Cigarette Daydreams // Archie Andrews (1)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It was the time. Athena and Cheryl's twin brother's memorial was to occur within the next few days. Athena walked past Jason's old room to see her mother and her sister arguing. Her sister sprawled on Jason's bed as she had been sleeping there since he died. "Don't bother. You won't be speaking at his memorial." Athena continued walking down the now cursed halls of Thornhill before laying down in her bed.

The next day, Athena stood along with Betty, Jughead, and Kevin looking at their murder board in the office of the blue and gold which had been altered by Kevin to match his fathers. "This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom murder board before it was trashed." They all nodded at him before turning back to the board. "Any leads on who did that? Or what they were looking for?" Jughead asked. It was still a mystery, but whoever broke into the Sheriff's personal office.

"Nope. No fingerprints. But they stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audiotapes of police interviews." Athena sigh out "Well whoever did it, most likely was covering their tracks for murdering my brother and--" Athena was cut off by a smiling enthusiastic Trev. "Oh, hey, Betty" He was grinning from ear to ear, so happy to see the blonde-locked girl.

"Trev, hi." Betty appeared to be just as happy as he was. Athena looked at Kevin and he shrugged, suggesting he had no idea what was going on. "Sorry to interrupt--" Trev's eyes darted to the murder board which made his smile falter. "Oh, no. It's okay. We're just working on--" Betty stuttered as she could not find a word that wasn't creepy instead of murder board.

"Our murder boards." Athena smiled at Trev as he looked startled. "Well, I just wanted to make sure we're still on for tomorrow?" Athena felt Kevin nudged her causing a small smile to form on her face as she looked at the two. "Absolutely, it's a date. I mean, I'll see you there. Bye." Trev waves goodbye before walking out, leaving Athena with her jaw on the ground.

"Elizabeth Cooper. How dare you not tell me that you're going to get some action finally?" Athena gasps as Betty just smiles and shrugs."Going on a date with Trev? Does Mama Cooper know about that?" Kevin questioned her with an eyebrow raised. "Kev, I'm not on house arrest. Okay, she's out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat. Anyway, it's not a 'date' date." Betty defended causing almost everyone in the room to roll their eyes.

"You just called it a date. You literally said, 'It's a date.'" Jughead answered causing Athena to laugh. "That's just my cover. Really, it's an intelligence gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have access to that your dad doesn't. The kids at Riverdale High. You know, maybe Trev knows something about Jason he didn't think was important." Betty points out which made sense to Athena but she would not let it go that easily. "So what ship name are we thinking? Tetty or Brev?"

+ + +

After their date, the interrogations had started. "Betty, you're positively radiating Nicholas Sparks. Tell me everything about this Trev." Veronica chuckled at Betty who blushed at her comments. "There's nothing to tell. Just one of Betty's sources, there's nothing romantic in the offing." Kevin informed Veronica. "Betty, please. The only romance I've gotten recently was Reggie manhandling me." Athena gave Betty the puppy dog eyes before taking a seat next to Archie.

"Why is everything weird here? Why can't a date just be a date? What about you, Archie? How's life in a PG world? PG. Post-Grundy. What, too soon?" Athena shivers, still weirded out that Archie was in a relationship with his teacher. When Betty told Athena, what had happened the night of the drive-in, she went through very mixed emotions. Happiness as she jumped around her room, sadness as she knew that Archie was upset and finally anger at Grundy for manipulating Archie. "Coach Clayton says I have a shot at being varsity captain. So, I'm not thinking about anything else right now." Athena nodded as Archie explained. This was the perfect way to get over Grundy.

"Are you, maybe, throwing yourself into football to avoid your feelings." Athena kicked Betty in the shins causing Betty to glare at her. Athena thought that mentioning that was a tiny bit counterproductive. "I'm not avoiding anything, Betty, I'm trying to get my life back on track." Athena smiled at Archie and he returned it before they were interrupted by Val. "I can help with that. I know Ms. Grundy was tutoring you--"

"Understatement of the year," Veronica commented causing Athena to muffle her laughter in her hands. "But there's this amazing songwriter from New York, who's an adjunct at Carson College? Incredible mentor. He does some coaching on the side and I told him about you. You want to meet him?" Athena smiled at Valerie as she felt she had no bad intentions for the redheaded boy. "Yeah, yeah, I'd love to, but football--"

"No. He'll be there." Athena interrupted the boy, smiling at Val. "Call him if you want, but do it soon. His spots fill up fast." The girl smiled at the group. "Thanks, Val." The girl with spunk stood up and walked away from the group. "Hey, now you have zero excuses for avoiding music." Before anyone else could get a word in, Cheryl's sister strutted up to the group with bitchiness in her eyes. "Sorry to interrupt Sad Breakfast Club, but I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend as I'm assuming Athena didn't," Cheryl spoke passive aggressively at the group, handing an invitation to everyone. Athena did not know anything about her own brother's memorial and its guests as she did not want to be involved in any way.

"To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest-list. In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be searching bags." Cheryl said to Veronica before giving her the invitation and strutting away. "Hey, just try to remember, she is burying her brother," Betty told Veronica reassuringly before Veronica walked away. "Are you speaking?" Archie asked Athena. "Oh dear, Archie. It's too late to say goodbye and I don't intend to."

+ + +

Athena sat beside Jughead in the student lounge as Betty told them what her father had told her about Polly. "I'm sorry, Betty. That's hardcore." Athena reached forward and covered Betty's hands with her own to comfort her. "I asked my dad if I could call Polly. He said she was doing better. But then, when she heard about Jason's death, she had a big setback. He doesn't want to risk another one."

"Why does a rich kid sell drugs?" Athena had an idea of why. "He was running away from his parents." Warmer. Athena thought to herself "Yeah, probably. Or drug dealers." Damn, they were good. "Oh, my god. Is that possible." Athena shrugged. "It's a theory. Yours is more likely. But why would he have to run away from mommy and daddy?"

"Because they're monsters. No offense, Athena." Athena chuckled before running a hand through her hair. "None taken. You took the words out of my mouth." Athena watched the wheels turn in their brains. "Yeah, but why, specifically?" They were delving deep. "Well, we can't exactly just ask them." Athena would love to see that conversation. "So, we have to ask Jason."

"I don't mean to weigh down that plan but I don't mess with Ouija boards and neither should you," Athena interjected causing Jughead to scoff and shake his head."No. Dead men tell no tales. But their bedrooms, their houses" Athena's eyes widened at what Jughead was proposing the three of them do during her brother's funeral. "You want to search my brother's room during his memorial? " Jughead nodded but put his hands up. "Only with your permission. We can only do this with you."

Athena sighed out before nodding and giving them a thumbs up. "Yep, let's do this."

(EDITED)