✿
Thanksgiving is for family and friends.
Instead of carrying around that sentiment, Mickey is making it to her mission to get away from majority of her family. With her father moving back in and being the new mayor—due to running unopposed—the environment at home has been insufferable. There's no way she can make it through an entire dinner with them, so she's opted to go to Stonewall Prep.
Hiram walks into the Mickey's room to see both of his daughters getting ready for their day. "You were missed this morning."
From Mickey's window seat, Veronica looks to their father. Sarcastically, she asks, "Oh, wait, was your inauguration today?"
Hiram chuckles. "Well, you two can make it up to me tomorrow night. I made reservations at the Sweetwater Country Club for Thanksgiving."
Mickey pulls on her jacket, finally acknowledging her father's presence. "I have plans with Jughead. And quite frankly, I don't want to be around you guys."
"And I'm helping Archie at the community center," Veronica fills him in.
"Yeah, Archie's community center...." Hiram quirks an eyebrow, "Wasn't a man found bleeding out, on the verge of death, right in front of it? Just terrible what's going on in that part of town. It's a real problem. Well..make sure you wish Archie and Jughead a very happy Thanksgiving for me."
✿
That afternoon, Veronica is watching Mickey pack her weekend bag. She pouts, "I don't wanna spend the holiday apart. Are you even gonna make it? With this biblical ice storm they're predicting?"
"Your sister's right," Jughead says on the phone. He's on speaker. "It's gonna get pretty bad."
Mickey moves around her room, continuing to packing everything and anything she might need this week. "Jug, I don't care what the weatherman or my crazy parents are saying. There's zero chance that I'm not seeing you this weekend."
"Well, then hurry up and get here already!" he jokingly shouts. He's really excited to have her all to himself. "I need your help with something."
"Ew!" Veronica's nose crinkles. "I'm still in the room and you're still on speaker, Jones."
Mickey laughs at her sister. "He's talking about his Baxter Brothers sample. It's an assignment," she explains. "Speaking of..." Mickey grabs the books off of her desk. She's read this batch and needs to give them back to Jughead.
"Well, I am on a deadline and that's the reason I'm hunkering down, but also, considering you and I are going to be the only ones on campus, I figured it would be the perfect time to do a little sleuthing into Chipping's death," he begins to whisper. "Because believe me, no one else is doing it."
"Hmm. Conspiracy theories and a murder mystery to solve. Sounds like a romantic getaway to me." Mickey adds, "I have a couple of other things in mind as well."
Veronica covers her ears with her hands. "Now, I know you're talking about sex."
"All right. Love you, see you later. Bye."
"While you and Jug are at Stonewall Prep, I have to deal with Daddy trying to stop thanksgiving dinner from happening at the community center tomorrow." Veronica says, "I really don't want these kids to suffer daddy wants me at dinner. If he could stop your train from running, he would."
"What is Archie going to do?" Mickey questions.
"He's still going to do the dinner." Veronica pouts, "Are you sure you have to go? You know we face off against Daddy better together."
"You'll be fine. It'll all be fine. My train's leaving in an hour, Ronnie."
Veronica goes over to the bed and takes a lacy black number out. "I'm sure it'll all be fine for you," she teases."
✿
Mickey leans on the doorframe of Jughead's room. For a moment, she watches him type on his laptop. "Hey, lover boy."
At the sound of her voice, he swivels around in his chair. "Hey! Wow, that was fast."
"I took an earlier train to beat the storm." She sees his fingers still tapping at the keyboard while he glances between her and the screen. "Jug. Hit save." She closes the door behind her and drops her bag by his bed.
"I know. I'm sorry. I am almost done with my first chapter."
She closes the laptop for him. "I'm sure it's great and I can't wait to read it—and to help you sleuth. But right now," she unbuttons her coat to showcase her sexy lingerie, "we have some catching up to do."
Jughead exhales, taking in the sight of her. His hands move to touch her, bringing her to stand between his thighs. "Yes we do."
✿
When Mickey gets the chance to the next day, she listens to her angry voicemails from Veronica. They're all about their father ruining Thanksgiving.
