Riverdale presents: The Midnight Club (English version)

Episode 5

After a week of many unsuccessfully attempts in the school and even in the journalistic archives of The Blue and the Gold, which had led only to various and apparent dead ends, I came to the conclusion that the only way to obtain certain information about all story was to ask directly to the source, which meant to confront our parents and have them tell us what The Midnight Club really was and why they had gone to all that trouble to hide it.

My theory was to put them on the spot using the surprise effect: each of us would have faced their parents at the same moment, in this way they would not have had time to make up excuses and, albeit reluctantly, they would have to reveal the truth. Besides, more than twenty years had passed and whatever happened then would certainly have enjoyed the - metaphorically speaking - benefit of the prescription period.

In the faded snapshot that Betty and Jughead had accidentally found in the latter's trailer, you could catch a glimpse of a group of a dozen guys posing in front of a blackboard with the writing The Midnight Club written in chalk. The large clock above the blackboard suggested that photo was taken in the detention room, the same where Betty had found the initials carved in the wood on the windowsill.

For a moment I almost laughed: I mean, Mrs Cooper and Mr Jones all right, but my mother, Mr Andrews, Mayor McCoy and Sheriff Keller in the detention room? I was dying of curiosity to know what kind of trouble they had all gotten into to get there. I smiled to myself in a good-naturedly malicious way.

Anyway, in the photo you could see, on the right, a group of smiling girls in questionable clothing (it's not that the 90s were really memorable from a fashion point of view, let me tell you) - my mother, Betty's, Josie's and Penelope's mothers, - and on the left Archie's, Jughead's, Kevin's and Reggie's fathers. Not a clue of my father and Mr Cooper, Betty's father - who had been students of Riverdale High anyway - so she and I should have made sure that Hermione and Alice were alone on the day and time when the 'Operation Conspiracy' - as Jughead had nicknamed it nicely - would take place.

For Archie it wouldn't have been a problem because his parents were separated and his mother lived in Chicago; the same in the case of Jughead. Mrs Jones had been gone some time ago with her children - Jug and her younger sister Jellybean - and it was only a couple of years ago that Jughead had moved back to Riverdale to live with his father. << What do you think, Archiekins? >> I asked him while we were facing each other with our mouths separated only by a cup of a vanilla milkshake. "I don't know, Ronnie. What if it doesn't work? What if we couldn't get anywhere even like that? Maybe we should let it go. >>

Since this whole story had come up, Archie had changed his attitude. He was more taciturn and thoughtful and when we were together we were never really together because he was always distracted, I noticed. << What are you worried about? >> I asked him, taking his hand. He sighed. << Aren't you afraid of finding out something terrible about your parents? Something for which you would no longer be able to look at them with the same eyes? >> he asked me back and it was as if he had freed himself from a weight that gripped him.

Archie was so candid at times. I loved that little naive side of him. It was evident that he had grown up in a healthy and principled family. Unfortunately for me, however, I was the daughter of Hiram and Hermione Lodge who in terms of values ​​left a lot to be desired and therefore for me, suspicion, intrigue and troubled situations were my daily bread and butter. No, whatever I discovered would not have made me see them in a different light, because it's true, they were my parents and I loved them, but when it came to them the light with which to look at them was unique.

I didn't even know at that moment how wrong I was.

Veronica Lodge

•••••••

Hi, Riverdale fans,

How's it going? Here's another episode of The Midnight Club series. I hope you enjoy it.

We are close to the truth time, or at least it looks that way.

Do you think Veronica's plan will help the gang to unravel the mystery? Will their parents be willing to bring to the table their past?

Please, read, like (if you like) and comment on my story and show me your support. And don't forget to follow me to stay up to date on the publication of new episodes. #sharethestory

Thanks and see you next time, stay tuned!

SJM

I am not an English native, but I would like to improve my writing, therefore I have decided to write an English version of this story. I am aware there are mistakes in my narrative, therefore I am asking you (English native or near-native speakers) to help me to improve. Feel free to correct my syntax (structure of sentences), vocabulary and punctuation, please. I would really appreciate that. (Constructive feedback only, though. No haters. I am learning.)