Riverdale, The Town That's Losing its Pep

Chapter 3

Previously on Riverdale
"Dilton Doley and Ben Button were found in the woods with blue lips." Hermonie explains to the parents
"We made a pact to never revist that night." Tom Keller says
With Jughead and Betty
"Gryphons and Gargoyles." Jughead reads out
I wonder if Ethel was playing with them." Betty says
*Ethel*
"If any of us talk to any grown ups hes gonna get angry, very, very angry." Ethel says
"Who? Is the Gargoyle king?"
"Betty she's having a seizure." Jughead says
"Ethel! Ethel! Help is coming okay!" Betty yells
*Ben Buttons hospital room*
"We both flipped the coin, he was scared to ascend but I'm not soon you'll fly too." Ben says as he forces himself out the hospital window falling to his death
"Ben! No!" Betty screams as her and Jughead sprint to grab him before he falls
*Back at the school*
"I'm Evelyn and you're Betty Cooper, Your mom and your sister they're studying with my dad." Evelyn introduces her self to Betty
"From the farm?" Betty asks her
"Yeah, that's right." Evelyn confirms
"Edger Evernever." Betty murmurs
"I won't tell anyone about what happened the other night." Evelyn tells her
*Leopold and leod Juvnile Center*
"Stop the riot!" An officer yells as Archie punchs him in the face
"You impressed me today. You've been tapped, you're gonna be my new mad dog." Warden Norton tells Archie
*Recap over*
(Three weeks later)
It's been three weeks since the deaths of Dilton Doley and Ben Button, Jughead told me what he saw with what was going through Ben's head. He was going crazy, whatever they were doing I don't want it. "Hey baby, what are you doing up so early?" Reggie mumbles out in his deep morning voice "Just thinking bubs." I reply "About what, you usually sleep like a rock." He says sitting up more "Just about what has been going on in the world." He tell him he sits up more and grabs my chin making me look up at him "If this is about the two nerds that died, do not worry they were just batshit insane." He explains to me "But that's what is making me think, what thing would make them do something so crazy?" I ask rhetoricly Reggie shrugs "Come on lets just get some food in your stomach." He says unwrapping himself from me and getting up I refuse to get up and he gives me a disapproving look. His face lights up suddenly and he quickly jumps on the bed, picking me up and bringing me down stairs. "I hate you." I say to him he laughs "Yeah right, all night last night all I heard was "Oh reggie I love you don't ever leave me." He mocks I roll my eyes "Shut up." I tell him my phone dings it's Veronica "Pop's soon?" the text says "Sure! How soon?" I ask her "20 minutes work?" It asks "Of course." I reply back I put my phone down and Reggie hands me a plate of waffles "Who was that?" He asked me taking a bite out of his "Just Veronica asking to meet at Pop's." I explain "That means someone needs to go get ready, go thing you've been slowly moving some of your clothes over here." He laughs out "Shush, I know you cuddle with half that stuff anyways." I mock "SO!" He yells in defense "Got you there." I say finishing up and going to put my plate in the sink
Time skip to Pop's
Veronica, Betty and I all sit in a booth with a bunch of paper work set out in front of us. "I'm in trouble here, guys, I'm up to my eyebrows in bills. Pop's is hemorrhaging money." Veronica rants "Well how far along is the speak easy?" Betty asks her "Is it close at least?" I ask "What, what is wrong?" Betty and I both ask after studying her heistation she takes off her glasses "The Speakeasy's ready, it has been for a while now." She confesses "What? Why haven't you opened it?" I ask her "I've been waiting for Archie... I just wanted him to be there, dancing with me on opening night, a part of it all..." Veronica explains to us "This is exactly what Archie didn't want, for you to just put your life on hold. You need to focus on yourself for a change. I'm saying this to you as your friend, open the damn speakeasy." Betty tells her I nod "If you don't you will lose Pop's then your dad will buy it." I tell her, she sighs "Come on we need to get ready for school, mostly you Ronnie." I say as I get up and grab my stuff "I will see you all at school, Ronnie seriously open the damned thing." I tell her before leaving out the door and heading to my Harley bike. I swing my leg around it and pump the kickstart and speed off to school.
