Witch | Veronica Lodge

06 | the playbook

six
the playbook.

AFTER USING SOME of her detective skills, Betty ended up finding out that a handful of the school's football players had made slut shaming girls into a sort of game. Every time they do it, they put the girl's name into a playbook and rate her.

As soon as Betty heard about this, she called Josie, Veronica, Kevin, and Ethel and asked them to help her find the book. Apparently, it's in Jason Blossom's old locker. All of them instantly agreed to help her find the book, because they all think the football players have acted disgustingly towards women and it's time for them to be stopped.

"Football players behaving badly, what else is new?" Veronica remarks, a flashlight in her hand as the group make their way through the school. Josie stands beside her wearing a black dress that falls to her thighs, and has a gray pea coat thrown around her shoulders. She's heading to the Academy of Unseen Arts after this to study, so she has to be dressed properly. "Steubenville, Glen Ridge. The coach's son being the ring leader. I mean, just how depraved is this town?"

"Color me impressed," a voice behind them says, making all of them jump around in shock. Josie gasps, being caught off guard, but she relaxes once she sees that its just Cheryl, wearing a short red dress and a black leather jacket. She also has on black heels that go all the way up to her thighs. "A B and E with J and V. What would your holy roller mother say about that, Betty?"

"What are you doing here, Cheryl?" Betty counters, confused as to how Cheryl knew they'd be here.

"And where did you get those thigh-high boots?" Kevin adds, admiring the Blossom girl. "They're amazing."

Josie nods at him, tilting her head slightly to get a better look at the girl's shoes. "You're not wrong, Kev."

"Trev told Valerie, who told Josie, who told Ginger, who told Tina, who told me," Cheryl quips, sauntering towards the group, putting a hand on her hip dramatically. "And I thought I would help out."

"Help? Or derail our investigation?"

Cheryl then rolls her eyes at the blonde. "Get over yourself, Betty-"

"Can you two not argue for like... five seconds?" Josie cuts Cheryl off, annoyed by the fact that they spend every moment arguing when they're around each other.

"Hey guys, get in here," Ethel yells from the other room. Everybody had been so focused on Cheryl that they hadn't even seen the girl slip away. They then walk into the locker room to see Ethel holding a blue spiral notebook that has the Riverdale High logo stamped across the front.

"Hm, turns out Trev was right," Josie's lips curl into a relived smile, happy that her friend could help them. At least he's a decent guy. "I can't believe they didn't hide it better."

Ethel then flips to the newest page, and the group sees that Veronica's the last name on there. She's marked: Veronica (new girl bonus +1)=(9)

"New girl?" Veronica huffs, unable to believe how terrible some people truly are. "Is that what I'm reduced to? Nine points?"

"Better than 'big girl'," Ethel points out, her emerald eyes widening once she sees her name. "Seven point five."

And then Josie looks right below Ethel's name and she can't help but gasp. And she instantly recognizes the writing as Jason's, because he had written her a series of love letters freshman year. She had never replied to any of them, because she knew she was homosexual, even though she didn't come out until a year after that. But she vividly remembers his rounded writing. "Betts, Polly's in here. She was Jason's conquest."

Betty then walks away from the group, unable to face any of them. Josie pales, unable to believe he would do such a thing. She had seen Jason and Polly together more times than she could count, and she remembers how in love they seemed to be.

"Jason would never..." Cheryl begins, sharing the same expression of disbelief that Josie has.

"It's right there, Cheryl!" Betty snaps angrily. "God. Your brother hurt my sister. This is what guys like Jason and Chuck think about women. We're objects for them to abuse. And when they're done with us, they shame us into silence. They have zero remorse for the lives they destroy."

"Maybe I don't know Jason," Cheryl whispers sadly, flicking off her flashlight. Josie heaves a sigh, sharing a troubled expression with the redhead as Veronica uses her phone to snap a picture of the playbook.

"I'll take a picture. We'll show it to Weatherbee. It'll be the perfect cover for your expose, Betty."

"Yeah, but... no," Betty shakes her head. "These girls deserve justice, don't you think, Cheryl?" She then takes a threatening step towards the three girls. "You want vengeance? You wanna go full dark, no stars, Josie and Veronica? I'm with you both. And I have a plan."

Josie's heart slowly sinks, and she can't help but wonder what Betty's plan is. But based on the dangerous glint in the blonde's eye, it won't be anything good.

UNEDITED