Resilience | Sweet Pea.

8 - Retro night.

"How did it go with Archie and Mrs. C?" I ask Fred the next morning as the two of us stand in the kitchen drinking cups of coffee.

Archie had finally agreed to take a nap, so he was upstairs. I still had no idea whether Archie had ended up buying the jingle jangle from Reggie, but I have my fingers crossed he didn't. I hadn't spoken to Archie yet today, and I didn't know when I'd have the chance.

"It doesn't look like it was the same guy, Archie's still convinced it is though." Fred sighs.

"He's just scared, Fred. We all are." I say.

"I know, but he's still not sleeping, he's-"

"He loves you more than anything in the world Fred, and seeing you bleeding out on the floor of a diner we've eaten at and loved for years isn't an easy sight, he's traumatized. He won't stop until the guy who shot you is caught." I say.

"I know, but I don't know how to help him in the meantime." Fred sighs.

"We'll figure something out. We always do." I say, walking away from him to wash my coffee cup.

"I need to ask you something? As a concerned dad?" Fred asks.

"Shoot?" I say, grabbing a dish rag.

"Where did you go last night?" Fred asks. I almost gulp, forgetting I'd even randomly left the house early hours this morning. I set the cup and rag down on the bench, turning to him.

"Archie and I got into an argument. I just got mad and took a drive to clear my head. I'm sorry." I lie.

"Please don't make it a habit, I was worried." Fred says.

"I won't. Sorry, Fred." I say

Fred goes to say something to me when my phone rings, Betty's name pops up.

"Do you mind?" I ask him.

"No, no it's okay. I think I'll go watch some tv." He says, I nod and take off with my phone.

"Hey B, what's up?" I ask her.

"I need your brute force." She says.

"You need me to beat someone up?" I ask, surprised but almost excitedly. I enjoyed the idea, but I know for a fact Betty hates it when I fight.

"No, more I need you to help me... Threaten someone." Betty says.

"This is unlike you Betty, what's the cause?" I ask.

"I'm on a mission, to save Jug's dad and Pops." She says.

"Alright, I'm in. Where do I meet you?" I ask

*

I walk down the halls of Riverdale high with Betty. She'd explained to me about how if the Blossoms 'show forgiveness' to FP Jones, Jughead's dad, his sentence could be reduced.

Her and Jughead had gone to ask nicely and were refused so now Betty was enlisting me to help her get what she wants. As much as I hate the thought of blackmailing Cheryl after the strange yet sweet encounter at the hospital, I do want to help Betty and I admire her willingness to somewhat push aside her morals for Jughead, it puts me at ease to know Jughead's with someone who loves him so much.

We walk into the door of the girl's locker room. Cheryl's looking at herself in a compact, standing in a pretty, matching underwear set. She jumps with a gasp as I slam the door closed.

"Give a girl a warning, will you?" Cheryl grumbles, shoving her compact into her locker. The girl standing before me is nothing like the one who left lipstick on Fred's forehead in the hospital.