From behind her, Jughead moves her hair to one side to expose her shoulder blade. He presses long kisses against her skin to get her attention.
Mickey puts her phone down, scooting closer. "I think we've spent enough time in bed." They've spent the entire night and morning right under each other. They indulged in everything. Cuddling, sex, movies on his laptop. It's been the best Thanksgiving ever. They only really got up to use the bathroom and to shower together.
The hunger is hitting Mickey now as she listens to her stomach rumble. "We have to get up."
He groans as he leans into her. His lips cover hers for a gentle kiss. "We have two more days."
"We had time for pleasure. Now it's time for business."
"I just missed you so much," Jughead wraps his arms around her tightly, pulling her body into his.
She hums happily. "I missed you too. I've been reading your books and I like them. They make me want to solve this Baxter Brothers case. Don't you since we have the campus to ourselves?"
"I was thinking about Mr. Chipping again earlier," he confesses. "How he died just after he went to talk to DuPont, about my grandpa....I think Mr. DuPont threatened or blackmailed him into killing himself."
Mickey sits up in his bed, looking down at him. "Wow, that's an extreme theory, Jug. What's the motive?"
He sits up too. "Well, the Baxter Brothers franchise is worth something like two hundred million dollars. That's a compelling motive for Mr. DuPont not to want his fraud exposed."
"Yeah, but what leverage did DuPont have over Chipping to make him kill himself?"
"This is where it gets interesting." Jughead throws the blanket off of himself and gets out of bed. "How do you get someone to do something they don't want to do? Blackmail, right?" He goes to his desk and picks up a collection of papers. He gives them to her, "Look at these yearbook photos I printed out of Mr. DuPont and Chipping. These are decades apart. You notice anything?"
She examines the photos on top of his stack of paperwork. "Is that the same tiepin?"
"Yes. Apparently, that is the mark of Quill and Skull. It's one of Stonewall's oldest secret societies. And like so many secret societies, what if their initiation has something to do with you revealing your deepest and darkest secrets?"
"Well, then DuPont may have used Chipping's blackmail material to coerce him into suicide."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Then, maybe some of my current classmates are part of the same society. I mean, I checked Bret's side of the room, but so far, there is no sign of a telltale tiepin."
A chill runs down her spine. "Is it getting colder in here?"
He notices his goosebumps in that moment. "Actually yeah, but the radiator is on." He gives her one of his shirts before going to feel the radiator. "Just barely. Is this the part where we freeze and starve to death?"
"No, this is the part where we get back in bed and order Chinese food."
"I thought we were working?"
"We need fuel and lots and lots of rest to be at our best. And it's still early." Mickey takes out her phone and begins looking up places near them.
Jughead gets back into bed to lay behind her, resting his forehead on her back.
"No one's delivering," she tells him a few minutes later.
"Probably because of this ice storm. How about I just raid the vending machine?"
"Junk food for Thanksgiving?"
Jughead grins, "You said you've always hated turkey."
She gives in quickly. "Okay, I'll have Stonewall's finest. Chocolate chip cookies, soda, and those sour candy straws please."
"I'm on it!"
A few moments after Jughead leaves the room, Mickey sees someone walk past the door—in the direction Jughead went. She gets out of bed and slips on a pair of Jughead's pajama pants. She quickly scans the room for a weapon and sees Bret's golf clubs. Taking one, she goes into the hallway to see Jughead at the end at the vending machine.
He's completely unaware of the masked person creeping up behind him.
Jughead jumps at the sound of a thud, spinning around, "Mick?" Then his eyes are on the unconscious person on the floor.
"I saw him sneak past the door. The two of them notice the ax next to the person. "What the hell is up with this school?"
Then another masked person comes running down the hall. "What the hell, you guys?" A brunette takes off her mask. "What did you do to him?" She bends down beside the unconscious guy.
Jughead squints his eyes. "Donna? What did we do? What're you guys doing here?" He takes the mask off of the man to reveal Bret. "And why're you wearing bunny masks? And carrying axes?"
