Burn The City With Me [Part One]

Three

Setting in Biology as I sat beside Jughead, listening to our teacher drag on about something nobody cared about. My head was in my hands and I was half asleep as I listened to him. But, that changed with the heavy footsteps of Sherriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee walking over the threshold into the class room. My head shot up as I watched the teacher stop speaking, and Cheryl stood up from her seat beside Veronica. "You're here for me, aren't you?" the Vixen asked.

"For the autopsy" she presumed while eyeing the men in the front of the room. "We don't need to do this in front of your class mates, Miss Cheryl" the principal tells her. "It's alright, Principal Weatherbee, they'll find out soon enough" she said as she stuck her arms out, pressing her wrists together. My brows burrowed together as I stared at my redheaded friend. "That won't be necessary" Keller tells her, as Veronica speaks up from her side, "Wait, Cheryl, find out what?" "That I'm guilty" she said sorrowful. I felt my heart fall through my stomach, and I glanced at Jughead, who had the same look on his face that I did.

The girl was escorted from the class room, and it stayed silent for a moment, even the teacher shocked as I turned to Jughead, "What the hell happened at Sweetwater River" I whispered to him, causing a murmur through out the class room.

I was quick to text Cheryl, asking her to come to Pops tonight and explain what was happening before our teacher explained that we could get out of class a few minutes early.

The rest of the days were filled with whisperings about Cheryl, and she never replied to my text message. The rest of the school day had passed by quickly. Veronica had told people she had a date with Chuck Clayton tonight, at 8:00 o'clock though Betty attempted to warn the girl. Jughead had also texted me that Betty and he were working on the Blue and Gold, the school newspaper, together now, and his first assignment was to talk to Dilton Doiley, because he was the one that found Cheryl at the Rivers edge, meaning he was there, and nobody is acknowledging he could have been the one with a gun.

After school I walked out of the building, and started to head toward Pop, before a car pulled up beside me, I bent down just enough to see inside, noticing Reggie as my smile turned into an annoyed look, "what do you want" I asked as I stood up, walking slightly slower. "Let me give you a ride to work, Anna, come on" I huffed out a breath before I opened the mustang door and climbed in. "Fine, but only because I'll be late otherwise" I mumble, and he gives a smile while speeding up. It was silent as I leaned closer to the door then, before he let out a sigh and started to speak up, "Annabelle look, I'm really sorry" I rolled my eyes, not speaking. "Please just let me make it up to you, go with me closing night to the Drive Inn" he offered, and I turned to him, as he pulled into Pops and turned to me with a hopeful smile. "Fine, Reggie, we'll go." "I'll make it up to you, now let's get in I need some food" I rolled my eyes as I smiled a bit and we made our way into the diner.

Hermione Lodge, Veronica's mother, smiled at me as I passed by, saying a quick hello to her. I made my way to the back and quickly changed into my work clothes before going back to the front, tying my hair up in a pony tail. I walked over to Reggie, "What do you want to eat?" I ask as I pull out my pad and pen, scribbling his initials at the top along with my own, knowing it was my order. "A cheeseburger and fries, with a chocolate milkshake" I nodded, walking towards the small window in the wall as I scribbled down the order for Pop.

*

This morning Jughead hadn't come to my house to get me, so I called Reggie and asked for a ride which he was happy to give. Cheryl had also told me she'd explain to me later tonight on the phone, after work. As Reggie and I make our way through the halls, separating from each other I get a phone alert. I stop in front of my locker and am quick to open it, Chuck Clayton had posted a photo of he and Veronica from last night, as I let out a gasp and covered my mouth.

Hours passed by, and soon the entire school had seen the photo. I stood at my locker, directly across from Veronica, where herself, Betty, and Kevin stood talking. "Hey Veronica, how was the sticky maple Chuck have you last night?" I turned as I heard the girls voice, with wide eyes. People in the hall watched the interaction, and as did myself in disgust. "We had a brownie sundae if that's what you hyenas mean" she says. Oh yeah, I served them last night at work. I turned back to my locker as I heard her ask with a sticky maple was and shoved my books into the metal hole and slammed it shut before I spun and started to speed walk through the halls while calling Reggie.

"Annabelle? What's up? I'm kind of in the changing room trying to"

"Chucks about to be in a hell of a ride, tell him to buckle the fuck up. Someone said something to Veronica" I cut the boy off, and I heard him slap someone,

"Say it again, babe, you're on speaker"

"First off stop calling me babe, second off Veronica looks like she's headed for you" I say as I watched the raven-haired girl power walk through the halls towards the gymnasium with Betty trailing close behind. "Don't do anything fucking stupid" I say before hanging up and watching the girls disappear.

I sighed as I made my way out of the building while texting Jughead, waiting on a reply as I started to walk towards the diner once again for work.

I did know about the sticky maple thing, and of course I was angry, but there was nothing I could do, I had even personally texted Chuck to delete it though he read it but did not reply. Something needs to be done at the school and needs to be done now.

The ding of the diner alerted customers, and Pop I had entered, along with the waiter that was about to get off work since I had shown up. I jogged to the back and changed into my work outfit before putting my hair in a braid on the side and walking out. I put on my smile as I made myself of a cup of water and put it under the counter, saying goodnight to Joey as he left his shift.

Hours passed, and I was walking over to a table Chuck say at, setting his burger down in front of him. "Here's your food, Clayton" I tell him as he smiles at me, as I give him a fake one before making my way to the counter where my dad sat, as I poured him another cup of coffee as the door dinged. I looked up, to see Betty. My brows furrowed together as I walked her walk over and sit with Chuck. I shook my head as I turned around and grabbed the to go boxes from Pop and put them in a paper sack before handing them off to a young mother as she paid me.

I turned to my dad with a sigh, "I can't wait to shower" I grumble as he chuckles, drinking the bitter bean water.

*

I stand in the hall awkwardly as I watched Chuck Clayton, carrying his football jacket in hand, looking like a dog with his tail between his legs. Apparently, the other day when Betty came in, a group had broken into the school after hours to find the boys' Play Book, it was a book with girls they did things with and a point system, which made my skin crawl.

Jason Blossom had even put points in for Polly Cooper, Betty's slightly older sister. She was dating Jason, though neither family had approved of the couple they didn't care. Before Jason died, Polly had a crazy break down and her parents sent her away to a home where she was getting better, at least that's what I was told by her mother and father when I had gone over the other night.

Jughead had also told me he got caught up trying to get Doiley to talk about things, and he had admitted to Betty and him he did have a gun out at Sweetwater on July 4th, but they said they wouldn't put it in the school paper because he told them vital information. Miss Grundy was also there the morning the gunshot had gone off. And I was one of the only three people who knew why she was, and what she was doing there.