Safety Net- SP 2 ✔️

Chaper 18- When A Stranger Calls Pt2

I get a text off Veronica asking to meet her in the music room. I walk in and see someone I've never seen before
"Rory, this is Nick St Clair, Nick this is Rory. Archie's twin sister"
"It's a pleasure to meet you. You all have to come to the party I'm hosting tonight. Let's say 10:00. My hotel room at the 5 seasons"
"Did somebody say party?" Cheryl says walking through the door "hi there. I'm Riverdale's resident it girl Cheryl Blossom. You must be Veronica's old school chum I keep hearing about"
"Nick St Clair" they shake hands
"Now that's a name I can get behind. 10:00 you said? I'll be there at 11" Cheryl turns and walks out
"Wow, what a flirt" I roll my eyes
"It's ok darling, she's not really my type" Nick winks at me
"No no no I have a boyfriend, plus you look like my ex" I shudder a little
"I'm sure I could change your mind"
"You haven't met my sister, stubborn"
"Hey" I nudge Archie. Betty then leaves the room and Archie runs after her
"What's that about?" Veronica asks me
"No idea" I shrug "anyway Kev we better be going to class. See you guys later" I wave goodbye and walk out with Kevin.

"Then we walk into the Gilded Lily and there's there's Gal again" Nick says standing in front of us all in a suit. Veronica laughs a little, but the rest of us stay silent, this boy sure likes to talk
"Gal?" Archie asks confused
"Gadot. Keep up Archie" Cheryl says looking annoyed that Archie interrupted, but to be honest I'm just as confused. I look over to Betty who looks bored, I mean same Bets same. I pour myself another drink
"Archiekins, a refill, s'il vou plait?"
"Forget teetotaling. Let's move to something with more kick" Nick shows us some straws in his blazer pocket
"Is that..."
"Jingle Jangle" Nick cuts me off "why yes, yes it is"
"I hooked him up"
"Of course you did, just like you hooked up with Josie while we were dating" I say more to myself but load enough that everyone can hear me
"Tasters? Who's up first? Darling?" Nick looks at me
"No, my boyfriend won't be happy and anyway he will probably kill you"
"You alway do as your boyfriend says?"
"Hmm when it comes to being street smart, yeah. I'm not taking drugs"
"Dude we told you we're not doing..."
"Don't take this the wrong way but you are an epic buzzkill. Come on V. Like back in the day? Aren't you supposed to be showing me a good time, per daddy's orders"
"Down Nicky. I'm just getting going. And now that you mention it, I in fact wouldn't mind a little sugar to spice up this party"
"V, Toni said that it's bad, like real bad"
"Rory, it's fine" Veronica takes a stick from Nick "what? Every other nights it's burgers and milkshakes. Can't we just cut loose and pretend we're normal for once?"
"I'm in" Cheryl leans over and takes a stick
"Me too" Kevin says which shocks me a little
"Pussycats, care to partake?" the girls nod their heads
"Betty?"
"No thanks"
"Come on it will be fun"
"I said no V"
"Rory?"
"I've already said no"
"Perhaps we should decamp to the bedroom to not corrupt the country mice"
"Excuse me? you know, I'm starting to like you less and less" I fold my arms
"You know what, I changed my mind. I'm in" Archie says but I think it's only to keep Veronica on his side and away from Nick, he's giving me weird vibes
"Bravo Archie Andrews, shame you're sister here isn't as trying as you"

Over the night I just keep to dinking alcohol rather than taking any drugs. Josie and Reggie are on the couch playing tonsil tennis. Veronica and Archie are, well I'm not sure what they're actually doing but it's gross. Cheryl and Kevin are dancing and Betty is just chilling. I grab another drink, by now I'm getting tipsy
"Come on Betty. Don't be such a wallflower. Your boyfriendless for a night. Have some fun. Even Rory is having some fun" Veronica puts emphasis on the word some
"Like you, you mean? I was gonna say your making a fool out of yourself just acting like some privileged, shallow, airhead party girl" woah where's this come from?
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah I mean it's all just recycled banter and plunging necklines and throwing shade to distract us all"
"Betty..." I place a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugs it off
"To distract us all, from the fact that there's really nothing going on underneath"
"Betty what the hell are you saying?" Archie looks just as confused as the rest of us watching this all unfold
"What we're all thinking. That the only reason Veronica hangs out with us is circumstance"
"I wasn't thinking that" I mutter taking another sip of my drink
"She's not our friend. The minute someone from her trashy past shows up, she starts using us for drugs, hell Aurora is dating a Serpent, someone from the Southside and she still has morals and knows not to do Jingle Jangle. Why should we be surprised that Veronica is using us for these drugs, music, a distraction? Like father like daughter, right?"
"You better shut it down Betty"
"Or what Veronica? You'll have your dad put a hit on me? or maybe you'll do it yourself because you may have fooled all of them, but not me. Try to reform all you want, but you are a bad person Veronica. You'll always be a bad person"
"Ok Betty, I think we should go, yeah, ok so I'll ring Sweet Pea and get him to borrow Fang's truck and..."
"Don't get me started on you"
"Huh?" I frown
"You, you had everything here, a boyfriend was best friends with Cheryl then those Serpents screwed you up"
"What are you on about? Reggie cheated on me and I was in the play book. Also I don't really think you could class me and Cheryl as friends I was more like her puppy. So Betty I never had everything" I put emphasis on the word everything
"Your just as just as a bad person as Veronica" "Well if we're both monsters, why don't you just go" Veronica snaps. Betty grabs her things and walks out the door
"Veronica.."
"I'm fine" V stops Archie "obviously she's not. What you wanna go after her? be my guest, but I'll be damned if I'm chasing Betty down after that... whatever it was. In fact Reggie, turn the music up will you?"