"We were just trying to scare you, Jones, have a little fun."
Mickey shakes her head as the girl explains. "Alright, well, now your friend is bleeding and I'm sure this place's infirmary is locked up really tight, so yeah, that's fun. Jug, get him up"
✿
Mickey cuts the end of the string, looking at her work on the back of Bret's head. "That should do it. Three stitches, not too bad."
Belt takes the leather belt out of his mouth. He was biting on it to stop from screaming in pain. "Yeah. It's easy for you to say."
"Well, maybe next time, don't threaten my boyfriend with an ax."
"How did you even know how to do this?"
"I'm good at taking care of people," Mickey shrugs.
Bret turns around to smirk at her. "I bet you are." He stands up from the chair, gives her a once over, and grabs his leather jacket.
Jughead sees a piece of paper fall out of his jacket and picks it up to read. "'It saddens me greatly to realize that these will be the last words I ever write.'"
Bret snatches the paper from him. "Hands off, Forsythe."
"What was that? Was that a suicide note? Mr. Chipping's?"
"It was an exercise we did. We each wrote a note to see who could best capture the inner workings of Chipping's troubled mind."
Donna nods to confirm his explanation.
"That's psychotic," Mickey comments.
Jughead crosses his arms. "If it was an official exercise, then why wasn't I included?"
Bret rolls his eyes. "It was outside the curriculum, relax."
Donna grabs Bret's upper arm. "Come on, Bret. Let's get you cleaned up."
Jughead closes the door behind them.
"Jug, what are they doing here, really?" She pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth. They were supposed to be alone. It doesn't feel like a coincidence that Jughead's biggest enemies are still on campus instead of with their families on a holiday.
"I don't know, but I certainly don't believe any of that BS about a writing exercise."
"Well, maybe it's incriminating evidence that they wanna get rid of, or fake evidence that they're trying to plant."
"Okay," he runs a hand over his face. "How are we gonna play this game? "
"You said it. Your chums like playing games. Let's give them a taste of their own medicine." Mickey picks up Bret's flask that he left behind and hands it to Jughead.
✿
Jughead has convened Donna and Bret to join him and Mickey in a corner spot where students usually gather at all times of the day.
Jughead gives Bret his flask back. "Well, considering we're trapped here until the morning, at least, how about we pass the time with a game of Never Have I Ever?"
Donna's interest is peaked. "I do love a good salacious drinking game. I'll start." They all put up one hand to emphasize five chances. "Never have I ever kissed a girl."
Both boys put a finger down. They both have have to drink.
"Never have I ever done drugs," Jughead goes next.
Bret, Donna, and Mickey down fingers. Bret takes his sip. Donna does the same. She tries to hand the flask to Mickey.
"I don't drink," Mickey rejects it. "I'll be taking sips of this lemon juice," she holds up the green and yellow bottle. When she takes a sip, her face scrunches up from the sour taste.
"Interesting." Bret scoots forward in his chair so that he is able to rest his hand on her knee. "A pretty girl like you, I know you know how to party."
Out of pure instinct, Jughead swats Bret's hand. Then all three of them are standing.
This only feeds into Bret's little game. "Scratch pretty. You're hot."
Jughead pushes Bret's chest. "Back off.
Bret then looks to Jughead, "Jones, I'm surprised in you. Isn't Riverdale, like, the drug capital of the world?" Then he takes his turn, "Never have I ever been in a gang."
Both Jughead and Mickey put a finger down.
Donna tilts her head, looking Mickey over. "Really? You look so...uppity."
"You mean like you?" Mickey retorts. She drinks the lemon juice.
Jughead drinks again too. "Never have I ever been in a secret society."
Neither Bret or Donna put a finger down. Bret smirks, "Oops. Looks like you lose that round, Forsythe. Now you gotta finish the whole flask."
And Jughead does.
Mickey takes the flask from him. "Time for a refill. I'll go get the bottle from your room, Jug."
The plan is to pretend like she's going to Jughead and Bret's room. Jughead has already searched Bret's side of the room, so Mickey is tasked with snooping through Donna's room.
