𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦 [𝟐]

xxi. blind item.

ENOCH WAS in class when Cheryl made her announcement on the PA. "Attention, students, it's time for the daily announcements. As Riverdale High's first openly lesbian student body president, I'm announcing the launch of a new club. An LGBTQIA alliance." She said.

Enoch smiled to himself as he glanced up at the speaker. "With the mission to find and support our queer and questioning students. In that spirit, this week's blind item will be on theme. A certain oh-so-hunky all-American RROTC cadet is afraid to come out the closet." Enoch furrowed his brows and glanced at Kevin who looked at Moose. Enoch looked to the Bulldog, who looked to the side and back down at his own desk.

"Let's show him that Riverdale High is welcoming, so he and his Broadway-loving boyfriend can finally PDA, like the other sex-craved couples amongst us. Also for lunch today, we're having shepherds pie. Thank you." Once the announcement was over, Enoch crossed his arms.

After class, he saw Moose head off in the direction Kevin was. He watched the two and then when Kevin walked away, he approached Moose. "Marmaduke," he said and Moose turns around. "No one calls me that, Cooper." He said and Enoch sighs. "I just want to say... I was there before, in your shoes." He said and Moose looked down.

"And I get it, Moose... I-I wanted to stay too, in the closet, but I loved Sweet Pea so much. And I wanted to be able to be public with it." He said and Moose glanced up at him. "You're with Reggie now, right?" He said and Enoch slowly nods.

"And what about him? What's he? Gay? Bi?" He said and Enoch sighs. "I'm guessing bi but we don't really talk about it." He said and then he crossed his arms. "I just wanna say, there's no pressure, man... Just come out when you feel comfortable or... when the time is right, not when someone is pushing you to." He said and Moose smiled.

"Thanks, Enoch..." He said and Enoch smiled at him. "Wanna hear how I came out?" He said and Moose nods. "How did you?" He asked and Enoch chuckled, flashes of the Black Hood in his head. He simply gulped and looked up at Moose. "My dad, the Black Hood, he was saying all this crap about sinning... I told him he'd have to kill me then if he thought being gay was a sin." He said and Moose raised his eyebrows. "Woah." He says.

"Yeah... woah." Enoch sighed and looked away. God, he never talked about that until now. He can still feel how his father's hands felt around his throat and he felt like he couldn't breathe all of the sudden. "I-I'm gonna go now, see you around, Moose." He said and brushed past the boy.

After school, Enoch sat with Veronica where they were going through paperwork, the financial parts of La Bonne Nuit when Reggie came down the stairs. "Hey there, hottie," Reggie grinned, leaning over and kissing Enoch's cheek. Enoch blushed hard as Reggie sat down beside him. "What's up?" Reggie asked and Enoch sighed. "We're dead." Veronica said right away to answer the boy.

"That or we're about to have our kneecaps broken." Enoch said and sighed, setting down the pen and crossing his arms. Reggie put a hand to his back, "courtesy of whoever this mystery buyer is." Veronica says and Reggie looked at them. "Does that really happen?" He asked.

"I've combined my liquid funds from Pop's and La Bonne Nuit with Enoch's help, we're not even a quarter of the way there." Veronica said and Enoch sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "You guys could have just... not done it? If I was there—" "Yeah, where were you anyway?" Reggie asked him right away and Enoch just sighed.

"I told you, I was at home," Enoch said right away and held his chin onto his hand. "Is robbing banks still a thing?" Reggie glanced from Enoch to Veronica before looking back at his boyfriend. "The thought of being partners in crime, the dynamic trio, is intriguing, banks have round-the-clock security guards with guns." Veronica says and Enoch sighed, shaking his head softly.

"Yeah, but, if they're anything like my dad's lame-ass security guards..." Reggie sighed as he looked down and then he looked back up at the two. "Holy crap, I'm a genius." He said and Enoch put a hand to his shoulder. "You once asked if gay guys who bottom get pregnant, don't get too carried away there, babe," he said as he slowly patted Reggie's shoulder and Veronica stifles a laugh.

"My dad keeps cash in a safe at the dealership." He said and Enoch's brows furrow together. "Enough to make up the difference." He said and Enoch groans. "You're gonna steal from your dad, Reg?" He said and Reggie shrugged. "That dealership is my legacy, so, technically, I'd be burrowing money from my future self." The boy explains.

Enoch sighed and looked at Veronica to see she was actually thinking about it. "And everything's insured, so my dad will get a sweet payout, which is more than he deserves for all the shiners he's given me over the years." He said and Enoch reached for his hand, frowning faintly. He interlocked their fingers as Veronica took off her glasses. "This is lunacy. But it might be inspired lunacy."

She turned to the two, "how would we get it all done?" She asked him. "My dad's security guard is only on duty at night after closing, so I'd hit the lot during the day, probably lunchtime, when my dad is usually at Pop's, with a costumer, trying to close a sale." Reggie said and Enoch stood up, pulling his hand back. "You could wear a Gargoyle mask, so as not to get recognized." Veronica says. "And I'm coming with you. Of course." Enoch said right away and Veronica nodded.

"So will I. I'll be the getaway car driver." Veronica said and Reggie nods. "As long as you don't scratch my car, V, and E, you'll be on the look out," he said and Enoch nodded right away, standing on his tippy toes and kissing Reggie's cheek.

authors note i just wanna say i miss swenoch.
+ hey suckers.