The Last Blue Rose// Reggie Mantle (1)

Chapter Thirty-One

Caia lived in an area of the Southside that was technically still in the Riverdale school district. That's how and why she didn't have to go to Southside, which was a huge blessing.

Southside High was one of the worst schools that Caia had ever heard of. The place was a gold mine for drugs, gangs, and violence. Not to mention that the teachers were not very good at all and the facilities were less than average.

So when Caia heard that Jughead was being fostered by a family on the Southside and would have to go to Southside high, she was afraid for him. But there was nothing she could do. So at school on Friday, with only Betty, Archie, and Veronica, something felt missing.

Maybe that's why Caia only caught half of the story about Betty's long lost brother. "The craziest thing is, I have secret brother out there in the world!" Betty exclaimed with a smile.

"This is positively Decenzian," Veronica mused from her position on the back of the sofa. "I love a long lost brother. How old would he be?" She inquired.

Betty shrugged. "A mid twenties?" She estimated.

"Oh my god," Roni breathed. "A blonde Adonis, no doubt."

Betty smiled at Veronica as her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and answered the call.

"Hey, where are you? Have you been getting my messages?" Betty asked whoever she was talking to.

Veronica slid down from the top of the couch into a spot between Caia and Archie. "Oh my god, what?" Betty questioned.

By the time Betty hung up, Caia knew she had been talking to Jughead. "Where is he?" Roni questioned.

"Southside High." The way Betty responded made Caia wonder if she hadn't known that that's where Jug was going.

"Wait, did we not already know that's where he was? Cause I did." Caia questioned. She received exasperated looks from all three of her friends that gave her the answer. She raised her hands in surrender. "Sorry. I didn't know you didn't know."

The rest of them turned back to Betty. "He said that's where he belongs and that no one wants him here," she continued.

Caia winced. That certainly was not good. "FP warned me that Jughead would cut himself off, go to the darkside," Archie informed the group.

"Archie we can't let him do that," Betty stated.

That whole exchange was now why the three of them were sprinting down the halls of Riverdale High, making fast headway for the doors and Southside High.

They jogged through the metal detectors and into the main hallway of the school. Caia had never been inside Southside and now she was glad she hadn't. There was graffiti everywhere.

"Where would he be?" Veronica questioned.

Archie, Betty, and Caia all answered at the exact same time. "Cafeteria."

They walked up to Jughead's table just as he finished telling a joke or funny story, because everyone was laughing.

"Jug," Betty called, gaining her boyfriend's attention. He observed the three northsiders and his smile slowly faded.

"What are you guys doing here?" He questioned, confused.

They got Jug out of the school, where Betty took him to talk to her alone. Archie and Veronica split off as well, which left Caia by herself.

She observed the two couples and realized that she really wanted something like that. She had been really lonely lately, considering all her friends had paired off with each other.