THE SOUTHSIDE TAPES (RIVERDALE 2)

Hereditary

A week later, 3 AM
Bzzz...
"Ugh... Hello?!"
"Cousin..."
"For god sakes, Cheryl! What time is it."
"Irrelevant..." Pause.
"Cheryl?"
"Sorry. Julian moved something. He's in the..." a sharp scream rang through the phone.
"Julian? You can't be serious...
"He says he wants to meet you..."
"Alright," I got up out of Be and prepared to leave.

"Mija."
Of course I could never catch a break, "Where are you going at this hour?"
"Nowhere." I said and went to back to my bed. He observed me before pulling me by my bad arm. "You are a part of this family. I'm going to need you to act like it or I'll have to discipline you again, like the prison, mija. And we both know how serious I am. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
He slapped me across the face and I couldn't suppress the wince. He looked into my eyes, "I already told you this disrespect will not be tolerated. Go get dressed and put on some makeup, your black eye is returning."
-
-

"Now that the trials are over, I propose we let bygones be bygones." Hiram sat at the head of the table, the next morning, after I was told I wasn't going back to Stonewall for a week because of how disrespectful I was. Instead, I was dragged to the Pembrooke for a meeting with Hermione and Veronica. "No more secrets. No more lies."

I couldn't refrain from asking, "What about the fact that you've been hiding the custody papers you signed with Mary Andrews, FP Jones, and Alice Cooper." My father shot me a look.

"Yeah," my sister agreed, "And how many other secret children should we be expecting? And when will you stop abusing my little sister?"

Hiram chuckled, "It's discipline, Veronica. I am showing her how to be a proper young woman. And Hermosa is your second and last half-sibling."

I said, "Congratulations. You've joined a cult more sinister than the organ farm that tried to give me and my cousin a lobotomy."

"Nicolette!"

"It's true, Veronica!" I said, "Betty and I just don't talk about it, not to anyone else anyway."

"And what about custody?" Veronica said.

"Well, we're a family again. None of them have submitted the papers to your attorney yet so you are a Lodge officially. And you will be helping me pursue my true passion."

"And what might that be?" Veronica challenged, "Extortion? Murder? Child Abuse?"

Everyone's eyes shot to Hermosa when she said, "Rum."

"Excuse you?" I asked, "What are you-"

"Papi's true passion is rum..." I nearly choked on my water as he proceeded to explain how Hermosa ran all of his clubs in Miami and then he had the audacity to say...

"I was thinking Hermosa could help out at the speakeasy..." Hiram had the audacity to say. Veronica and I shared a look. She raised her eyebrow at me, "You wanna take this one?"
"Do I have to?"

Veronica gave me the look and said, "I mean... since you practically live in the speakeasy..."

"That's such a lie."

"Is it though?"

I rolled my eyes at her, "Fine. I'm headlining so there's no way I'm giving that up for her. I have a very strict list of guidelines which include me overseeing the staff and the guest list for the speakeasy the week, night, and day before. And I think my sister would be very dissatisfied if she lost her headliner and co-owner since I'm her top investor right now. Vee would never replace me, would she?"