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~♛~
tw: drug misuse
gracie's pov:
"you pussycats are the pearls before the swine of riverdale." nick st. clair, veronica's old school friend from new york, clapped his hands.
i rolled my eyes, i didn't like the look of this dude already. i had decided to skip school and visit riverdale high after the drama with sweetpea and the gang yesterday.
"you have to come to the party i'm hosting tonight. let's say, 10pm? in my room at the five seasons." nick then turned to me. "it's gracie, isn't it? you're invited too, of course."
"thrilling..." i murmured sarcastically.
"did someone say party?" cheryl appeared in the doorframe. i hadn't seen her in a while, and unbelievably i forgot how gorgeous she was. "hi there." she strolled up to nick, her red-high heels clacking against the student lounge floorboards. "i'm riverdale's resident it-girl, cheryl blossom. you must be veronica's old-school chum." she looked him up and down.
"nick st. clair." he introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake.
"now that's a name i can get behind." she smirked. "ten o'clock, you said? i'll be there at eleven." i rolled my eyes. "oh, gracelyn. i didn't see you there." she smiled cruelly, knowing completely what she was doing to annoy me, and walking away. i huffed.
~♛~
"then we walk into the gilded lily, and there's gal again." nick recounted.
"gal?" i frowned.
"gadot. keep up, gracie." cheryl said.
"archiekins, a refill s'il vous plait?" veronica handed him her cup.
"forget tee-totalling. let's move to something with more kick." nick pulled some colourful thin tubes from his pocket.
"is that—?" cheryl began.
"—jingle-jangle? why, yes, it is."
"i hooked him up." reggie pointed out.
"tasters? who's up first?"
"we're not doing that—" archie protested.
"look, don't take this the wrong way, but you are an epic buzzkill." the st. clair boy sighed. "come on, vee, like back in the day!" he urged, chuckling. "besides, aren't you supposed to be showing me a good time— per daddy's orders?"
"down, nicky. i'm just getting going. and now that you mention it, i, in fact, wouldn't mind a little sugar to spice up this party." i could tell half the room was silently judging her. "what? everyday it's burgers and milkshakes at pop's— can't we just cut it loose for once?"
"i'm in." i shrugged. "it's not like i haven't tried it before."
"me too." cheryl agreed.
reggie nodded. "count me in."
kevin clanked his class with cheryl's, smiling aswell. "pussycats? care to partake?" josie, val and melody all nodded.
"what about you, betty?" ronnie asked.
"no thanks." she shook her head.
"it'll be fun!" she urged.
"i said no, vee."
"okay! relax, betty. this is strictly voluntary."
"perhaps we should decamp to the bedroom. as not to disturb the country mice." nick whispered to ronnie, putting her hand on her shoulder.
"i changed my mind." archie shook his head, toxic masculinity taking over. "i'm in."
"bravo, archie andrews. there's that good, strong riverdale-stock i've been jonesing for."
~♛~
a few drinks and jingle-jangle straws later, they were all wasted and dancing around, acting like morons— except betty and i.
"lightweights." i muttered, taking a shot.
"come on, betty. don't be such a wallflower." veronica tried to pull her up to dance.
betty pushed her off. "like you, you mean? you're making a fool out of yourself, veronica. just acting like some privileged, shallow, airhead party girl."
"excuse me?" she scoffed.
"yeah." betty nodded. "i mean, it's all just recycled banner and plunging necklines and throwing shade to distract us from the fact that there's nothing going on underneath."
"betty, what are you saying?" archie frowned.
"what we're all thinking! that the only reason veronica hangs out with us is circumstance. she's not our friend. the minute someone from her trashy past shows up, she starts using us for drugs, or music, or distraction. and why should we be surprised? like father, like daughter, right?"
"you'd better shut it down, betty." veronica crossed her arms.
"or what, veronica? you'll have your dad put a hit in me? or maybe you'll just do it yourself. because you may have fooled all of them, but not me. try to reform all you want, but you're a bad person, veronica. you'll always be a bad person."
"why don't you just go then, if i'm such a monster?"
betty nodded and grabbed her coat, before slamming the door behind her.
