"We're all on the edge of madness; deep down, darkness is within all of us and we're on guard constantly trying to avoid losing control."
In which Mickey Lodge has a few skeletons in her closet.
{COMPLETED WITH ALL SEASONS + epilogue}
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"Are you sure you're okay?"
Mickey holds her phone to her ear, settling on her couch. "I'm fine. Veronica's setting up the VCR thingy." She crosses her legs, watching Veronica set up the player.
It's been weeks since Mickey and Jughead found the tape outside his house. Ever since then, more and more residents of Riverdale have received similar tapes with footage of their homes. Hours and hours of footage. No messages came with them. No follow ups either, which makes it even more frightening. It's feeling less like a prank and now, everyone's on edge.
"I can't believe we even have this," Veronica says from her spot on the carpet. She pushes the tape into the VCR. "I also can't believe you woke me up to watch this tape at one in the morning."
"Is it the same as the others?" Jughead asks.
Mickey uses the remote to fast forward the tape. It's unchanging except the color of the sky. "Yes. It's just the front of the Pembrooke. Why would someone spend hours in front of people's houses? What's the motive?"
Veronica adds, "And then leaving the evidence behind? Not smart."
"It's unsettling." She yawns and stops the tape. "Jug, I need to get some sleep. School and then my shift at the diner has exhausted me. Love you."
"Love you too. Call me tomorrow please."
"Night, Jughead!" Veronica calls out, snorting. She waits until Mickey hangs up to ask, "Is he still coming home for Halloween?"
"Yup. We're supposed to be handing out candy and watching scary movies." The idea makes her smile to herself. Not only is she seeing Jughead, but her favorite genre of film is horror. It's the perfect evening.
"I have a shift on Halloween night, so are you guys gonna do it here or...?"
"At his house."
Veronica scrunches her nose. "Isn't Betty staying home for Halloween?"
Mickey shrugs her shoulders, "What's your point?" She knows exactly what her sister is getting at. The Coopers and Joneses have moved in together because of FP and Alice's relationship. Mickey hasn't really felt anything about it because Jughead's at Stonewall.
"I'm just saying, you guys are gonna have a date night with his ex upstairs or in the room next door?"
"Being here would be ideal," she concedes. "But I think Jellybean wants to watch a couple movies with us. She's been bitter about Jug's move. They were already apart when their parents separated, and she was just getting used to having her big brother around."
