Young Gods || [Not Updating]

•2•

[chapter two]

Luckily for her, the papers don't have anything to do with her father.

She can understand why Jughead might have thought they did. The signs are all there. Inhuman amounts of money, mysterious purchases, the imminent threat of death and destruction...

It just isn't subtle enough to be him. The person behind the papers is manic and unorganised. The complete opposite of everything her father tries to be. The crimes detailed don't match up either. Random drug deals and petty acts of arson.

Sometimes, when she's bored, Veronica tries to work out what her parent are up to. She starts with a list of things that are most definitely illegal and carries on from there. She tries to stay away from drugs and murder. Likes to think that maybe her family are above it.

Convincing herself of lies is always easier than it should be.

Other times, when she's feeling particularly alone, she wonders why she's so against it.

People already think that she's up to her eyeballs in the family business. To everyone else, she's the spoilt little rich girl who choose making people miserable over living a normal, non-expensive life.

It's exhausting, sometimes, trying so hard to be the person that you are instead of the person everyone wants you to be.

She wonders, sometimes, if Jughead feels the same way. If his decision to join the Serpents was fuelled by the whispers that he's a 'no good gangbanger'. She hopes not. Because if someone like him can crack, there's not exactly much hope for the rest of the world.

She'll ask him one day. Get him to explain all the little reasons why he does what he does. Get some answers even if it's only for her sake.

Maybe he'll even tell her the truth.

She goes looking for him after lunch, scouring the halls and classrooms for the detective and his leather jacket. A task made unreasonably harder by his habit of hiding in plain sight.

It's a good job that she's persistent

Well, that and the fact that she hasn't got anything better to do.

Like a lost earring or an expensive handbag, he's in the last place she looks. Standing in the middle of Weatherbee's office with both of his hands clenching the back of an empty chair.

"I don't know what you're taking about, I wasn't even in Riverdale last night." Jughead says. "Do you even have any proof?"

The door is wide open but even Veronica knows that you can't just walk into the middle of an interrogation.

"Mr. Jones, do I need to remind you that this isn't the first time we've had a case of vandalism that lead back to you. We let it go the first time, we can't let it go again."

Vandalism? It almost makes her laugh. Jughead Jones the third, a vandal? What was he doing? Tagging walls with Edgar Allan Poe quotes? 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Jughead?" Veronica knocks on the door twice and steps into the room before anyone can tell her not to. "God, do you know how long I've been looking for you."

Weatherbee sighs. "Ms. Lodge, this is a private discussion. I'm sure whatever you need can wait."

"Really? I'm sorry, I didn't even think." She covers her face in fake embarrassment and holds up the folder. "Jughead was at my house last night helping with some school stuff and he left this at my house. It's super important. College admission levels of important."

Weatherbee raises an eyebrow. "At your house?"

She nods, blinking quickly and smiling innocently. "He heard I was struggling with English and decided to help me out. I don't know what I'd have done without him. Well, I mean, besides fail." She puts her hand on top of Jughead's and ignores the way he's looking at her. "He's just been so good to me lately. A real gentleman. Stayed up all night just to help me."

"Your parents will be able to verify this, correct?"

Jughead's hand is cold but he doesn't pull it away. He doesn't move at all. Not even an inch.

"You think dearest daddy would be OK with me having a boy in my room all night?" She laughs. "He came while my parents were out and snuck out before they woke up. It was kind of romantic really. But, yeah, my parents don't know. The doorman does though. He'd be more than happy to verify Jughead arriving and leaving."

"I see."

Smiling, she steps back. "So, would it be OK if we left? There's still some stuff that I'm not clear on and we really don't get to spend that much time alone, seeing how my dad is an overprotective monster rivalling dragons from fairytales." Still smiling, she pulls on Jughead's hand. "Please, Principal Weatherbee,  you wouldn't deny young love and the pursuit of knowledge, would you?"

He doesn't have evidence. She knows that. If he had any sort of leverage, he'd have used it by now. Jughead, by himself, could be forced into a hole. He could be accused and punished for things he wasn't guilty of.

There isn't a hole in the world that Veronica can't crawl out of.

Weatherbee sighs again and turns his attention to Jughead. "I suppose that you're free to go, just know that we're keeping an eye on you."

"Join the club," Jughead mutters, letting Veronica pull him out of the room. "Always a pleasure taking to you."

She waits till they're out of earshot to laugh. She doesn't stop laughing till he stops letting her pull him along.

"Young love and the pursuit of knowledge." He repeats.

"Worked didn't it?" She grins.

He waits a second before letting go of her hand. "You don't know what you've started, do you?"

"Is the answer some cryptic reference to something big and chaotic?"

His eyes linger on her face for a second before he shrugs and turns to walk away.

"I don't know," he says. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Edited (19/09/2019): Fixed some goofs.