🎶 Twin Cooper🎶 ~ Jughead Jones

🎶La Grande Illusion🎶

Thicker than blood. More precious than oil. Riverdale's big business is maple syrup. Since the towns founding, one family has controlled it's lucrative syrup trade, the Blossoms. They were a part of the fabric of our daily lives—Rich or poor, old or young, we consumed Blossom syrup by the bucket. That sickly, sweet smell was inescapable.

The death of Jason Blossom precipitated a crisis. With the heir apparent gone, who would inherit the family business one day?

Certainly not Cheryl.

It was a question that brought the wolves to Riverdale. And now, the Blossoms were circling the wagons against possible attack, from within their own ranks.

"Polly won't answer me or Betty's phone calls or emails. I mean, I get that she doesn't want to talk to our dad, but what did I do wrong? What did Betty do wrong? We're her sisters and we're trying to be there for her but she won't let us." Ellie pouted as she sit in her bed facing Jughead. "Nothing. We'll figure it out. Come here." Jughead said as he pulled Ellie into a kiss making her smile.

Alice knock once before opening Ellie's door, "Up and at'em, breakfast is ready." Alice said as she walks in with Betty smiling sheepishly behind her, "Not hungry." Ellie said.

"Oh, enough is enough, Eliza, we have a big week ahead of us. The Blossoms have always been a thorn in our side, ever since, according to your milquetoast father, Great-Grandpappy Blossom killed Great-Grandpappy Cooper. Well, it's about time someone brings them to heel." Alice said as she starts picking up Ellie's clothes and folding them, "I'm writing a searing, no-holds-barred takedown of their clan."

Ellie and Betty look at their mother, "And you think that's going to bring Polly home?" Betty asked her and Alice turns around and replies with, "Maybe, maybe not, but it'll make me feel better. Word has it that the Blossom board of trustees has descended upon Riverdale like a cabal of vampires. Why? Now, that's a story. I just need to find a way in." Alice said as she paced in Ellie's room.

Betty looks at her twin and frown as Ellie sighs loudly before flopping backward onto her bed.

~xoxo

"They put me in a wooden box as I desperately opposed.
But all my screaming was for naught.
My mouth had been sewn closed.
Curled up in bed was just a girl.
Needing daddy's arms to hold her." Ethel said as she reads her poem in front of the class. Ellie looks at her sadly before looking at Veronica.

Later on in the lounge; Kevin's reading in a chair, Ellies writing music in a chair across from him, and Ethel is writing poems. Veronica walks up and sits by Ethel, "Hey, Ethel." Veronica said as she sits on the couch next to her. "I just wanted to tell you how moved I was by your poem. It felt like you were tapping into something pretty dark—" Ellie cuts her off saying, "But also very real. Yes, I'm eavesdropping."

Veronica looks over and smile at her, "Ellie." she said with a chuckle, before looking back at Ethel. "I don't want to overstep Ethel— but is everything alright?" Ethel stays silent for a min then says, "Things at home aren't great. My mom and dad are fighting, but they won't tell me about what. It's like this really bad thing is happening, and there's nothing that I can do to stop it."