PROMISE // reggie mantle

twelve

"i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw cheryl coming down the hallway with handcuffs around her wrists," i rubbed my eyes as my mother flipped through the newest copy of the riverdale register, humming slightly.

she shook her head, folding the paper, taking her glasses off, "she didn't kill the poor boy did she?"

i shook my head as i cut my bacon and spinach omelet with my knife and fork. i bit the piece off off the utensil and chewed, "she said she was just guilty of lying. he didn't actually die on july fourth. he died on july eleventh."

"hm," my mother folded her arms across her chest, "interesting."

i looked up from my breakfast to stare at her, "oh god," i shook my head again, "please don't investigate, mother. you own a business not the fbi." 

"that's true, however," she stood up and pushed in her chair, "the police in this town don't know what they're doing."

she quickly walked out of the dining room to hurry upstairs as i called out, "neither do you!" 

*** 

that day i sat with archie, veronica, betty and kevin in the student lounge, sipping on a coffee veronica had gotten me in the morning. i sat between betty and kevin, leaning my head back on the red couch as kevin chewed on a twizzler. archie was filling us in on his interrogation with sheriff keller and principal weatherbee. he left out the details about grundy, however, instead stating he was working on songs by the river with vegas.

"so are you, like, a suspect now?" veronica questioned as she took a sip of her own coffee. 

kevin bit off the end of the candy, mentioning, "my dad says we all are. even me."

"not me, girl. i don't know these people."

i sipped my coffee, "you have an alibi, what do we have? weren't we all in riverdale?"

"didn't you go on that road trip with jughead?" betty asked and i looked at archie answering, "no it got canceled."

"guys," kevin grabbed our attention, "should we maybe re-binger making a murderer on netflix tonight?"

i raised my hand, "we can do it at my mansion!" 

"okay, kylie jenner, we get it you live in a mansion," archie rolled his eyes and i stuck my tongue out at him.

"can't, have to stay late and work on the paper," betty frowned slightly and i pouted, grabbing kevin's twizzler, biting off a piece.

veronica smirked, tapping her fingers on the side of her coffee, "count me out, too. i've got a date tonight."

"you do?" archie asked, raising his eyebrows.

"which riverdale hottie made the cut?" kevin questioned, smirking back at her.