Another Love~J.J. {1}

~16~

Body Double

* * *

        "Quite the expose. Whenever did you find the time to write it?" Veronica asked Betty as she and Lia walked up to her locker, the Blue and Gold newspaper in Veronica's hand. 

        "Stayed up all night. Couldn't sleep after..." Betty trailed off. Lia nodded in agreement, the nights adventures kept her up all hours of the night and she found herself doing all her homework that was due by the end of the week

        "Me neither." Veronica agreed before looking at Lia and Betty. "Lia, Betty...you came through for me, in a way that no one else ever has before. But Betty, can we talk about what happened?"

        "What do you mean?" Betty asked. 

        "The wig and everything. How far were you gonna take it?" Lia asked, continuing for Veronica. 

        "Chuck deserved it." Betty replied. 

        "Sure he did, but that was a bit extreme, don't you think?" Lia responded. 

        "You called him Jason." Veronica added on. 

        "Know what? I didn't do that." Betty said, closing her locker and beginning to walk away, making Veronica and Lia follow her. 

        "Yeah, girl, you did. You called yourself Polly. It was like Dr. Jekyll, Mistress Hyde. You became another person." Veronica explained to her, making Betty sigh.

        "Okay, I mean, I remember saying Chuck should apologize for Polly, but not because I thought he was Jason." She said. 

        "Why then?"

        "Because I am sick of guys like Chuck and Jason doing horrible things to girls like me, you, Ophie and Polly. Okay?" Betty replied, walking away faster. 

* * *

        Later, Lia stood with practically all the girls of Riverdale High, watching as Chuck and his goons walked away in shame as they had been kicked off the football team for what they did. 

        "Thanks, Betty. Thanks, Veronica. Thanks, Lia." Ethel praised the three girls, making them smile in her direction. 

        "Thank you, Ethel, for going on the record. It made all of the difference with Weatherbee." Betty told her, Veronica and Lia nodded along with her. 

        "You're the bravest of them all, Ethel Muggs." Veronica smiled. 

        "#JusticeForEthel." Cheryl piped up and all the girls smiled before Betty reminded Lia they had to meet Jughead in the Blue and Gold room. They made their way there, seeing both Jughead and Dilton Doiley waiting for them. 

        "If you publish a story saying I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the Adventure Scouts, and charged with a misdemeanor. So, what if I have a better story?" Dilton suggested, making Lia, Betty, and Jughead all look at each other before looking back at Dilton. "If I tell you what I know, promise me the gunshot stays between us."

        "You have our word. As journalists." Betty agreed.

        "I saw something at Sweetwater River. Something nobody else saw. Ms. Grundy's car. By the river's edge. She was there." Dilton said. Lia and Jughead looked at each other, worry and fear for Archie shining in their eyes as they knew what would happen next. 

* * *

Despite all of our recent troubles, I would've done anything to protect Archie. But Dilton Doiley had just opened Pandora's box, and now, there was nothing I, or anyone, could do to save him.