Cigarette Daydreams // Archie Andrews (1)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Athena, Jughead and Betty walked up to Jason's room, hoping to find something they could use. Athena sat on his bed as the other two stood by the door. She knew was only there to provide a cover if someone were to walk in. "Is it me or did the temperature just drop like it does in horror movies?"

"That's just the icy chill of the dead." Athena too felt cold, shivering and moving her hands up and down her arms to warm them. "Where does a teenage boy hide things?" Betty questioned opening the side drawers and pushing things around. "Under the mattresses, maybe in the drawers, behind the headboard, in the closet."

"Hello." The three jumped as Nana Rose decided to make herself aware to the three. She wheeled out from behind the door, approaching the three. "Holy-" Betty gasped. "Hi Nana Rose." Athena sighed as she knew that the woman was harmless. Nana Rose was a force to be reckoned with back in the day, but she was confined to a wheelchair these days with her eyesight getting worse. "I'm so sorry, we were just leaving." Betty starts to shuffle to the door with Jughead close behind. Athena stood up from the bed and slowly follows the two as the attempted to escape from the horrifying room.

"Oh, it's you. How lovely to see you again. Come closer, I want to get a good look at you." Nana Rose asked Betty. "The horror. The horror." Jughead whispered into the blonde's ear. She had no idea how Nana Rose would know Betty since they'd never met. "Come closer, Polly dear." Betty slowly walked towards the half-blind woman before sitting down next to her. "It's nice to you again, too. I'm sorry it had to be under such terrible circumstances." Betty said with a hint of fear in her voice. The old woman grabbed Betty's hands, feeling around her fingers.

"Well, of course, you're not wearing it. God blesses." She dropped the hands and continued to smile at the girl. "Wearing what?" Betty asked as Jughead and Athena watched the scene unfold in front of them. "The ring, Polly. That ring has been in the Blossom family for generations. You keep it close to your heart, always. But don't tell Penelope I gave it to you. Or she'll likely come and snip it off your finger!" The jaws on the three dropped, Athena knew many things about Jason and Polly's relationship, but this was completely updated news to her.

It all made sense now. Athena couldn't believe it. Jason had proposed to Polly and didn't tell her. The brother and sister weren't as loving to each other as Cheryl and Jason were but he did tell her almost everything about his and Polly's relationship. "I won't. I promise." Betty sighed out as her eyes became glossy. "Such a shame. Your wedding was the last thing I was living for. I lost a grandson, but you, you've lost the love of your young life. Poor child."

"Excuse me. I have to-- I can't--." Betty runs out of the room with Jughead and Athena following behind closely. "Betty-" The blonde was quick to get out of the house with Jughead trailing behind her, leaving Athena standing with the pitying looks surrounding her.

+ + +

The memorial was over and an all the guests left so that the deceased could be laid to rest in the blossom cemetery. Athena watched as her brother was buried in the ground. An orchid placed on his tombstone causing Athena to almost laugh as she found it ironic that they symbolized innocence whilst Jason and their family were anything but innocence.

She swears she could almost see her brother walking around next to his mother and nana. She smiled and turned to see her sister watch from afar as tears slid down her face. She had been shunned because of what she did. Athena knew that it wasn't Cheryl's fault but until they can find who killed him, she would take the blame.

The day after, much to everyone's surprise Athena arrived at school and made a beeline for the offices of the blue and gold knowing that Betty and Jughead would be in there. "Hey, Athena." Betty smiles slightly at the redhead before they began talking about Betty's awful parents. "I feel like I don't even know who my mom and dad are anymore." Athena walked towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Betty smiled at her and then continued to stare at the murder board. "Betty if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about."

"What do you mean?" Betty questioned looking up at Jughead and Athena as they sat on a table in front of her. "So, the next logical question is how far would he go to protect her?" Athena's eyes widened with realization. The Coopers despised the Blossom family, but no blood had been shed over the matter since the Blossoms killed the Coopers ancestors. "Jughead, whoever broke into Sheriff Keller's house and stole all his evidence wasn't at the drive-in. My Dad wasn't at the drive-in." Jughead wrote down the surname for Betty and she pinned it up next to a picture of Jason. 'The Coopers.'

"We need to talk to Polly," Athena stated. Polly was one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. They just hoped they hadn't lost her so everything would fit.

SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTER. I promise that this will be the only one that is this short. I always try to keep my chapters to 1200-1400 words.

Thanks, Queenie.

(EDITED)