At School
I park my bike next to Toni and Jordans, they were sitting and talking to each other, as I pulled up. I swung my leg around and put down the kickstand and leaned against my bike "Long time no see Jones." Jordan says "Could say the same about you." I reply to her they both laugh "So what's the scoop?" Toni asks me "Well Veronica is opening her Speakeasy tonight, Reggie is working it as a bouncer, do you guys want to come with?" I ask them, they look at each other "Of course, girl's night out." Toni says "Sweet, My trailer after school?" I ask them they both nod as the bell rings "Come on you guys can fill me in on Serpent stuff along the way." I say as we walk together to the front doors of the school
After School
I kiss Reggie goodbye and walk quickly out the front towards my Harley to meet Toni and Jordan to go my trailer to get ready to go to Veronica's speakeasy, I see them making their way towards the bikes so I take my cue to start mine. "You guys ready to go?" I ask them, they both nod and start their bikes. We all take off in the direction of my trailer home and zip by all the road ways. Making it to my trailer home, Dad's bike wasn't there so we had the place to ourselves to get ready. We park our bikes and walk inside "Okay so what look are we going for?" I ask the two "Hot and sexy?" Jordan asks "Hell yeah, come on I have some stuff just for that." I tell them as they follow me to my shared bedroom. I open up the curtain to the closet and scoot all the clothes back until I get to three dresses Red, Gold and Black. "What do you guys think?" I ask them "I call black!" Jordan says grabbing the short skin tight dress out "I'll take Red." Toni says grabbing the two piece out "That leaves me with gold." I say to myself it's a beautiful dress, a loose one with a deep V, and loose thin straps. It's one of my favorite dresses in my closet, I grab out my favorite pair of heels and begin to strip and get dressed. "What do you guys think hair down or up?" I ask the two girls "Down." They both say I give them a thumbs up and run to plug my curling iron in. I begin to wait for the iron to heat up as jordan puts a braid in Toni's hair and then she does her own hair. We just continue to have some small talk as I curl my hair into loose wavy curls "B Reggie is gonna faint when he sees you." Jordan says "You think so?" I ask her "Uh yeah, you're fucking hot." Toni tells me "Well thank you, I'm sure Cheryl won't be able to take her eyes of you." I tell her she giggles and blushes "Are we ready to go?" Jordan asks "Yeah, I'm ready, I'll just ride with one of you guys, and have Reggie take me home." I tell them as we walk out the door. I get onto the back of Jordans bike and we all zip off to the speakeasy.
We all get to Pop's and he notices our outfits right away "You must be here for Veronica." He tells us we all nod and follow him to the back of the resturant "Pick up the phone dial 6-4-2." He tells us I nod and grab the phone and spin the dial the line rings "Password?" The voice says I recongnize as my very own boyfriend "Bubby! uh Stonewall?" I question a window slides open and I see his eyes peek out "Close enough." He tells me and opens the door for us to get in "Come on in." He tells us I kiss him on the cheek "Oh my lord!" I gasp as I take a look at the place he closes the door behind us Reggie follows behind me closely "You look amazing." He whispers in my ear I giggle a bit "Thank you." I whisper back I look around the place and its beyond gorgeous, gold accents everywhere "Ronnie!" I say "Welcome to La Bonne Nuit." She says with a smile we all take a seat and she begins to tell us how this place is going to run "I've hired some of the Serpents from the Whyte Wyrm to serve drinks. Mocktails only La Bonne Nuit is not in the business of corrupting minors." Veronica explains "Not yet." Reggie says I glare at him "Good choice on the decsion to hire Serpents they make some amazing things." I tell her "B.J, I need star power and I know you're good at getting people to do things, Can you talk to Josie about becoming my resident Chanteuse." Veronica explains "Of course, I could do that for you." I tell her "Good, cause I would also like you to work with me, as a manager, just making sure things run smoothly while I take care of things upstairs." She explains to me "Alright I can do that, I am getting paid right cause I really need the money." I tell her "Of course!" She says the phone begins to ring Reggie answers "Hey Pop what's up?" Reggie asks Pop begins to speak and Reggie's face drops "Penny Peabody." He murmurs my blood begins to boil and I grip the chair Jordan and Toni put their hands on my shoulders trying to reassure me. "I'll handle this." Vernonica says getting up.
It's the next day at school and Veronica put my in charge of putting out the good word on the speakeasy's real opening I've handing out the fancy flyers all day. It's all worth it though, I'm getting paid and Veronica is even suppyling me with some pretty dresses as my uniform. I really don't mind doing this type of stuff I have been thinking about getting away from the Serpents so this is a good distraction. I've also just been needing a job, I'm planning on going to college, I really don't know what for yet but I'm thinking something with animals. "B.J! I need your help today after school." Veronica says running up to me "Uh yeah okay, with what?" I ask her "I can't say here but I will need Toni and Cheryl too." She tells me "Okay, you will have to catch them after school at the Serpent yard." I tell her "Cool take me there?" She asks me "I guess, I have my bike with me so um try not to fall off." I tell her she nods and begins to run off
After school Veronica meets me at my bike and she slowly swings her leg over it unsure. I laugh and swing my leg up and around kickstarting the bike and backing out. "Hold onto me." I yell at her over the motor I feel her arms wrap around me and I rev the throttle and begin to go. We pass by everything quickly and work our way to the yard that the Serpents staked out. I park my bike and get off and help Veronica get off too. "Wow that was really something." She says fixing her hair I laugh "It's not for everyone." I tell her we walk over to where Cheryl and Toni are taking pictures of each other and laughing "Serpettes, I need your help." Veronica greets them "How can we help?" Cheryl asks us "Penny Peabody, paid her a visit." I tell them "That Viper bitch showed her face on the Northside?" Cheryl asks "Followed shortly thereafter by Sheriff Minetta, my father's cleary puppeteering them, and I want to call them off. I need leverage against him first." Veronica explains the problem "Blackmail material you mean." Toni says "Antoinette Topaz you are speaking my language." Veronica says "And I know B.J and Jughead have been keeping tabs on the Southside." Veronica says "We have, for instance we know that over the summer, the Ghoulies set up shop in the basement of the Whyte Wyrm. Which your father owns, Sweatpee and Fangs think they turned it intoa Jingle-Jangle lab." I explain to them "Lucky for you I used to bartend there, which means I know all the secret ways in and out." Toni tells her we begin to plan to take pictures of the lab and when and how we sneak inside. Along with how we are getting out, we plan to go later that night
Later that night we meet on the outskirts of where the bar is located, and we follow Toni inside. We dodge all the people that could possibly see us and Toni begins taking picutures of the lab. "Okay we move quickly and quietly." I tell them as we watch the people from the lab leave "Looks like Sweatpea and Fangs were right." Veronica says looking at the mess "Yeah, looks like the Jingle-Jangle business is booming." Toni says "This should be plenty of admissible evidence for blackmail, Veronica." Cheryl tells her, as Toni takes more and more pictures.
