Deep Down • Archie Andrews [DNF]

21 | the tase of riverdale

CHAPTER 21

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Florence stood to the side of the large ballroom as the Pussycats got everything ready on stage.

She brushed her pleated gray skirt and straightened out her unbuttoned pink blouse that draped over her white tank top tucked underneath. Veronica continued to text her updates as the plan to expose the playbook underwent during the Taste of Riverdale.

The brunette glanced around the room at the guests. Mayor McCoy was on the far end greeting the people who decided to come. Pops had his booth set up next to the entrance, which was being run by Veronica's mother. Mrs. Cooper stood by the wine table and then the Blossoms isolated themselves beside the stage.

Florence wandered over to make small talk with Betty's mother, making sure to keep an eye out for Archie. He told her during their 'lunch date' a few hour earlier about how his father caught him trying to sneak back into the house and forbade him to come watch the Pussycats' performance. But, he decided to sneak out again tonight while his father attended the Taste of Riverdale.

Alice Cooper was well on her way to being tipsy, if not more than that. Mrs. Cooper seemed to take an interest towards her after reading about her in Betty's Diary. Instead of being cold like she was with Veronica, Mrs. Cooper was open and very, very talkative. She was blabbering about whatever came to mind when Florence approached her.

Alice walked away after a few minutes of conversation to interview people for the Riverdale newspaper. This gave Florence the opportunity to talk to the Blossoms. She hasn't spoken to them since the incident at the school.

Stopping in front of them, Florence cleared her throat respectively. "Mr. and Mrs. Blossom?" Cheryl's parents turned slowly so that their backs were no longer facing towards her. The brunette gave them a small smile and nodded. "I wanted to come over to say hello and to thank you for what you did a few days ago."

"Yes, well the Sheriff had more pressing matters to handle about Jason than to interrogate the two people closest to him." Mrs. Blossom kept her face settled on a deep frown that showed most of her aging wrinkled. Florence intertwined her fingers in front of her. "And how is the case going?"

Mr. Blossom placed a hand on his wife's lover back. "So far, there are no solid leads." "It's like they can't even do their job." Mrs. Blossom commented spitefully.

"Penelope? Clifford?" Mayor McCoy stepped in with the Sheriff by her side. The Blossoms slowly averted their attention to her, causing a think tension to arise. The Mayor cleared her throat. "How are you holding up?"

"How do you think?" Mrs. Blossom's face remained calm, but the tone of her voice said otherwise. Her body went completely rigid. "My son is dead, and neither of you have done anything to catch his killer, except, of course, harass my daughter and her friend." Florence's eyes flickered to her tightened grip on the glass in her hands.

As if nothing could make the situation worse, Mrs. Cooper wandered by. "Penelope Blossom." She stopped right next to Mayor McCoy with a knowing smirk playing on her drunken lips. "I thought I might run into you. Would you like to give me a quote regarding the-"

A sound of skin against skin echoed throughout the room. Mrs. Cooper's head whipped to the side and her body flew backwards into the direction of Sheriff Kelly. He shot out his arm between the two women to stop any more violence that may have occurred.