Another Love~J.J. {1}

~17~

The Last Picture Show

* * *

It's been a week since the discovery of Jason Blossom's body. But his death is not the first, nor would it be the last casualty that the town of Riverdale would suffer. The Twilight Drive-In where I work, my home away from home, a piece of town history, is closing for good, just when we needed a place to escape to the most. With Sheriff Keller knocking on every door and neighbor suspecting neighbor, Riverdale, every day that passes, is becoming more like Salem during the witch trials. And meanwhile, the girl next door, our friendly neighborhood Hitchcock blonde, Betty Cooper, was wrestling with the knowledge that her best friend, Archie Andrews, was caught up in a forbidden romance.

* * *

        "The Drive-In closing is just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale." Jughead began to rant again. Apparently, the Twilight Drive-In, where Jughead worked was getting closed down and he was not happy about it at all. "No, forget Riverdale, in the coffin of the American dream. As the godfather of indie cinema, Quentin Tarantino, likes to say-

        "Please, God, no more Quentin Tarantino references." Kevin cut Jughead off, begging him not to continue and Lia just chuckled, messing with the rings on her fingers as she listened to their conversations but also zoned out a bit in worry for Archie. 

        "What? I'm pissed. And not just about losing my job. The Twilight Drive-In should mean something to us. People should be trying to save it." Jughead snapped. 

        "In this age of Netflix and VOD, do people really want to watch a movie in a car? I mean, who even goes there?" Veronica questioned. 

        "People who want to buy crack." Kevin answered, making Jughead scoff. 

        "And cinephiles, and car enthusiasts. Right, Fifi?" Jughead asked as he turned to Lia beside him who looked up with a nod.

        "Of course." She agreed.

        "Anyway, it's closing because the town owns it, but didn't invest in it. So when an anonymous buyer made Mayor McCoy an offer, she couldn't refuse-

        "Anonymous buyer? What do they have to hide? No one cares." Veronica interrupted. 

        "I do!" Jughead exclaimed before he settled down again. "Also, you guys should all come to closing night. I'm thinking American Graffiti...or is that too obvious?"

        "I vote for anything starring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." Veronica said.

        "Or The Talented Mr. Ripley. Betty, your choices?" Kevin asked, noticing that Betty was also zoned out. 

        "Everything okay, B?" Veronica asked her. 

        "Yeah, I'm just thinking. Um...I don't really know. How about you, Phea?" Betty asked and Lia sighed, thinking of a movie that she knew Jughead would approve of.

        "Maybe Rebel Without a Cause?" She suggested and Jughead smiled at her, giving her the approval she needed. 

        "Here you go, kids." Mrs. Lodge's voice said as she came over with the groups milkshakes and Lia's cheesy fries. 

        "Thanks, Mom." Veronica smiled. Lia smiled at Mrs. Lodge before watching her go, seeing Cheryl slap her hand over the money she had set out as Mrs. Lodge tried to take it. 

        "Be sure to put all that cash in the register. You are a Lodge, after all, and Lodges are known to have sticky fingers." Cheryl snapped. Lia rolled her eyes as Veronica stood up, going to intervene but Lia could really care less so she just ate her cheesy fries. 

        Pop's bell sounded from behind her, signaling that someone had walked in so she turned quickly to see Archie, her dad, and Ms. Grundy. Lia gaped at the group, watching as they went to sit down. 

        "Now, that's an odd combo of people." Veronica stated. 

        "I'll be right back." Betty said as she stood up. 

        "No, Betty." Lia tried to pull her back but she was already gone. 

        "Wait, what's happening?" Kevin asked but Jughead and Lia ignored him, instead watching as Betty talked with Archie before the two went outside. Lia pushed Jughead back in his seat, craning her head upwards to watch the two talk. 

        "Eat all my cheesy fries and you're dead." Was all Lia said before she rushed outside, leaving Kevin and Veronica shocked and Jughead worried. 

        "Jughead and Lia know about this?" Lia heard Betty ask as she made her way over. "You knew about him and Grundy and you didn't say anything?" 

        "I was pissed, no doubt about it B, but he said he was going to go to Weatherbee about the shot on July 4th. I figured him and Grundy were done." Lia tried to reason.  

        "It's not what you're thinking." Archie said.

        "So, it's platonic?" Betty asked. 

        "Okay, well, maybe it's a little like what you're thinking..." Archie trailed off and Lia sighed, rubbing her face and mentally scolding herself for thinking that he and Grundy had called it quits.

        "Are you and Ms. Grundy, like, together, like, romantically?" Betty asked Archie just as Veronica appeared beside Lia. 

        "Oh, my God. You and your music teacher are having an affair?" She asked. 

        "We are..." Archie trailed off before sighing. "Together. Look, I know that sounds bad, but-

        "Bad? It sounds scandalous." Veronica cut him off. 

        "It sounds horrible, Arch." Lia added on. 

        "It sounds like jail time to me. Illegal!" Betty exclaimed. 

        "Betty, don't go there."

        "Oh, I'm already there."

        "Ronnie, a little help here?" Archie asked but Lia shook her head while holding her hands up in defense, going over to stand beside Betty. 

        "I mean, technically, Betty's right. And ethically...well, what is Grundy to you, anyway, your girlfriend? Your booty tutor?" Veronica asked. Lia grimaced at her suggestions. 

        "I don't know, I don't know what to call her." Archie sighed. 

        "You said you were at the river alone. You lied to Sheriff Keller, to all of us. Why? To protect her?" Betty questioned. 

        "She believed in me when no one else did." Archie responded, making Lia scoff at his words. Archie looked at her with apologetic eyes but she just glared at him, wondering why he'd think so predator helped him more than she did. 

        "Okay, we get it." Veronica said, wanting to end the conversation. 

        "Betty, say something, please." Archie begged just as a car pulled up behind Betty and Lia. They turned, seeing Mrs. Cooper glaring at Archie and Veronica before looking at Betty. 

        "Get in the car, Betty. Now." Mrs. Cooper ordered. Betty looked at Archie with disappointment before joining her mother in her car. "What have I told you about those two?" 

        "Can we just go?" Betty snapped and Mrs. Cooper looked at Archie, Veronica, and Lia one last time before driving off with an angry Betty. Lia sighed, looking back at her brother before patting his shoulder and making her way back inside Pop's, ignoring Archie's calls for her.