Resilience | Sweet Pea.

53 - Uncertainty

"I swear he's not telling me something, Nov." Veronica sighs as she cleans the counter at Pops, I sit in front of her, contently sipping a milkshake as she rants about Archie.

"I mean, he told me things with the Serpents didn't go so well, maybe he's just feeling on edge, especially since yaknow, he shouldn't even be in there." I say.

"I know! But... I dunno, something feels wrong." She sighs.

"I know Ronnie, It's tough." I say, leaning over to pat her arm. "So, did Cheryl give you Archie's presidency yet?"

I'd heard from my friends that just before Archie was arrested on a murder charge, he had been made student body president, Veronica had planned to keep his seat warm, but Cheryl Blossom, as always, had to have it her way, and snatched the role right from Veronica's fingers.

"No." Veronica huffs.

"Cheryl's a perfect student, she doesn't even fucking need it, that selfish bitch." I grumble. "Maybe I should fucking take it from her. Really put her in her place."

Veronica sighs, before returning to cleaning, only for the woman in question, Cheryl herself, walks in with some of the River Vixens. Veronica gives them an uninviting stare, before leaving her post to walk towards them. I follow her, not wanting to miss the action.

"Veronica!" Cheryl says, almost surprised to see her. "Oh, that's right. You work here now. I'll have a Cherry phosphate and curly fries. Girls?"

"Cheryl, she doesn't work at Pops, she owns it." I say, taking to Veronica's side. "So don't come in here with your entitled ass-"

"Nova." Veronica hushes me. "She's right, Cheryl, I do own Pops. And as of this moment, you're no longer welcome here."

"You can't discriminate against someone because they're better-looking than you." Cheryl argues. Cheryl is very beautiful, and I will never say otherwise, but so is Veronica, and it's not a fucking competition, nor is beauty a reason to act in the way Cheryl does.

"Cheryl, you're acting like trash, and I don't wanna get a citation." Veronica says, I snort.

Cheryl sighs, clearly unimpressed at not getting her way.

"Vixens, leave us be." Cheryl demands, the group of girls immediately get up and walk away. "Nova, you too."

"Get fucked, Blossom." I scoff, leaning against the booth behind me. Cheryl rolls her eyes and turns to Veronica.

"Well then. Veronica, what are you really mad about?" Cheryl asks. "It can't be that I'm making a play for student body, president?"

"Oh, you mean besides the fact you're being a stuck-up bitch?" I ask her, she glares at me.

"Actually, Cheryl, that's exactly why I'm mad. I made a promise to Archie that when he gets out, I'll have everything in place, waiting for him. That includes this stupid presidency." Veronica explains.

"Just a suggestion, maybe you should channel that rage into something more productive, like getting your boyfriend sprung." Cheryl says, earning an eyebrow raise from us both.

"Hm?" I question.

"There's an organization called the Innocence Project. I looked into it when I was accused of JJ's murder. Maybe you should check it out." Cheryl says, seeming a lot more genuine than earlier.

"A little food for thought. Speaking of food, cancel my order, I'm going to TGI Thursdays." She says, grabbing her belongings and suddenly right back to the Cheryl I despise. The redhead walks out without another word, leaving Veronica and I to stare at each other in shock.