Young Gods || [Not Updating]

•19•

[chapter nineteen]

Three things happen in the weeks leading up to the plays opening night:

1. Ethel has a series of outbursts that leads to her complete removal from the production. One of these, probably the worse, involves her calling Veronica a "spoilt, selfish slut."

2. Cheryl is pulled from the production by her mother and goes full Cheryl Blossom for a full week afterwards. Highlights of this are the two days she comes to school covered in -hopefully- fake blood and a separate day where she attempts to start a boycott against the musical itself. No houses are burnt down so everyone marks this as a success.

3. Veronica sees Alice Cooper and FP Jones making out behind pops.

She's heard enough of her mum's drunken stories to know that they've had a thing since the stone ages, but it doesn't make it any less shocking. She thinks about telling Jughead but decides against it. It's just not her place.

It's not like it won't come out eventually. You couldn't breathe without someone finding out about it. Having a secret affair stay secret is on the same level as Jasón Blossom coming back to life on terms of likeliness.

So, she lets it go and focuses on the play. She's worked too hard to let anything get in the way of her pulling it off. All those long nights learning lines, all those afternoons going over the same lyrics and choreography. She'll be damned if personal drama gets in the way.

Maybe that's why she stays away from Jughead.

Betty's words may have had more of an effect on her than she wants to admit. Is it that obvious that she has feelings for him? Or is Betty just observant? Not observant enough to tell that her mum was getting some, though. So maybe Veronica is really just that screwed.

Blinking, she shakes her head and pulls the top half of her costume into place. The budget didn't cover real costumes so they're using what they could get their hands on. Veronica is wearing something from the very back of Alice's closet. A fact neither of them are happy about.

"You look great," Betty smiles. It's easy for her to say when she's the main character, who's outfit had the most effort put into it. "Very retro."

"Let's just get this over with."

And they do.

Veronica enjoys her short stint on stage for the opening number and feels her heart beating against her chest when she gets backstage between songs.

The auditorium is full of people. Hundreds of parents and students alike. Save for her own, who were too busy to make it, and FP, who she catches leaving before the first song even finishes.

Betty's dad sits in the front row and cheers at the end of her solo and every time Alice sings. It's embarrassing and endearing and every clap makes Veronica's heart ache. He gets a phone call just before her own solo and she's almost happy that he leaves so that she doesn't have to deal with the guilt.

"Your time to shine," Archie says as she gets ready to go on stage. "Are you nervous?"

He's been waiting at the wings watching Betty with the biggest smile on his face. He doesn't even care that she's been recast. It's equally sweet and sickening.

"I wasn't until you asked." She says and laughs at his guilty smile. "It's weird. This is the first time I've felt normal in so long. It's nice to be able to actually enjoy something."

He's about to speak when the stage hands rush them out onto the stage. It's happening so quickly and suddenly she's singing and everyone's watching her. She scans the room for something safe to look at.

Fred Andrews offers her an encouraging smile. Mary, who flew all the way down to Riverdale to watch Archie, does the same. Betty, at the edge of the stage, holds her thumbs up and smiles like Veronica is breaking a world record.

And Jughead, sitting in the front row with his camera, doesn't look at her at all. He focuses on his camera and anyone else. The one time he does look at her, he immediately looks away.

So, she doesn't look at him. She looks at Fred and Mary and Betty. She looks at the crowd hard enough to notice Smithers stood at the very back of the room. And, when she stops singing, she leaves without looking at him.

If he wants to play then she'll play. No one does petty like Veronica Lodge.

"That was great!" Betty squeals, pulling Veronica into a hug before running off to get in place for the next song. Veronica stays at the edge of the stage to watch the next song. Happy to live in the moment for just a bit longer.

Except the music doesn't start playing when it should. Alice says her lines but Betty doesn't follow her cues. She's late once, twice, a third time. Then, as Alice calls for her the fourth time, the curtains pull open.

Instead of standing in her place, Betty is slumped still against the backdrop. One hand pinned against the board and the other dangling by her side. Blood cakes her costume and the handle of a knife hangs out of her side.

In minutes, the happy silence is filled with screams. The good is broken and all they have left is the shattered pieces.