Once she's inside, she closes the door slightly and begins rifling through the room. She almost gives up, finding things that most teenage girls would own. Then she finds a special tiny box with designs all over it. She opens it to reveal a tiepin. It's looks like the tiepin Mr. DuPoint and Mr. Chipping owned. She takes out her phone and texts Jughead.
A few minutes later, the two of them are in Jughead's room again. "I found this tiepin in Donna's room, and it has an engraving on the back. The initials 'RC.' What was Mr. Chipping's first name?"
"Rooper!" He takes the tiepin and examines it. "These are his initials. How does Donna have this?"
"Maybe it's a souvenir or a...a trophy!" Mickey grins, pleased by her take. "I learned that from Criminal Minds."
Jughead plants a sweet kiss on her forehead. She's the cutest in his eyes. "Good job, baby. Now let's get back before they come looking for us."
And when they do go back to Bret and Donna, Bret says, "We thought you'd been murdered."
Donna is sitting on the arm of his chair now. "No dice on the booze, I see."
"Not a drop to be found," Jughead shrugs. He holds up his hand, in reference to the game. "I say we keep playing the game and I'll go next. Never have I ever tried to cover up a murder."
Bret and Donna share a look.
Jughead sits down across from them, "Oh, you guys are just so cool. You know that? You never break into sweat, never betraying an emotion. Hell, writing fake suicide notes, how cool is that?" He glances at Mickey and then back at them, "Well, you guys aren't as devious as you think."
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have left incriminating evidence, like Mr. Chipping's tiepin," Mickey holds up what she found.
Donna's cheeks burn and her nostrils flare. "You went into my room?"
"It was an accident. I mean, all the do doors look the same."
Jughead clears his throat. "Between the suicide note and the tiepin, you two are trying to cover up something about Mr. Chipping's suicide. Or was it a murder? Care to explain?"
Bret still remains cool. "You were there, Jones. You saw him jump. No one pushed him out that window."
"Not physically. But psychologically, Mr. Chipping could have been pushed to the edge."
Donna looks like she's on the brink of crying or spilling. It's fifty-fifty. Then she runs off.
Mickey follows behind her until they're in Donna's room. She watches the girl sob by her window. "Donna, where did you get this? How did you get this?"
Donna moves to sit on her bed. "Mr. Chipping gave it to me, okay? We were having an affair."
The confession seems too easy for Mickey, but she listens anyway.
Donna's voice cracks, "I knew it was wrong. And I-I didn't want anybody to get into trouble. So, I tried to break it off with him. But then he got aggressive. I was so scared. I told him, if he didn't stop, I would go to the headmaster. And then—" she begins to sob. "A-and the next day, he jumped out of a window."
✿
Mickey and Jughead are on his bed, facing each other. Mickey has just revealed everything Donna told her when she ran off.
"I'm just so confused," Jughead's brows knit together. "This whole time, Mr. Chipping was the bad guy? It wasn't Bret—or Mr. DuPont? And poor Donna."
Mickey puts her cookie back in the bag and leans forward. "I'm not so sure that Donna isn't playing us."
"What do you mean? Are you saying she made all of that up?"
"No. Of course not. I'd never call a victim a liar, but something felt off. The harrowing affair part could very likely be true, but there's a possibility that she only opened up about it to uncover the real truth." Mickey wraps his blanket around her shoulders. "You should just talk to your headmaster, Jug. I mean, get it on his radar that something weird is happening at this school because I don't like what's going on here. It gives me a bad feeling."
"Yeah. That's a good idea. I will." Jughead looks around his room. "Hey, I was thinking, maybe, if the storm clears up by tomorrow morning, that we can go home for the weekend. This place isn't where I want to be during Thanksgiving."
"Sure. In the meantime though..." The blanket falls off her shoulders, "...how will we stay warm tonight?"
He tilts her chin up slightly and kisses her. "I have a couple of ideas."
Mickey doesn't let him get too far before attaching their lips again. She hums, "You taste like gin."
"Is that okay?"
"Mhmmmm."