Back In Black

Chapter Nineteen; The Blossom's Plus One

I came home to find Alice drinking a glass of wine.
"Hey Kathleen," She didn't look up from her glass "You look nice..."
"Hey Alice, thank you." I sit down with her at the table filling her in on all of the events of tonight, minus Polly and the conversation Archie and I overheard.
"Thats nice dear, I'm glad you had an okay time." I chuckle until I hear Betty.
"Mom? Archie just called. He talked to Polly. She's safe. She's okay, mom. She didn't choose the Blossoms over us, she's actually there to spy on them." Alice started to sob, I reach over and put my hand on her arm. After a few seconds she started to speak.
"You know, when I went after this story..." She paused like she was getting her words in order "I thought, in the back of my mind that, 'What if this is it? What if this is finally the time that she doesn't come back?'" I look down at the table then up at Jughead who had been standing there the whole time.
"She will, Mom. And right now she's our woman on the inside. We're going to write this story." Betty looks up to Jughead.
"Come write with us at the Blue and Gold." Alice sighs
"The school newspaper?" I look down at the table in shock... did he really just? Did they just? Why wasn't I told until now?
"Yeah, that's what we are. But I'm pretty sure that our annual operating budget is bigger than the Register's" I stood up.
"Excuse me..." I mumbled leaving the room. Grabbing my purse and jacket before walking out into the cold night. It was the second time in less than twenty four hours I was left out of the loop. I was just walking down the steps when I heard Jug call to me.
"Kat, Kat hey wait." he caught up with me and grabbed my arm "Hey, whats wrong?"
"You did not just ask me that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Jughead, I saw you and Betty in the Blue and Gold yesterday afternoon... and now this. When were you going to ask me if I'd be okay working with Alice Cooper at the Blue and Gold, or am I no longer a part of that either?"
"Kat what are you talking about?"
"You haven't talked to me since you walked me to school the other day. We had the most Awkward conversation before Archie came down tonight and now you and Betty are making plans and not asking for my input. When did I become a fucking toy to you?"
"You're not a toy Kat..."
"Then when you make up your mind on who you want to be with you know where to find me." I marched back into the house slamming the door behind me. Betty and Alice were still sitting at the table. They jumped when I came back in. "I'm going to bed!" I shouted making my way up the stairs. Once I got into the room I pulled my phone out seeing a few scatter texts from Des just checking in, Cheryl telling me she was glad I was able to make it and Sweet Pea.

Sweets- Hey Quinn, Where you been?

I bit my lip, I looked out my side window seeing Jughead just enter Archie's room. Polly's room wasn't a direct line into the Andrews' house but it was close.

Me- Not much. Come get me...

I sent him the address.

Sweets- On my way.

Before I tried to shimmy down the vines I grabbed my mom's Serpent Jacket that sat right by the window. I didn't even change out of the dress, which would be an issue on the back of a bike but I didn't care. I snuck through the grass until I reached the front of the house. It really didn't take long for Sweet Pea to pull up in front of the Cooper house. He handed me a helmet. "You look nice" He winked.
"Yeah, Yeah. Just drive" I climbed on the back of the bike holding on to him tight.

Before I knew it Sweet Pea and I were at the Whyte Wyrm. Tonight's drinking party was over and it was just the teens. "Quinn the killing machine welcome back." I received a high five from the guy everyone called fangs.
"Its good to be back Fangs." I smiled before Sweet Pea was handing me a drink.
"So Quinn, how is the Northside treating you?"
"Its been whatever I guess." I down the cup in one sip. I take off the winter coat and pull on my mom's serpent jacket.
"It looks good on you kid!" I hear an all too familiar voice call. I turn around to see FP Jones at the top of the stairs.
"I'm taking it for a test ride, I'm not sure whats going on in my life at the moment but I know that the Serpents are family. Always have been always will be." FP nods.
"Just be on time for school tomorrow yeah?"
"Always"

The night faded away as everyone slowly but surely left. Eventually it was just me and Sweet Pea in one of the booths laughing our asses off about something.
"So tell me Quinn, why did you want me to come get you?"
"The boy that I've been dating is now starting to show affection towards another. The another lives in the room across the hall from me..." I take a long sip of the beer.
"and the boy?"
"In the house next door..." Sweet Pea stayed silent until he said.
"You could always come to Southside high. We may not be the bulldogs but we handle our own. Besides a Quinn on campus would whip everyone into shape."
"As nice as that sounds, Des would kill me if I came back to the Southside. She is so scared..."
"FP told me."
"He did?"
"He had too... I wouldn't stop asking questions." Sweet Pea looked away from me.
"Aw Sweets..." I slurred climbing over to him. "You care about me?" he just laughed before lightly brushing my forearm with his finger.
"Of course I do Quinn..." I sigh. Sweet Pea was handsome, and the feeling to kiss him was strong. But then I thought about why I was here and the kind of person I would be if I did that to Jughead. "We should really get you home." I nod slowly.

I wake up in Polly's room with a splitting headache. I roll over groaning as I get dressed. A baggy t-shirt and jeans, who was I trying to impress. I pull my hair into a messy bun and smudge my leftover eye make-up.
"Good job Kat, no one will tell you are hungover..." I grabbed my bag. And made my way down the stairs.
"Good morning." Alice chirps,
"Totally." I groan.
"Someone is hear for you." She points to the living room where Jughead is standing.
"Thanks Alice." She nods slowly. I start walking and Jughead follows.
"Look, I screwed up and I'm so sorry Kat." He started as we reached the street. I stopped in front of him and looked him dead in the face.
"Do you have feelings for Betty yes or no?"
"Not like I do you."
"That isn't what I asked..." My headache made me irritable.
"No..." He shook his head slowly. "Even if I did, I wouldn't hurt you like that." I started walking again.
"You aren't completely forgiven, but its a start." I shouted. He ran up behind me wrapping his arms around my waist.
"What ever will I do to make it up to you?" He whispered in my ear, his warm breath sending chills through my body. I laughed,
"Stop being cute, I'm trying to be mad at you." It was his turn to laugh. After that we walked hand in hand, A part of me still feels like I will lose him to Betty but for now he was mine. And I am going to enjoy every minute of it. Even standing in the Blue and Gold as Archie came forward about the conversation we heard.

"I agree with Archie, there was definitely some scheming going on there." I spoke from beside Jughead. I pulled out a pad of paper writing out what Betty, Jughead, and I were all thinking.
"Oh, my God. If Clifford sent Hiram Lodge to jail, tore apart his family, then maybe Hiram was trying to do the same thing to him?"
"Yeah, by going after what the Blossoms value most, their family, their legacy. That's a motive." Jughead took the paper from me and put it on our murder board. Now sitting amongst the pictures and lines was the name

Hiram Lodge.