Hold On || Jughead Jones

Outbreak // Part Three

It was a couple of days before chaos broke out again. I received a panicked text from Veronica while Cheryl, Toni, and I were halfway through Aladdin. It took a couple of minutes for me to unbury myself from the comfort of Cheryl's king size bed but the two of us were down at the speakeasy relatively quickly, leaving Toni behind to rest and finish the movie without us.

"Your text said you had news?" Cheryl asked as soon as we arrived.

"Betty called. She's at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy," Veronica bit out.

My heart stopped as I plopped in a seat. "What?"

"That place is the Hellmouth of Riverdale!" Cheryl added, "We have to break her out of there."

My sister shook her head slightly. "Betty said she's working on that, but the three of us have another mission. According to B, my father's testing Fizzle Rocks on the patients there. Moreover, she saw your Uncle Claudius with him, using Blossom Maple trucks to deliver the drugs."

Cheryl scoffed next to me. "Shades of the Legion of Doom."

"They're planning something big, Cheryl. My father likened it to the apocalypse. For all we know, my father may somehow be responsible for the seizures, but he wouldn't be any more specific than that. So I was thinking, maybe we could ask your mom, since she's in cahoots with him."

Cheryl smirked at the suggestion, her arm coming to wrap around my shoulder as she leaned in towards Ronnie. "With pleasure, Veronica. My Vixens have fallen, my Tee-Tee has fallen. If my gorgon-like mother has any knowledge of how or why that's happening, we'll get it out of her."

I groaned at her inference. "These investigations never end, do they."

--

I loved maple syrup. I loved to smother my pancakes in butter before I drenched them in the delicious topping. I loved the way the little squares of my waffle will fill to the brim with the gooey syrup. It smelled delightful, at times, when it wasn't too overwhelming. I had a few candles with maple scents in them, and I loved to burn them around fall. I just loved everything about maple syrup.

But seeing Penelope Blossom covered head to toe in the sticky substance made me rethink every single moment that I've put maple syrup on absolutely anything. I could see her trying to blink it from her eyes, the way her hair was clumping together, and how her clothes were soaking up every inch, waiting to dry and stick to her skin.

"Let's try this again," Veronica barked as Cheryl refilled the bucket in her hand. "What does my father have planned for Riverdale?"

The Blossom next to me was infuriated by the silence. "Speak! Or it gets the syrup again."

Penelope gasped for breath as she continued to sit in the sticky substance. "Fine, you want to know your father's plans? He's finally going to turn this backwater into something worthwhile. He's finally going to pursue our various enterprises unmolested."

I frowned at her answer. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"She's talking about drug dealing and prostitution," Cheryl replied with disgust. "Aren't you, you ghoulunatic?"

Penelope didn't answer. Instead, she licked her lips teasingly, causing Cheryl to almost drench her again before I put my hand out to stop her.

"We need specifics," Ronnie clarified. "How exactly is my father planning on turning Riverdale into vice city?"

The answer was clear the moment it left the woman's mouth. "Well," She chuckled, "He's in bed with the mayor, isn't he? And as for law enforcement, the last time I checked, Riverdale didn't have much of a sheriff."

This time, it was Veronica that ripped the bucket from Cheryl, hovering it over Penelope's soaked body. She was done playing games. "Details, or so help me God, I will drown you in this cheap crap," My sister growled.

"And open the garden door to let the ants in," Cheryl taunted.

It finally seemed to get a reaction out of Penelope. "Alright, I'll tell you."

And just like that, we were in.

--

Soon enough, a plan was in motion as to how we would attempt to stop Hiram's next step of his plan. I was nervous about it, in fear that we wouldn't thwart in time before the quarantine was ordered, so time was ticking.

"Kevin, cadets," Veronica greeted the moment we stepped into Pop's and found the group in a booth. "This meal's on the house. But you brutes are helping us out. We need backup, right the hell now."

Kevin shook his head, confusion clouding his expression. "What's going on?"

Cheryl shoved her backpack in my hands before stepping up on the booth, one heel landing on the table viciously. "On your feet, soldier boys! We're going to war."

A quick discussion followed and soon, we were bursting our way into the Mayor's Office as the sunset in the distance. Veronica pushed the door open harshly, out of breath from our run.

"Mom, stop!"

"You heard the woman. Halt!" Cheryl was right behind her as we stood in front of Hermione Lodge. The RROTC boys filed in the room and took their positions in surrounding her.

"Veronica, what is this?" Mom asked as she clicked her fingers against the glass in her hands.

Kevin came to stand beside me as I crossed my arms. "Consider it a coup de moi. We know your end game. You are hereby relieved of your mayoral duties."

"Those plans you and your husband had with my wicked mother are now canceled," Cheryl added.

My sister approached Mom slowly, her eyes not leaving the hand hovering over the telephone. Veronica took a deep breath, "Now step away from the phone before you make the biggest mistake of your life."

"Girls," Mom whispered as she surveyed the room. "You can't just walk in here and depose me. I'm an elected official. Besides, you're too late. The order went out ten minutes ago. I was about to call and tell you both."

My stomach sank with dread as our phones began to chime throughout the small office. Soon after, a sirens rang loudly in my ears as the town was officially lockdown for quarantine. Cheryl's hand grabbed my own out of panic, the two of us taking a step closer to Kevin.

It was clear that we had lost. The smirk on Mom's face said it all, but my chest ached with the knowledge that Jughead was out there, with Archie, and they couldn't get back, even if they wanted to. Now, I was forced to sit here and keep pushing through without him.

--