DISMANTLED | riverdale

iii/

three (iii.)| simon syrup stinks

Harrison walked into the shop with a black eye and a busted lip. Not what I was expecting but somehow the boy manages to throw me for a whirl every other day. After my first day of being back, and somehow not running into Cheryl, I told him a bit more about me.

Just that I was trying to do better now. 

He doesn't know about me and the blossoms.

Just the my best friend died.

He doesn't need to know for now that it was Jason.

But what I need to know is where the hell he got that black eye.

"You part of some secret fight club?" I was trying to joke with him, but it was a legitimate question. 

He shook his head with a little chuckle, slinging his back over his shoulder and meeting me over at the counter.

"Don't worry about it, just some personal shit. Are you ready to go?" 

I reached down into the display glass and took two strawberry tarts. Handing one over to him and bitting into the other. He takes it from me and nods as a thank you. 

While chewing I grab my bag from the floor beside me and rummage through it for the keys. It isn't too hard to find and I take them out and sling the back over my shoulder.

"Wait why didn't you meet me there?" 

We both head out the store and I get over to the drivers side of the truck. 

"My ride's in the shop for a few weeks until I can fix it." He grunts a bit as he sits down in the seat. Was he severely hurt? Why would he go to school if he was hurt like that?

I bit my lip from saying anything and instead put the key in the ignition. He definitely didn't want to tell me. He doesn't have to really he doesn't know me. Who knows what he gets up to in his free time. Maybe it is a fight club.

I wouldn't be surprised if this town had a fight club.

-

"You must be Ms.Simon, welcome to class." My new english teacher.

I nodded quietly.

"Wait Syd, Syd Simon?" Someone asked within the pool of student faces. I don't think I recognize the voice. It wasn't Cheryl's I couldn't see her bright red hair in the room.

Instead I see a blonde girl- Betty Cooper?

A seat beside her was empty so I waste no time in taking it. 

"Hey Betty, nice to see you." I greet her politely and she can't hold back the smile on her face.

"I didn't think you'd ever come back. Wow. It's good to see you too." 

"Is your mom back too?"

"Nope, just me."

"Oh s-" 

"Ladies! It is class time not lunch time!" Our english teacher shushed us and returned to the board filled with chalk script.

"We can talk at lunch."

-

The bell rang and it signaled the next period. Math class had to be the most boring class I had so far. No one I knew was in there and Riverdale is a small town so that's saying something. I portably stuck out like a sore thumb in there.

I got out of my seat and waved bye to Betty before leaving for class.

I didn't get my books yet so I was just writing in one book for all my classes for now. But I don't think any of the teachers have noticed yet.

Making my way to my class was easy. I even got a seat in the back of the room so no one could intentionally stare at me. It was great.

"Hey, I'm Veronica Lodge." A hand stuck out in front of my face before I knew it.

Lodge?

Sure enough the raven hair matched the surname and here she was. She looked like her father a bit. From what I've seen of him at least. Now why in the world would daughter lodge talk to me- unless she doesn't know me.

"I'm Syd. You're new here." I took her hand and shook it with my own.

She nodded her head. "Yeah and you're returning. I've seen the way people stare at you, they also stare at me."

"Maybe we could be friends then?" I asked her- couldn't be bad to make friends.

She smiled. 

Cool.

"Yeah, of course. This seat taken?" She pointed to the seat next to me and I shook my head. 

"Math class just got a lot more interesting."

-

I walked over to Betty who was at a table filled with people. Even Veronica, seems like she's becoming everyones favorite. 

"Syd! Come sit next to me." Veronica waved me over in-between her and Archie.

I took the seat and set my tray down on the table. Betty and Jughead were sitting next to each other? How did that work? How long was I gone for? And Valerie was hanging out with people other than the pussycats?

"Woah, Syd Simon. Blast from the past." Jughead sounded from across me and I chuckled. He seemed to be happy, compared to the last time I saw him. Things have definitely changed.

"Yeah. Good to see you guys too." I nodded and chowed down on some of my fries. 

"Archie was just talking about performing at the talent show coming up. And if I'm not mistaken you used to sing way back when." Kevin- always the talent searcher- has to bring up.

"I'll think about it I haven't sang in a while now. Might be rust-" I begin to excuse myself until I see Harrison. More specifically Harrison about to throw it down with Reggie Mantle. "I have to go."

I leave my tray on the table and take my bag as I run over to the two boys. Reggie is all up in Harrison's face and I don't think he should be fighting anyone else at the moment seeing as he's already down for the count.

"Don't think that we don't know about you snake, should've just kept your head down." Reggie barks at Harrison but I come up to him anyways.

"Reggie back the hell off. You've got way to much energy and testosterone and you need to chill." I push him slightly away from us and look back at my new found friend.

"Of course, Syd Simon comes back and joins the snakes."

"Real nice Mantle. Amazing use of your brain cells." I taunted him as I began to walk away from him with Harrison to my left. 

Leaving everyone else outside we make the walk to my locker. Harrison is all grumpy and quiet like I had done something wrong with pulling him away from the fight. He doesn't even look at me while we walk.

"What the hell?" He asks me which makes me confused. What the hell did I do now?

When I look at Harrison he isn't looking at me though. He's looking straight ahead and I follow his line of sight. And boy was it a sight to see.

A river vixen with a red marker, scribbling something probably horrible. I doubt she would take the time to write a kind thing on my locker without me knowing. And it's vandalism so there's that.

"Hey! Get the hell away from my locker!" I yell at her.

She sees me instantly and immediately stops the work of art to run away from the scene of the crime. All I can see is her short rugged hair fleeing the hallway.

I waste no time in getting to my locker to see what she wrote.

'simon syrup stinks'