Secrets • Jughead Jones [1]

|Proof is all we need|

"Cheryl and Archie say they heard a gunshot, July 4th, but they don't know who fired." Jughead stood with Aria both interrogating Dilton.

"Sheriff Keller already asked me about this. Like I told him, my scouts and I we didn't hear anything weird."

"Well, did you see anything weird." Aria spoke back.

"A white-winged crossbill, a long-eared owl oh, and Cheryl sitting by the river, soaking wet."

While Dilton said that Aria looked to the side and saw a very guilty scout over head.

~•~

Veronica walked into a school room seeing a bunch of girls with Betty and Aria.

"This story is bigger than we thought. Betty and I started asking around to see what happened to you happened to anyone else, and if anyone would go on record." Aria said.

"I will, one hundred percent." A girl offered. Her name was Ethel.

"Okay. It's five guys on the football team. Chuck and his posse. Ethel was just about to tell us." Betty confirmed.

"One day last year, Chuck and I talked in the library for 10 minutes. I helped him with a pre-call problem, and nothing happened. But the next day; he started telling people that I- let him do stuff to me. Like, sex stuff." Ethel stuttered and her voice was shaky.

Aria was also having flashbacks to what happened with her and Chuck as well. No matter how hard she tried to block them out her mind, they where still there.

Ethel carried on while Aria tried to keep it together,
"And then he or his goons wrote 'sloppy seconds' on my locker.

Veronica nodded at what Ethel said and then Cheryl came strutting in,
"Yes, yes, we've all heard your raging origin story."

"I'm so, so, sorry Ethel. That is horrible." Betty sympathised.

"Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture murder case, but we all have our crosses." Once again Cheryl made it all about her. "In the mean time, River Vixen's practice starts in five mintues, sluts so-"

She was interrupted by Ethel,
"They're ruining our lives and to them it just a game. They keep score and-"

"Wait. What do you mean keep score?" Aria questioned.

"Each conquest earns them points. They keep track in some secret playbook."

Aria's eyes grew wide as she didn't know they had a book about their dates. What if she was in it? Everyone would know she had a secret.

"I'm sorry I have to go." Aria stuttered as she walked out of the room and barged past Cheryl.

"Oh, ok." Betty said.

She felt breathless and all the symptoms that were happening that night (with Chuck) she felt now. Around her morphed in and out of where she was in the wood and then into the school grounds. Jughead saw her looking nauseous and came up to her. He gently put his hand on her shoulder, as he said 'hey' but as he did that Aria jumped back and started to slowly step backwards not knowing where she was.

"Aria, Aria it's me. It's Jughead. Are u ok? Aria, your fine, your ok. You hear me. You're ok!" He spoke.

Tears ran down her face as she started to calm down after hearing Jughead's voice. She recognised Jughead and looked into his eyes. He gave her a hug and they stayed there for what seemed to Aria like hours.

"So, your ok now right?" He smiled.

"Yeah, I had a panic attack and I haven't had one for so long, it just." She stopped at a sudden, wiping her tears from her face.

"It's ok you don't have to explain to me, if you don't want to."

~•~

Meanwhile, back at the classroom they were still talking about chuck.

"We have to go to Weatherbee." Betty confirmed.

"I already tried. Weatherbee said that he didn't find anything." Ethel shook her head.

"Ok we need undeniable proof."

"Proof of what, Nancy Drew. That boys will be boys and that playbook reeks of suburban legend." Cheryl shouted.

"How would you know Cheryl?" Veronica enquired.

"Because Friday Sallow, before Jason died, my brother was co-captain of the football team with Chuck. And Jason never mentioned it and he never would've allowed it." Cheryl spoke.

"Well, I never met your brother but I'm not lying about what happened to me and Ethel's not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book. I am going scorched earth on these privileged, despicable, miscreants." Veronica snapped walking up to Cheryl.

"You wanna get caught in that back draft Cheryl, call me or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent, women "slut" one. More. Time.'

~•~