That night I ended up at Reggies, I texted him that I was hear and I see his room light upstairs turn on, and in another few seconds he was at the door opening it for me. "Hey babe what are you doing here so late?" he asks still waking up "Well Veronica, Toni, Cheryl and I went and took pictures of a Jingle-Jangle lab as blackmail to get Hiram to leave Veronica alone." I explain to him "You what?" He asks "Yeah, we won't have to worry about Penny and Hiram for a while." I tell him he processes the situation and moves to let me in "Come on let's go to bed." He says I nod and follow him upstairs to his bedroom, he gives me one of his shirts and some sweatpants and I change into those and crash. Thank goodness it's the weekend that also means the speakeasy opens.
The next morning Reggie and I wake up and slowly make our way down for some food, Reggie grabs some Eggo waffles out of the freezer and puts them in the toaster. I sit down at the island and begin to doze off again until a plate hits me in the arm. I quickly begin to eat, which wakes me up more "Do you need to shower?" Reggie asks me I nod and finish my plate he picks it up and puts it in the dishwasher and leads me upstairs to his shower, "I'll find you a towel and I texted Veronica to send your uniform over here, you just get in." He tells me I nod and start the water, stripping off the clothes he gave to me last night. I step him into the hot water, I hear the door open "hey, here's a towel, and some shampoo, I have your uniform in my room." He tells me as he hands me the shampoo. "Are you gonna come in?" I ask him he takes a second to answer "Do you want me to?" He asks me "Yes." I tell him, I hear him rustle around and the shower curtain opens a bit and he steps in. I let him step into the water but I don't take my gaze off him, and he doesn't take his gaze off me either. I pick of the shampoo and conditioner he gave me and begin to wash my hair. We switch places so I can rinse it out, once all the soap is out I hug him and just stay there. I needed this time with him, everything has felt so busy lately, I just needed some time to relax myself.
Later that day Reggie and I began getting ready for the first night of work, Veronica sent me a gorgeous black sparkly dress. It was perfect for me, I put it on and went to the bathroom and borrowed Reggie's moms curling iron, I put my hair in a half up half down bun and some glam makeup. Reggie got his uniform on and we began to leave downstairs to get to his car "Aren't you excited?" He asks me "Of course." I tell him as he opens the car door for me and jogs around to the other side to get in and start the car. He begins to back out and go towards Pop's.
We get to Pop's and walk into the back we clock ourselves in and I begin to get tables ready, and I ask if Josie is ready to sing, I check the mic's and ask if the Serpents running the bar are ready. I ask if the hostess is good to go and I give a thumbs up to Veronica. She smiles and tells Reggie we are ready, A hoard of people are let through and the work begins. People from school were even there dressed up and smiling, Veronica assigned Kevin as an MC and singing director, but he still has to go through me to coordinate anything. I talk to guests and ask them how they are liking the experiance, when I see Mr. Lodge but as being polite as I am I walk up to him "Good evening Mr.Lodge how are you liking La Bonne Nuit so far?" I ask him he shrugs his shoulders "I am quite proud of my daughter and so far it's not terrible." He tells me I smile at him "Thank you enjoy the rest of the evening." I tell him and walk away "Ladies and gentlemen, Ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Veronica Lodge, I thank you all for coming to the grand opening of La Bonne Nuit. Now, please welcome to the stage, the one and only Miss Josephine McCoy." Kevin welcomes Josie onto the stage and I go stand over by Reggie and Veronica. Reggie grabs my hand and entangles his fingers in between mine.
Reggie and I ended up being so tired after tonight we trudged upstairs to his bedroom and helped each take clothes off. He helped take off my makeup off as I undid his pants and so on by then we were just in our underwear asleep.
Ethel must've done it before our rendevou in the bunker or maybe there was someone else helping her. Either way by next weekend almost every student at Riverdale High would be playing Gryphons and Gargoyles, and the real game was just begininng.