monsters | riverdale

Purgatorio

Mickey puts down her chopsticks to look at her best friend, who is staring out the huge window to see the lights of the city. "I was thinking we should go out tonight and cure our hangovers tomorrow with—"

"I'm pregnant," Toni blurts out. She's been trying to find the right way to say it since she's gotten to New York. She thought she could casually bring it up at the airport or at the nail salon, but she chickened out. She turns around to face Mickey directly, "And I don't want you to be sad or for it to bring up—"

"I'm happy for you," she cuts her off. "Really." She stands up from her couch to hug Toni.

"Still a bad ass, though," Archie's compliment breaks Mickey out of her thoughts. "Who's the dad? Can I ask?"

"You can, but I'm not gonna answer you," Toni tells him bluntly. "It's a secret. Just for now. But I'm glad to see you're back in one piece."

"Yeah, yeah. No, I'm good. So, who owns this place now?"

"Her and the Serpents," Mickey recalls what Toni told her. "They bought it from my father."

Toni shrugs, "A girl's got to be creative to survive in Riverdale. I mean, most of the Serpents are truckers just to make ends meet."

Archie shifts in his seat. "Toni, the bus ride into town...I can't explain it. It—everything felt—"

"Different?" Mickey tries to gauge his feelings. "Weird?"

"Yeah. I mean, to be honest, it doesn't even feel like Riverdale anymore."

Toni sighs, "Yeah, well, a lot has changed in the world since we graduated high school."

"Yeah, no kidding. I mean, for starters, where's Pop Tate?"

"Well, haven't you heard? I thought that's why you came back to town."

"That's why I'm back," Mickey says.

Archie's focus lowers to the table for a second. It's a second of shame. "I was reassigned here. Toni, what happened to Pop Tate?"

"Calm down, Archie," Mickey leans back in her seat. "He's just retiring." When Toni kept calling, Mickey thought it might be an emergency or something, but Toni just wanted Mickey in Riverdale for Pop Tate's retirement party. She felt obligated to come because he has a special place in her heart.

Archie excuses himself to get a drink from the bar.

Toni grabs the edge of the table, "Gosh. This kid is gonna play soccer with the way he kicks."

Mickey is surprised when Toni grabs her hand and places it over her belly.

When Toni sees the hesitating look on Mickey's face, realization strikes her. "Oh! I know this is probably—"

"It's fine," Mickey presses her hand against her friend's belly and smiles. "He's definitely a kicker. He's gonna be a badass just like you, Tone."

Archie returns with the boys to see Toni and Mickey giggling. "You guys seem to be close still." Archie says, "I thought you'd never come back here, Mick."