moondust - sweet pea

{s i x}

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

TJ feels that him, coming clean to his friend about his dark thoughts, made them even more close then they already were. People always thought that the duo were a couple, but that never happend and will never happen, they were never interested in each other that way.

"Hey TJ," his best friend greets him with a hug. "Feeling good?" She asks and he nods.

"Yeah, ever since I confessed to you and mom and Josie, things seem far more better than they were a few days ago," he says truthfully and he smiles at his shorter friend and she smiles back.

"Great, have you already talked about therapy?" "Yeah, my mom's planning it and I have you," he says with a smile. "Now, back to SD," she says grinning and TJ just chuckles.

"We chatted, but never got time to hang, I plan to tell him, Toni and Fangs too, I just need the right time," he says.

"Don't rush things and I can always do the words too," she says and he nods. "I know, wanna hang at mine after school?" He asks and she nods. "Sure," she says and they enter into Riverdale High as TJ gets a text from Jughead.

Jug:
Meet me at the Blue and Gold office?

TJ:
Sure.

"Need to split up, Jug needs me," he says to Eden and she just nods. TJ makes his way to the Blue and Gold and he already sees Archie and Veronica in the office of the school news paper.

"Hey, Jug send me here," he says as he closes the door, he stands beside Archie. "So the reason we brought you guys in here," Betty starts. "My dad's getting out of jail," Jughead finishes and TJ gives him a smile, knowing how much it meant to Jughead.

"Jug that's great." "Yeah what heralded this miracle," Veronica asks and TJ could see Jug and Archie share some look but he couldn't quite read it.

"Uh, overcrowding at the jail, I guess the judge reviewed my dad's case and after Cheryl's testimony it was a perfect storm," Jughead probably lied, but TJ decided he won't go any further.

"What do you need from us Jug?" Archie asked. "Both of us. We have a new lead on the Black Hood case. And Jughead and I, we were wondering if you guys would follow up on it for us."

"We can give you all of the details, the articles. It's just that I have to be there for my dad to help with his re-entry, so," the duo said, first Betty and then Jughead. "Uh, yeah and I'm just taking a break from the Black Hood," Betty said as a honest excuse.