning across the table to see the newspaper clipping he had in his hand.

"Yes. Shockingly, Freddy Krueger didn't lie to me. A family of four was murdered by someone the press called the Riverdale Reaper. The victims were Jim and Mary Ellen Conway and their kids. Tommy was 10 and Sue was 9. The Reaper was never caught or identified, so he could be the Black Hood."

"Doubtful. He'd be in his 60s at least by now. Why did he do it? Why that family?" I asked Jughead. From where the house was located, they were far away from any other person. It seemed like the perfect murder. After reading serial killer novels with Jug, the ones who got killed lived in the middle of nowhere.

"The reporter talked to a sheriff at the time, who thought the killer had chosen at random, because the house was so isolated." So the sheriff believed the stereotype of every horror story. At that time, they would have probably taken this idea and used it, not looking for further explanations.

"Jug, I think the idea of the Riverdale Reaper being Black Hood is too far fetched, even for Riverdale. But what if they are related. Like the Black Hood is their son or grandson. It's not unlikely that the Reaper raised his or her kids to have that same, sadistic mindset." I proposed. Jughead thought that idea over for a moment, agreeing with me. Then he said that he had to go and meet Betty to discuss this. I let him go. Jug had told me how the Black Hood had contacted her, and forced her to play a little game he created. She cut ties with Veronica for a little bit and even argued with Archie and Jug to save them. After Jug had promised that any leads any of us from the Southside found regarding the Black Hood, he would tell her, keeping her up to date with the investigation into the Black Hood. Sometimes I believed we were doing a better job than the police in this town.

Just before he left, he answered his phone and as he spoke, his face began to grin wider and wider.

"J, what is it?" I asked him, wanting to know who was on the phone and why he was calling. He put the phone down on the table, and I reached for his hand again. Jughead had gone white, but his face told me it wasn't for a bad reason.

"My dad is getting out of jail!" He exclaimed in a whisper, as if he didn't fully believe it himself. I jumped from my place in the booth and launched myself at him, hugging him tightly to my chest.

Jughead and I stood outside of the prison exit, waiting for FP to be escorted from inside. When he saw him, I could feel Jug practically jumping up and down. They embraced and I knew that Jughead finally could relax a little more. The Black Hood may be still at large, but Jughead had his family back. The only thing I worried about was if I was still welcome at the trailer. I greeted my boyfriends dad.

"Now, I know you have been taking care of Jughead for me at the trailer." FP began, standing in front of me, Jughead taking my hand, his smile still on his face. Just from the look of him, I knew that he had spoken to his dad about this, and I knew it had to be good news. "And I think he could still use you around for a bit. So, Miss Blossom, Lady Serpent as I'm told, would you do me the honours of living with us for a little while longer?" He asked, in his poshest, most formal voice he could manage. I laughed out a yes, and jumped at FP, hugging him tightly, my way of thanking the man for not kicking me out. If he had, I wouldn't have known where to go to.

Later, Jughead, his dad, and I were riding the motorcycles. I rode on the back of Jughead's, while FP lead the way on his own. While his dad spoke to Jughead, I stood overlooking a part of Sweetwater River. Jughead's hair was tousled from the wind of the drive, and looked incredibly sexy, not that I'd tell him yet.

Every time I looked at the river, I saw Jason. In Religious Studies in elementary school, I remember learning that Hindus believe the river helps the soul move on to its next life. I hoped that, if that was true, that Jason had been reborn in a better place, with a better family, as something better than a Blossom. If he had now found his freedom in a better place, then I felt like I could live a little better, knowing he was happy now.

Sat back in Pop's, we ate in happy silence. FP had began his first shift at the diner and we came to show our support. However, when we saw my sister knock her milkshake down and then comment on his involvement in Jason's murder, I couldn't stay silent. FP went to get her a new milkshake, whereas I stormed over to the table, threw my hands down and glared at the girl I once looked up to.

"Was that really necessary, Cheryl?" I barked, forcing her to look at me. My sister looked taken aback by my tone and change in personality, more so that when we went to Thistle House.

"Dear Cynthy, of course it was. Or did you forget what your boyfriend's father did to our late brother?" She asked back, in as much the demeaning tone as she used with anyone. Jughead placed his hand on my shoulder to calm me down and pull me back to my seat, but I had to show my sister that I was no longer the outspoken Blossom. I was far more than that.

"And what would our late brother think of you now? He may have been a Blossom, but he would never have treated FP like how you just did. The Blossom name is going to your head, dear sister." I snarled back at her, then moving to sit back in place with Jughead.

"Not that I didn't love the way you looked back there, I did, really, but my dad deserves to be honoured not humiliated by the likes of your righteous sister. " He didn't mean for the words to be offensive, and I didn't take them as such. In fact, that was the first time Cheryl and I had argued since Jay-Jay died. Something was up with her, there had to be a reason why she chose to act that way. I was determined to find out what soon enough. But first, I needed to focus on my boyfriend and his father.

"So why don't we do it? You said he wanted out from the Serpents, so let's throw him a retirement party fit for the king that he is?" I knew I had Jughead hooked on the idea. To prove to everyone that FP was good and that he would walk away from the Serpents the king he joined them as, we would plan him the biggest, the most unforgettable leaving party in the history of the Serpents.