1 | There's a Ghost [JUGHEAD JONES]

SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

REVENGE

VIRGINIA SLOUCHED ON THE COUCH in the student lounge, listening to Archie sing a duet with Valerie.

As the song ended, Veronica entered, "not to be that girl, Archie, but, I didn't get the memo that we were adding another voice to the mix."

"Ronnie, hey. Great news! Valerie quit the Pussycats." Archie placed his guitar on the ground and Virginia snatched it up into her hands, ready to play.

"So, that makes me what, then? Backup?" She dropped her sheets of music onto the table, crossing her arms as she stared at the duo in front of her.

"No. I mean, you were just doing it as a favor to me, right?" Archie asked and Virginia rolled her eyes at Arch's naivety.

"You are unbelievable, Archie. You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!" Virginia halted her actions, a sour note resounding from the strings as she stared at the hurt look Veronica sent Archie.

"Okay, Ronnie. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever, is that your father kissed my mother."

Virginia didn't know whether it would be insensitive to start playing a showdown song on the guitar to raise tension more.

"Um, maybe I should leave." Valerie told Archie softly.

"No, hold on. Hold on." Archie stood up, confused to what was going on with V. "When my dad told me how he felt, it seemed like they were both really into each other."

"They're married to other people." Veronica hissed out, her sculpted eyebrows coming together in a frown.

"Hey, my mom and dad are separated and your dad is–" Virginia felt the guitar strings, loving how new it was compared to her old, rusty guitar. She didn't want to listen to what's going on because she didn't want to be involved with the drama– she didn't want to chose a side.

"My dad is what?" Veronica interrupted quietly, a hint of danger in her words.

"He's–He's incarcerated, right?" Archie stumbled over his words and Virginia rolled her eyes at the boys naivety towards Veronica's feelings.