CHARMER--Reggie Mantel

Chapter One: Tell Me I'm Your Baby

Alex Shane sat in a car, she was seated in the back middle seat of the cherry red convertible, her bests friends sitting in the front of the car, her ex-boyfriend driving. The car stopped at the shore of Sweetwater River. The teenagers stepped out of the car and made their way to the river's edge, there lay a boat that had been placed there prior to that day. 

The group stopped directly in front of the canoe, "Are you scared JJ?" Cheryl Blossom, of the infamous Blossom twins, asked her brother Jason, he shook his head in response. 

You see, their plan was, on the fourth of July the trio would take an early morning boat ride across Sweetwater River and that was were Jason would leave, start a new life with Polly Cooper and their unborn child. After the group would say their goodbyes Cheryl and Alex would say that Cheryl had dropped a glove in the water and when Jason reached in the water to grab it the boat tipped, Jason, panicked and drowned.

The teenagers sat in the boat as Jason rowed, Cheryl and Alex sitting side by side while Jason sat across them. Once they got across the river the trio made their way out of the canoe. On the edge of the Greendale side of Sweetwater River, the group stopped to say their goodbyes to one another. Jason and Cheryl hugged each other tightly as Jason whispered in Cheryl's ear. The two broke the hug and Jason made his way over to Alex. The two sank into a tight hug, as Alex prayed she wouldn't start crying. Jason kissed the top of her head and said, "I will never stop loving you, I will love you forever, forever and always," 

"I love you so much Jason, I wish that you didn't have to go," Alex said into Jason's chest as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. 

With that, the trio parted ways and little did they know, that, that was the last time Alex and Cheryl would ever see Jason alive again. 

~~~~

Thunder roared as Cheryl and Alex sat on a jagged rock, their hair wet and sticking to the sides of their faces, and mascara running down their cheeks, the two were hugging each other crying wishing they hadn't both just said goodbye to Jason for the last time. Alex felt Cheryl lift her head up and whisper, "Jason," Alex lifted her head only to see Dilton Doiley slowly lower his binoculars with his boy scout troop behind him looking over at the two distraught girls, hugging each other on a rock soaking wet. 

Cheryl and Alex sat in the boat staring blankly at the clouded skies in front of them, as police searched for Jason's body in Sweetwater river. The police dragged the river over and over but never found Jason's body, not even a hint that his body had even been there. 

So, after a week of searching and finding nothing, Alex watched as the Blossom's buried an empty casket, and Alex and Cheryl's story made its way through Riverdale. 

~~~~

Weeks had past and it was the night before the first day of school. Even though Jason wasn't with them, Cheryl insisted that she and Alex continued on their tradition of spending the night at Thornhill, and going to school together the next morning on the first day of school. 

Alex and Cheryl sat on Cheryl's bed talking about what they think is going to happen in the upcoming year, "What do you think about Hermione and Veronica Lodge moving to Riverdale?" Alex asked Cheryl who smirked. 

"They are going into a storm they aren't expecting. This will be fun," Cheryl said still smirking.

"Yeah, Betty and I have to show Veronica around tomorrow, so, I guess I can get some info on what she is like," Alex shrugged

"Nice, getting in on the inside, I wonder if she is exactly like her father?" Cheryl said tilting her head to the side and put her pointer finger on her jawline. 

" I wonder," Alex said as she laid back onto the bed and rested her hands upon her stomach. 

"Well, A, let us get to bed, we should be well rested. Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a day," Cheryl winked and Alex nodded, Cheryl got up off the bed, turned her bedroom light off, crawled into her bed and the duo went to sleep, both wishing that Jason was with them. 

~~~~

Cheryl and Alex walked into school, side by side, both wearing the outfits that they had picked out the night before, "Well, Cheryl, I have to make my way to the office, see you later?" Alex said and Cheryl nodded, the pair hugged before splitting off and going in two different directions. 

Alex walked up to the office just in time to see Betty exit with Veronica following close behind her, "So, I usually start my tours off with a little history and context. Oh, finally, Alex, this is Veronica Lodge, Veronica this is Alex Shane," Betty introduced. 

" Hello, Veronica, it's nice to meet you," Alex smiled.

"It is nice to meet you as well," Veronica said politely. 

"So," Betty continued," Riverdale high first opened its doors in 1941 and-"

"And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently," Veronica cut Betty off, "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town. So, what's the social scene like here? Any nightclubs?" 

"A strip club called the Ho Zone, and a tragic gay bar called the Innuendo, Friday nights football games, and then tailgate parties in the Mallmart parking lot, Saturday night is movie night, and you better get there early because we do not have reserved seating in Riverdale, Sunday nights? Thank God for HBO," Kevin said as he circled the girls. 

Alex smiled, "Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller. Veronica is new here and Kevin is-" 

"Gay, thank God, let's be best friends," Veronica cut Alex off.

"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asked Veronica, causing Betty to give him a look, and Alex to hit him in the stomach. 

"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Veronica questioned as she crossed her arms, and Alex looked down at her feet, "Wonderful, ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale high," 

With that, Veronica walked off, and Alex sighed, "Well, that could have gone better," Betty and Kevin nodded their heads in agreement. 

This Chapter is not fully edited. Sorry if things do not make any sense, I will go back and fix all of them eventually. Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the story. 

~Alyssa:)